Forgotten Spark

Chapter 2

As I walked out of the hospital, I thought about what I was going to do, now. Through several weeks of therapy, I'd been able to remember some things about my past, but only bits and pieces here and there. I remembered that it was my father who'd died when I was young, and I remembered that my mother was absolutely amazing. I couldn't seem to grasp specific memories about her, just the emotions I'd had about and because of her.

I also remembered something about Idaho. I recalled that I'd moved there when I was a little younger. I also recalled that I was lonely, though I didn't remember why. The town was average sized--not too big, but not very small either. I thought the name was, like, middle, or center, but not those.

That was about the sum of my memories. I couldn't remember names of people who were in my life, and the doctor said that events that happened in the last year or two, I may never get back. I was utterly hopeless.

My best bet was to go to Idaho. Maybe I could find some answers there. I would find the town I was from, and maybe some people I knew. Or, who knew me.

I stared at a map of Idaho for a long time. I almost gave up, but then. A town right next to Boise jumped out at me. The reason I hadn't found it, was because it was so close to Boise that my brain automatically deemed it Boise. When I finally found it, it seemed to say, "Over here, dummy! This is where your home is!" There stood Meridian, Idaho.

                          ______

I hopped several buses to get to Boise, with some money Dr. Francis gave me. I think he took pity on me, because he said something about protocol, but I saw him take it out of his own wallet.

Once I was in Boise, I had several options for how I would get to Meridian. I was thinking about taking the bus, but I was starting to restless--I was so close!

I decided that walking would be a good way to burn off some energy. It wouldn't look good if I arrived at my hometown jumping up and down like a little girl.

I studied the map of the best walking route on my new phone (the hospital had found a phone in the pocket of my old clothes, but they said it was completely fried. As if it had been electrocuted, or something.) and headed out. I decided to head for the high school, to see if any memories came back, though I was doubtful.

                           _______

After walking for almost four hours, I finally came into view of the school. Even though I knew this is where I was a student there for, I don't know how long, (I didn't even know how old I was!) the school didn't ring a bell.

Maybe I was home-schooled, and that's why the school wasn't familiar, I thought. I came to the decision that walking around might jog my memory. So I wandered.

I wandered in random directions for only a few minutes before I ended up somewhere I felt should be familiar, but I just couldn't place my finger on it. The name was ridiculously long, but I wanted to call it Max Pizza, or something like that. I tried to remember what it was about this place I wanted to remember. I was just thinking that something terrible had happened here, when it slipped through my fingers. Just like everything else did.

I turned and kept walking, feeling as miserable as ever.

The sun was just about to set, when I heard a voice. It was just above a whisper, an I don't even know why I took interest in it. I mean, I'd been hearing people all around me since the moment I woke up. But there was something about this voice that made me want to listen. So I snuck to the corner I'd heard the voice and peeked around.

"Yes, Admiral Hatch. We should be done here before morning." The man was talking into a cell-phone. His voice was smooth and official-sounding, and he was wearing a grey suit, blending well into the side of he building.

The person on he other line was just barely audible. "Good," it said. "Be quick. My sources tell me that our enemies are also in the area looking for the Vey boy. You must recover him before they do, or the rats will be well fed. Do you understand?"

Vey boy? That part of the conversation stuck out more than the rest. Why did that sound familiar? I forced myself to keep listening.

"Yes, sir. We have everything ready for transport. All plastic restraint to keep from being electrocuted, and a RESAT just in case there is trouble. I should be there with Vey shortly." He hung up.

I tiptoed away as quietly as I could. All the information I'd just learned bouncing around in my head. It sounded like they were preparing to kidnap someone. But why make plastic restraints? How on earth would he get electrocuted?

As soon as I was out of earshot, I dashed away from there. I needed to get help. I needed to find this Vey boy and warn him. But why did I have a feeling that I wouldn't be able to? Like, I should know who the Vey boy was? And then it hit me like a lightning bolt.

Michael.

Vey.

Michael...Vey.

I'm Michael Vey.

Whoever 'Admiral Hatch' was sent someone to kidnap me!

I'd just come to this realization, when a hand reached out and grabbed my mouth from behind, keeping me from screaming. As soon as it became apparent that I was trying to escape, a voice came from behind me said, "Whoa! Michael! Michael calm down!" I struggled to break the person's grip, but they were just too strong. "Hey, Michael, it's okay! It's me!" I continued to struggle. It was only when they wrapped their ogre arm around my chest to get a firmer grip on me that I realized I was no match for whoever this was. I stopped struggling.

"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath, "Are you going to fight me anymore?" I shook my head. "I'm going to let go of your mouth. Promise not to freak out?" I nodded. "Okay."

He released my mouth, and lessened his hold on me. I took my first proper breath since before he'd grabbed me, and spoke in a low voice, "What do you want from me? Why are you kidnapping me?"

"Kidnapping?" he chuckled. He sounded no more than two or three years older than me. "Who said anything about kidnapping? I'm your friend, Michael."

"I overheard your phone call," I said. "You're not getting away with this!" I struggled once more but the boy, no, this was definitely a man, held me tighter.

"Wait, I'm trying to help! What phone call?" He sounded genuinely confused. "We're here to get you, but we're not kidnapping you. Don't you recognize me, Michael?"

"What? Of course not! Why would I recognize you? I've never seen you, before! And who's 'we'?"

"The rest of the Electroclan! Not to mention the resistance? Speaking of which, let's go! They're waiting for you!" He let go of my torso and grabbed my forearm. Then he took off at a dead sprint, dragging me behind.

That's when I realized it. He expected me to recognize him, so obviously I'd known him before losing my memory.

I was skeptical, but maybe he could help me.