Shadow Queen

"Dance, Dance..."

I crank the music up the drown out the sound of my siblings yelling about drama at school and work. I jam out to all my favorite tunes in my shorts and tank top and don't even notice the window open. I'm in the middle A Love Like War by All Time Low when I feel like someone is watching me. I turn to look around my room and fall back. Asher is laying on my bed, eyeing me.

"You do dance good." He says. He's holding the time capsule, "I see you found our treasure."

"Our treasure?" I whisper.

"Yes." His furrows his brow, "You don't remember, do you?"

I turn my music down, "Sorry, it's all just a blur."

"We hid the time capsule in the cave. We were always adding new things to it. Pictures, toys, notes. Just different stuff every now and then." He pulls out his letter. He fingers the paper, "I remember the day I wrote this. I was crying so hard. I'm surprised you didn't notice the tear spots where the water made the ink run."

"I did." I sat down next to him, "I just figured since you were so close to me, I had probably seen you cry before."

"Nope."

"What?" I ask shocked.

"I never cried around you." He smiles at me, "I was always happy with you. You made me smile. You were a happy person, and so I was happy with you."

I felt myself blush, "All I remember is getting picked on at school by the other kids."

His hand brushes my shoulder, "Yeah. I was worried that it would get worse after I left."

"It did."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. They just did it because they felt threatened by me." I smile back at him.

His jaw drops open, "Mom said that to you one day."

"Said what?"

"That people picked on you because they felt threatened by you." He smiles to himself, "You did remember some stuff."

"I don't remember much." I lay back, "Well, there is this one memory."

I stop and he leans over me, "What memory?" He asks.

"I don't know. I dream about it a lot. Lately though, it's gotten stronger. And it's changed. It's not a little boy anymore, It's..." I stop again.

"You can tell me."

"The little boy is there, but he transforms into... well... He transforms into...you." I whisper into the space between us.

He looks shocked for a moment, but then his expression changes, "Your subconscious probably remembered who I was, even when your conscious didn't."

"How's that possible?" I ask.

"I don't know. Our minds are weird things." He stands up. Burn The Night Away by There For Tomorrow starts to play. He extends his hand to me, "Dance with me."

"I don't know." I say.

"Please." He gives me puppy dog eyes.

A memory clicks into place and I instinctively say, "Okay."

He smiles and pulls me to my feet. He hooks one arm around my waist and sets my feet on his feet. I place a hand on his broad shoulder and he take my other hand in his. We start twirling around my room in small circles.