Keeper of the Lost Cities Story; The Lost Secret

Chapter 13

"Is it connected?" Mr. Forkle asks. 

There were a lot of people in the room. Too many people. 

"You're saying that someone came in the middle of the night and stole Kai's memory?" Keefe asks. They all talk like Kai isn't even present. 

Kai stands up from the cot, making everyone look at her. 

"Umm so, you think that my father was killed. By the Neverseen?" She asks. 

No one responds for a long time. Most of the adults looked sad, while the other kids looked sympathetic. 

"It's possible," Mr. Forkle says finally. "But all of this is not for a fact. What we do know for a fact is that someone stole a memory from you." 

"How can we be sure?" Keefe asks. He seems to know a lot about missing memories. 

"I can search her memory of that night, see if there is a blank spot in the timeline." Mr. Forkle says. "Only if Miss Behar is okay with that of course,"

Kai thinks about the night before, she didn't do anything weird that night. Except for the panic attack, she didn't want Mr. Forkle to see that. He seems to notice Kai's hesitation.

I promise not to tell anyone what I see. I just want to check for a blank spot in your memories. 

Kai tries not to squeak when Mr. Forkle suddenly transmits to her. 

Kai slowly nods. "Okay," 

Kai doesn't feel Mr. Forkle slip into her mind, but she knows he's there. 

"Hmm," He says. Kai wonders what he is watching. 

Kai watches the old and fat elf in front of her. Of course, she'd seen the guy before, but not in person. 

Mr. Forkle grimaces, and Kai has a feeling he is watching her little episode. She looks down at her feel as Mr. Forkle comes out of her mind. 

"Someone was there," He says. 

Kai feels her heart stop. Her whole body freezes and she feels tears prick in her eyes. 

"I knew it," She whispers, again making everyone look at her. "I felt someone there. Not just the gnomes," She says glancing at Mr. Forkle who nods knowingly. 

"I felt that as well when I was watching your memories," He says. 

Everyone in the room looked worried. 

"So how do we know who did it?" Dex asks. 

Mr. Forkle pauses and looks towards Sophie. She looked horrible still, to say it nicely. Kai assumes that Mr. Forkle doesn't want Sophie to hear this part of the conversation. 

"Would you kids take Miss Behar, out so we can talk?" Mr. Forkle asks, looking at the other kids in the room.

The Keefe and Dex look towards Kai and then Sophie. It seems like Keefe understands first.

"Come on Dexy let's take the mystery girl to talk," Keefe says and heads towards the door. Biana, Tam, and Linh, who have been silent the whole time also head out the door. 

Unfortunately, that's when Sophie seems to understand what is happening. 

"Wait, what are you going to talk about?" She asks. "I need to know," 

Kai tries not to roll her eyes. 

"I'm just going to inform Miss Behar about the Neverseen, but you need your rest and you've already heard and lived through everything I'm going to tell her," Mr. Forkle says. 

Sophie tries to protest, but Mr. Forkle simply closes the door. Kai would laugh under different circumstances. 

"So what do you really need to tell me?" Kai asks, making Mr. Forkle laugh slightly. 

"Wow, she already knows how the Black Swan works," Tam says. It is the first time Kai has met him and Linh. Their hair looks even cooler in person and reminds her of her own dyed hair. 

"When I looked through your memories, there was a blip in time. It is barely noticeable." Mr. Forkle says. "The thing is... I've seen this kind of memory washing... With Keefe," 

Kai is still confused, but realization seems to dawn on Biana and Keefe's faces. 

"Gethen," Keefe says, he looks like he's going to be sick. 

"Gethen? The Neverseen guy that they caught last year?" Kai says still confused. "I thought he died, how did he wipe my memory."

Mr. Forkle looks terrible. "He is not dead Miss Behar, and he wiped your memory last night. They did something with you last night," 

Kai feels sick. Someone was watching her last night. Kai feels her knees begin to give out, and her breath picks up. 

"Hey it's okay," Biana says coming to Kai's side, grabbing her arm to keep her from falling. 

Kai feels the same panic that she felt last night, only now she knew that someone was there. Someone messed with her head. 

"Elwin," Kai hears someone yell. The voice sounds distant, Kai only hears her own heart pound. 

The people who killed her dad were in her house last night. They wiped her memory. No, they stole her memory. 

"Kai listen to me, you need to breathe," 

Kai breathes in deeply, or at least she tries to breathe in deeply. Her fingers feel numb and she shakes it off before her panic can take over. Linh is crouching next to Kai and is holding her shaking hand, Kai is thankful that Linh is there, she isn't sure why but her presence calms her. Biana reaches her hand down to help Kai up. 

"Please don't worry Miss Behar. I am sure there is a logical explanation for all of this," Mr. Forkle says. 

He looks even more tired than before, which Kai didn't know was possible. 

"I guess," Kai grumbles. 

Tam and Dex chuckle lightly. 

"There's always a logical explanation," Tam says sarcastically. 

Biana giggles and Linh smacks her brother's arm. Mr. Forkle only sighs. 

"Kai I have excused you from your lessons for the rest of the day because I need you to rest and calm down," Elwin says. 

Kai wants to jump with joy, but she feels that probably isn't appropriate considering the circumstances. 

"Thank you," She says simply. 

"Lucky," Dex mutters. 

"And you four need to get to class, lunch is well over," Elwin says, giving them a pointed look. 

Biana mutters something about stupid school and goes out the door, with the rest following.