Chapter Eight: Haunted by the Past

As I finished my long story, Lee-Ann wiped tears from her eyes and looked at me sadly. “I’m so sorry…that must have been so hard. I didn’t mean to sound so rough before, I had no idea what you’d been through. I’m sorry I made you live through that again..” She reached her hand out to mine, which had been resting on the table. Her touch was comforting, but it was true that re-living those memories was harder than I expected it to be. “It’s ok. You asked for the truth and that’s what I gave you. You deserved as much. Besides, the past is the past. Right?” she said nothing and nodded to me. I felt bad for creating such a mood, but at the same time that image of Smith’s body just sitting cold and lifeless in that chair was burned into my mind. I had to clear my head. I pulled my hand away from hers and stood up. She got up and gave me a concerned look. “I’m fine. Really. Though I could use some air. Lee-Ann, do you know if there’s a park or a forest or something nearby? I think I need to go for a walk and clear my head somewhere quiet.” She frowned a bit, but nodded and said, “yea. Just follow the road east and walk a few blocks and there’s a little forest right outside the city. Kinda close to the place where we bumped into eachother.” Of course, the one I just had come in from the day before. How could I have forgotten? “I think I know the way. Thank you Lee-Ann.”

As I started for the door, she ran up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. I turned my mask around to give the impression that I had turned, and tilted my head quizzically. She looked into the eyes of my mask with sad eyes, like a child who’s parent was leaving them home alone the first time. “You..you are coming back, right? I mean..what if Jack comes back? I’m still really shaken up..” I leaned down and wrapped my arms around her, which took her by surprise. She jumped a bit at first, but slowly her arms went around me as well. “Don’t worry”, I assured her “I’ll always be here. I won’t let anyone hurt you Lee-Ann. I promise.” She hugged me a bit tighter, and her arms sunk into my sides a bit. “Thank you” she said, her voice almost a whisper.

 It was amazing, I had only known this woman a day and a half, and instead of turning away like most people would’ve by now, she is now standing in her doorway with her arms wrapped around me. Never in all my life did I think anyone but Smith could be this way with me. But maybe it was only because I had saved her life. Maybe she didn’t really care, maybe the feelings weren’t real. My head was starting to work against me again. I had to get out of there and clear my head. I stepped back, sliding out of her arms like a ghost walking through a wall. Her arms fell limp at her sides and she looked up at me sadly again. “I'm coming back. Really. I just need some time to clear my head is all.”

 She nodded and then jumped up as if remembering something. She ran off to the couch, and came back with my coat and hat. “it probably wouldn’t be good if you walked out of the house without these, huh?” I hadn’t realized I wasn’t wearing them. I felt so comfortable around her, I didn’t even notice. “Oh my, you’re right. Thank you. Just place it on the floor for me.” She gave me a confused look, but did as I asked anyway, placing the trench coat on the floor along with my hat. I melted down to the floor and puddled beneath my clothes. They then seemingly rose up on their own as I filled the coat and hat, slowly rising back into my human shape. “Oh! Before you go, let me give you my number. Just in case something happens. I know you probably don’t have a phone, but there are plenty around the city. I'm sure you’ll be fine. But…just in case.” She quickly scrawled her number down on a piece of paper and put in my coat pocket. She hugged me one last time and then let go, looking up at me again. “Come back soon, ok?” I placed my hand gently on her shoulder and tipped my hat to her “Of course. I wouldn’t dream of leaving you behind.”

I turned and walked out the door, closing it behind me. With all those thoughts bouncing around in my head, I began walking back towards the path I had taken into the city. I watched as the city went about its daily bustle, still unaware that I walked among them. How odd, that if they saw what I was they would be screaming and running, but yet with just a simple coat and hat no one gave me a second glance. Humans are indeed a strange species.

As I walked back into that familiar wood, I could hear the sounds of nature surrounding me. The rush of the nearby river called to me, and I walked over and sat at the bank. I skipped rocks across the water’s surface, and became lost in my thoughts. I missed Smith so much, but this Lee-Ann made me feel a lot like how he did. There was something special about her, but at the same time I couldn’t fight my crushing fear that she only cared because I saved her life. I was so wrapped in my thoughts, that I almost didn’t notice the strange young man who walked up behind me.

He stood about 4”6’ and wore a crisp ironed suit, like he had just come from a fancy ball or a funeral. His hands were covered in spotless white gloves, and his black shoes shined as if they’d never seen dirt before. His pristine bowl-cut hair shined an odd neon pink color, and fell partly over his eyes. I said nothing and pretended to not be able to see him, thinking perhaps he would simply go away. I found this was not the case as he sat down right next to me, and leaned back on his hands. “Out here to clear your head, huh? Me too. The quiet of the forest really helps when you’ve got a lot going on.” He turned to me, his face expressionless, staring at me as if he could see right through my disguise. I shivered slightly beneath my coat at his cold glance. “Y..Yes. It is very soothing to the troubled mind. Though you look less like a boy clearing his head, and more like a man on a mission.”

He ignored my words completely, and went on with what he was saying, “You seem like a man who’s lost something very dear to him. A close friend maybe? A family member perhaps? I lost someone close to me too once. He was like a brother to me. We did everything together, and he was the closest thing I ever had to family. That is, till he up and left me behind.” He threw a stone across the water and it skipped once before sinking to the bottom. “And you know what the worst part is? He has no idea who I am anymore. After everything we did together, he doesn’t even have the decency to remember who I am.” His monotone voice had a cold, spiteful tone to it. It made me shiver again, and I began to wonder if there was more to him then he was letting on. He stood up, and looked down at me, his voice changing back to its original emotionless tone, “But I'm forgetting my manners. Here I am going on about my problems without even introducing myself.” He then removed one white glove and held out his hand to me. I rose up and slowly extended my hand out to his.

As he firmly grasped my hand, a pain like no other shot through my entire body in a matter of seconds. It was like being stabbed, punched, burnt, frozen, and electrocuted all at the same time. My body began to writhe and contort so much that my coat and hat fell to the ground, and my flailing body was revealed. In the haze of pain and flailing tendrils I could make out a small smirk on his now sinister looking face. The last thing I heard was his cold monotone voice “My name is Pain. I'm sure you can tell why. Experiment 113, it’s time you came home.” And with that, I fell to the ground in a puddle and blacked out.