Scarlett & Ethan

Past and present

When the twins eventually found me, I was sleeping under the kitchen table. And by the feels, I've been here for quite some time. I don't open my eyes to confirm, but the light shining on my face confirms my suspicion. 

I feel a hand on my shoulder only a second before I hear Kazimir say "we've been looking for you," and even tho I saw the touch coming, it didn't stop the shiver of disgust. Good thing I can hide behind a traumatized girl's fear. 

Just then, Idris hits Kazimir on the head and scolds him for scaring me. 

I raise my head from the ground and act confused, squinting slightly to get used to the light, and raising my hand to scrub my eyes. "What's happening?"

I look around slightly and act alarmed, as if I'd just realized where I was. Idris puts a hand on my shoulder. "You're fine, you've slept here before, remember?"

I nod slightly, looking back down at where I had my head seconds ago. "You haven't done that for a while..... what triggered it?

The question startles me. I wasn't expecting him to come out and ask so... directly 

"I... ah... well, the nurse..." I lean my head down until my chin meets my chest and mumble, "I'd rather be alone." I look up then, enough to take one glance, and then redirect my attention to my hands. 

They were staring at each other and nodding. "It's understandable," Kazimir said, just as Idris said, "consider this a resolved inconvenience."

I soften my features into something like relief. Raise the corners of my lips slightly, "thank you," just then, they start doing that thing they do, where they talk without talking. half a nod here, a tilt to the head there, a shrug here, a glance at me, and then they start moving for their decided tasks.  

Idris makes for the door, leaving us. Kazimir, on the other hand, moves to the fridge and takes out various sandwiches, placing them on the table. than pulling out a chair for me, "Come, have some food," as I sit down, he moves to get two glasses from the cupboards and fills them with orange juice. I haven't really decided whether I'm amused that he is acting like my personal butler or disgusted at the mere idea of going along with him. Nonetheless, I take a sandwich and start taking a bite. 

I think he was aiming for the illusion of eating together as he slowly sips from his glass. But really, he is openly fucking staring at me, and I'm feeling all kinds of creeped out, and if I'm feeling this, what would Hajya feel? skiddish, perhaps. 

Idris walks back into the room, frowning. Kazimir takes one look at Idris, and his demeanor changes slightly. This time, they don't move; they just stare at each other. Whatever agreement they come to, if any, is unknown. 

---------.-.---.

The topic of the nurse never comes up again. Nor does another one show up, so ultimately I count that as a win. The tense atmosphere makes me certain that whatever I gave the nurse, no matter the amount, had its intended effect. and they are either suspicious of me or wondering who and how someone entered my room and poisoned the nurse. I wonder if the nurse is alive or dead.  

Hajya POV 

Having Orion around has put me on edge. Finding him where I found him was a coincidence. The terror I felt when I first saw him had me almost bolting from the island. As fate had it, there was a storm, and no one was willing to take sail. 

Then I find out he has amnesia. That he was being drugged into numbness. It made me feel... Relief? shame? guilt. All I knew was that he was yet another person whose life got ruined because of my family. To dampen the guilt, I felt obligated to stay until he was at least civilized again. 

Convincing everyone to take him off those drugs was an uphill battle, one I didn't give up on. It took him a couple of weeks to get less erratic. As the effect of the drugs went away, his mind slowly came back; he kept looking out at the sea. And whenever he looked at me, I felt the time ticking for my near departure. 

What I hadn't planned on was him remembering things so quickly. I had thought I'd be safe after 5 years with his memories gone. Perhaps I was reminding him, or maybe the drugs had been the issue. Whatever it was, I needed to leave before he regained them all. And even tho i had wanted him out of the hospital before I left. I knew I didn't have enough time when he started mumbling Scarlett in his sleep. 

The first time he called me by my name, I knew it was my last day on the island. It was foolish of me to hope he would never remember. It's still foolish when I board the boat, intent on leaving him there, knowing that if he remembers... he would know exactly who I am and how to find me.

The nail in the coffin was him following me off the island. I'm not sure whether he is acting or if he really doesn't remember. 

.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Authors Note 

This was a little rushed, gotta do what i gotta do.