Chapter 1: Forgotten

The story begins - a strange man, a death, missing memories, and weird voices. What is going on?

A sound blared, like that of a siren or something equally loud, alerting, and obnoxious. I fumbled with where I had been lying, ripping away the covers and readying myself into attack position. Nobody was going to best me today. Even if they happened to overcome me, I'd be damned if I didn't make them pay for it on my way out. Despite my readiness and eager attitude to fight any comers, I soon realized it was nothing other than my alarm clock. It was another day, a Thursday to be exact. F**k I hate Thursdays. If my language upsets you, well...sorry but I'm a high schooler, everybody around me talks like that. My parents are the only ones who whine at me if I slip up and say an "inappropriate word", and usually its only if I'm in front my younger brother. It's just a f*****g word anyways. It only has as much power as people give it - that's what I think.  

On to - much more entertaining stuff. Please add sarcasm to that previous sentence if you didn't perceive that already. I went about my usual routine from that point. Shower, eat a little cereal for breakfast, and then drag my feet out the door like I'm half dead. Sometimes I wonder if things are supposed to be like they are on TV, where the dad is all chipper and ready for work with his tie and fedora on and at the table with his newspaper and mug of coffee. There too would be my little brother ready for his own eventual journey to school with my mom who would be fulfilling the stereotype of a stay-at-home mom with an apron and a warm affectionate smile - eggs and bacon ready for everybody. My house ain't like any of that. Most people's houses that I know of ain't like that. 

Instead school starts for me at the asscrack of dawn, when even the sun is too lazy to get up. During that time I gotta ride some s****y, old, rickety, outdated yellow bus to get to a school that's in dire need of a bulldozer. My brother and I get along pretty well - I think it's on the account that he's so much younger than me. That being said his school day doesn't start until 9:30 am. Lucky little punk. What I wouldn't give to go back to the simpler days of grade school with nap time and recess. S**t is apparently going to just get harder and harder for me from here on too. That's what everybody gives the impression of. When I was younger I always wanted to be an adult. Now it's that last thing I want to be as I get closer and closer to it. If I could just stay the way I am now and somehow surpass the drinking age, I'm sure everything would be peachy.  

My mom has her own job out of the house and she's even busier than my dad who seems to never be home until I'm asleep and he's gone just after I get finished with my morning shower. I wish I knew them better, but if they don't give a s**t about me to even be around, then f**k'em I guess. Harsh I know but forgive me for my teenage wisdom. I'm sure I'll grow into it at some point. I'm sure whoever you are - you might think right away that you should tell me what's wrong with thinking like that, but you don't know me and you aren't me, so you can't know why I draw the conclusions that I do. Just leave it be. Don't spend so much time trying to solve other people's problems. 

Back to my regular routine though, I was walking out as I usually do. It was when I shut the door on a very particular morning that I noticed an envelope on the door mat. It simply had "Your friend, Dean" scribbled onto it. I had stood for a good few moments, very puzzled as to who Dean was and how good a friend he was considering I don't remember knowing anybody named Dean. I shrugged it off and left it be. He probably had the wrong house, or maybe it was for one of my parents. Who knows, maybe it was for me, but I don't know anybody named Dean and I had to get to the bus stop soon. If it was really important whoever Dean was would probably get to me again later. Who the hell made hand-written notes nowadays either?  

I continued on to the bus stop and waited for the creamy yellow colored bus to show up - yet at the same time as I waited I was wishing in a million different ways it wouldn't come: flattened tires, the engine exploded, a plane collided with the bus, anything to stop it from showing up. If just one of those things could happen, then I could slip back into bed and get some delicious sleep. It sounded so great, but it was almost impossible for any of that to happen. I could only wish right? 

I slipped my backpack to the ground as I had gotten here a little early. It was there I saw the girl approach. No that's not an error in speaking or writing - THE girl. She was a girl I had been friends with since elementary school. I had an idea in my mind for what I think has been years now to ask her out but not once had I worked up the courage to do. She approached me and gave me a smile and a wave as she always does - the kind that melts my organs into a boiling internal soup. I tried my best to stay confident and calm but my speaking defied me such a display.  

