Sinister Shadows

by Brittany Cournoyer

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. Now come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”

  Duncan allowed Pierce to help him to the bathroom, and after adjusting the water to a temperature he was sure Duncan would like, Pierce left him alone to undress and shower. He left both the bathroom and bedroom door wide open in case Duncan yelled for help, then went downstairs to throw together a quick breakfast.

  By the time he returned with a tray loaded down with oatmeal, some fresh fruit, and toast, Duncan was seated on the toilet, waiting for Pierce to help him back to bed. Pierce set the tray on the bed and noted how the bathroom was much cleaner than yesterday, and that Duncan had put the clothes down the laundry chute as well as attempted to wipe up any water he’d dripped on the floor. While he appreciated Duncan’s efforts to clean up after himself, Pierce had to refrain from reminding him that he would’ve done it.

  “How’s your ankle?” Pierce asked as he helped Duncan back to bed.

  “It hurts, but not nearly as bad as yesterday.”

  “Good. Your bandage is soaked, but luckily, I have another one. I’ll rewrap it while you eat.”

  “It’s still pretty swollen, and trying to move it is nearly impossible. Do you think maybe we should go to the hospital and have it checked out?”

  Pierce clenched his jaw as he pulled the covers around Duncan and settled the tray over his lap.

  “Let me look at it, and we can go from there. Eat up and make sure to drink your juice. The vitamin C is good for you.”

  Duncan looked like he wanted to argue, but instead, he picked up his juice and took a sip. Pierce retreated to the bathroom to retrieve the fresh bandage and went to work on unwrapping the saturated one from Duncan’s ankle.

  Duncan hissed as Pierce’s fingers grazed against the tender, bruised skin, and when he glanced down, he could see how swollen his ankle still was.

  “I think it’ll be okay. I’ll grab some ice for it, and we can alternate between ice and a heating pad while you keep it elevated. A few days of this, and it should be fine.”

  “You think that’s a good idea?”

  “I do. Eat up.”

  “Do you think tomorrow I can have milk instead of juice?”

  “Milk?” Pierce asked.

  “Yeah. I don’t particularly like orange juice.”

  “Since when?”

  Duncan shrugged. “I’m not sure. It must be another memory coming back. Was this something you knew?”

  Pierce shook his head. “Not that I can remember, and we’ve spent plenty of mornings together.”

  “Then maybe it’s the bottle of juice. The taste is bitter, and I’m having a hard time getting it down.”

  “You have to drink it because you need the vitamin C.”

  “I don’t like it, Pierce. I didn’t realize it was that big of a deal.”

  Pierce sighed and looked down at Duncan’s ankle. “It’s not a big deal. I just want you to get as many nutrients as possible.”

  “I think it’ll be okay to switch it up a bit.”

  “Sure, whatever you say. I’ll make sure you have milk tomorrow.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate everything you do for me. I hope you know that.”

  Pierce finished wrapping up Duncan’s ankle before laying it on top of the pillow. “I do.”

  Duncan lifted his spoon and began to eat the apple-cinnamon oatmeal before tackling the fresh fruit. Once he was done, Pierce took the tray downstairs. He returned to hand Duncan the bag that waited for him on the table.

  Duncan grabbed the bag and stared down at it rather than looking inside.

  “What is it?” Pierce asked.

  “I…I keep having this reoccurring dream.”

  “What kind of dream?”

  “I’m being chased in an alley.”

  Pierce’s eyebrows furrowed. “Do you recognize the alley or who’s chasing you?”

  Duncan shrugged and fumbled with the bag. “I feel like I know the alley, but no, I don’t see who’s chasing me. Just shadows.”

  Even speaking about the dream had Duncan rattled, and the bag started to tremble slightly in his hands.

  “I…I don’t know, honey. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to chase you. Especially down an alley.”

  Duncan nodded. “I even wondered if it was maybe you.”

  Pierce startled at Duncan’s words. “Me? You can’t be serious. Why would you think I’d do something like that?”

