Rise

Chapter 4•

          It came all at once. Images flooded through his mind, mostly out of order. He knew exactly what was happening in every sliver of what he could feel was his past.

          Middle of the night, James, or at least, that's what it seems, is running through a long stretch of dirt road that had now been turned to mud. Its as if he was reliving the whole thing as it played in his brain, he felt each foot clap repeatedly into the muddy track. Several other pairs of running foot steps followed behind, quite a distance away. He could tell from this he'd clearly been doing better than all the others tracking behind with a million claps on the slumpy terrain. The rain was heavy. Thump thumping on the top of his shaved head. The path ran through thin forestry with branches swinging back and forth in the mildly strong wind. The wind had been blowing in the direction with the runners and soaking they're backs as rain pattered to the ground. Leaves, sticks, and other debris littered the goupy trail half burried in dirt and mud.

          He knows this must have been him, running in this thick memory, he can tell and feels it is him that had once Been through and endured this.

          What is James, running through the thick, dense mud looks back at the herde of slacking runners. Mixed faces and bodies in the dim light of the crescent moon, white, black, tall, short, huge build, thinner, drenched short sleeve shirts, and some without shirts, all wearing a kind of cargo pants which was also heavily soaked. James could sense a feeling of confidence in that moment looking ahead again, continueing at a constant medium sprint. Far ahead were now visible lights in the distance between the rain. This seemed to be the desired destination, all runners including James were heading towards the visible beams.

          A hand grabbing his shoulder rips James out of the memory cutting out the heavy rain, wind, mud, and lights, replacing it with a face.

          Sarah looked at him with confused eyes, her right hand on his shoulder. "Come back to us yet James?" He was standing in the same spot behind the counter, in the same position. But now, his right hand was clenching the handle of the blade so tightly his knuckles were pure white. Loosening his grip the color returned to his hand than met Sarah's eyes.

          "Uh yeah sorry I just got caught in deep thought," he replied finally.

          "In deep thought with your mouth gapeing and you're eyes bulging out of you're damn head?!," a freaked out tone was in her voice. So James explained what he saw, what he felt. He explained how the pocket knife had triggered a sudden rush of memories to flood his head. He saw barbed fences, obstacle courses, commands constantly shouted, and several other things that had flashed through his mind while he was gone. Than, he told her about that rainy night. Sarah was shocked at what he explained to her and kept asking questions like, "where were you," "who else was with you," "how long ago was this," but he had answerers to none of them. He didn't know himself what was happening or what happened. All those details still lay hidden from him, refusing to show themselves and just leaving him in the dark. "Could it have been some sort of training facility? From what you've said that's what it seems like."

          "I really have no clue. That much hasn't come back to me yet and its frustrating me dammit, need to know more," he said it while balling a fist.

          "I'm sure you will remember more or we'll find out soon enough I hope."

          James nodded than looked at the pocket knife in his hand again before slipping it in his pocket. He left the check out isle and started wandering the place not knowing what to do at the moment. He digs in his other pocket for no reason but when the tips of his fingers touch a warm metal ring he remembers, he'd put the keys in his pocket before finding that blade. Wrapping his fingers around the thin ring he pulls it out and a light jingle comes from the key's jangle against each other and the ring. James than remembers making a mental note of trying the keys around to find each may unlock. He than turned his attention to the office door to the far left of him, walking in the direction.

          A jolt of excitement flowered inside of him as he neared the back an the locked door. He couldn't wait to find out what was waiting on the other side. He approached the door, key ring clenched tight in his fist, jingling the whole way.