時とともに失われた記憶

Chapter 5: Lost and Found

The air feels heavier than ever as I stand frozen, staring at the figure disappearing into the trees. My chest tightens with each passing second, their words echoing in my mind: "Could it actually be you?" They know me—really know me. But why can't I remember?Without thinking, I sprint forward, my legs carrying me through the tangled forest. The wind cuts at my skin, and my heart pounds in my ears, but I don't stop. I can't. Not when this person might be the key to everything I've forgotten. "Wait!" I call, my voice hoarse from panic. They stop, just a few feet ahead of me, their back to me, motionless. For a moment, I can't breathe. The forest goes still. Then, slowly, they turn around. Their face, now clear in the daylight filtering through the trees, pulls at something deep inside me. The familiarity strikes me hard, but I still can't place them. My head spins as I try to connect the dots. "You... don't remember, do you?" they ask, their voice filled with a sadness that cuts through me. I shake my head slowly. "No. I don't... I don't remember anything. Not before the forest." The words sting as they leave my mouth. They let out a soft, shaky sigh. "It's me," they say, their voice almost breaking. "I'm your brother We... we got lost together. Remember? The camping trip."The camping trip. The words slam into me like a freight train, unlocking memories that I didn't even realize were there—fuzzy images of trees, tents, a fire crackling in the night. And then the fear, the panic when we couldn't find our way back. The way the forest seemed to swallow us whole.My legs feel weak, and I stumble back, clutching my head. "We... we were camping?" I whisper. "But... how? How did we get here?"They take a cautious step closer, their eyes full of sorrow and relief all at once. "We got lost, remember? We were out hiking, and then... we couldn't find our way back to the campsite. And then everything just—" They stop, their voice choking with emotion. "Everything just fell apart after that."I close my eyes, trying to focus, trying to pull the pieces together. Images flash through my mind, blurry and fragmented. I remember the tents. The campfire. Our parents laughing. Then... the darkness. Wandering through endless trees. Feeling like the world had shifted into something darker, something terrifying. "But I don't remember *you,*" I whisper, the words painful. "I don't even remember my own sibling." The realization cuts deep, like I've lost not just my memory but part of myself.They bite their lip, looking down for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "Something happened out here," they say softly. "Something terrible. After that... it was like you weren't the same anymore. You stopped talking. You didn't even recognize me. I thought I lost you forever."My heart aches with guilt, though I don't fully understand why. The gaps in my memory feel like vast, empty holes, and I'm grasping for anything to fill them. I search their face, trying to connect them to the memories that remain stubbornly locked away. "How long have we been out here?" I ask, my voice trembling. They shake their head, looking lost. "I don't know. It feels like forever." Tears sting at my eyes, but I blink them away. I don't even know how long I've been wandering. Days? Weeks? Months? It feels like the forest is the only world I've ever known. But now, there's this person—this sibling—standing in front of me, someone who knows who I used to be. And maybe, just maybe, they can help me find my way back."What do we do now?" I ask, my voice barely a whisper. They reach out, placing a hand on my shoulder. "We find our way out. Together. We've been lost for so long, but we're not alone anymore."A flicker of hope stirs in my chest. Maybe we can escape this nightmare. Maybe, together, we can find our way back to the life we lost.