I opened my mouth and said "Mood Gorning, Garla". I guess that would show either how awake or how nervous I was, I'm not sure which - I just hoped it wasn't the latter. She giggled, mockingly saying "Mood Gorning, Galeksander" back to me. Thankfully she kept her torment short and let it go as she gazed down towards the street, casually looking around as we waited for the bus which now seemed to be a few minutes late. I didn't mind so much, though my eyes continually betrayed me as I stared at Marla almost against my will. It was good though that I had grown skilled enough to quickly hide my eyes whenever her eyes had a chance to meet mine or to notice that I was basically staring at her like some kinda creep. I needed to get myself to just go ahead and ask her out already before my head exploded. Just as my mouth opened to attempt it, I was interrupted. I heard the sounds of a vehicle coming. Goddamn school bus - this is why I hate you.  

When I turned to look though, it was no school bus. It was a man in a car, driving by eerily slow. He seemed to be staring intently at Marla as he passed. Something about him made me feel uneasy as he passed. The strange man glanced back and forth between the picture and Marla, as if comparing the two. Something about his stare looked dangerous. I positioned myself closer to Marla out of instinct and tried to get myself ready to either run with her or fight for her. The man simply continued along however and once more we were left to wait for the bus, absent the strange man.

The heavy whirring sound of a bus was finally heard, it had been almost twenty minutes late. The bus made a quick turn, going at a faster speed than usual and it quickly came to our stop. The way the person drove it was as if they hadn't even driven such a vehicle before. I didn't pay much mind to it however, as I noticed there was a substitute driver and a guide (they usually had these with new drivers that didn't know the routes as well). We drove along as usual and picked up Naomi, Marla's best friend and a good friend of mine as well - I had known her just as long as Marla and she was always a fun person to be around. I had gotten the impression from time to time that she wanted more than friendship, but she never has really given me anything to provide solid towards such a theory. Didn't much matter to me anyways - my heart belonged to Marla, and if she didn't want it, then...well I don't really know what to think to be honest. 

We continued on to the usual stops, until we were at the final stop. The strange man from earlier was there. He stood beside his car and seemed to be putting something together. The bus stopped dead in its tracks as his car blocked the way. It confused the hell out of me as I looked to the substitute driver and his guide. Neither of them seemed to be very concerned about the man blocking the way. As I peered out the window I noticed too what the man had been piecing together. It was a rifle - I didn't know them very well besides whatever I might've seen in any Call of Duty games I might've played, but I know a rifle when I see one. The strange man raised his weapon, aiming towards the bus. Even still, the driver and the guide didn't show alarm or what seemed to be even a single care. What happened next was even more off. 

He didn't yet fire, but he stretched his shoulders and out from his back popped free a pair of wings. They were like that of those I always saw when people drew or painted pictures of angels. They moved naturally too, it was no fidgety animatronics or anything like that - I was sure of it. He flapped his wings a couple times and dust kicked about. In my fear I clutched at my chest; I was hyperventilating, not knowing what to make of the situation. He was looking so intently at Marla before. It had to be who he was aiming for.  

"Marla!" I yelled to her. She glanced back towards me from where she was seated. Just as she did an explosion of sound that was the rifle's roar signified the coming projectile. Almost in a motion that seemed like it was against my will, I leapt into the direction of the bullet. As the bullet came, time slowed or at least it seemed so. I closed my eyes and various things went in and out of the core of my thoughts. The first was my full name, and after that what looked to be a damaged castle labeled: "Exodus". Instantly after that I saw the face of two women - they were an older Naomi and Marla and they seemed to be at odds with each other. Soon after that I saw the face of some guy who I've never seen before, yet somehow he seemed to evoke a feeling in me of seeing a long lost friend. Finally there appeared the sight of a blue-eyed figure in a chair holding onto an hourglass. The blue-eyed figure had a halo floating over its head, it was made of a snake eating its own tail. With the sight of the blue-eyed figure my visions ended. 

