I Remember

"Say cheese!" exclaims the girl with long, curly blonde hair, holding up her phone. Though she does not look a day over twenty, her vivid blue eyes seem infinite, as if containing an abyss, and she gives off a feeling of possessing wisdom far beyond her years.

The girl spends the rest of the day with her friend, another girl, this time with short brown hair. There is a twinkle in her bright green eyes, and she seems to contain a much younger spirit, as if she has not been burdened with such a long life. The two enjoy their time together, though it is different for the first girl, who appears to savor each moment, remembering every little detail.

Upon arriving home, the now lone girl with the long blonde hair immediately enters a narrow corridor, and she stops directly in front of a small door that otherwise would have been impossible to spot. She hesitates as she lifts her hand to twist the small brass knob, as if afraid to awaken old memories.

There is no creak as the girl opens the door, the well-oiled hinges making no noise as they swing forward, inviting her inside. She walks to the side of the room that is nearly empty, save for a laptop and an old printer. She plugs her phone into the computer, and a few minutes later the printer comes to life as a picture taken only hours before slides out.

The girl takes the square of paper, holding it delicately as if it were the most important thing in the world. Slowly, hesitantly, she turns to look at the opposite side of the room, to the wall covered in pictures similar to the one she currently clutches in her hand. She walks toward the center, where there is a small open space on the wall, careful to avoid the fallen pictures littering the floor.

Tears form in her eyes as she gazes at the people decorating the wall, each a picture of her, looking the exact same, with a different person than in the picture before. She smiles wistfully and dries her eyes before taping the new image onto the wall, a new face to remember, a new burden on her shoulders as she thinks of the inevitable fate to come; her friend will grow old, live a happy life, and die peacefully, while the girl will do what she has always done and always will do. She will never age, have all her loved ones slip through her fingers, and attend funeral after funeral. She will live forever without ever truly living.

"People will come and go. You'll make new friends, one's you'll be able to keep, who won't have to hide in order to keep a secret. You'll forget me, like you always do." The girl's voice is barely a whisper, drifting across the small, lonely room. It is filled with sadness and regret, yet it sounds strong, sturdy, as if it has seen everything and is afraid of nothing.

"But I won't forget. I'll treasure you, all the new memories you have given me, just like I always do. Because it is my job to remember everyone, and I'll always remember you."