Human Spines

Trying So Hard Not to Forget-III

Dumaine

        "Shhhhh. Don't listen to her. This is all a misunderstanding. The Translucent are the ones enslaving humans. Emmeline is their prototype. They injected her with what they're calling an illness. They mishandled the chemical, accidentally infecting themselves. It was supposed to be used on the humans to make them possessable. Hans is a result of the testing they did years ago to perfect the mutation. It all makes sense if you don't listen to their twisted lies about respect. You have to understand."

        The woman speaking looks like my mother. Like she's her twin. Her face is the same, but her eyes and hair and skin are a different color. Like she's the Italian version of my mother. And she's dressed like she's the head of a huge corporation.

        "They're trying to gain your sympathy. Emmeline and Hans are not the ones at fault here, but you still can't help them. Come with us and we'll explain more. Come on, you want to be like us don't you? To be able to fly? We'll show you, you just have to let go of them." She nods to Hans and Emmeline. Her twin—no, her German triplet has got her hands twisted around the Reaper-Mother's neck. She's almost lifting the Reaper out of her seat, whispering into her ear. Emmeline only knows half of what's going on.

        "If the JIBBOO did tests on me to fix their problems, then how and why is it that I can see you? Your story is quite surprising, I must say." Hans is eating one of the many foil-wrapped chocolates. He's undisturbed, completely aware of everything going on. "I also find it interesting that your side of the table is the one claiming to have both answers and control, when really, you have very little of either. 'It's high time you were shown that you really don't know all there is to be known.'" The old man faces me. "My dear, these aren't the pieces of the puzzle we need. They're just packages, boxes, and bags, here to throw us off. I feel it's time for us to go."

        "Why do I kill people?" I have one question I need them to answer first. They all stop what they're doing to look at me. Every Opaque, lined up down my raining street, snaps their head toward me. At least fifteen beautifully different variations of my mother analyze me.

        "Why do you kill people?" The Italian one repeats, glaring at the three Translucent in the room. I hadn't noticed Dindolcon until now. "Why does it matter? Are you not bothered by the fact you're not allowed to know simple things about yourself because of these backward creatures? They are weak. Your little group can completely overthrow them. There wouldn't be any more problems after that."

        "You didn't answer my question." I don't look away.

        "It won't let me." She nods toward Dindolcon, a smug smile on her face. She thinks I'm going to kill the Translucent so she can tell me. And I just might.

        "Illyvimsius, help!" Emmeline is screaming, and in an instant every Opaque has disappeared. Everything has cleared. But there's one problem. A noose made of fishing wire around my neck.

Hans

        There's definitely a problem here. Multiple problems actually. And I would say the biggest is either the fishing line around my dear's neck or all the knowledge I've just gained. I could see everything the Opaque couldn't say, everything the Reaper-Mother doesn't want the Opaque to know, everything Dumaine secretly knows, every piece of knowledge that wanted to escape this room. But there's something about this cavern, so many miles underground. Nothing can escape. The thoughts ricochet off the ceiling instead of floating through the door. They find refuge in the eyes that see them. But I'm not supposed to know all of this. It's too easy. I have every answer.

        "No! Not him, he's not the problem!" Emmeline is standing, hands stretched out toward the Hakken-Krak. She doesn't dare move any farther. Its fishing wire finger is wrapped tightly around Dumaine's neck. All around there are thin trip wires keeping everything exactly where it is. "He isn't like the others, let him go. Please."

        "He is different from the others. He is. Of course. He can't vanish like the others. He has no connection to do so. He is alone in this word, only accompanied by himself. I like him. He knows how to fight and how to tell when I'm present. He is my favorite." The Hakken-Krak's words are warm, so very fond of my dear. She's loosened her wire from around his neck, reeling it back into her hand.

        "Where'd they go? The Opaque?"

        "They vanished. I want to tell you more, but I do not know." I see the rest of what the Hakken-Krak wants to say play out in pictures, as Marvin K. Mooney will not let her speak. But these aren't things I should know and I can't figure out how to forget them. I can't close my eyes to the pictures in my head. I don't need to remember, I need to forget.

        "Reaper-Mother...? Are you still alive?" Emmeline is hesitant to ask. She's still not able to move, as the wires trap her like lasers.

        "I don't want this." Neck bent at an odd angle, orange hair splayed over her face, the Reaper-Mother breathes. "I don't want this position of control. But I have no one to hand it to. I don't want to be responsible for everything that happens. You take it. Somebody else take it!" Her frame is trembling as the Hakken-Krak slowly removes herself and all her fishing lines, backing into the wall.

        "What exactly do you mean?" Emmeline creeps closer, grabbing onto Dumaine's hand.

        "I mean I'm done with it. I don't want—"

        Someone else has joined us. I know who it is. Who exactly it is. Every single detail of his life. But I wish I could forget. I wish so badly that I could close my eyes. It hurts.

        Dumaine can feel who it is. He's turned around, and stood to face—

        "Lochlan...! Your name's still Lochlan, right?" The Reaper-Mother ogles at him as if he's her own personal savior, her dog perking up at her excitement. "You know almost everything! You can take my place! Come here! You can do it!" Tears roll down her smiling cheeks. She stands, desperately stumbling around the table to where Lochlan looms, frowning beside my sweet. The Reaper flings her arms around him, but he doesn't budge, even as Captain jumps eager circles around them. A great sadness has filled Lochlan's insides, hollowing him. He's sweating, paler than ever as he stares over his shoulder at me. He's trying not to let his sorrow leak out.

        "You all need to leave." His eyes drift shut as he speaks. "Just try to leave as fast as you can. And remember what I said." His words don't bother the Reaper wrapped around him. And I know why. I know everything. All of it. So I stand, tall and brave. I smile at Lochlan, I take my dear's hand, and I lead the way out.

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Question: Have ever tried to forget something?