I swiveled my concentration back at the bullet, even in slowed time it had already gone through the window, through my outstretched hand, and towards my chest. It was then time resumed and I slammed to the ground from the bullet hitting what I supposed was my heart, and I immediately faded away from the land of the living. One of the last thoughts I had in my head was how high school honestly wasn't so bad considering the confusing events that so violently and abruptly ended my life.

I had thought I had lived my last moments. I even had life flash before my eyes - though it oddly seemed to not contain me within whatever I saw. I awoke despite the bullet that went into my chest. I awoke abruptly too, finding my face just in front of Marla's. Marla was hunched over, looking down at me with great concern and she seemed to be frozen in place. I tried to get myself standing, but it was too much. Pain surged throughout my body and the confusion of whatever the hell just happened was really pounding away at my head.  

For whatever reason, time had come to a halt following my death or what I thought was my death. Was this how it worked? A person dies and the world stops? I was so confused I didn't know what I'd do even if I could move my body. All I know was that everything had stopped. 

"What happened? Why have you stopped?" echoed a voice that sounded as if it was a crowd of people talking in perfect unison. 

"An anomaly. I've detected a death, but...there's an error with the death. Whatever caused the error with this particular death has subsequently made my systems go haywire. This is the source of why the system was halted," responded a robotic voice. None of whatever the hell the robot-sounding voice said made much sense to me. 

"Strange. This hasn't ever happened before. Dean never said something like this would happen," the voice that sounded like a crown replied emotionlessly. I couldn't move, but I could hear the voices like they were speaking just above me. It confused me like no other, but I was forced to listen until I was somehow released from whatever limbo I ended up in.  

"Why hasn't Azrael guided this one to his afterlife body?" the voice that sounded like a crowd asked next. 

"Azrael hasn't been notified. I'm getting what's called a 'Schrodinger Error'. It's strange, but it seems that from my coding that this error was created specifically for this event in time. When I try to analyze the anomaly, the cause of the error I find items that do not compute. This particular human has a very peculiar soul - different than anything I've ever detected. I can't even get a proper diagnostic report to display for you to what it is I'm seeing," the monotone voice said next. It was subtle, and maybe it wasn't even there, but to me the robotic voice almost sounded as if it was concerned. 

"What name is Dean going by these days?" the voice that sounded like a crowd questioned. 

"Going by Chronos...'these days'," answered a new voice. This one sounded strange. He had an accent but it was unlike anything I ever heard of. He spoke clearly enough for me to understand with great ease, but it sounded...different. It's hard to explain, especially when he had only spoken a single sentence so far. I was concerned now about the name Dean though. I wondered if it was a coincidence that there was a letter on the porch of my house with the name "Dean" on it. 

"Splendid, that saves me the time of having to send someone out to find you. I need help with this damned thing. A boy has died and there seems to be something wrong, I've got what's called a 'Schrodinger Error'. Whatever it is, it's caused the whole system to freeze up," the voice that sounded like a crowd explained. 

"I apologize for the scare. This was my doing. This anomaly is the unfortunate soul I've told you about before, the Paradox Key. Here, if you aren't too bothered, let me mess around a little with the system and after I'm done it should let you start everything back up," the voice that was Chronos said. There was some silence. It was uncomfortable to be unable to move and simply hear whatever the hell I was hearing, but I was definitely focused on what I was listening to. I had no idea what was going on or what was happening, but all of it was f*****g terrifying. I felt like I was listening in on the discussion of gods. I swear the anomaly they were talking about had to be me. Who else could they be talking about? 

"What're you doing?" the voice that sounded like a crowd questioned. 

