The Brave (part -5)

That girl is the way!

Suddenly I was pulled, inside myself. It was in that places of my heart, surrounded by ashes of memories. It was dark but in a speck of moment, every thin lightened up. I felt warm... I felt the feeling of contact, a chest to chest contact. I could feel it clearly. My head resting on the shoulders... of a girl... I could smell the sweet aroma from her neck, not of some perfume but of... her body... of her long dark brown hair, fluttering around my face... My both hands wrapped around her back, so soft... so delicate body... so warm... I could feel her white dress... Even smoother than silk... Her hand dancing along the hair on the back of my head... Like some feather... A tear falls on the skin of her shoulder making a sound... And I got out of there... Damn you tear drop! My opened in instant. It was like a dream. A day dream. Kyle and Rene were both still hugging.

It was the third that had happened. One moment I was in this real world, and another I was inside myself, in the world of my memories. It's hard to differentiate it between reality and memory. Everything I feel that time feels like so alive. Like I'm living those moments again for that time. All three time that had happened, I saw the girl, same long hair, same aroma all around and same warmth. First time was few weeks ago when one day I put my hand on my chest and my memories took me to a place where I was holding her hands while hearing out her heart beat. Second time happened last week, I was having trouble sleeping and I closed my eyes and found me back in memories, she was sitting while I laid my head in her lap while she smothered my hair till I fell asleep. And third time today as she hugged me so angelically. I knew in my heart for sure, she was too close to me, whoever she is. These memories of her, these moments of love, they were stronger than the fire that burnt all my memories into ashes. At that moment, I was ready to give it all in exchange for the return of my memories but there was no such options. All I could do is embrace them, adore them and love them.

"Leo." I heard a low whisper, which broke me from this current trance. It was Rene. I looked towards him and he mouthed the words 'thank you', not wanting to disturb this beautiful moment. I just smiled at him. We can clear our doubts and questions easily.

After some moments, I sat near Rene and told him why I did that.

"I never knew you were acting just to carry out this brilliant but risky plan."

"I was. In fact I had hard time making up the reason to fight. I thought you would know I was lying and you will know what is in my mind. And when you gave me those little blink, I thought you were telling me to go on."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Why?"

"Because I remember that time when I was about to fall unconscious and my eyes felt dizzy. But I guess my will to protect us both kept me awake."

"And what about you behaving so weak, even your direct hits didn't felt much. I thought as we both were in our least power state that you knew."

"Again, are you kidding me!? I was giving it all I had in me and you say you were in your least power state. Stop kidding like that."

"I'm not playing. I'm saying the truth. Anyway, I'm sorry. Because of my stupidity and idiotic behaviour, you had to pay."

"Nah, it's OK. I'm ready to pay any price for what you've done. All this time I thought I was protecting Kyle but I was just making him more fearful and I couldn't see it. I would have never seen it. Calling you was the best thing I had done. Thank you for beating the hell out of me."

"Anytime, anywhere." I didn't knew how else to respond.

"You've grown strong, a lot strong than our previous encounter. Last time I met you, I know you were strong, but not this much. How did you get this strong?"

"I don't know."

"You can tell your secret. I won't tell anyone. What kind of training had made you this strong?"

"I really don't know. That is why I have come here. A couple of months ago, I woke up in a hospital, knowing nothing about myself. I had forget it all, from my name to my parents, my friends to the things I like, my personality, how I used to behave, just everything. In that letter, when you said you're my friend, I knew I had to come here so I may find some answers."

"I see. So you're saying you didn't even knew who I was when you came here."

"Nope I didn't."

"Some things haven't change still. You're still the most courageous person I've ever met."

"Thanks I guess. So will you tell me about it. How we met, how we became friends and all things. I want to know everything."

"I don't want to crush your expectations but I don't know a lot about you. We've only met once."

"Oh." I couldn't hide the sadness in that oh. I couldn't believe it. Why is my life such a secret. No one knows about me. I get it I was an introvert but that much introvert. Feels like I've lived my whole life on my own. Feels no one was ever in my life. Feels like I was alone. So cold. So lost. It felt so empty. I was angry. At everything, at myself, why did I needed to be such high level of introvert that people knew me but knew nothing else about me. Every Time I meet someone that knew me, a hope rises that finally I would be able to know about myself but every time that hope gets killed. I was shattered to my very core. Who was I?

