The Special

Episode 5 - To The Forest

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know I think the wind blew it or something" Dammit, she did notice.

"There was no wind when you shot that."

"Well, maybe there was over there where the arrow was."

"No there wasn't!"

"Whatever, it's time to go now, I think it's almost supper now, we gotta go." She just stared at me in disbelief. I wonder how much she knew.

********************

Right before campfire Damian pulled me aside.

"So Jessie told me about you guys doing archery, it sounds like you two were having fun."

"I don't know, we were just kinda shooting."

"You never told me you were that good at archery."

"You never asked." What did he know? Did he know more than he was telling me? I just kept getting the feeling that everyone there knew something they weren't telling me.

"She also told me about that last shot of yours, that was a pretty good shot. She said it even curved with the wind."

"Yeah, lucky shot I guess." I tried to evade the seriousness of the conversation.

"Lucky? Do you really think it was a lucky shot?" He gave me a serious questioning glare.

"Or I'm just really good at archery?" I laughed. He was still very serious.

"Hawkeye, do you remember anything from before you came here? Even anything from years ago?" After a moment of silence I quietly answered.

"No."

"Don't worry, you can trust me, you can tell me anything." I kept silent.

"Sit down for a minute." He pointed to a log. We were on the shore of the lake, the sun was just starting to go down and a beautiful sunset was emerging.

"We haven't really talked all that much. Let me tell you a bit about myself." We both sat down on the log and made ourselves comfortable.

"As you can tell and as I've said earlier I am originally from London, England. I lived there until I was about nineteen and moved to Canada. When I was about twenty I met Ron's mother and a little while later we got married. And about two years later we had Ron."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"So you can get to know me a bit. I want you to be able to trust me and you can't trust someone if you don't know anything about them."

"Why is it so important that I trust you? Why do I have to trust you?" I got up and walked away. I wasn't telling him anything. I didn't even know him and I didn't want to know him. I just wanted to leave, and I was going to, tonight. I kept my promise but I was leaving ASAP.

***********************

Once all the guys were asleep again I snuck out. It was a bit past midnight and it was pitch black outside. Snap! A small branch broke under my foot. I hoped nobody heard that. I didn't see anyone so I just continued on walking. I was almost at the edge of camp where the forest started when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and saw a figure in the darkness.

"Leaving so soon?" It was Damian. I turned back around and kept walking.

"Whoa, whoa! Where are you going?" He grabbed my arm and turned me around. I tugged my arm free.

"I'm leaving."

"Where are you gonna go?"

"Anywhere but here, I can't, I just can't stay here. I can't just stay here doing arts and crafts and singing campfire songs while there are people hunting me down."

"Well, you can't just go out with no plan hoping to find some way to make them leave."

"Well, having no plan is better than staying here."

"We are trying to help you here, why don't you get that?"

"Because you're not helping!" I yelled.

"Well, at least we're trying. Can you think of anyone else out there who is trying to help you?" I couldn't.

"That's not fair I can't even remember anyone else but you guys."

"Well, maybe a long time ago, before you lost your memory, you trusted us, or anyone. And maybe you used to be a good kid." None of this conversation was making me want to stay. Maybe I did know them once and maybe I did trust them, or anyone, but I can't know for sure. Knowing what I did know, I couldn't trust anyone, it was just too dangerous.

"Goodbye." I turned back around and started walking back toward the forest.

"Hey wait!" He caught up to me as I started walking into the forest.

"Listen to me, I know that you don't trust anyone and I don't expect you to trust anyone with everything that's been going on but we need you to stay, it extremely important. More than just your life may depend on it."

"Like what? What else may depend on me staying here in this hell hole?"

"Look, I'm sorry that you don't like it here, I don't think any one really like it here at first but please, can you just stay for a little while longer? Just this once? It's important." He pleaded.

"It's not only the fact that I don't like it here, which I don't, it's also the fact that there is so much other more productive stuff for me to be doing right now. Like finding out who I was and am. And besides, if it is really important then you'll tell me what it is."

All was quiet while I waited for Damian to explain what was going on. I knew that he knew something that he wasn't telling me and I couldn't trust him. He didn't say anything.

I turned around for the last time and headed into the forest. He just stood there at the edge of the camp. I looked back every once in a while to make sure he wasn't following me but I could tell something wasn't right. Something was up.