by May, W. J.
“Definitely ready.” Funny. I like that word: definitely. It rolls off the tongue so smoothly.
Chapter 12
New Beginnings
A nervous wreck inside, Aaron took a taxi to his studio apartment. The streets seemed vaguely familiar, but the building brought no memories. He’d hoped something would miraculously click in his head, but nothing did. He sighed as he paid the driver, making sure to leave him a decent tip.
Aaron closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he stepped into the building lobby. Exhaling, he blinked and tried to adjust to the dim light before gazing around. The lobby appeared to have been built in the 1920s. The lovely marble floor looked freshly polished. An old, cast-iron elevator, with an antique tin “out of order” sign chained in front, stood near the winding dark-stained oak staircase. The vintage brass mailboxes on the far end were modernized with keypad codes.
Walking over to the boxes, he read A. Buss on the third box. He tapped an odd rhythm on his lower lip, trying to think of a possible code. Maybe his birthday – 1031. He blinked when the box door opened. He was slightly disappointed, but for some reason not surprised to see it empty. Closing it, he turned and headed up the stairs.
The second floor only had one door, as did the third and fourth floors, which meant one apartment per floor. The deed listed that he lived on the fifth floor, the top one. He reached it, remembering the only key he had was for the safe deposit box he’d been to and found stacks and stacks of money inside. In order to open this door, he had to punch in another code to the keyless entry.
Setting his bag down, he punched in 1031 again. The door didn’t unlock. He rubbed the stubble on his chin as he thought. He tried 3110 and a few other similar numbers, to no avail. He hit the door in frustration.
Tapping his finger against the door knob, he tried to remember if the old man had said anything to him in the hospital. Biting his lip, he closed his eyes to think. It felt more natural to think in the dark. The guy said his name was January or something like that. What was basic about that?
Aaron opened his eyes and punched in 0101. He blinked when he heard the click and slide of the door unlocking. Lifting his bag, he pushed it open and stepped inside.
Nice pad! He looked around. He owned the entire floor, probably about five thousand square feet. The place was huge. From the door, he caught a glimpse of a modern, black kitchen with chrome appliances.
He eyed the living room in appreciation. The dark-stained oak on the staircase continued on the wooden floors. Large, bright windows were everywhere. He could see the entire city from his living room. He headed towards the dark leather sofa and sat down. He looked up and saw the old, red, British pay phone set beside an old wooden pillar. It was the best thing in the room.
Walking quietly over to it, he ran his fingers lightly over the red enamel metal and felt the coolness of the lead glass. It was a K6; his inner sense confirmed what auction papers had stated. Pushing the door open, the light turned on and he slipped inside and curiously picked up the receiver. He smiled when the sound of the dial tone reached his ears. A pay phone that didn’t need quarters. The thing was awesome!
He stepped out, and the light inside switched off. He felt a strange draw, and it took some effort to physically turn away from the booth. He headed towards what he assumed was his bedroom. The strange pull he’d felt towards the booth weakened as he walked away. He glanced back and paused for a moment, wondering why.
Once inside his room, he went straight for the black, wood bed. The soft duvet had no cover and, strangely, there were no sheets on the bed. Exhaustion seeped into his core. He sat down and pulled off his sneakers. He took care to not injure his tender ribs as he rolled onto his back. As he caught his breath, he remembered he had to see Dr. Apate on Friday.
He brought his hands up behind his head and looked around the room. There were no photographs of himself or anyone else. The only thing that caught his eye came from the reflection in the mirror. Above the headboard hung a large picture of a waterfall. He tried to look at it from where he lay but couldn’t see it clearly. He gazed back into the mirror. As he let his eyes fall shut, he remembered it was Falls Creek. He’d have to make a trip across town to Cornell University sometime to see the falls in person. Too tired to think about anything else, he drifted off to sleep.
*****
“Where is he?” Coty paced inside the tiny coffee shop. It had been two weeks since he’d seen Erebus or Nanny. “Did she do something to him?”
“Sit down. You’re making me nervous.” Janus pointed to the chair across the table. “He’s not with Nanny. She’s gone off to the West Coast or possibly out of the country now, somewhere warm, maybe South America.”
“Did she do something to him? Or tell the Night Council?” Coty dropped dramatically into the seat. He grabbed his coffee, added another spoonful of sugar, and swallowed it back in three gulps.
“She left without seeing Erebus. She had nothing to report to the Night Council that wouldn’t get herself into serious trouble.” Janus’ voice sounded sympathetic.
“Then where is he?” Coty’s voice broke. He felt like he’d already lost his best friend and never had a chance to say goodbye.
“He’s in the wind. I know it’s hard to understand, but he’s gone. Not through the Night Council or anything like that.” Janus stood, resting his big hand on Coty’s shoulder. “You’ve got a new pal named Reece. Erebus would want you to focus on the now and the future, not the past. Destiny comes full circle. You’ll see that one day.”
*****
Aaron stood outside the closed door, taking several deep breaths. He needed to calm his anxiety. It was hard to believe six months had passed since he’d woken up in the hospital, not knowing who he was. Not much had changed. His mind hadn’t opened up to anything about his past. He had fleeting thoughts and déjà vu moments, but none of the dots connected.
He wiped his sweaty hand on his pants and opened the door, switching the lights on to the dance studio. He’d taken a position as a dance instructor at Cornell. The elective course was offered in the evenings. Dr. Apate knew another instructor and had hooked him up with the job. He told Aaron he was pretty sure that with his dance skills, he must have taught or danced seriously. Aaron had said yes to the job. He didn’t need the money. He needed something to do.
