The Unclaimed

Chapter 41: Michael misses his memory

   The same morning Jessica passed on her message for Michael to Jason, Michael woke up in a cold sweat. He wasn't sure why, but for the past 5 days he had felt lost. Never physically lost though, he could find his way around camp with his eyes closes. But emotionally and mentally he was a mess. Even though he didn't fully understand what was different, he knew that something major was missing from his life. All of the other campers looked at him weirdly and treated him as if he was about to break. Looking around the cabin, Michael realized that all of his siblings were still asleep. Unwilling to go back to bed and unable to calm his pounding heart, Michael stood up and quietly snuck out the door.
   It was still dark outside but the sun was gradually rising. Michael let his feat lead him and proceeded to find himself near the edge of the forest. Despite warnings from the other campers to meet enter the woods unarmed, he still went in. Again he wasn't sure where he was going but not to far into the woods Michael found a rocky area where he was able to sit and watch the sunrise. For some reason he felt comfortable here. To Michael, the woods that the others claimed to be dangerous, seemed oddly comforting. As Michael got lost in thought while he stared at the sky, he missed the sound of Chiron approaching him.
   "You and Jessica used to come here almost every morning," Michael jumped at the sound of Chiron's voice. He looked the centaur in his eyes and shrugged. But his act of pure confusion was no longer as genuine. Chiron saw a flicker in the boys eyes at the mention of Jessica.
   "I wish I knew what you what you were talking about," Michael said honestly. "I wish I knew who you were talking about." Chiron pitied the boy. Michael and Jessica's relationship was truly specials and it's disappearance had taken a toll on camp. Even the people who disliked Jessica always smiled when they saw her and Michael together. No one could deny that there was pure happiness between the two of them when they interacted.
   "You will in due time my dear boy," Michael sighed. He was tired of everyone telling him that he just needed to be patient and that everything would make sense soon. Michael hated waiting. Chiron knew this. The centaur decided to see if careful prodding could lead to any of Michaels memory coming back. "What do you remember about your life before camp?" This question came out of the blue to Michael. It confused him even more when he realized that he had no clear memories of his time before he got to Camp Half-Blood. Image after image flashed in his mind but nothing was clear.
   "I know that there was a span of time where I didn't have a home," Michael said honestly. "And I know that I've never met my parents. But that's about it." Michael started to feel a little dizzy just from solidifying these some memories.
   "I know this must be hard for you but I really need you to try and focus," Chiron prompted. "Take a deep breath and focus just on the past. Close your eyes. See what you can remember." Michael listened to Chiron's instructions. His head started to pound but images started to become clearer. He saw a hellhound looming over him, he heard a girls voice whispering soothing messages to him, and then he saw her face. Her dark hair fell over her shoulders and her hazel eyes stared lovingly at Michael. As much as Michael wanted to remember more, he had to stop. The pain in his head was awful. Chiron watched as the boys eyes abruptly flew open and he shot up from his seat.
   "I hate this," Michael screamed. "I know her, I know that I know her but I can't remember. Whenever someone mentions her, I feel a pang in my heart like I miss her. But how is it possible that I miss someone that I don't remember. Why can I remember everything but her? If I was so close with my sister than why was she the one thing I forgot?" Before Chiron could stop him, Michael sprinted out of the woods and back to camp. Chiron felt hopeless. He knew that nothing he said or did would free Michael from his pain. The only thing that could save him was his memory coming back to him and Jessica returning to camp. Michael had tears streaming down his face that he didn't try to hide. Even though he couldn't remember anything about her, every time he thought of Jessica he felt like a part of him was missing. Looking up at the rising sun Michael whispered,
   "I miss you," before he wiped the tears off his face, took a deep breath, and prepared to start his day.