The Memory — Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It 4am, and the phone rings causing me to wake up form a deep sleep. Within seconds I realize that something does not appear right. As I slowly start to see a bit better, after my eyes adjust to the night, I see that I am no longer in the cold cell, but I am in a bedroom. In the confusion I jump out of bed and rush to the window to see what I happening. From my window I see the lights of the city through the fog that is slowly blanketing each building, which are protecting each inhabitant. Everyone is asleep, except for me.

I am awake.

I am confused.

I am here.

What is happening I ask myself while I slowly close the curtains. There is no light in the room, and while I am trying to remember the events of my life; the possible events that could have led to me being here at this point in time, I look for a candle to help illuminate the matter at hand. The burning question. Where am I? As I light the candle, the dim light it casts throw shadows in every direction in the unknown space, making the already terrifying idea of the unknown much more ominous. I hold the candle and try to move around as quietly as possible to find any clue that I can, and that was when I saw it. The one item that taunted me for years. The all-knowing, all seeing God that never once tried to save us. Here it is, just sitting in front of me. The Key.

As I step closer to the key the phone rings again. Without even thinking, I grab it without realizing what I had done, and before I could react or ask who was calling, I was greeted to a loud, think, evil chorus of laughter. I slammed the phone down so fast. I knew that laugh. It was him. That bastard that tortured me and my sister’s night and day. The bastard that kept us locked up like animals. The man who paint the picture of him being a saint, saving the world from all the women suffering from “hysteria”. The man had no soul, no morals. He only cared about revenge. He is a blood thirsty, vile man who slaughtered women given the title of hysterical as if they were nothing, but a mere sheep led to slaughter. Dr. Wolfe is his name, but he is no doctor. He is a monster.

Within seconds of the call ending, the room comes alive. The candlelight only illuminating a small space around me, creating a beautiful and fake halo in the evil that may be encroaching upon me. The sounds wrap around me, it is familiar, yet it feels so cold and unknown. It is the sound of scurrying and small claws scrapping as it the makers of these sounds are trying to break free from the talons of the night as well. Soon, all I known. The sound becomes louder, and an army of rats emerge, staying at the end of the light from the candle, but in view. All eyes were on me. All were looking at me with a sense of honor and admiration.

“We have been looking for you.” That voice, it feels as if I have never heard it years. “I am glad I finally found you my Queen.” Now, Sir Daniel steps into the light. I pick up him up in my right hand and bring him into the light. Sir Daniel is one of the leaders of the rats, of remarkably high rank, but he is also one of the few friends I had while in the hell that was the asylum. Though I had my sister’s, Daniel was the one of the few who would help remind me that there is still a world beyond the bars of the gate; a world beyond the large door that greets you are you enter into the unknown level of hell.

“Oh, Sir Daniel, my dear. What is happening! Where are we?” I ask so quickly as soon as I bring him up to my face. “Where are the others? Are they okay as well?”

“My dear, dear, Queen. There is much to say, but it is not my story to tell sadly. What I can say is that somehow if your wish is to save your sister’s and yourself, you need to use what you remember about each of them. Relive your past, travel the Oceans of Time, and remember the beginning and end. Open your mind, lift the fog, and remember the war.” Sir Daniel said lowering his head. As he stopped speaking, the army of rats moved in one fluid motion, creating a path to the dresser. A path to The Key.

“What will happen to me?”

“I do not know my Queen. It is not my memories. I did help in the battle that night, as did we all, but it is not my story to tell my dear. This is your chance to tell your story, and your chance to finally get real freedom.”

Real Freedom? Is none of this real? If this is not real, then what is this? Am I in purgatory? What happened that night that would make this not truly be real? With all these thoughts swirling through my mind, I head towards The Key. Step after step. One foot in front of the other foot. I march towards The Key. I mentally prepare for battle again. I must be strong. I must for my sisters. I must save them all.

“Daniel, will I ever see you again?”

“Yes. We will always be together”

In that moment, I reach the dresser. Sir Daniel is still hand, then candle in my other. I set them both down, on either side of The Key. The light from the candle lights up the mirror, and in that moment, I finally see my reflection. Not only is it the first time seeing my reflection in such a long time, but I finally can see the blood all over my body. At least I think it is blood. How did I not notice this before? Is this also part of the dream if that is what you could call this place. If it is really blood, then whose is it? If it is not blood, that is it a sign or mark; hinting at the past of what has happened, or in this case, what is to happen? Is this the mark of my “sin” of being ready to die on my terms then at the hand of some bastard man? If this is a societal mark placed upon myself by this Key, then I wish I did not have it.

“Be strong my dear. We will be with you.”

Daniel spoke softly, but it broke my focus from to mirror back to the main objective. The Key. Daniel said use what I remember about my sisters to save them. How will that work I wonder? They say the pen is mightier than the sword, but would that even apply to this situation? I am not writing a story or anything along those lines, I am remembering everyone; I will travel the Oceans of Time and remember everyone for who they were and hopefully save them all.

I take a deep breath.

“Okay, let us begin.”