Clearing some dust off an old gramophone sitting in the corner of the room, he pulled it towards the front of the room. He’d tested it out over the weekend and had found some great old waltz vinyl records he could use. As he wound the brass arm, he heard students begin to trickle in behind him. They whispered quietly amongst themselves, staying towards the back of the room. He understood how they felt. He had the same butterflies.
He looked out the window and took comfort in the setting sun. He clapped his hands and turned to face the group.
“Welcome everyone. I’m Aaron Buss. I’ll be your dance instructor for the next eight weeks. I’ll introduce you to the waltz, the fox trot, the cha-cha, and – ” he froze when another student walked into the room. A petite, beautiful girl. The same girl that had been gracing his dreams almost every night. With the light from the hallway behind her, she looked angelic. Her wavy blonde hair even seemed to have a halo around it.
She tentatively stepped inside the door, staring at the floor before glancing around at the other students. They turned to look at her, probably trying to figure out what made their instructor stop talking.
Her green-blue eyes grew wide when she noticed him. She didn’t speak, but her lips mouthed the word “Aaron.”
“Would you excuse us for a moment?” He spoke to the class but paid no attention to their response. Not sure how he ended up in front of her, he tentatively touched her elbow and led her out into the hall.
“I apologize if this sounds strange but, do you know me?” He couldn’t help but feel excited. She might be a link to his past.
She seemed stunned. “I’m… I’m not sure.”
He loved her beautiful, husky voice. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name.” He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “You see, there was this accident half a year ago, and I can’t seem to remember much of my past.”
“You don’t remember?” When he shook his head, a wonderful smile sprinkled her lips. “That’s terrible but it seems we, I mean you, have a second chance.” She held out her hand. “Hi, Aaron. I’m Aurora.”
He shook her warm, firm hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Would you care to join our dance class? I have a feeling the students are listening by the door, trying to figure out what’s going on out here.”
A deep, hearty laugh escaped her mouth. She nodded and began walking towards the dance studio. Her hand on the door, she paused before pushing it open. “Not to sound like I’m hitting on the teacher, but do you want to go for a coffee after class?”
“I’d love to. The only thing is…I can’t stand coffee. Maybe we can go for a drink or something?”
She laughed again. “Sure.”
EPILOGUE
Five years later…
A handsome, steel-grey-eyed man pushed his son on a swing in the park. The boy squealed with delight, wanting to go higher and faster. The pink sun slowly began its descent for the night. The man knew they needed to head home soon. His wife had nagged him that their son needed to be in bed on time. He grinned as he thought of his angelic wife.
A movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he turned to see a young man appear out of the last bit of shadows of the day, near the bus stop by the road. He watched the man start to cut across the park, then pause mid-stride when he noticed them. The man approached them, a friendly smile on his face. He stopped and watched them for a bit.
“Excuse me,” the man said. “I don’t mean to sound rude or like some sort of freaky stalker, but you look very familiar. Could I ask what your name is?” The young man stared intently at him and glanced at his son, all the while scratching his head.
“Aaron.” The stranger seemed to know who he was, even if he didn’t admit it.
“Oh.” The man sounded slightly disappointed. “Sorry, I thought you might be someone else.”
“No problem.” He lifted his son off the swing and set him on the ground. “Come on, Cody. It’s time to head home.”
“Daddy, I want to stay. I like swinging in the dark. It’s fun.” Cody ran back to the swing and tried to get back on, his little legs too short.
“Cody Buss, if we don’t go now, your mom’s going to get mad at both of us.” He tried to sound stern but knew it wasn’t working.
The stranger’s eyes widened. “Cody Buss? You’re Aaron Buss?” The way he said Aaron’s name, it sounded slurred, like one word – Erebus.
“Yeah, we do have the same last name. He’s my son.” He laughed at the stranger’s weird excitement.
“Great to see you, man. I thought you were dead and gone. I always knew you’d find your freedom. I’m so happy for you.” He slapped Aaron on the shoulder as he turned to go. “By the way,” he called over his shoulder, “say hi to Aurora for me. I’m an old, old friend.”
“What’s your name?” Aaron called after the disappearing figure. It was by far the strangest conversation he’d ever had since waking up in the hospital with no memory.
The man was halfway across the park, fading into the darkness. Aaron could have sworn he heard “Coty” through the laughter.
THE END
About the Author
WJ May is the author of the popular series, The Chronicles of Kerrigan.
She grew up in the fruit belt of Ontario - St. Catharines. She had a happy childhood with a vivid imagination and loads of energy. She is the youngest of six, having four older brothers and a sister who taught her at a young age to be competitive in all aspects of life.
At sixteen, she began competing in track and field athletics and before her seventeenth birthday she proudly represented Canada in the high jump. She continued to compete, breaking Canada's JR High Jump record of 1.92m (6' 3 1/2"). She has represented Canada at the World Championships, World Juniors, and won the Francophone Games. She attended The University of Toronto and Kansas State University - winning CIAU's and becoming a six time All-American NCAA Indoors Runner Up.
Her favourite pastimes are traveling and reading. She has an on-line business that she operates with her husband. Writing has been her passion for years but after continually putting it off she began in earnest in 2009 after the death of her father. WJ May is a writer of Young Adult and Fantasy Fiction. She is currently represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency.
Want to read more books by WJ May:
The Hidden Secrets Saga: Blood Red Series:
The Chronicles of Kerrigan:
