Remember Me

6

Blair was gone when I got back to the room. Nicoli was looking out the window, a book sitting under his arm.

I put my flowers in the kitchen before walking back to talk to him. "Hey."

"Hey." He pulled his legs in and nodded at the empty space.

I sat down across from him. "How are you doing?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who got sick. I should ask you that."

"I'm still recovering from the medication."

"We've all been there."

"Are you doing okay?" I asked, glancing at his arm.

"I'm fine now. When my medication starts to wear off, I get really anxious and I do stupid stuff."

"Is that how you hurt your arm?"

"I tried breaking the window. Instead, I broke my arm."

"Were they mad at you?"

"Sometimes they are. But Jade's working on a cure for me. She wants to help the medicine last longer so I'm not in pain all the time."

"Is that why you don't see her much?"

He sighed and looked down at the book in his lap. "She doesn't like the way I get. She stops visiting then. I don't feel like myself when it wears off."

This wasn't the same Nicoli I saw just days before. He was calmer now. I wasn't sure which I liked more. He lost his spunk and replaced it with obedience. I didn't think it fit him but I wasn't going to tell him that. This was who he was meant to be, after all.

The door opened and Jade stood there. She had a summer dress on. It was a light green that brought out the brown in her hair.

Nicoli picked up on her entrance before I did, sensing it like all of us could in our own ways. "Hey. I was just telling Sterling about you."

She glanced at me and smiled. "He's such a sweetheart."

I smiled back at her.

He tossed his book aside and went to her. "How long do we have today?"

"All day?"

He perked up at that. "Really?"

She laughed and led him into the hallway. The door shut behind them and I was left to myself.

I looked out the window at the flowers. As James said, I didn't have the best view of them. I could see some of them but the other room had a better view. I would just have to ask him to take me.

Nicoli's book fell off the bed and I bent down to pick it up. Several pages caught my eye as I did so. I opened to one of the pages and my eyes widened.

Brainwashed. Mind control. Medicine washes memories... temporarily.

I flipped to the next alarming page.

I don't remember who I am. I think it's the medicine. All I remember is waking up and seeing Her. She did this to me.

And another one.

They're lying to us.

I tossed the book away from me and scooted away from it. This was treason, plain and simple.

Should I tell someone?

Nicoli would never trust me if I gave the book to someone. Jade would hurt him or worse. I couldn't do that to him.

I swallowed and picked up the book. I pushed it under his pillow and went to my bed.

The door opened and I jumped, my guilt putting me on edge. Blair ran inside, stumbling as if she was pushed. She turned to face the door, to face Dr. Bailey, and her hands started telling him something quickly.

"Get some sleep, Blair." He said as if he were bored. He shut the door behind him, locking it with a click.

Blair ran to the door and started banging on it, the only noise I could hear from her. After a few seconds, she sunk to the floor, tears streaming down her cheeks.

I went over to her and knelt down in front of her. "Blair, what's wrong?"

She started to sign to me but realized I couldn't understand it. She sighed and grabbed a dry-erase board she had lying on her bed. She scribbled something down then handed it over to me. Bailey's lying to me.

"About what?"

This place. It's not safe here.

"What do we do?" This was exactly what Nicoli's notes were saying in his book. They knew something I didn't. It wasn't just coincidence that they were against the place. It couldn't be.

Figure out what they're doing.

"How?"

They're probably going to take me tomorrow for more medicine. Mine isn't working anymore so they've been giving it more often.

"So you won't remember any of this?"

She shook her head. Nicoli just got his. So did you. You two have to pretend it's still working and find out what's going on.

"What do we do then?"

Free ourselves.