2021 short stories

Amnesia

Jackson lifted his spare hand off the jagged mountainside and wiped sweat from his forehead. His face twisted with exertion as he advanced upwards. The bag over his shoulder weighed down uncomfortably, and it's heavy contents hit his leg as he moved. The mountain's peak was within view, but he felt closer to giving up than ever. He needed to remind himself of why he was there.

He thought of the princess, both beautifully ladylike and a master of military strategy. He thought of the king placing a wrinkled hand on his shoulder. He thought of his tired voice saying "I chose this task for you for a reason, and I have every faith in the world that you will complete it." The entire kingdom was counting on him.

By now, he was able to grip onto a hold at the very top of the mountain, and he pulled himself up with one clumsy motion. He got up and shook the dust off his sore, callused hands. The height of his view was nauseating, but he was safe now. After taking one deep breath, he turned around and faced the building behind him.

It was large, industrial, and rather gloomy looking. Anyone would find the sight of it intimidating. But it was worse for Jackson, because he knew what was taking place inside. He had trained tirelessly, but still he mentally went over every tactic, every pattern, and every sword stroke before entering.

After finding a small door on the side of the building he had memorized from photographs, he pulled a key out of his pocket. He stuck it into the lock, and after twisting it the door made a satisfying click. He was terrified, but he could barely stop to think. Time was of the essence.

The next half hour was filled with sneaking around guards, entering codes into padlocks, and repressing fear. Jackson was completing his mission exactly as planned, but adrenaline still coursed through his veins. Finally, he reached his destination. A door at the end of a hallway with the number "274" written at the top. He opened the door cautiously to avoid making noise. Inside, the princess was lying on a hospital bed in a pink gown, calmly reading a novel. She looked up from her book with a confused expression.

"Look, I'm here to rescue you. You can trust me. But we have to hurry" Jackson whispered. His heart beat fast in his chest. He was desperate to get her, and himself, out. She tilted her head to the side, and then scowled.

"What business do you have here? Rescue me? From what? The doctors are trying their best to save me. I don't want your miracle cure." she said sharply.

Jackson was taken aback. He had no idea what to think or do. What have they done to her? Do I have the wrong person? Is my life's work about to be ruined?

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps alerted him. He had wished he had the time to hide, or prepare to fight. But instead, he was standing unconcealed in the cell of a prisoner. A young man walked into the room. He had a stethoscope around his neck and was holding a vial of an unknown substance in his hand. And now, he was face to face with Jackson. He took one look at him and pulled a gun out of his briefcase.

"What are you doing to him! Stop, doctor!" the princess screamed. Jackson had to think fast. He grabbed the princess in his arms and dashed into the hallway, narrowly avoiding the man. He was running as fast as his legs could carry him. He spotted a padlock at the end of the hallway, and stopped in front of it. When he entered the code a large metal barrier fell, separating him from the man.

"That won't trap him for long, but it'll buy us some time" he said to the princess. He continued to run out of the prison as fast as possible. Thankfully, he ran into no more guards or fake doctors.

The pair burst out of the small door on the side of the building. Jackson lowered the princess to the ground. He was incredibly out of breath. She sat up, and turned to stare at the castle in the distance.

"You know, I wasn't able to take my 'medicine' today, and I'm remembering.. odd things. I don't know. Maybe I'm dreaming. Maybe I'm delirious. Just ignore me." she said wistfully.

Suddenly, everything made sense for Jackson. She was not delirious, or insane. The enemy nation captured her, that fact still remained true. But she didn't know she was a prisoner. She was just a woman who had fallen ill and lost her memories. He couldn't imagine how much she had gone through, not knowing who she was or where she came from. But now, the poison was finally wearing off. He reached into his bag and pulled out a crystalline wand. Carefully, he held it out to her.

"Only you can activate this. You know what to do." For a few moments, she stared at it blankly. But as her mind began to clear, her face lit up in recognition. She grabbed it from his hand, and pointed it towards a second palace in the opposite direction.

"Let's finish them off, once and for all"