Don't Think

Chapter 4

 Remember anything

I yawned and stretched as I rolled over in the bed. I got up out of bed and went into the bathroom not wanting to make him wait. I showered and caught my hair in a huge messy bun and dragged on an aqua blouse, white pants and pulled out the shoes to match it from my shoe bag. I grabbed my bag pack and threw it over my shoulder and headed downstairs. It’s been a long time since I have been down these halls and it feels like months since I have seen mom. More so it feels like years since I have seen my brother, I wonder if he remembers me. Mom sat in a wooden rocking chair and looked outside with a frozen look on her face. One filled with terror and a part of me broken. “Bye honey” I said and kissed her forehead.

    I ran outside to see a red shiny car and paused immediately. I looked closer and Alejan popped out of it. “New car wow!” I said and he dropped his head in his palms. “You need to get out. He needs to get out” he said and I looked at him with confusion. I stood there for a while just looking at him as he held his face in his own palms. The wind blew his curly reddish hair all over the place and I smiled a little at the way it skipped in the breeze. He looked up at me and took my hand. He carefully walked me around the other side and opened the door for me. I smiled at him and sat inside. He made sure I was buckled in and then closed the door.

     I watched as he walked around the other side and hopped in beside me. He placed his warm hand on mine and I looked into his eyes. He took my hand up and placed a kiss on it. I smiled at him as he released my hand and started the car. “Will you allow me to take you somewhere with me?” he asked. “Of course,” I said with a huge smile on my face. He nodded and shifted the gear into drive and took off. I smiled as I looked outside and as if for the first time I was seeing the world my heart felt like a cool evening with a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows. I looked at him as he rolled down the windows inviting the wind which played in our hair and kissed our cheeks.

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       He parked the car and helped me out. I smiled as he stood behind me and placed his palm over my eyes. He was just an inch taller than me. “Walk” he whispered and I smiled as I made the first two steps and then he gently pushed me signaling me to continue walking. I was excited to see what he was about to show me. I placed my hand over his because I really wanted to look. He removed his hand and I smiled looking out at the beautiful view before me. The birds that flew in packs of different colors and species, the tall trees and the sweet sound of the river calmed me. 

    There was a sudden pain like something made a turn in me. I grabbed a hold of my chest and fell to the ground, my hands reaching out and taking the impact of it. There was a serious pain inside of me. I groaned and looked up at him and he just stood there. I looked at him confused but the pain wasn’t giving me an easy time. There was a memory replaying.. one that didn’t belong to me. “It’s beautiful” he said and looked at me and took me into his arms as I smiled at him. “This is our spot dad” I said and he kissed my head and we both smiled as we looked out at the view. I looked up at my brother. “I didn’t want this either…she did”.

    I looked around. “Did I fall?” I asked with a giggle. He reached his hand out to me and I took it. I looked out at the beautiful view and smiled. “Wow it’s beautiful…when did we get here?” I asked. “We have been here for a while now and well you decided to take a seat” he said. “Let’s head to school now” I said and he nodded. We both walked to the car in silence and I could tell something odd happened a while ago. I felt that same headache. “Did-did something happen a while ago?” I asked him. “Other from that long hug?..Nope. Did you want something else to happen? Where else do you want to go?” he asked me and I smiled at him. “School” I said and he laughed. 

    What was that? I don’t think I have ever heard that weird sound. “What does it sound weird that I laughed?” he asked. Laugh…so that’s  the name given to that weird sound. I wondered what caused someone to laugh. I hopped in the car and kept thinking about that word. Laugh. As Emily said that word it was filled with a lot of mystery and meaning for her. She had never heard that word or had ever experienced laughter not that she can remember. There was one rule though. Don’t remember anything,.. she was trying too hard to remember and her eyes closed and her head slammed on the dashboard. Frightened by the sudden slam of her head, Alejan lost control of the car and it began to swerve. 

   He gripped the wheel and sat up even straighter as he managed to get the car off the road parking it on the side. He leaned over and gently lifted her head. It was bruised and blood ran down her face. “If he doesn’t get out she will die” he said and dropped the seat and allowed her to lay back on it. He realized that there was a pattern. If she found out anything or remembered anything like a candle she was put out. But he still wasn’t sure on how. He started the car and looked over at her thinking. 

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     He sat down at his window and looked outside still thinking of what to do. What role did he play in all of this?