  “I don’t know. The dreams just feel so real.”

  “It could be trauma from your accident. But, honey, it’s only a dream. You hurt yourself falling at the park. No one chased you down an alley.”

  Duncan sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. I just wish they’d stop.”

  Pierce reached over and rested his hand on Duncan’s leg. “I’m sure they will once you start to regain your memory. And, Duncan?” Duncan raised his eyes to look at Pierce when he paused. “I did chase you, but not like that. I asked you out numerous times until you finally agreed.”

  Duncan chuckled. “Is that how it happened? You sound very persistent.”

  “It is, because I always get what I want. Which brings us back to your present. Go ahead and open it.”

  Duncan gave Pierce a tentative smile. “I might not have my memory, but I do know I like presents.”

  “Doesn’t everyone? I hope you like it and it helps you.”

  “Helps me?” Duncan asked as he stared down at the blue gift bag.

  “You’ll see. Open it.”

  Duncan pulled the white tissue paper from the bag and set it beside him before reaching into the bag and pulling out a small album.

  “A photo album?”

  “Look inside,” Pierce urged, his lips spreading into a wide smile.

  Duncan flipped open the cover and stared down at the first picture in the book.

  “Is this…”

  “It’s our life together. I printed off some pictures we’ve taken together and put them in this book in hopes they’ll help you jog your memory.”

  “I don’t know what to say.” Duncan continued to stare the picture.

  It was the two of them seated on a bench, their thighs pressed tightly against each other, with a beautiful fountain behind them.

  “How about ‘thank you?’”

  “Thank you,” Duncan said softly.

  “You’re welcome. I’m going to go get some sleep. Enjoy looking at the pictures.”

  Pierce briefly touched Duncan’s hand before he stood and left the room, leaving the door wide open in case Duncan needed him.

  As he made his way to the couch, he felt a little lighter in his chest. Hopefully, seeing the photos would help Duncan. If he couldn’t remember their lives together before the accident, then surely they’d help him know their marriage was a good one, and maybe Duncan would start to fall in love with him again.

  Chapter Eight

  Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

  He could barely breathe. His heart was pounding, and his side ached. His body was soaked from sweat and the rain, but he couldn’t stop. Not when he could hear the footsteps behind him and see the shadows as they chased after him.

  But he was close. So close. Just a few more feet…

  Duncan woke with a start. His face was sweaty, his hair matted down to his forehead, and his sheets were so hot and heavy they felt suffocating.

  He didn’t recall when he fell asleep; the last thing he could remember was staring at a picture. After pushing the blanket off, Duncan sat up and pushed his hair off his head. He took a few deep breaths to calm his heart, and then looked around to find the album. Duncan finally found it on the floor beside the bed, and he leaned down to pick it up. After putting the pillows against the headboard, he settled against them to look at the pictures again. He could only recall the first one, so he must’ve fallen asleep shortly after.

  The cover of the album was black and glossy. There were also words, written in what looked to be a white marker. O
ur Love Story. The writing was done in block letters and a little uneven in some parts, which made Duncan know the words were put there by Pierce.

  He traced his finger over the letters as he stared down at them, and he longed to recall the story the photos told. But he couldn’t remember a thing about his life prior to the accident, except for his favorite color being blue and the allergy to flowers. Hopefully the photos would remind him of something. Even if it jogged a weird memory of a familiar scent or sound, and nothing to do with Pierce, Duncan just wanted to remember something.

  His eyes landed on the first picture of him and Pierce seated closely on the bench with the fountain behind them, and he tried his hardest to remember something about that day. How the sun felt shining on his exposed skin, the sound of the fountain flowing, the scent of the grass and trees. But nothing came. Feeling a tiny bit frustrated, he flipped to the second picture, and his eyes rested on a photo of them standing in front of the Eiffel Tower.