"I know I always said 'never do a Mnemosyne Swipe on anybody but Malakah', but I'm doing a full system Mnemosyne Swipe. Everyone will be made to forget about the anomaly. So I'm doing that and I'm bringing the system back a tad: just before the anomaly was supposed to have died. This should get you back to normal. With this swipe the anomaly won't literally be dead, but he'll be figuratively dead. It won't take much longer after that for his literal death. After that, he's my problem to deal with," Chronos stated. 

"Very well. He won't cause any further issues?" the voice that sounded like a crowd questioned. 

"Not for you," the one named Chronos said. It was then that everything faded to black.

The bus hit a bump and I awoke. My eyes widened and I quickly glared over my surroundings for anything peculiar. The bus driver was the standard bus driver, not the substitute. There was no guide either. The car that had stopped in front of the bus before with...what seemed like angel wings - it wasn't there. I quickly glanced down to my hand and chest and saw that both were without wounds. It was just a freaky a*s dream. Thank god. If that was real, I remembered that I had been thinking that school was actually pretty nice by comparison. It being a dream though, I dropped back into such thoughts. Back to the real world...sitting here, tired and waiting for this old rusty bus to take me to the jail without bars. 

"Hey, Marla - is that test supposed to be today or tomorrow?" I asked her after tapping her on the shoulder. She whipped her head around with a slight frown on her face. Something about her looked very confused. 

"Huh? Do I know you?" she asked. The way she asked was so sincere. If she was messing with me she was goddamned amazing actor. 

"What? It's me. Aleksander. We've known each other since elementary school. We have second, third, and fourth period together," I tried to remind her. Her face remained just as confused as it looked when she first turned around. 

"I'm sorry...I don't remember any of that. Are you sure I'm the right Marla?" she questioned politely. Confused, I shook my head. That dream that I just awoke from...it wasn't a dream. It really happened. I was in denial. It couldn't be real. That dream could've have actually happened. I didn't believe in that kind of afterlife nonsense. There wasn't a second life after this. When we die here our time's up. You're nada. You just end up a dead guy or girl in a box under some dirt, or maybe some sand in a vase if you choose that instead.  

Even if there was an afterlife, why would they do this to me? When that voice said I would die a figurative death, I wasn't quite sure what he meant, but to be forgotten by everyone I care about...I was starting to understand real quick what that kind of death meant. The voice that was Chronos seemed so sure that I would end my life in response to this kind of thing surrounding me. Was it true? Could he be powerful enough to know that? It wasn't out of his and the other being's power to alter time and memories apparently. 

"Naomi! Hey, do you remember me at all?" I tried. She glanced back from the seat behind Marla's and over to mine across the way. 

"What? Who the hell are you?" she said in an annoyed tone. She had been sleeping as she usually does on the morning ride and I had woken her, apparently to her just as some stranger. 

"It's me! Aleksander! Come on, we've know each other since -" I pleaded and stopped myself short. 

"What the hell man, it's way too f*****g early to be so annoying. I don't remember any 'Aleksander'. Now go away," she said. I could feel my heart racing at whatever it was that was happening to me. Instead of panicking however, I decided to let the bus take me to where I was supposed to be going in the first place: school - just another day of school. That's what today was supposed to be.

I shuffled off the bus and into the crowds of people that shoved their way into Earl Skaden High School. If you're wondering about the name of my school (which I would find pretty weird with the other fucked up things that have been happening so far), it comes from my great granddad on my mom's side. He founded the creation of this school and apparently settled his family here. So yeah, now you know what work my mom does. She works for the family business, the school - she's the principal of E.S. High School. That means she's pretty busy with all the teachers, the kids that the teachers instruct, the kids parents, and their pool of complaints and grievances. That's about why I don't get to see her most of the day. That thought had gone to the least of my worries however as I wanted to either confirm or dismiss my denial of what was happening.  

