Remember Remember, The Brisk End of December

Chapter 1

The floor I lay on is damp and cold. The room is swaying beneath me. Rocking up and down making my stomach tighten. I'm on some kind of ship or perhaps a plane in bad weather. I'm not sure if we got out or if the dogs got us. This could be heaven for all I know. The boat to heaven? I keep my eyes closed and pretend to be asleep a little longer. Thoughts of nonsense dance in my mind but I need to understand what happened yesterday. I replay it in my mind. The earliest thing I remember is him calling my name. Who is he? How does he know me?

I hear someone move in the room. Their steps soft and faint as they walk closer to me and sit on the floor. My eyes fly open and, as if second nature, I jump on top of them. I swing my leg around them to straddle their hips to keep whoever it is down. My messy ash brown hair fell in my face making it hard to see. I could tell it was a guy by his size. Suddenly I was flipped over my back. I clawed at him in a struggle to get free but he grabbed my hands after my first swing and pinned them above my head. I blew my hair away and saw him-Blondie. Crap, I'm almost sure he's trying to help me. A panic thought of being on my own crossed my mind.

" You really need to look before you decide to pounce on someone." He chuckled letting go of my hands rolling off me. " and you could use some work on pinning but nice idea with the nails, got me pretty good." A scratch on his cheek started to bleed. I muttered an apology and sat next to him on the wall.

" Where are we going?" I asked sounding more confident than what was true.

"Holland"

"why?"

" because if you stayed they would kill you."

" why," I asked again.

"To the Fianna, It's the right thing to do when you have your memory taken by the Beo'mhain. It's in honor of your old self, that a creation of the samàirn not be in charge of your body." He stated plainly, as if he was reciting it from a textbook. I couldn't make out his face in the dim light coming from the circular window. I had been right to guess boat.

"Why are you helping me?"

"Why do you care?" He shot back obviously not wanting to talk about it.

"you're a fiannacine, like me." I say rereading my arm.

" I want to know why you went against our own people. I must have known you. Where we friends before? "

" listen, Your memory will never come back. I made the choice to save you based on yesterday alone."

" Then how do you know me? You said you have to do something."

He sighed and looked away from me. A few seconds passed but it felt like years before he spoke again.

" I was sent to take you to prison."

"Then why didn't you," I said harshly.

"Because you are no longer Adele Melrose, the girl who committed treason. It would be wrong to punish you for things you don't remember doing. Things you didn't really do. A person's past makes them who they are and you don't have a past, you're starting from scratch. And no matter how tough you act I know that that scares you. " He half shouted at me.

" I suggest you forget about your old self because if you want to survive, it's best you know as little as you can about who you really were. When we get there, you're going to need a new identity. I'm not telling you any more."

He let out a deep breath and moved over next to me. He bowed his head shaking it slightly. " Please don't cry. I hate seeing pretty girls cry" I straightened up and wiped my face. I hadn't even noticed I started.

" I'm not crying. And I wouldn't know If I was pretty or not, I can't fully remember what I look like." I mutter turning away.

" Trust me," He said looking at me. I chuckled at the thought and looked back at him not caring what he thought of my tears.

" I don't know anything about you."

"My name is Clyde Wishart. Turned seventeen in March And yes, I'm naturally blond." He said like a proper smart ass. I smiled a little up at him.

" Well, Blondie. What is your plan? Gonna hide me in the Netherlands forever?"

"Not if I can help it." He chuckled. "There aren't many Fianna Bases around that area but they will be looking for you. My brother will help us till we get enough money to go to Switzerland, I know a guy who can get us a flight to Canada from there. And once I get you there and know you're safe, I'll probably go work at the Fianna base in Chicago."

"Isn't this all a little much for a girl that you only just met?"

"I was going to go to Chicago anyway, don't flatter yourself too much," He stated flatly. Twenty minutes later and the Ships horn went off signaling our arrival. Voices could be heard above shooting commands in Foreign language. It sounded almost graceful, more like they were singing or reading poetry, each word fitting together to sound as if it effortlessly rolled off the tongue. I was about to ask Clyde what they were speaking when he motioned me to stand and follow him. He crouched outside the room behind some crates, I mirrored him. We quietly snuck out around the cargo and onto the dock. Massive cargo ships lined the wide river shining in the light of the low sun.

Walking at an outlandishly fast pace, Clyde made his way down a residential street. I followed suit not quite able to keep up. The buildings all had modern sleek windows that contrasted with the 60s styled exterior. They reminded me of the row homes back home. I could faintly remember where I grew up. It was as if my memory was in shaders only able to see slivers of a very blurred picture.

A Sword of fire,

A rusted fountain in a park,

Flashes of a girl running up steps her red hair bouncing behind her.

That and a few other is all I could really make out. We came to a park filled with children of all ages running to and from the houses. Most had their doors and windows open parents sitting and chatting as the watched from afar. The Brick streets were empty of cars as people crossed without hesitation. Clyde had slowed in front of a shop and was scanning the area.

"Before we go any further into town we need to set our story straight and you need to change your look. They'll spot you in a heartbeat like that." He said looking down to my fighting gear. Black and thermal pants and top with strips of padding and leather. He wore the same but covered by a worn down pullover and trench coat.

" I'll be back," He said in a strange voice then chuckled slightly at himself.

"Um, okay," 

"It's a joke, I'll be back," He said again in a German accent from what I could tell. Looking at him with complete confusion as if he had gone slightly insane, he rolled his eyes at me.

"Never mind, Just stay here."