Thunderstorm {Under Editing}

Chapter 3

"Who are you?" Jennifer asked, trying to ignore the ringing sound.

"Ben. You're Jennifer, right?" he said, walking over to her.

"I'm sorry, I have no idea who you are."

"Are you Jennifer?"

"Yes."

He looked confused, and almost sad she didn't recognize him.

"We were engaged for 2 years, and we knew each other for 5 years before that."

"I don't remember that."

"They said when I woke up that they had to do more tests on you. So I decided to walk around until they told me that you were ready or until I saw you. Did they finish the tests?"

"I don't know."

"Then how did you get out here?"

"I.... escaped."

"What?" He looked both shocked and amused. "You escaped?"

"Not really, the door was unlocked."

"I see you still have your personality." Ben said with a smile.

"What happened?"

"Do you remember the asteroid?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember what happened before the asteroid hit?"

Jennifer heard the ringing sound again. Ben could see the pained expression on her face, and looked concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Really, I'm fine."

Jennifer thought she heard Ben say something about how she "is still so stubborn" under his breath, but before she could say something, he said, "Come with me. I'll take you to my apartment. We can talk there."

"How can I trust you? I just met you!"

There it was again. The heartbreaking face Ben made. Sad and confused. She had only just met him, but there was something familiar about him....

"Look, you obviously aren't well." Ben said. "I don't want you to get lost in this confusing city. And if someone overhears us talking about the asteroid that happened almost a million years ago-"

"Fine, I'll go to your apartment. How did you get one here anyway?"

"The doctors gave it to me for free, along with this car."

He pulled out a key, pressed it, and then a car almost instantly appeared on the road. Jennifer jumped back.

Ben laughed. "It still takes some getting used to. Besides, if you think that's unsettling, wait until you actually ride in the car!"

Jennifer tried to smile, and she reluctantly got in the car.

Ben got in the car, and then started it. It slowly rose up to the air, and started moving slowly across the "road".

"Are you okay?" Ben asked again.

"I'm fine. I just have a fear of heights."

"I know."

"So we've known each other for 7 years?"

"Before the asteroid, yes."

There was a long pause.

"I think we're moving slower than anyone else here." Jennifer said.

"They're just more accustomed to these cars."

"So that makes them able to go 700 miles an hour?!"

Ben laughed again. "It is pretty frightening when you think about how fast they're going. But we're just used to the cars in the 2000s."

"So how long have you been out here?"

"A few days, I think."

"Were we the only people brought here?"

"No. I heard a woman refer to me as 'Subject 113', so there are probably around 120 people along with us."

The car stopped, and lowered to the ground.

"We're here." Ben said.

They both got out of the car, and Jennifer felt like she just went on a ride at Disneyland.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked for what seemed like the hundredth time.

"Yes, I'm fine." Jennifer answered in exasperation.

Ben led her to the door. The door scanned him, then opened.

"Come sit down." he said, leading her towards a couch. Jennifer sat down.

"So, you can't remember anything before the asteroid?"

"It's not like I can't remember anything. I remember what the 2000s were like. But I can't remember anything about you, or about my personal life."

The phone rang before Ben could answer. He picked it up. Like the teenage girls' phones, it had 2 screens, one on each side. On the back screen, it had a name on it: Jake. Jennifer had no idea who Jake was, or why he was calling Ben.

"Yeah?" Ben asked him. Jennifer couldn't hear what Jake was saying.

"Oh. Why are you calling me?" Ben asked.

There was a brief pause.

"What tests? I thought she was finished with them."

Ben looked at Jennifer for a moment, but then continued pacing.

"I'm aware of that now. Why does she need to take more tests?"

After a few seconds, Ben sighed.

"No, she's not with me."

Another pause.

"Then your computer system must be wrong. I have no idea where she is." Ben hung up.

"Who was that?" Jennifer asked, pretending not to know who it was.

"Just one of the doctors."

"What did they want?"

Ben sighed again. "I think they found out you escaped."

"And?"

"They wanted to do more tests on you. I already got you out of it." There was a small hint of anger in Ben's voice.

"Why? Can't I just go do the tests?"

"No, they're going to kill you!"

"You don't know that, Ben."

"Of course I know that!"

"Why are you acting like this?"

Ben took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just protective of you. I didn't know where you were when I woke up. When they told me they had to do more tests on you, I thought that was just their way of telling me you had died. When I saw you again, I never wanted you to leave. But then when you said you couldn't remember me, I thought it because of those tests they did on you. I don't want you to go back there."

"Don't you think they'll find me at some point?"

"Probably. But they haven't found you yet."