REMEMBER
October 31 2015,4:00 pm Amory gets out of the shower, dries himself with a towel he took from a hotel on a visit for his friend, he grabs his suit consisting of a black trouser, black jacket both made of the same type of cloth, cashmere, which is lightly striped with small dark grey crossings all over, a plain white shirt, and a grey necktie striped with diagonal white thick lines, he wore the suit. He took a blow drier and started drying his brunette soft hair. He sprayed two pumps of his Hugo Boss perfume a friend gifted him for his birthday. He wore his fake leathered black shoes he bought himself and only wore in business purposes. He took his black leathered business bag, his Nikon camera, and headed to his way to a job interview applying to be a journalist.
6:00 pm the same day, he has reached his destination to the “New York times” journalism building. His eyes were wide open looking at how high the building is. His thoughts were focused on the idea that if he makes it, this building will be his future workplace. He sat on the chairs waiting for his name to be called.
6:45 pm
Secretary: Amory Hudgens?
Amory: yes, that would be me ma’am
Secretary: you can go in Mr. Amory
Amory walks in the interviewer’s office, Alex.
Alex: Welcome.
Amory: thanks
Alex: Mr. Amory Hudgens isn’t it?
Amory: yes, yes sir.
Alex: so why did you chose here?
Amory: I’ve always wanted to work in such a huge place both in building and popularity
Alex: yes, I see. And why have you chosen journalism?
Amory: to be quite honest, I love hearing and telling news whatever they consisted of I always have interest in them plus I love taking photos, again, of everything.
Alex (raising his left eyebrow): umm.. can you be more specific in the photos part? what do you usually capture or like to capture?
Amory: sure, i mostly capture the unique moments of my life and sometimes other people’s lives.
Alex (faintly smiling and sneaking his eyes): great, other people’s lives.. that’s exactly what we need her (mumbling lightly) and that’s why I’m an interviewer.
Amory: excuse me?
Alex(smiling): that’s it Mr. Amory. We’ll be in contact with you.
Amory (confused with lot of question marks in his head):okaay.. that went really fast but hope to see you later(smiling)
Alex (with a big smile): you never know.
Amory walks out of the office and smiles to the secretary yet, she didn’t smile back her eyes were on the interviewer’s window looking at him, and her face expressions were as if she’s helpless, Amory now is much more confused he knew there was something going on for a second. He walked out of the building and headed to the nearest café to have a cup of coffee, a huge cup of coffee, to clear out his brain.
Amory: can I have a strong large cup of black coffee with two shots of espresso with no sugar please.
Cashier: sure, that’d be 4.34$
Amory (gives him 4.9$): keep the change
Cashier(mumbling): that’s not even change.
Amory (with a keen look): excuse me?
Cashier: nothing sir…
Amory (crossing his eyebrows): no, it’s definitely not nothing, you said something.
Cashier: I’ll go get the coffee sir
Amory (strict face): and the change!
The cashier rolls his eyes and gives him the change with the big black cup of coffee. He took his coffee, sat down near huge window facing the sun, and started thinking on why he felt this way although there wasn’t that big of a deal or something that’s worth having a headache for. He drank his coffee like it was a cup of water and finished it in literally no time.
7:05pm
He took a breath, putting his head against the chair, then grabbed the empty cup of coffee, threw it in the trash can, and smiled at the cashier and got out.
