bathroom stalls » mileven

vingt-huit

"it was also the day where i remember nothing except for that- killing myself."

"you don't remember that day?" mike asked. jane shook her head.

"if anything, it all feels forced almost, like my memories are unreal."

"but they're your memories."

"which doesn't make sense. i think i hit my head or something, and my mind recreated and edited those memories."

eleven shrieked, harshly hitting her head on the ground. she had taken out three more of the intruders, leaving five left. she had also gotten twenty more students out, meaning twenty or so were still left.

mike huddled behind a flipped table with max, lucas, dustin, and will.

"we should have left when they chose people to go," max grimaced.

"we're here now," lucas whispered. "we've lost our chance."

"she's crazy. she can't save us all," dustin murmured.

they turned to see the man grab eleven and slam her into the floor once more. she squeaked as a cut on her head started bleeding. eleven glared again, restraining her anger and self.

"she's eleven. she can do anything she damn well wants," mike finished with finality. el had to save them. she just had to.

"you hit your head? are you sure of that?"

"i- i think i like hurt myself then i fainted and hit my head. i don't know; all i remember is yelling and hitting my head."

"let me see your tattoo," mike whispered. jane questioningly held her arm out, pushing her sleeve back. mike examined it. "are you sure this says 012?"

"it should? i don't know, they had already branded me when i woke up," jane muttered.

"it looks a little bit like 011."

"it can't- wait, are you saying?" jane looked up at him. mike nodded.

"what if you've been eleven all along?"

"no, that's- my name is jane. i know that," jane backtracked.

"what if that's your birth name?" mike asked. he wasn't going to let this go.

not if jane was really his eleven. if she was eleven, then maybe in some twisted way, they were soulmates. maybe they were destined to always come back to each other. but maybe, they were star-crossed lovers. maybe they were destined to love with all of their heart but fall from the world where they were and loved.

"it can't be- i have memories before this, i had a mom, a childhood-"

"memories can be forged," mike softly said. jane quieted, worry and something else filling her eyes. mike shifted uneasily. something was wrong. something was off.

"mike, i'm scared. you're basically telling me that my entire known life is a lie."

"it makes sense-" mike started.

"no, it doesn't!" jane exclaimed. "nothing about this is normal. i am not eleven, i can't be eleven!"

"jane, c'mon, think about it-"

"don't test me!" jane shrieked, standing up.

"don't test me either, mike," el stated.

mike stepped back as if he was burned. jane's eyes softened, the harsh tones of worry and fear melting away to sympathy and understanding.

"i said that, didn't i?" jane asked, waiting for a response that they both already knew.

"how- how'd you know?"

"i remember."