Golden Slumbers

Chapter 5 - It's No Use

Zoe wakes up the next morning to apologize to Paul for yelling at him. When she got downstairs, she noticed he wasn't there. "Paul, sweetie, where'd you go?" She asked. There was a note on the table. Zoe picks it up and reads it.

Dear Stranger,

I appreciate you trying to help me, but I still don't know who you are. I'm leaving to find my girlfriend, and I'm not coming back until I do. I hope you understand.

Sincerely,
Paul

P.S. If you should ever find my Zoe, please tell me. She needs to know how much I love her and miss her.

Zoe cries after reading the note. "Paul ran away?! I have to find him!" She said worriedly. Zoe gets dressed and immediately runs outside to find Paul. She takes her photo album with her. Luckily, Paul wasn't too far. "Paul!! Wait up!!" Called Zoe. Paul turns in her direction. "Zoe?" He said. Zoe started running towards him. "Paul, thank goodness! You had me worried!" She said. "Oh, it's you again. Did you find my Zoe?" Asked Paul.

It was too early for an argument. So Zoe decided to go with it for the time being. "No, but I can help you with some clues." She said. "How?" Paul asked. "With this photo album. Remember I showed it to you yesterday?" Zoe asked. "Sort of." Said Paul. "Before I get into that, I wanna say I'm sorry for my behavior yesterday. I didn't realize I hurt you mentally and physically." Said Zoe. Paul pats her shoulder. "It's okay." He said.

Zoe hangs her head. "It's not okay, actually. I yelled at you, squeezed you until you felt pain, and I pushed you. Not to mention slam the door in your face. I was completely out of line, Paul. You didn't deserve that." She said. "Look, ma'am, you were mad. I tend to do some of those things when I'm mad as well. But I'd never take it out on my Zoe. Not even you, even if you do resemble her a little bit." Paul said. "Truce?" Asked Zoe as she held out her hand. "Truce." Said Paul as he takes it.

The two shake hands. Then Zoe holds her arms out. "Hug?" She asked. "It wouldn't be the same. The only person I wanna give the biggest hug to is my Zoe. I miss her so much." Paul said. "She's around here. I'm sure of it." Zoe said. Paul shrugs his shoulders.

Zoe opens her photo album as she and Paul look through it some more. "Remember this place?" She asked. "Yes! Zoe and I went to the beach that day! I was caught in a riptide, started to drown, and called out for help! I thought I was gonna die!" Said Paul. "What happened afterwards?" Asked Zoe. "Nobody heard me, except for one person." Paul said. "Who was it?" Zoe asked. "It was Zoe! She ran right into the ocean, dove under, and grabbed me before I reached the bottom. She pulled me to the surface and swam me to shore. I was unconscious, though." Said Paul.

Zoe closes her eyes as she tries to look back on the day she and Paul went to the beach.

Three Years Ago

Zoe was relaxing in her beach chair while Paul was swimming in the ocean. At one point, a voice started calling out for help. Zoe heard the voice and tried to see who hollered. It was Paul. Zoe lets out a gasp and puts her hands over her mouth in horror as she sees Paul starting to drown. "Hang on, Paul!!! I'm coming!!" She yelled. Zoe takes off her beach hat and sunglasses, and sprints into the ocean to save her boyfriend.

After a few minutes of swimming, Zoe notices Paul is floating dangerously close to the bottom. She swims towards him, grabs him before he hits the floor, and swims to the surface. Zoe gasps for air after she's above water, and carries Paul to the shore. She gently lays him onto the sand, and notices that he's unconscious. Zoe checks his pulse, but couldn't feel anything. She then looks back down and realizes his chest wasn't rising. He wasn't breathing! "No, Paulie, don't die on me! Please breathe!!" Cried Zoe.

Instead of crying, Zoe knew the right thing to do was perform CPR. She presses on Paul's chest a few times, and gives him mouth to mouth. Five times she repeated these steps. Right before she could do it again, Paul immediatly starts moving his head slowly from side to side. "That's it, honey! You're doing great! Come on back to me!" Zoe said with a smile. Eventually, Paul lets out a huge gasp and starts coughing. He opens his eyes and sees Zoe looking down at him. "Zoe?" He said. "It's me, Paul." Said Zoe.

Paul sits up and wraps his girlfriend into a hug. "Thank you so much, darling! You saved my life!" He said excitedly. "I'm so glad you're okay, sweetheart! I thought you were dead!" Zoe said. "I'm not going anywhere, love. Not for a long time." Said Paul. "Just promise you'll never scare me like that again." Said Zoe. The two release from their hug and Paul caresses Zoe's face. "I promise, Zoe. From now on, I'll stay where I won't get out of your sight." He said. Zoe smiles and kisses Paul's cheek. "That's my boy." She said.

Zoe holds her hand out for Paul to help him up, and the two lean in for a kiss.

Present Day

Zoe opens her eyes after a while. She looked back on that memory for hours, it was already nighttime by the time her eyes opened. "That was a great day, except for the part when you drowned." She said. "You were there too?!" Paul asked in shock. "Of course I was. I'm the one who saved you, Paul! It was me!" Zoe said. "Are you sure? I know it was Zoe who saved me, but somehow I don't remember you doing it." Paul said. Zoe felt her eyes fill with tears as she starts to cry. "I'm positive, Paul! I'm glad you remember that day, but I can't believe you don't remember me!" She said.

Paul moves in to comfort her. "You mustn't cry. I'm trying to remember you, but I don't. I'm sorry." He said. Zoe hangs her head and slowly walks back home. Paul follows her. After the two enter the house, Paul sits on the couch, while Zoe sits at the piano. She starts playing a song she remembers Paul singing from the album, Beatles For Sale.

One day you'll look to see I've gone
For tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun
Some day you'll know I was the one
But tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun

And now the time has come
And so my love I must go
And though I lose a friend
In the end you will know, oooh

One day you'll find that I have gone
But tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun

Yea, tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun

And now the time has come
And so my love I must go
And though I lose a friend
In the end you'll know, oooh

One day you'll find that I have gone
But tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun

"Did you write that song too?" Asked Paul. "No, I... forget it! I'm going to bed." Said Zoe. She goes up to her room and gets herself ready for bed. For the first half hour, she stares at the ceiling. "It's no use! No matter how many times I tell Paul it's me with him in those pictures, he still doesn't remember me." She said.

Zoe feels tears rolling down the corners of her eyes. The thought of Paul forgetting his own girlfriend started making her cry. She hoped that someday Paul would regain his memory and remember her.