From the voices I heard before, it was said I would be made to be forgotten by all until eventually I killed myself in frustration (or something implied liked that). So far it had worked even with just the two people to make me so distressed. Was what happened all true? Or was this just another one of Marla's tricks? She would do that sometimes - play pranks on me, but this seemed a little extreme and fit a little too well with the dream I had. I hoped it was just a dream. The morning bell rang for first period class. Here would be where things would be confirmed. I came into class just as I usually did and sat down in the middle row on the right side of the class, just near my friends Franklin and Marty. As I sat I noticed a very uncomfortable feeling that pretty much confirmed to me that they didn't know who I was. 

There was no usual "hey man" or "what's up, f*g" like they usually say. There was just an odd silence. It was chilling to me that whoever those voices belonged to that did all this could so easily render me nonexistent in all the people I cared about. Right now I hated whoever those two were. I don't know if they were gods or not, but whatever the case I wanted to ascend to wherever they spoke from and challenge them on so easily calling down things that would ruin my life...all so that I would properly kill myself and have the system run smoothly again. I don't even understand why I had to die in the first place. Who was that winged man that had tried to shoot Marla? 

Was this some sort of divine punishment? Was one of the voices God that I was hearing? Had he sent down someone to end Marla's life and I had stood in the way of his divine plans? I had no idea what was happening, but I would've surely enjoyed some damned answers. What did I, nearly a senior in high school, do to deserve this harsh judgment on his behalf? I had always been good. Maybe I was a bit of a pain to my parents sometimes and I could've been nicer to some of the weird kids in class - but I had been good most if not all of my life. I always loved and cared for my younger brother Caden. I always had good grades (well almost always), I listened to my parents when they told me what to do, and I always fed and walked the dog. Why was this happening?  

I looked up to the teacher as she finally entered class and noticed she had taken to gazing in my particular direction. Mrs. Smith glanced between the role sheet and then to me and her usually cheery expression was met with concern. 

"Excuse me, you over there - between Franklin and Martin. Are you a new student?" she questioned. My heart sank as my suspicion was being confirmed at every corner. Still though I felt defiant to what was happening. 

"No. I'm not a new student. Look I have papers here. I've done all the assignments. They even have your grade marks on them," I stated almost angrily. Her face only looked even more confused than before. She quietly strolled over to my seat and awaited the proof I said I had. As she waited I dug out the stack of papers from my bag and presented them to her. She flipped through, one after the other. 

"This...this is my handwriting. I'm sorry, what was your name?" Mrs. Smith asked me with even greater concern. Her tone of voice was quite relieving to hear. 

"Aleksander. Aleksander Lethe," I stated for her. Not one of the classmates stood to protest or to support me. To them at the moment all I was to them was something that conveniently distracted the time away from class starting. I could've been a dancing clown or a dragon for all they could care. Me being an apparent student that they couldn't remember would mean very little to any of them, even to my friends Franklin and Marty. 

"That is a name on the roster, but I didn't recognize it. I thought maybe you were a new student. Yet you have all this work here. Tell me something, what lesson were we on last Friday?" she tested. 

"We didn't have one. We had a substitute because you were spending your Valentine's Day weekend with your husband in over in Montana," I stated truthfully. She had told all of us that before she had left that Wednesday. 

"This is extremely odd. We'll do class today, but you stay after. We'll see what's going on here, alright Mr. Aleksander?" she proposed. I agreed with a nod and class proceeded about as normal as it could've gone afterwards.

Everyone cleared out, none paying me anymore mind than they did when we all first sat down. Both Franklin and Marty didn't even give a glance back as they left. Mrs. Smith walked over to me and took a seat where Marty had been sitting. 

"I was thinking about it while I was teaching. Your last name is Lethe. You don't happen to be related at all to Mrs. Lethe the school principal are you?" she asked. This would be the test of all tests. If she brought mom here and she had no idea who I was, then all of this would be brought to a head. I didn't want to face that. I didn't want to look into my mother's eyes and see the same blank unfamiliar stare that I was seeing in everybody else. Actually the person I wanted to see most right now was my brother Caden. He was always the person I could talk to. He didn't understand what I was talking about most of the time but he always did his best to cheer me up and it usually worked wonders. 

