Tales To Tell In The Dark

You have to Remember

As a single mother afflicted with short-term memory loss, life was pretty tough, what with having to juggle taking care of my son, Jerry, and having to remember to take my medicine on time. At the age of fifteen, Jerry was offered a football scholarship to study in an overseas university, one that he had so desperately wanted since he was young. It was tough letting him go, and he promised that he would Skype me daily for a chat.

Waiting for his Skype became a daily highlight of my life. I would literally sit in-front of laptop for hours in anticipation of him. Finally, at around 3 P.M, I heard the all-familiar ding of the Skype notification.

"Hey mum," Jerry's face popped up onto my screen. He didn't look too happy, which was weird. He should be having the time of his life right now.

"Hello, dear, why the long face?" I smiled at my screen.

"I don't know, I'm not feeling too well right now..." He sighed and clutched his head in his arms. "Been having the most awful headache for the entire day."

"Did you take any medicine? Oh honey, if your headache gets really bad you really ought to see a doctor, is there a doctor in the campus? Do you have his number? You could give him a call, see if he'll make a room visit." Worried, I unleashed a torrent of questions and quickly surveyed the anguished figure of Jerry.

"Are you running a fever? Is your room-mate with you?"

"Mum..."

"Jerry, call up your room-mate, get him to come back! What if you collapse and there's no one around?"

"Mum... did you take your pills?" Jerry glanced up at the screen, a sad look crossing his face.

"Jerry, honestly, shouldn't we be more worried about your head? Where's your medicine?"

"Mum, you have to take your pills. Don't you remember?" Jerry sighed and smiled sadly. "Don't you remember, mum?"

Positively confused, I blinked at him. "What?"

"Don't you remember? I'm dead, mum."

"What- don't say that, Jerry!" Shocked, I frowned at Jerry and shook my head furiously. "Don't you ever say that!"

"You have to take your pills. You have to remember." Jerry was pleading now, and as I stared at him, a trickle of blood rolled down from under his fringe. Paralyzed by both fear and shock, I watched on in horror as Jerry's eyes slowly rolled to the back of his head, and the trickle of blood gradually became a steady flow.

"Remember, mum." He gasped in pain before slumping out of his seat.

"Jerry!" I screamed and jumped out of my seat, sending my laptop crashing to the floor.

Yelling wildly for Jerry, I quickly picked up my laptop, only to realize that the screen was pitch black.

My laptop wasn't even switched on.

I was in a full-scale panic mode by now, screaming and yelling in my living room when I tripped over a pile of newspapers. Sobbing furiously, I kicked at the newspapers when one of the articles caught my eye.

Rubbing my tears away, I grabbed the article.

"BOY FOUND DEAD IN WORLD-CLASS UNIVERSITY," the headline said, with a large, colorless picture of Jerry, my poor Jerry, lying in a large puddle of blood on the stairs with his head cracked open.

The article was dated three years ago.

Sobbing, I tossed the article aside and climbed to my feet.

I have to take my pills.

I have to remember.

I have to.

As I staggered to the medicine cabinet, I glanced up to the clock and sighed in relief.

My face cracked into a grin and turned back to my laptop.

It was just a little over 3 P.M.

Jerry should be calling soon.