Our Darkest Memories

14. A Troubled History

6 weeks after forgetting

"You want me to do what?"

Aaron was sitting in front of me, staring with wide eyes between the four of us, all standing or sitting behind me in the darkened cabin.

When we were thinking of a plan, we decided that it would be best for us to first find a way to leave the camp. Something like an escape route. Since none of us knew the details of the guarding terrain, we needed someone who did know all about the security system. Though I had been working with the people guarding the camp, I had never been part of the guarding groups and so I didn't know every safe path either. And what better person than Aaron was there to help us? He had helped me before and we all seemed to agree that we could trust him.

"We were hoping you would help us to find a way out of the camp that is most strategic for us to get out. A way that allows us to get out with the least amount of attention and struggle," Nadia explained to Aaron again. We had already told him why we needed to leave, so now we only needed to convince him to help us.

"So you want me to be your accomplice? Why me?"

I decided to cut in. "Because you helped me before. You have shown that I can trust you. You knew from the beginning that Blaze and I knew each other, or at least you suspected it, yet you never betrayed us to Clancy. And when Mitchel attacked me, you stopped him. You've stood up to Buz several times and you are a person who sees the difference between right or wrong. And most importantly," I added," you want to treat others the way you want to be treated. And if you are honest, wouldn't you want help if you were in our situation?"

"Of course," he immediately answered.

"And you could travel with us. We would like to have your company, but only if you like," Blaze added. She was sitting in the corner of Aaron's cabin and it was the first thing she had said since we decided to tell him the story.

Aaron gave her a look and seemed to take what she said into consideration. He hesitated, but then shook his head. "If what all you are saying is true, then I want to help other people get out of the camp. I get why you have to leave, but Clancy doesn't know that I'm involved yet. If there are going to be people like you in the future, I would like to be there to help them as well."

"So does that mean you will help?" Nadia asked.

Before Aaron answered, he looked me in the eye. "Is this really what you want? They don't force you, right?"

Of course, I wasn't forced, but his question made me think about this all for the first time. Did I want to leave the camp? Really? As far as my memories go back, it has been the only place that I have been able to call home. And Clancy has been the person I have always been loyal to.

But on the other hand, Clancy had not been loyal to me. He had betrayed me and lied to me. And I knew what I didn't want. I didn't want to be stuck with someone who lied to everyone he is promising to keep safe. Clancy was a horrible human being by manipulating people's thoughts and memories, and it became clear to me that I definitely didn't want to be stuck with him.

So that only left the option to leave the camp.

I straightened my shoulders and firmly answered, "I am sure."

"In that case, I will help," Aaron responded. He immediately pulled out a map of the area and unfolded it until he found the spot where East River was located. He began pointing out directions where he thought the security was lacking. The next hour we all started planning to leave.

When that was all sorted, we stumbled across another problem.

"We still don't know how to get Morgan's memories back," Blaze pointed the problem out. It was a problem that we had all thought about, but no one dared to say it. Just asking Clancy to give my memories back so that we could leave was hardly an option and we all realized that. Secretly, I thought that they saw that the only way out was to just leave the camp without getting my memories back, but Nadia cleared my concerns.