My body shakes. My head hurts, and there is only one question running through my head: why hadn’t I known of that? The instant the memory flooded into my mind I knew it was real. I hear somebody screaming, but I can’t determine who it is. My door is wide open, had I left it open? I attempt to stand but my grief is too great and I stumble to the floor. My hands become wet with the tears that are rolling down my face. Ember runs in, I can hear her exclaim, “What’s going on? Why are you screaming? Sabi, react!”
I’m screaming? Why can’t my mind connect to my tongue? Why can’t I tell her the horrible thing I just remembered? Why can’t I explain to her that I’ve been brainwashed and lied to? How much else did I not remember?
"Look, let’s try to get you on the bed okay –wait what’s this?” Ember asks. She lifts me onto the bed and grabs a small envelope. It has the red crust from the day of the banquet. The TSB. How did…?
Ember stepped back and her gaze wasn’t endearing anymore, but afraid and somewhat aggressive. “What do you have to do with these people?” She accused me.
Somehow I managed to speak, “N-nothing! Th-they just left something in my room on the day of the banquet! I-I didn’t respond to it. I didn’t do anything about the n-note. I burned it for Pete’s sake!” I cry out, frustrated, broken and confused. Immediately her eyes soften. She comes closer and I feel her wrap her arms around me. She murmurs into my hair things I can’t understand. I cry into her shoulders and we stay like that for a while. At least, until my sobs turn into hiccups and my hiccups turn into silent acceptance. She pulls away and places my face into her palms, “Are you ready to face the letter?”
I nod. Silent, and embarrassed. She reaches for the crisp white paper and her fingers tremble only slightly as she unfolds the paper. I wipe away the tears and go to collect tissue from the bathroom. As I come back she clears her throat,
“Sabi, we have discovered the Society had stolen a memory from you. We do not know if it is the only one but we have determined that it would be best if you knew of it. This is only to make you stronger.
-TSB”
I look at her, expecting more until she shakes her head, “That’s it.”
“But, how can that be it? So they basically knocked me out to bring back a memory I never knew I’d even lost?” My tone gets aggressive, and desperate.
Silence.
“What memory did you lose Sabi?” Ember asks shyly. She’s looking down at her shoes. They’re a soft shimmery purple, like her eyes. I stop. It takes me a moment to realize what she’d asked me. Slowly I respond,
“The memory I lost consisted of my family, Ember.” I whisper.
“Oh.” She replies. She understands I don’t want to discuss it. So we sit there, together.
I have a new friend. There is a static sound and I realize it’s from a speaker in my room. “Candidates, please gather for an emergency meeting in the courtyard, as soon as possible. The directions have been sent to your tablets.”
I look at Ember, eyes wide open.
“We should get rid of this,” I am holding up the note. She nods and takes it to the bathroom. There is a flush and she comes back, “Gone, now let’s go.” I stand up and we head to the courtyard. Again Ember has to help me since I refuse to look at the paintings. We descend down the stairs and go the opposite direction of the entrance, following the arrow displayed by the tablet. I let go of her dark hand and admire the high ceiling of this place. It’s elegant in the same peach color as the staircase. The ceiling reaches past the fourth floor, almost like a small dome. There are pillars that keep the ceiling from hugging the beloved floor.
I realize I’m still holding the rose Mr. Night, I mean Luis, gave me. Had I been clutching it the whole time? Ember glances at me, “Where’d you get that from?”
“Luis.”
“Be careful Sabi, he’s the rich kid who has never experienced a bigger inconvenience than not getting what he wants.” She raises an eyebrow.
“Yeah I know.”
“Don’t get confused with those eyes he gives you, ‘cos he’s been looking at you different than the rest of us.”
“What do you mean?”
“He wants you.”
“Oh,” We are silent the rest of the walk there, but my mind is reeling with questions. I quiet my thoughts and we reach large glass doors. They are misted and have curves on the surface. They look like waves crashing against the light brown wooden frame in the center, but they are opened almost immediately by Luis.
“We’ve been waiting for you two! How long does it take you to go down a simple flight of stairs?” he shakes his head, “It doesn’t matter, come out into the courtyard we have important business to discuss.”
He turns on his heel and ushers us into the courtyard.