"Don't worry leo." Rene said "I will tell you everything I know, and you may remember something."

"I hope so." but in reality I was as hopeless as one could be.

"It was almost three months ago when I first met you. You know that hill zone that is near the outskirts of the town you are from? I am from the town that is right behind those hills."

"Yeah I know that place." it was the place on the north most side of those hills where I was found unconscious.

"I had no family, they all had died in an accident years ago. I lived alone there, managing my survival. I don't know how it started or what happened but one night I just transformed into a werewolf. I haven't encountered any wolf before, no one had bit me and it wasn't full moon night either. In just a week my secret was out because it happened in middle street. I transformed in middle of street while going to buy food. People screamed and got frightened, usual human nature. I said don't get frightened but the more I said, the more they shrieked. The street was desolates in a matter of seconds. I didn't knew how to get back to my original form. I tried to run away to my home but the local hunters had gathered by then. I was being hunted. I didn't ever wanted to hurt anyone, I had to run away and I reached those forest area of hill. By the time I reached there, I had many gun shots on my body. I was bleeding bad. My legs and arms didn't felt to have any energy. And I fell from that hill. When I opened my eyes, every part of my body was hurting. I was sure I would die soon."

He paused for a little bit and then continued while I listened him carefully.

"And then I saw you, you were gazing upon me. I thought you were going to call others, that would reduce my chances of survival even less (though they were already down to none) so I roared -"go away or I will kill you". You didn't even budge. Instead you just said "your... hurt..." I roared again because I was confused. You didn't even moved a little bit. Everyone was afraid of me but this kid in his late teens was not. I had never seen anyone as courageous as you who is ready to face a beastly looking human twice his size. I don't now what it was but you felt so huge and I so little. It was like I was stunned by the braveness in your heart. "Go... " I was about to say go away again but before I could finish you shouted "Just shut up" and I was speechless."and don't move, you're hurt" you came to me. I was drowsy because of severe blood loss. The next thing I knew was I saw you carrying me on your back, though it was half dragging because of my size. I was in awe of you, your bravery, your strength and your caring nature. I was unconscious again before I knew. I awoke at midnight, my body had bandages all over, it was still hurting a little though but you had saved me from my certain death. I under a tree in a forest, you were sitting right behind the bonfire.

'Why did you saved me?' it was the first question I asked you after I was awake.

'We each of us are angels, I couldn't leave an angel in such condition.' your reply touched me. Even though I looked like a beast but you considered me as an angel. I never knew such humans existed and I knew I never will know anyone else like you.

'i can't take you to any hospital right now, you know they will get afraid or you may even get hunted, I assume you were being chased before when you fell down that hill. I had bandages and some meds in my backpack for caution. They came to use.' you said to me

'Yes I was being chased. They were afraid of me. Sorry for being rude before, I thought you were like them all too.' I told you

'no need to be sorry ' you said 'its good that you're being healed yourself.'

'weren't your parents be worried about you? ' I asked

'its alright, I can always make an excuse' you answered. And we talked a little. You didn't told much about me except basic stuff that you live there and you got good grades in studies. I didn't cared to ask you because I thought I may be invading your privacy. I don't know if it was just me but you seen to feel empty like you have nothing to share. I fell asleep again after a little while, still in my beast form.

I awoke when the sun hit my eyes. I was normal then. Covered in a blanket and some clothes of yours lying nearby me. Clearly you had brought that for me. You came with food soon and we had breakfast together.

We had a talk again. When I told you that I don't know how to control myself, you taught me how to control it. You told me that trick lies in the fact that I was given a gift and its up to me if I adore it or battle it. After a couple of hours of your directions of 'how to' I finally learnt it. I asked you if you had this gift too but you said maybe. You told me you hear roars, wild and fierce, but it never comes out. '"

There were two things in my mind then when he left at there. One, he had a feeling that I was then empty. Could it be that the only reason that I was unable to find about myself was that I have always been empty. Maybe instead of trying to know my past, I shall continue to make myself whole again. Though I still feel empty, I shall start to fill myself up. Second, the roar, it was the same roar that I heard while battling Rene. I knew it must be that thing that I was telling Rene about before. I didn't knew it before and I didn't know it now. Something new added to my 'to find' list.