  Duncan’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the pedestrians milling around the tower in the background and the wide smiles on their faces. Again, their bodies were close together, and the excitement sparkling in their eyes matched the toothy grins. But much like the first photo, he couldn’t recall anything from that day. Hell, he couldn’t remember going to Paris, which irritated him. How could he forget leaving the country?

  He flipped through picture after picture, seeing snippets of their life together. Posing in front of a Christmas tree, sharing a smile while wearing a Happy New Year hat, and seated together at a table in what appeared to be a fancy restaurant. None of the pictures jogged any memory, and Duncan found himself flipping through them again and again to no avail. It seemed as if his memory would only work when it wanted to, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t force it.

  Shutting the album with a snap, he set it on the table and grabbed the laptop from where it rested on the empty side of the bed. The stack of DVDs was next to the photo album, and he sifted through them before settling on one he’d watched the previous day. The concept was funny—six teenagers forced to spend a Saturday together in detention—and he was sure he’d seen it before, considering it was made in the eighties.

  While he waited for the computer to boot up, he started to wonder about his friends, since he hadn’t heard anything from Pierce about them, so he grabbed his phone off the table. Maybe there would finally be a little bit of signal and he’d be able to call someone. Swiping his thumb across the screen, he unlocked it and nearly threw the phone across the room in frustration when he saw there still wasn’t any signal. Maybe it was the room. He’d have to discuss that with Pierce.

  By the time he put the phone back down, the laptop was loaded and ready for the DVD. He popped it into the player and waited for the menu to pop up on the screen so he could start it. When it finally appeared, he heard a light knock on the door.

  “About time you woke up, sleepy head. Did you have a good rest?” Pierce asked.

  “I did. That pain pill is potent. Maybe I should cut it in half.” Duncan said.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea until we go back to the doctor for your follow-up. He prescribed the dosage for a reason, and you need as much rest as you possibly can in order to heal. And with the extra injury to your ankle, cutting back on your dosage wouldn’t be beneficial.”

  Duncan pursed his lips. “Maybe you’re right, but I’m going stir-crazy. Maybe I can go downstairs for a while, or even outside?”

  “We’ve got some storms moving in, and I have to run into town for a while.”

  Hope started to bubble inside Duncan. “Can I go with you?”

  “Not today, honey. I have to meet with my boss for my evaluation at work and then swing by the store. It’d be easier for you to stay home. Tomorrow, we can go to lunch or something. How does that sound?”

  Duncan tried not to let his disappointment show, but he couldn’t keep his lips from turning down at the corners. “That’s fine.”

  “Hey, you’re not pouting, are you?” Pierce asked.

  “No. I just wanted to get out of this room for a while, is all. Plus, my phone still doesn’t have service, and I really wanted to call my friends.”

  “Oh, Chris sent me a text the other day. They want to come visit you as soon as possible, but he’s going out of town for business trip, and Dawn’s going with him. They’ll be back in a week.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Duncan asked.

  “With everything else going on, it slipped my mind.”

  “Has anything else slipped your mind?”

  Duncan didn’t bother to mask the bitterness in his voice, and Pierce clenched his teeth, making the muscle in his cheek tick.

  “I didn’t do it on purpose. Other things took precedent over telling you about a text, like making you that photo album. Did you even take the time to look at it?”

  “I did,” Duncan answered.

  “And?” Pierce prompted impatiently when Duncan didn’t elaborate.

  Duncan shrugged. “I looked through it numerous times, and I can’t remember a single thing. How the hell can I forget we went to Paris or did all those things together? It’s so frustrating.”

  “Yes, it certainly is,” Pierce sighed.

  “Have we traveled anywhere else?”

  “No. I put all the significant pictures we have in the album.”

  “Where are our wedding photos?” Duncan asked when he realized they weren’t in there.

  “What’s with all the questions? Were those photos not enough for you? They should’ve helped you jog a memory.”

  Duncan instantly felt bad for asking so many questions rather than being appreciative of the gift. “I’m sorry. I can’t force it, no matter how hard I try.”