7:15pm
A he was walking on the sidewalk he saw a huge circle of a crowd ahead of him surrounding something that seemed shocking; the first thing that came to his mind is to record whatever that’s happening, he quickly grabbed his camera, turned it on, and headed straight towards the crowd; he started strangling his way, pushing people, heavily breathing as if this crowd is surrounding something that really meant to him, to the middle leaving his camera hanging on his neck, turned on, due to his intense interest on what’s happening, finally he has reached to the middle, to the first row, and suddenly, his pupils enlarged, his face was coloured with white paint, his exhaling stopped, his shoulders dropped, what he witnessed was the secretary laying down in a pool of her own blood, her face showed that she was aggressively treated, she was brutally murdered. He slowly walked his way out, tears were gently running down his cheeks and straggled once they reached his beard, his eyes were looking straight but they saw nothing, his mouth is open, his lips were piece of wood, his face is now a flamboyant fire, and his body too…
9:04pm
Amory is still walking in the streets confused in everything that happened this day. In that moment, he got the same feeling before what he saw, he felt that something else is also going to happen. His heart beats are gradually beating faster and faster, his breath got tighter, he loosened his necktie and started walking faster. Now he got the feeling that somebody is behind him following him. He panicked and took a look back, he saw nobody, but he was still feeling it, he constantly took turns in roads he didn’t recognize, until he reached the end of a strange pathway he turned around to reverse his steps but at this point he saw a person dressed up in a Halloween costume, the person approached him and everything went dark…
November 3, 2016, 8:00am
Amory opens his eyes he looked at the ceiling.
Amory: where am I?
He gets out of his bed, gets out of the room, wonders all around until he reached the kitchen, somebody cooking breakfast
Amory (heavily breathing): who are you?!
Alex: oh, good morning, you’re in your new apartment you moved in two years ago, and I’m Alex, your friend.
Amory: huh? What do you mean my friend, what do you mean my apartment I’ve never seen this place nor you?
Alex: you’ve absolutely seen it, it’s just you don’t remember, you’re suffering from anterograde amnesia, you can’t remember new memories.
Amory: not even yesterday? And how do you know that?
Alex(smiling): I’m your friend for two years now, this happens every day that’s why I’m saying it that easy.
Amory(shocked): where’s the bathroom?
He runs to the bathroom and sees himself.
Amory: oh god! I have a beard, my hair is longer, and I really can’t remember anything.
Alex (from the kitchen): c’mon Amory you need to have breakfast, and get ready, you have an appointment to the therapist at 10.
Amory (to himself looking at the mirror): sure therapist... I am sick, I can’t proceed new memories I need to go there.
Alex (walks in on him): c’mon Amory let’s have breakfast (putting his hands on Amory’s shoulders)
Amory is all silent now, eating his lightly salted omelette with melted cheese in the middle, with a side of unseasoned boiled broccoli, carrots, and beans. He only ate half, had a sip of water and left the table. he headed to his room locking the door. Alex heard the door get locked he creeped out since Amory never locked the door, “something new is happening”, he quickly went there knocked the door
Alex (his voice shivering): Amory, Amory! What are you doing in there, can you please open the door Amory.
Amory (sitting on his bead leaning his head on his hands): I just need to clear my head up for a while, um, you didn’t tell me your name?
Alex: Alex, it’s Alex, can you please open the door now we’re going to be late.
Amory: why are you panicking Alex, I’m going to get ready with the door locked.
Alex: no Amory, I forgot to prepare what you’ll wear.
Amory: I didn’t forget how to pick clothes Alex; can you please just leave me alone.
Alex: fine, fine!
Amory noticed the anxiousness Alex had in his voice for a moment but really didn’t dig that deep about it, he was trying to handle his situation and sickness, because for him, it’s the first time to hear it. He got up and went to the closet, and took a look on all the clothes, non seemed familiar, but his brain made him chose what he had already chosen once upon a time, he grabs the same suit consisting of a black trouser, black jacket both made of the same type of cloth, cashmere, which is lightly striped with small dark grey crossings all over, a plain white shirt, and a grey necktie striped with diagonal white thick lines, he wore it and looked at the mirror, this time it seemed familiar, he crossed his eyebrows because a quick image of himself wearing this suit popped in his brain but it wasn’t enough to make him remember anything. He unlocked the door Alex quickly turned his head looking at him, his face turned tomato red, his hands started shivering.
Alex (moving his hands in many directions as if they’ve lost their place): no, no,n..(he closes his eyes, takes a breath, and opens them again),you can’t wear this on a therapy session Amory, it’s not fit Amory.
Amory: why wouldn’t it be? It’s just a normal suit Alex.
Alex: it’s just isn’t I’ll go get you something good.
Amory(sighing): ok, I’ll change, just calm down.