"You took me to your home after that. Your parents were out for work. I rested a little had food. I didn't knew what to do now. If I went back to the place where I was, I was surely gonna get killed. You told me that there is always another option. And you suggested that I explore the world. I don't know how you know it because I never told you that it was my dream once to explore around the world. You gave me supplies for my initial phase of journey. And I left to explore the world that very evening before your parents came.

I roamed around the country, learning new things, seeking new friends and then I met Kyle. And you know the rest." he ended telling me this little story.

Though it wasn't much but at least I found something from this story of my encounter with Rene. I found a part of my memory. And this made me happy. To find yourself, to seek yourself, and successfully doing so is the best feeling you can have.

"Do you know if I did ever mentioned something about a girl back then? Or have you seen a girl with long dark brown hair reaching the end of her back, who wears white silk clothes and her height is just a little w shorter than mine,,, green eyes while travelling?" what was that? Where did those details came from. I knew I saw her hair in that memory dream but how did I knew that her hair reached the end of her back. Moreover, those eyes, how did I knew her eyes were green, I never ever saw her face in my daydreams either but I just had a feeling that her eyes were green. Who is actually that girl? Almost as mysterious as me.

"I remembered correctly, sorry to disappoint you but you never mentioned anything about any girl back then. Who is she?"

And I told Rene everything about the daydreams I was having. He added that never he had encountered any girl with those specifications in his journey. Though he don't remembers all the faces but he would have remembered if such girl would have gone past him.

After that we all went to the actual house of Kyle he had inherited from his parents. It was large, humongous is the better term. The dinner was served to us on the big dining table but I excused myself and took the food to the room I was given for the night. I needed some time alone to gather my thoughts that were wondering here and there and to cool down myself before I overstress myself in finding out my past. The bed was nice and very comfortable, I dozed on minutes after laying.

The next day, in the very morning, I packed all of my belongings and set off towards home. They both thanked me, i thanked them, the usual exchange of goodbyes between me, Rene and Kyle. By the evening I was back to home.

I put my bag on my bed and set off to those forest where I was found unconscious. It felt like it was calling me. I can't tell that feeling but I was pulled to go to there. It took me an hour just to teach there. Night had dawned by then. It was a distinct spot. I kind of remembered the exact location. A small waterfall made by the small creek of a river was nearby that place. When I reached there, I could smell the water in those trees that surrounded me. One tall tree at the north side of the spot, two joint trees farther up easy conformed I was on the right place.

Suddenly, again, I was pulled, within myself, inside myself. This time I knew... Before I could finish my thought that I knew what was going to happen, darkness surrounded me. I was again in those places where my memories were burnt to ashes but those feelings of my heart were strong enough to have them reborn from ashes. There was light everywhere in an instant, so intense that I had to close my eyes for a bit time. When I opened my eyes, the sight of heaven was on front of me. I saw two eyes, big, round and so beautiful eyes. They had hazel color with a deep pinch of dark green emerald. There was no eye shadow or anything that include makeup but to be truthful they didn't really need anything. They were absolutely stunning in their own. Again she was there, in my daydreams. I felt her staring directly into my eyes, and the feeling was like she was touching deep into my own soul, exploring it with her eyes. That was a moment of bliss but every moment had to pass and so did that moment. I flashed opened my eyes. It was dead dark. Was I actually looking into them for that long!? It was beginning of night when I was at that spot and the moon in the sky told me that many hours have passed. But it feels like just moments. Memories, feelings and heart, they all sure are the most trickiest things in the universe.

At that moment, in my heart, I knew that girl had been a huge part of my life. She was the key to my memories. I just have to look deeper inside, deeper within myself. I just have to find her, both in my memories and real world.

I took a deep breath, inhaled as much air as I could and shouted...

"I don't know who you are,,, where you are,,, what you mean in my life,,, but... I'm coming for you... Hide... if you don't want me to find you,,, Run... if you don't want to meet me,,, but you won't be able to stop me... from chasing you... even if you are... as far as the stars... or you hide behind the night like sun... behind day like moon... I am coming for you... No matter how manly endless years I may take... But still... I will... Reach you... I will... Hold you... I will... Love you..."

Author's Note

The end!