  “I know. I just was really hopeful the pictures would help. We’ve had such a wonderful life together, even in just a few years, and it pains me that you can’t remember.”

  “I’ll try harder,” Duncan said softly.

  Pierce sighed. “Like you said, you can’t force it. We’ll just have to work on creating new memories until your old ones surface.”

  Duncan nodded. “I need to use the bathroom.”

  Pierce’s eyes narrowed a fraction at the sudden change of subject, but rather than say anything, he walked over to the bed to help Duncan to his feet. After Duncan was finished and settled back on the mattress, Pierce sat down beside him.

  “How’s your ankle?”

  “Not too bad.”

  “Great. Do you need anything else before I leave?”

  “Aside from my memory?” Duncan joked. “No. I’ll be fine.”

  “I can get you some snacks while you watch your movie to hold you over until dinner time.”

  “Thanks. Have a safe trip into town.”

  Pierce retreated downstairs and returned minutes later with chips, cookies, a sandwich, and a few bottles of water. The opening credits of the movie were rolling, and Duncan paused it when Pierce entered the room.

  “I’m going to gain thirty pounds by the time this is all over,” Duncan joked when he saw the tray.

  “I wasn’t sure what all you’d want, so I figured you could have options.”

  “Thank you."

  Pierce sat down on the bed beside Duncan again. He looked like he wanted to say something but was hesitant.

  “What’s wrong?” Duncan asked as he watched the internal struggle.

  “I think I have a way to help jog your memory,” Pierce finally said.

  “Really? What’s that?”

  “This.”

  Pierce moved so quickly that Duncan didn’t have a chance to react. He leaned over and pressed his lips against Duncan’s.

  The kiss felt unfamiliar and somehow wrong, though that didn’t make sense to Duncan. Pierce was his husband, so his kiss should’ve felt familiar and right. Comfortable, even. Not a strange sensation of lips against lips.

  He forced his body to relax and try to enjoy the kiss, but it
was nearly impossible. And when Pierce’s tongue tried to force his lips apart, Duncan’s entire body went rigid.

  “Relax and just let your body feel,” Pierce gasped before going back in for another kiss.

  But Duncan couldn’t relax. Not when his mind started to play snippets of another memory.

  Rain poured down the second the skies opened, causing Duncan and the other man to make a mad dash toward the parking garage. Their mingled laughter echoed off the concrete walls as they made their way toward the car.

  “Wait, I think we’re on the next level,” his date said as they looked around.

  “Are you sure?” Duncan asked with a laugh.

  “I think so,” he replied and paused to catch his breath.

  “I hate parking garages,” Duncan muttered, pushing his wet hair from his forehead. “They are so confusing.”

  The man turned and faced Duncan. “They aren’t so bad; it just depends on who you’re in it with.”

  Duncan’s breath hitched, and the man took a step closer. With a tentative hand, he reached out and flicked a drop of water from Duncan’s cheek before leaning down to press their lips together.

  “Pierce, stop,” Duncan said as he wrenched his head away.

  “Why? What is it?” Pierce asked in concern.

  “I just had a memory.”

  “That’s great. It must be working,” Pierce said smugly before leaning in to kiss him again.

  Duncan shrank back.

  “Why did you pull away?” Pierce asked, not bothering to hide his irritation.

  “It’s not working. The memory was very brief. It was raining, and I was in a parking garage,” Duncan told him, though he wasn’t sure why he omitted the fact he was with an unknown man. “I must not be ready.”

  “It’s already been a few days. Do you think you’ll ever be ready?”

  “I didn’t realize I’m on a time-limit,” Duncan snapped.

  “And I didn’t realize my husband was so ungrateful. Do you have any idea how awful it is to sleep on the couch and not on this huge bed next to you? To touch your body to help you to the bathroom, but not to be able to touch you intimately?”

  Duncan gaped at Pierce. “I…I don’t know what to say. I can’t help how I feel.”