Amory changes his clothes, but is still thinking about Alex’s strange actions.
9:00am
They left the apartment and drove to the therapist. On their way, they passed over the “New York Times” journalism building. Alex again got that feeling, he has seen this place, these roads.
Amory(confused): I know this place I’ve seen it before, I know it.
Alex(smiling): well, maybe you do, we drive here every day, and everyday your memory is getting better and better.
Amory (much more confused): are you sure Alex? This place feels like it’s more than just that.
Alex smiles at Amory, turns away looking at the road, his smile disappears immediately.
9:55am
Alex: we’re there, you can go now, just tell the reception your name and wait.
Amory: aren’t you coming?
Alex: no, I’ll be waiting outside. (smiles at Amory)
Amory walks in, starts looking around, he saw a high ceiling, with a big chandelier hanging down, on the walls are fake colorful plants, on the left was what seemed to be a green house, yet he thought to himself, “if I come here every day, then why none of these seem familiar, yet the road is?”
Receptionist: Mr. Amory
Amory turns to face her,
Receptionist: you can go in Mr. Amory, straight to your right.
Amory (smiling): sure, thanks.
Amory knocks on the therapist’s door three knocks,
Therapist: yes.
Amory walks in.
Therapist: you can lay down Mr. Amory.
Amory lays down on a dark brown velvety chaise longue.
Therapist: today’s session will be quite short Mr. Amory, you’re suffering from anterograde amnesia, and you can’t proc..
Amory(sighing): yes, I can’t proceed new memories, I know that, tell me something I don’t know.
Therapist (smiling slightly): something you don’t know Mr. Amory, in a matter of fact you know but it’s in your deep conscious, in your room, in the closet under your black suit is a box, and inside this box is your camera.
Amory (quickly sits upright): my camera, yes, my camera… do you know what’s inside it? And why is it under my black suit?
Therapist (straight face): you should go see what’s inside yourself Mr. Amory.
Amory quickly heads to the door..
Therapist (calls out): but! Mr. Amory don’t tell anybody about anything, and watch what’s inside with the door being locked, at midnight.
5:45 pm
Alex calls the therapist while alone,
Alex: you didn’t tell him about the camera, didn’t you?
Therapist: no Alex, I didn’t, and if I did it, it’ll be for your own good Alex.
Alex: but you won’t tell, you can’t, wouldn’t you?
Therapist: I can’t promise you Alex, you’re my patient, and I’m your doctor, my mission is to heal you, and maybe telling him, will have an advantage for both of you.
Alex (breathing quickly raising his voice): what? No! it won’t do good to me it won’t! I’ve done a big mistake. You won’t tell him, you won’t you ca..
Amory walks in and the phone hangs up.
11:47 pm
Alex is asleep, Amory locks his door takes the camera and turns it on, he watches everything, the secretary laying down, himself running in different roads and saw the person with the Halloween costume, it was Alex, Alex is the secretary’s murderer, Alex made Amory suffer of the sickness it was all Alex’s fault. Amory is crying silently he felt as if somebody is making him go out of breath, he didn’t know what to do, he went outside the room quietly drying his tears with his sleeves, he saw Alex’s phone he took it, it didn’t have a password, Alex was that sure that nothing was never going to happen, he searched for the therapist’s phone number, he found it, it was named our therapist, he knew Alex was sick, he memorized the number, left the phone and headed to his room, he didn’t lock the door this time, grabbed his phone and called,
Amory: I know everything now, what am I supposed to do?
Therapist: I’ll do everything from now, open the door I’m outside.
Amory: what? How? When?
Therapist: hurry up Amory.
Amory rushes quietly and opens the door,
Therapist: the camera?
Amory: inside.
Therapist: you’re coming with me Amory, you won’t stay here
The therapist goes in, Alex heard noises outside his room he got up and stayed in his room knowing what’s going to happen next. Amory takes his suit and leaves with the therapist.
12:00 am
Police rings the door bell, Alex opens the door and leaves with them.
The apartment’s door stays open until a new leaseholder lives there. And a story begins again.
Ahad Al-Hamrani
