Forgotten

I stared at the familiar dingy creme walls and looked at the hospital bracelet on my wrist. Through the curtains, I could see little light peeking through; it was as if the light of day truly did see everything. Except for the dead of night.

“Hey, are you ready yet? Get ready for your appointment, I have a school thing to go to or whatever afterwards.” Harper had grown since I’d last seen him. Before last week, he was so much different. We both were now, I’d suppose.

“Yeah, shit you’re loud. Uh, what school thing?” I got out of bed and glanced at him from the side of my eye before rummaging through my dresser. He was leaning against the door with a solemn expression. It felt as if I was stepping around broken glass pieces.

“Some soccer game or something. Mom’s busy with work and you can’t really stay on your foot for too long, so I figured it wasn’t that important.” He scratched the back of his head, but stayed as if he had something to mention.

“I’ll bring a chair, someone has to come to these things. It’s important to me to be there,” I looked over at Harper who watched me from the corner of the room, “You understand?”

“Mhm.” He looked at the floor and then to me as if he had something to tell me, but he seemed to nervous to say it

“What is it? Did you get someone pregnant? Or did you sell to someone?”

“Hu-no, what gave that off?” Harper’s facial expression screwed up, “I’m gay, ’Stace, remem-” Harper lowered his voice, “-ber.”

Both of us stopped. I’d been in a car crash a week ago and for three days had now been discharged from the hospital. During the crash, I’d gotten something called retrograde amnesia. In short terms, it occurred upon hard impact and since, I couldn’t recall anything in the past year and a half. On top of it all, my foot had shattered in three places, all close knit. The hospital had almost amputated it because of the internal bleeding and the muscle tears.

“I’m sorr-”

I plastered a smile on my face; it wasn’t his fault. Whatever I’d been involved in had gotten me to this point and now it was undoubtedly up to me to figure it out and fix it, “It’s fine. Either it comes back to me or it doesn’t, don’t worry about it. You know what, go start the car, I’ll be there in ten.” I sat up on my bed and pushed in the drawer of the dresser with a smile.

I could see the uneasiness on Harper’s face and I denied that he could see into my eyes, through my own facade but he was off to close the door and start the car like I’d asked.

I got dressed, but I wasn’t physically there, all I could do was sit and wonder. I looked at my hands and continued to wonder who I was; I wasn’t working in that old closed, dingy convenience store. Sydney hadn’t responded to any of my messages, I didn’t have my apartment anymore and no one even knew where I’d been all that time. Surely I’d changed, and yet I was the same. Stripped of my memories, my apartment, my job, my best friend and possibly even my foot. I didn’t even know my own child’s father.

_____

“Romulus Crowell is a vampire but he was once a human.” Cecilia bargained, her fingers clasped together. All members of the council were now back and under surveillance. The past month had proven their weaknesses and now there was hell to pay for they’d proved that they weren’t a stable source for the royal family or the subjects they were supposed to protect.

“Would you stop speaking as if this is a trial?” Martha stood up, enraged. She smoothed her appearance before inspecting those around the table, “I apologize for my brashness, but King Confucious, this is a threat! He was a suicidal, malicous threat even before he’d discovered her! You believe forcing him to forget her isn’t creating an adverse hazard?”

“Sit down.” Adrion Confucius, the new King ordered, “Ms.Smith, I will advise you only once not to act as such again. We are partaking in a conference, not an argument or dispute. ”

She did as asked and adjusted her voice before quickly taking the same stance once again, “Pardon me, do you, your majesty?”

Eleanor wanted to murder Dimitri for putting the two of them in this position, “His majesty is looking for solutions to war, not statistics.”

“Yes.” He answered, gazing around the room. Council Members Rueben, Martha, Cecilia, and Dimitri Salvotch, who were here alongside Eleanor Percy, Everett Whitlock, and finally, Paisley. Their father was no longer in the picture, “There is much to consider.”

Reuben spoke up, “Where is Mr.Storren today? We were informed he would be present; forgive my animosity, King Confucious, I was only informed he would be here.”

“He had..” The King cleared his throat, “personal business to attend. As you all know, Anastasia Storren is adjusting into a normal, human life without Romulus. She requires someone’s aid. For the case, Ms.Whitlock and Mr.Storren will be working with her to ensure her memory does not recover since her previous lover will no longer be in the picture.”

Dimitri remained seated. He’d damned both of them when he’d signed that document and he’d permanently destroyed his niece and nephew in law’s relationship. The two were now strangers, for such was the fate of a star crossed lover.

“There is one thing.” Ms.Whitlock proposed, “We could return their memories. Slowly in alteration before he becomes King to avoid war; we could make a peace treaty.”

King Confucious shook his head with an unpleasant gaze, “Ms.Storren stated shortly before the process that she wished to not remember, and wished for protection. I am granting her wish; anyone who harms her will be directly pursued for her aid in our cause. Romulus however, well.” Adrion sighed as he reminisced, “Romulus Crowell is a monarch, he will be King of the Northern Region soon and when he is, he will remember everything. Even if he was given his memory by us, it would be no use. He would undoubtedly cause war for what happened to the both of them.”

“What about the child? What happens to it?”

“Ms.Whitlock, what are you proposing?” King Confucious’ blood ran cold. In fact, everyone in the room became meticulously still.

“Anastasia Storren was pregnant.” Everett looked around the room and upon examining and recognizing that not a soul in the room had known, she’d realized it. It was a damnation. Still, she needed to continue; to be specific, “With Romulus Crowell’s child. The future King of the Northern Region.” She slowly sunk in her seat. With this reaction, the King hadn’t even known, had he?

This would certainly bring about a slaughter.

Word Count: 1218