"I don't think so ma'am, I don't know the principal. I think I should just get to my second period. Maybe I'll find out what's going on as the day goes. I'll let you know tomorrow morning," I said to her, lying. She nodded, seemingly glad to have the issue out of her hair in some respect. I headed out the door and had my plan already formulated. I went to the nearest fire alarm switch and yanked it down, urging those annoying bells to ring out and force the crowds of people out of the classrooms and through the halls. They would all head to the designated places and I would slip out of here. 

I followed at first as I usually would, until I saw something in the distance, away from the crowds and hidden - but very obviously looking at me. It was the man from earlier, the one who had killed me, or the one who tried to kill me, rather. I could feel the anger rush to my face. As far as I knew it was his fault this all was happening. I broke into a sprint, shoving aside whoever was in my way so that I could get to this bearded man with his wings once again free. Some others took notice of him but with their collective high school apathy, they continued to where they were supposed to go. The man took no effort to run either. He simply stood until I faced him, just me and him in the near the football bleachers. 

"Pretty eager aren't you?" he said with an almost calmly frightening voice. With his face so close now it looked intensely familiar. It was almost hauntingly recognizable when I studied it. 

"I came here to kill the one called Marla Walker. You stopped me," he declared. Defiantly I stared right back into his eyes. 

"So what? You going to torture me to find out where she is? I won't say a f****n' word," I told him with certainty. 

"I already failed that mission. My new mission is to give you this," he said and put out a closed fist. 

"What?" I said, dropping my false bravado. I put my hand out and he dropped a pair of car keys in them. 

"Leave this place. There's nothing here for you anymore," he said chillingly. He turned around and seemed to begin his journeys away. 

"That's all you're going to say?! You aren't going to tell me who the hell you are or what the hell is going on?" I hollered at him. 

"Don't draw any more attention than we already have. Any answers you'll want will be answered when you die. That's what he told me to tell you if you asked," the winged man said and then kept walking. 

"Who the f**k is 'he'? No! You ain't getting away that easily, you get back here d****t!" I yelled again and ran after him. He took one last look at me and grasped my forehead. 

"I was never here," he said as if it were a command. Soon enough I dropped to my knees and my skull suddenly felt as if it were made of solid steel. I tried with great effort to keep my head from crashing into the dirt below.

I wasn't quite sure how long it was before I stood back up, but it was to a familiar face that I rose up to. Marla was there and she held her hand down to me. She had a sense of worry on her face as she helped me up. 

"I don't know who you are or who that guy was, but something about him makes me uncomfortable. Are you okay?" she asked. I nodded, happy by the change of circumstance. She always was a kind person; her eyes were so inviting and warm. It was because of things like this I ended up falling in...l-word...with Marla. It's hard for me to say or even think that actual word with her name near it in the same sentence. It makes my guts feel all twisted and uncomfortable. I had known her for so long that the feeling felt so deeply rooted. It didn't feel like a simple crush, what I felt for Marla. It was more than high school puppy love. It had to be. Still though I was confused by what she said to me. 

"What guy?" I said to her. All I could remember was that I had pulled the fire alarm as a diversion for me to slip out of the school. For some reason I ran out to the football bleachers and from there I must've blacked out for a moment. It certainly seemed strange, but nothing about it seemed to point to any guy being there that she spoke of. 

"The one you were talking to. Looked like he was wearing some Halloween angel wings or something...they must've been professionally made though, because they looked so real. Weird. Anyways, I saw you over here and the teacher had me come over to help you up and to the nurse's office since it looked like you collapsed," she told me. I glanced about and it seemed that indeed all of the school had returned to their classes. I was here, alone in the football field with the girl that made my insides feel like melting. I was both extremely lucky and unlucky at the same time.  

