Open the Gates

Who Are You?

Slam!

"He's so heavy!" We both dropped the man with a sigh and tried to shake the water from ourselves. My brother locked both the screen door and the wooden door before investigating the body... that suddenly coughed and scared us to death. "Zen! Get a weapon or something!" I screamed as I searched our conjoined living and kitchen area for something to hit the man with.

"We brought him in so he wouldn't die." My idiot brother actually rolled his eyes at me and helped the man sit up. I ignored him and grabbed one of our wooden tray tables.

"Did we?"

"...'m not dan...gerous!" The man shouted between coughs. Zen patted his back a few times and smiled.

"You're conscious! That's good!"

"You've had too much coffee again, haven't you?" I squinted my eyes at my brother and glanced towards the coffee maker.

"I do work at a coffee shop that gives me free coffee!"

"Thank you, you can stop patting me now." The man opened his eyes and I had to put the table down. His eyes were like mini sapphires with pupils and I couldn't stop staring. They shimmered with something, but I couldn't say what that something was. Luckily the guy was focus on my brother and didn't notice my obvious staring. "Sir, please stop patting me."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, please remove your hand from my shoulder."

"Zen, leave the possibly dangerous man alone." I sighed. My brother pouted, unlike a normal 24 year old man he was supposed to be, and reluctantly sat back on the carpet with his hands to himself.

"Like I told you, I'm not dangerous."

"Then why were you lying on the ground in the middle of a rainstorm?" I asked skeptically. It was that time of year were only locals were at the beach, so it was unusual to see a new face. Actually, it was unusual to see anyone crumpled on the ground like he was anytime of the year.

"Why were you out in the rainstorm?" The man questioned me.

"Yeah. Why were you out? It's been raining all day." Zen narrowed his eyes at me. Together they stared me down.

"Someone had to go to the store!" I defended myself. "You asked me to!"

"Then where are the groceries?" Zen raised an eyebrow.

"...Son of a-" I ran to our side window to see the bags of groceries lying where the man had been. Of course they looked soaked.

"Aw, I'll go grab them and see what we can save." Before I could protest, Zen had sprinted out the door and back down the steps. Don't leave me with him!

"...I'm sorry. It's my fault you dropped them." I turned from the window to stare at the man.

"Nah, I guess I should've been looking where I was running. What's your name?" I waved his apology off and switched the topic so things wouldn't become awkward. However, it still became awkward as the man's face scrunched up in confusion.

"My name? Uh..." He tapped his forehead a few times and hummed. "...I don't remember?"

"Are you asking me?"

"Asking you what?" Zen rushed back into the apartment and slammed the door. The unnamed man crawled backwards to give him some room, but ended up being splashed by the water anyways.

"Names." The guy coughed out. Zen pulled a water bottle from one of the plastic bags and handed it to him.

"Oh, I'm Oliver and that over there is my sister Quinn." I gaped at him.

"Why would you tell him our names? He's still dangerous!"

"I'm not dang-"

"If he was dangerous, you probably would be dead right now." Zen shrugged his shoulders as he walked to the kitchen table and began sorting through the groceries. I, of course, was very offended.

"Then why did you leave me with him?"

"Because I knew he wasn't dangerous."

"How? Everyone says they aren't dangerous. Especially the dangerous people!"

"Dangerous people don't immediately say that after they wake up."

"Your logic is screwed."

"No, your logic is. Who thinks a dangerous person would faint in the rain?" Zen scoffed at my scowl.

"Um, I didn't faint."

"Any sane person! Hurry up with the groceries; the table is getting soaked."

"No, any sane person would feel sorry for the poor guy and help him. Also, the table can be wiped down." We ignored the man trying to get a word in.

"He doesn't even remember his name."

"Even more reason to help him. Is that the only thing he doesn't remember?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask." I sighed, realizing Zen wasn't going to budge. I tried to ignore his tiny victory smirk as we looked to the mystery man.

"Er, what?"