Shocking Memories

Chapter 5

I sat in bed, bored out of my damn mind. The last time I'd fallen asleep had been more a matter of pure exhaustion, but this wasn't the case now. No, I'd had a relaxing day, more or less, and my head was racing with possibilities. Another concern that intruded in my mind every now and then was the horrific thought that I might have forgotten how to actually fall asleep. What if I used to have a ritual, or procedure that came before I could sleep? An all too real possibility that itched at my brain.

Anxious I rolled out of the bed and walked to the large windows that looked out onto the city. The city was still buzzing with life, even though the sun had long gone down. The light pollution was so significant that the sky was just dark, no sign of stars, but the city itself was populated with dots of light that created its own artificial night sky. I could feel the buzzing of energy, even from my elevated position. So much power was pouring into the city that it had become hard to ignore.

I made a strange decision then, one that came out of nowhere. Perhaps, since the city was still awake, so too should I be. No time like the present to strike out on my own. I threw on a set of outside clothes and left my home.

-1-

I went outside but didn't know where to go. The world was my oyster, and I wasn't sure exactly what an oyster was. I had questions about how amnesia worked, but I hadn't had a chance to do any research and educate myself on the subject. As a result, I wandered, my head in the clouds as I thought about my life. All thirty-six hours of it. My rogue wandering took me in a random direction, one that ended at Luigi's pizza. I came to, staring at the familiar sign, its warm orange lights bled out onto the street, inviting me in.

I had no ink what time it was, and I didn't know anything about regular operating hours of restaurants, so I didn't even think twice about a pizzeria being open at one in the morning. This place was familiar, and welcoming, exactly what I needed. I walked in, and looked around, uncertain of what I was supposed to do. I remembered Jared going to the other side, where the counter is, and later a pizza was brought to the table. I decided I'd give that a shot, crossing the room and reaching the counter where a man was stationed. "Welcome back ma'am!" The man said.

I looked at him for a moment, trying to place his face. "Sorry, you know me?"

He nodded; brown hair curled from the heat of the kitchen bobbed with the motion. "You and that other guy came in earlier. My name is Lonny!"

The name rang a bell for me, sure enough he had waited on us earlier, which got me wondering how long his shift had been. "Oh, sorry, I'm still trying to get used to things. Kind of a confusing time for me."

He gave me a little smile. "I get that, things aren't what they were." He stood back a little, pointing to a menu that had been printed on the counter. "Know what you're getting?"

I nodded, not even looking at the menu. "Grapes, small!"

"Grapes," He acknowledged, even though that wasn't the name of the pizza at all. "you've got it. That'll be $9.98", he said, typing something into a computer set to the side of the counter.

"$9.98?" I asked, realizing that I had forgotten to check if I had any money. I patted my pockets, looking for something, anything, but found nothing. I look back at Lonny sheepishly, and at a loss for words.

Lonny sighed. "Confusing time for you, got it." Lonny looked from side to side, over his shoulders, then pulled a credit card out of his wallet and swiped it through the machine. "Go grab a seat, I'll be over shortly."

Tail tucked between my legs, I made my way over to one of the tables and sat down. This one took a little longer to get to me, even though it was of a smaller size. I chalked this up to it being late and maybe only having a skeleton crew in the kitchen. When the pizza was finally delivered, Lonny set it on its stand, and took the seat across from me. The pizza was steaming hot, and ready for me to eat. I looked to Lonny, making sure it was okay for me to eat. He gave me a nod, and I grabbed a slice, monitoring my emotions so I didn't fry the thing in front of him. "Are you alright?" He asked once my mouth was busy chewing. Unable to talk I give a nod, but that answer seemed unsatisfactory for him. "Are you sure?"