"FORGET ME NOT"

BACK TO PRESENT

BECKY POV
Forgotten memories

Three years. A lifetime ago, yet the memories still felt as sharp as yesterday's cuts.  The weight of them pressed down on my chest, a suffocating blanket of longing and regret.

"Freen?" I whispered, the name a prayer on my lips.

She sighed, a soft, weary sound that echoed the ache in my own heart.

Why couldn't I leave her behind?  Why did my feet always lead me back to her, even when I tried to run?  Was it because of Richie, my brother, who had entrusted her to me, along with her twin sister, Freeya?  Or was it something deeper, a bond woven into the very fabric of my being?

"Why is it like this, Freen? Why are you still lingering in my thoughts?" I asked, the words a plea for understanding.

"Hmmmm..." she murmured, her voice a distant echo in the silence.

Kirk didn't know I was here in the Philippines.  It wasn't that I didn't want to see him, but I needed this distance, this solitude, to sort through the tangled mess of my emotions.

And then, the news came.  Freen was awake.  A wave of joy washed over me, so intense it felt like a physical shock.  I secretly watched her from afar, afraid to reveal myself, afraid to shatter the fragile hope that had bloomed in my heart.

Seeing her from a distance, her hand clasped in another's, sent a sharp pang of pain through me.  It hurt to see her with someone else, and I was terrified of losing her, of watching her slip away from me forever.

"I wish I were that guy, the one holding her hand," I whispered, the words a desperate plea to the universe.  "Because until now, I still dream of being with you, Freen."

The pain of seeing her hurt, of seeing her tears, was unbearable.  Didn't he see her worth?  Didn't he realize how lucky he was to have her?  While I, I dreamed of holding her, of cherishing her, and he was wasting her, letting her slip through his fingers.

"I wish it were me, Freen..." I murmured, the words a silent promise to myself.

I couldn't bear to see her cry, to see her sadness.  So, I followed her from Seng's house, my heart aching with every step.  I saw her crying on the side of the overpass, her shoulders shaking with sobs.  The sight of her pain ignited a fire within me, a fierce protectiveness that burned hotter than any anger.

I passed behind her, unseen, and watched her from afar.  Even in this small way, I could watch over her, I thought.  But today, I wouldn't let it pass.

I yearned to hug her, to tell her, "It's me, Becky, the woman who makes you smile, the woman who loves you so much, even now."

But it was a cruel twist of fate, Freen.  You no longer remember me.  You no longer notice me.

Yet, I found a strange comfort in knowing that you noticed me in the person of Bea.  It was a small victory, a flicker of hope in the darkness.  It was fun to see you in my house, to see your surprise and confusion.

It was all Richie's fault.  He haunted me, a constant reminder of my unspoken feelings.  He was the one who ordered me at first to watch over you, to take care of you.

Sometimes, I even felt jealous of him.  He seemed more concerned about you than I was.

I remember that time when you were in a dark place, and I followed you from afar.  You were running away again, seeking solace in the shadows.  You were the kind of person who couldn't face the pain, who preferred to leave rather than confront it.

I intended to follow you, but you were blocked by two drunk men, and I was forced to approach you.

"Hey, let me through!" Those were the first words I heard from you, your voice laced with a mix of desperation and defiance.

Sometimes, I think, Freen, are you really that attractive to guys that they always have ill intentions towards you?

Sigh.  I always ended up getting into fights because of you.

You know how much I hate it when other guys touch you.  I hate it when they lay their dirty hands on your skin.

"Shit! Are perverts increasing in this world..." Let go of me! You shouted again, your voice filled with a raw, primal fear.

I looked up when I heard that voice, my heart pounding in my chest.  I ran towards your side, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

"Hey! Let go of her!" I commanded, my voice a low growl.

The two men looked at me in surprise.

"Who are you?!" one of them shouted, his voice thick with drunken arrogance.

I gasped, my eyes locked on the man who spoke.

"Do I need to introduce myself to you?" I asked, my voice emotionless, a steel trap of determination.  You held onto my clothes, your fear palpable, a silent plea for protection.

"Miss, I'm sorry if you got involved too..." I looked at you, my heart aching.

"Doesn't she recognize me? Doesn't she remember me?" I thought, a wave of despair washing over me.

"It's me, Be-"

"Miss, behind you!" You shouted, your voice a warning, and I stopped, my words caught in my throat.

I faced them, my body tense, ready to fight.  It felt like everything went back to the memory of the first day we spent together in the park.  It happened just like this.

I was approached by a man, but even before he could get close, I kicked him from his vulnerable spot, a swift, powerful move that sent him reeling.

"That's right, learn your lesson! Because the next time I see you, I'll cut it off," I said, my voice a cold, hard promise.

"Ugh!" he shouted, clutching his groin, his face contorted in pain.

He deserved it.

Then, a lizard came charging towards us, attempting a Bruce Lee-style attack.  Idiot.

I kicked him, sending him sprawling to the ground.  Easy peasy.

I faced her, and I could see the swelling in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice filled with concern.

She nodded, but her face showed so much sadness.

"Sigh... Come with me, will you?" I said, my voice a gentle plea.

I pulled her towards my car, not far from where we were.

"Wh-where are you taking me?" She asked, her voice a little shaky.

I stopped and looked at her again, my heart filled with a mix of hope and fear.

"To a place where you'll be safe," I said, my voice a promise.

I dropped you off at your house.  That's when I found out where you lived.

"So, she lives with Pnam..." I thought to myself, a wave of bittersweet emotions washing over me.

"Thank you, Miss. Thank you for helping me. I will never forget this," she said, her voice filled with gratitude.

She had already gotten out of my car when she suddenly came back, opening the door.

"Why? Did you forget something?" I asked, my voice laced with a hint of hope.

"Um, can you take me with you?" She asked, her voice a whisper of longing.

End of Flashback

"You're lost in thought, Sis. What's going on?" Richie said, his voice a gentle interruption.

I sighed and sank into the sofa as he appeared in front of me again, his presence a ghostly echo of the past.

"Richie, do you want me to follow you? You always startle me," I said, my voice laced with a hint of exasperation.

"Sorry, twin," Richie said, winking, his ghostly form a mischievous flicker.

Hayy, I don't understand my brother sometimes.  Just when he becomes a ghost, he acts like a child.

"Why do you always appear out of nowhere like that..." I said, shaking my head.

He just smiled at me, his ghostly grin a mischievous twinkle.

"You're so confusing, Richie."

I stood up and headed towards the door.

"I'm going to see Freen," he said emotionlessly, his voice a chilling reminder of his ghostly nature.

Even ghosts have that side, huh?  Tsk!

"Oh, by the way, Seng wants to meet Freen.  Are you okay with that?" Richie said, his voice a casual question, but his eyes held a glimmer of something else, something I couldn't quite decipher.

Becky's eyes sparkled as her twin said that, a flicker of something I couldn't quite name.

"How did you know?" I asked, my voice a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

Richie: "Tsk! Common sense, Becky..." He complained to me, his ghostly form a flickering shadow.

"Tsk! Oh, right, you're a ghost..." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Yes, I'm a ghost, but I can handle what you're doing.  So don't be arrogant, Becky," he said, his voice a low growl.

"Tsk!" I just scowled at him before leaving the house, my heart a whirlwind of emotions.