The Amnesiac

Chapter Two

Had he said?

No, he couldn't have.

Anatoly leapt out of his car.

He'd said... he'd called me...

The amnesiac sprinted back to the park bench with a madman's reckless intensity. "Hey," he screamed, "Solomon!"

The man was gone, an empty bottle discarded carelessly on the ground.

Anatoly laughed out loud, he laughed quite hard actually. He felt positively giddy. What it was about the situation that he found funny, he couldn't particularly say. But... there was humor in it all. He was sure of that.

I know what he said. I know what he called me.

He stooped low to pick up the empty bottle. It was proof. Again, what he'd needed proof for was not something he considered, it was just the banal desire to have it.

Anatoly strolled back to his car, opened the door and sat. He gripped the wheel.

The key turned in the ignition and he felt the car come alive. The engine felt an extension of himself, as natural as his own heartbeat.

His mouth twitched, face contorting.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

He screamed until all the air was forced out of his lungs.

Anatoly caught his breath, panting, then wheezed and laughed again, uncontrollably this time.

If anyone sees me, they'll think I'm insane, he thought. But this thought only brought on more laughter. Let them see, for all I care. Shadows in the night, who cares what they see, who cares what they think.

His eyes flickered to the radio. Music haunted him. The idea of music even. He grit his teeth. Enough of that.

On one of their first "dates", while he'd still been in the hospital, Eloise had come to visit him. She wore a light green sundress, her hair aflame on her pale shoulders. At first glance, he'd thought she looked like a flower unfurling. He'd almost smiled at her, but then was seized by dread. Was he then supposed to be the sun?

On second study, she seemed a flash of lightning. Bright, beautiful, full of energy ...  dangerous.

She'd sat down on his hospital bed, a little bashful, face blushing. "Hey stranger," she'd said.

He'd laughed, put immediately at ease by her greeting. She beamed instantly, innocently proud of herself. She even looked to his mother and father with a warm smile that said "Can you believe it? Do you see the effect I have on him?"

His father then said to his mother,  "Come on, Kat. Let's give these two some time to catch up." And with a knowing smile for Anatoly he'd lead his mother out of the room.

How Anatoly had reviled that smile. It made his skin crawl. It presumed too much.

"No," he snapped, "Stay. I don't care."

Eloise looked at him, confused by his sudden anger and a little hurt. Is he afraid to be alone with me, she wondered.

His father only looked at him with a vacant expression. But then that was his father. A straightforward man with a plain, simple, squarish, soldierly face. It was a face that lacked any of the depth or complexity for nonchalance or deception. And so honest. Why must he be so honest?

"That's alright, Anatoly. I think you two ought to have some time alone." With that they left the room, and Anatoly turned his attention back to the girl.