2 extremes

"Why are you smiling?"

 "Why you smilin'?"

I slowly lifted my head from the rough table I was resting on. I had been...asleep? I was still smiling.

"I- I don't know." then the realization hit me, And I stopped smiling. I didn't know. I couldn't remember... Anything.

I panicked. I snapped up and started looking around frantically. My heart started to pound. What happened to me? The only memories I could remember were since the man woke me up, to now.

I could remember everyday things like how to talk and what things mean, but I couldn't remember specific people or memories.

"Well you better stop before you cause a ruckus." The man had a strange accent I didn't recognize. I looked around. I had to remember something.

I was sitting in the corner of a small, run-down bar. The air smelled thick, as if it was underground. There were no windows so it was pretty dark, besides the few candles that lit the room. The man who spoke to me was one seat over. He was old, and wore tattered clothing. There were a few others like him sitting in other booths. Nobody sat together; everybody sat alone at their own booth, even people that looked like family. Nobody looked happy. It was silent, and I realized the entire room was staring at me.

I thought about what he had said: You better stop before you case a ruckus. Why would smiling cause a big commotion? What kind of miserable place is this? Wherever I'm from, it can't be here. I tried to think about my past, tried to retrieve memories from the back of my brain that I knew were there. I just couldn't find them. Then a single word popped into my head.

Smile. I think that must be one of my favorite words. Besides, I literally woke up smiling. I think it's kinda cool how your mouth has to smile when you pronounce the word. I wonder if they intended to be that way. I feel like my life before was wonderful, I wonder what happened?

I tried to think of more memories. I sat in silence as i searched through my mind.

"Hey, girl! You gonna talk or not?" the same man snapped.

"Huh, what? Oh, sorry." I had drifted off in my thoughts. Maybe that's something I do a lot.

"What's yer name?" he asked.

Then I thought about it. I didn't answer, because i didn't know My name. What is my name? I hadn't thought about it until now. I didn't think my memory loss would have gone that far.

Suddenly, someone grabbed my wrist from behind. It startled me so much that I jumped up from my seat. Before thinking, I swung around and hit whoever grabbed me.

In front of me was a boy. He had long jet black hair and pale skin. He looked about my age. But then again, i didn't even know my age or what i looked like. He stumbled backwards with his hand over his face.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry," I said. Before I could say anything else, he stood back up and as if nothing had happened.

"Come on, uh... joy... Joyce, we have to go!" He reached over again and started to pull me toward the door. I stood up but stayed in the same spot.

"Wait, why?" I asked.

He leaned over and whispered, "Just come with me." He pulled me out the door.

Outside, we were in an old alleyway with graffiti all over the walls. The end led to a road where a fight was breaking out. A house was on fire and police sirens blared in the distance.

"Come on!" he said. He dragged me to the end of the alleyway. We turned right and ran around to the back of a small brick building. He stopped me there. I finally got a chance to consider what just happened. He had called me Joy.

"Is that my name? Joyce? How did you know that? Do you know who I am? Who are you?" I questioned.

He looked confused. Which was understandable because I did go a little overboard on the questions.

"Um, yeah, your name is Joyce." he told me. "You're welcome, by the way."

"Why did you help me? You must know something about me to want to try and save me.."

He raised his eyebrows. "Oh really? I can't just help a damsel in distress? Actually, you're lucky I was around. They would have caught you if i hadn't saved you. That guy was just stalling. Trust me, Nobody is nice here, anymore." He had a far off look on his face, like he was remembering something that happened a long time ago.

"What is it?" I asked him.

"Nothing." his face became expressionless again. "Just listen. You have to be careful around here. They don't allow laughing and happiness. And nobody's gonna be nice to you."

"Well then how come you were nice to me?" I wondered.

"I'm not nice. You're just annoying"

"What?" I asked

"You ask too many questions, and you haven't even said thank you." I guess he was right.

"Well...thanks." I said.

He rolled his eyes.

"Anyhow, why is everyone so miserable here? What cruel person caused this?"

The boy got that far off look again.

"I, uh...I have to go." he stuttered. "Here take this, You'll need it." He tossed be a bag, I didn't realize he had it until just now. It seemed to appear out of nowhere. I opened the bag and inside there were two water bottles, a couple of granola bars, and a change of clothes. It seemed light to have all of that stuff in it, but I wasn't complaining.

"Thanks. Hey, what's your name? You-"

I looked up, and he wasn't there.

I looked around. All that remained was a black cat roaming near the dumpster. It was like he had never even been here in the first place.

He was just...gone.