As I thought about us being alone however, I heard what sounded like the flapping of a gigantic bird. We both gazed upwards to see yet another odd sight for what was the strangest Thursday in my life. 

"What the hell?" Marla said to verbally affirm my thoughts. It was a winged woman this time, and she was actually flying with her wings. She descended down from the clouds until she touched down just a yard or two away from me and Marla. She had her face covered in some strange mummy-like wrapping though. It was hard to make any of her features out other than her eyes and her mouth, both of which she left unwrapped. She smiled as she gazed at the both of us, something about us seemingly made her quite happy. 

"He said that it would be like this. He was right. Looks like I better get on with it before things get strange," she said. She stretched out her hand grabbed at Marla's head, her palm directly to her forehead. This winged woman held tightly onto her and I leapt to rip her hand away. 

"Let her go! D****t, I won't let you hurt her!" I hollered at her. She let Marla go soon after and left her to kneel in a similar position to the way I had been. Marla scratched at her temples for a second and she shook her head as if she were woken from a deep daydream. 

"I love..." the winged woman began to say and stopped herself. She simply smiled quietly for a moment and flew away just as quickly as she had arrived. I rushed over to Marla who seemed to still be gathering herself. I tried to keep an eye on the flying winged woman, but before long she was gone into the clouds. 

"Marla! Marla are you okay?! Marla!" I said with great worry. What did that woman do to her? She slowly looked up at me and gave me an odd grin. 

"Aleksander? How did I forget you until just now?" she said happily. My heart warmed the instant she spoke my name. 

"Marla! You remember?!" I said happily. 

"Yeah, but...I didn't before. I'm so sorry. What the hell's going on?" she inquired, standing herself up. 

"I have no f*****g idea, but I love y - I love that you are able to remember me now," I said, almost slipping my words. 

"What are you going to do with the car keys that strange guy gave you?" she asked. Again I had no idea who she was talking about, but went with it. 

"I'm going to find out what in the hell is going on right now. You should get back to class though. They'll get concerned if you don't show up. I'll get back to you after school, okay?" I said to her. 

"You promise? I want to help you find out what's happening, alright? We've been friends since I could count, so you can count on me," she said with a goofy smile. 

"You are such a dork. Thank you though, Marla. I promise I'll pick you up later and we can both figure out why everyone's forgotten me," I told her. I already knew, at least in some sense, why I was forgotten. Whoever it was whose voice sounded like a crowd and the one called Chronos that he spoke with had done this. It seemed that all they had to do was push some buttons and the world changed. It was because of them that no one remembered me. It was because of whoever that mystery mummy-masked woman was that Marla remembered me. It was because of that other winged man from earlier that this seemed to all get started. What I would actually do right now, I honestly had no idea, but I seemed to have some car keys for some reason. For now I would go back to where I knew best. Home.

Reviews

[RobertLA]

This is pretty different, and I like that. I feel like you could add a bit of description to the scenery, but don't let that discourage you, you're off to a great start! Are you planning on releasing more of this?

[Patryk Shepard]

Thanks for taking the time to give it a read and review! I tried to keep the scene description fairly limited as the character is a bit panicked and sort of just moving frantically along. There will be some more slower paced thoughts, observing of what's around and what's happening once he's calmed down. The book is actually nearly finished, I'm just editing/revising and releasing it a chapter at a time, so more is definitely to come. Thanks again for reading!

[RobertLA]

Not a problem, and given your reasoning that makes perfect sense. Nice work on getting so far on a book, it always does leave an odd satisfying feeling, doesn't it?

[Patryk Shepard]

Indeed it does. It's part of the reason I love writing. Actually finishing something out and letting out that long sigh of relief, knowing my thoughts on a particular world/book I've been working on has all been properly put on paper (digital paper or otherwise)...soooo satisfying.

[RobertLA]

I know exactly what you mean there. You get lost in the process and the world you're in, and once a chapter, or a section, or even an entire book is done? It feels so good.