The Memory Palace

Prologue

Many a time had I laid as on that day. Silently, almost with reverence, thinking about my life and where it was going. Somehow this night was different. It felt peculiar, unlike the usual sleepless nights that I was so used to. My mind wandered as I contemplated my life. ''What is my earliest memory?'', crossed my mind. As I closed my eyes I visualised my first day in nursery school. I remembered how my mother had not told me where we were going and I had assumed it was just a trip to the shopping centre to do grocery shopping. I was fine until she walked me inside the classroom and then said ''I'll be back soon.''. I only realised I was not going with her when she got on her bicycle and left. I cried and cried until I was so tired I laid down and slept. After I awoke I stared at the ceiling until my mother had returned. I walked towards her, hugged her, and we left after that. I smiled, chuckled at the 'foolishness' of my youth, and opened my eyes again. It is funny how some things stay in your memories and some are simply forgotten.

''Why are you laughing?'', said Aelius
''I just remembered something funny.'', I answered
''Was it..?'', he asked
''Yeah''
''Do you want to change it?''
''No, it's fine.''

Aelius, I could never forget how we met. After that night filled with many thoughts but little sleep I remember how exhausted I was. Never had I felt so sluggish. No time to think about exactly how badly I wanted to crawl back into bed. I had things to do. After all, I could not call Vic off again. Since university we had been best friends. Yesterday she called me with the most excited voice I had heard in a while. Of course it involved a guy, what else would Victoria think about. So I got on the bus and sat down. One moment I could have sworn everything was fine. As I blinked slowly, everything had changed. All I could see was wreckage. I could not move. The sound of sirenes and screams filled the air. Then there was my just hospital bed, and Aelius.