From the void of space, a ship appears. . . with only one purpose-to wipe out all the inhabitants off the face of the planet.
Decades later, a young woman, Alecia, with her memory wiped, wakes up into a world she knows little about-except that it i...
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Virgil lay down on his back and used his bag as a pillow.
"What are you doing?" Alecia asked with a narrowed look.
"Killing time," Virgil said, his eyes closed.
"Out here? It's dangerous to sleep out here."
He opened his eyes. "After everything that happened, I'm numb about danger at this point."
"At least you got some sleep."
He turned to look at her and stared at her blue eyes as the fire illuminated them. Alecia turned away from him and gazed at the fire. She gently leaned her head back against the wall and spotted Diana who was sitting behind the fire. Alecia closed her eyes, sighing.
Diana tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, just trying to forget what happened," replied Alecia.
Diana leaned her hand on one knee. "You'll never forget that. No one can."
"That made me think of something."
"Oh?" Diana muttered.
Alecia frowned. "Why's it that I remember a lot of bad memories and a few good memories?"
"I'm no expert in people's minds," Diana said, "from what I've heard is that in times of rest or being safe, the bad memories usually sink in more often than the good."
"Who told you?"
Diana chuckled and looked at Virgil who had already drifted off to sleep.
"Books. Namely his grandfather's books and what he said to me."
She looked at Alecia. "Speaking of bad memories, have you had any?"
"I had a few of them. But some of it were memories I didn't need to know."
"Can you tell me one?"
"Everything was burning, fire everywhere. All around me, I heard screaming. There was a girl in my arms."
Alecia tightened her arms around her knees. "I comforted her until she was finally gone."
She took in a trembling breath. "She said something before she died. Something that really made me think about who I am."
"What is it?"
"She asked why I wasn't bad. Ever since I came out of that room, I've been called a killer, a monster. That girl. She never called me that." She smiled gently. "She wondered why I wasn't bad."
Diana smiled.
"If I were the killer that they say I am, I don't think she would've asked me that question." She paused. "Do you. . . do you think I was a good person then?"
"I don't know," replied Diana. "If that girl thought you were good, then I think you were okay."
