Escaping Memories

by Amanda Siegrist

  When her foot hit the bottom step, she flashed her light back and forth hitting two walls on either side of her rather quickly. She already felt confined. The hallway, barely four feet wide, crushed her. She could feel the walls closing in and she hadn't taken one step. She just had to push back.

  First step.

  The walls inched closer.

  Second step.

  Another inch, another breath trying to escape.

  Third step.

  She could feel the walls next to her arms. She could feel her lungs struggling for air.

  Fourth step.

  She dropped her head between her knees as the walls started to suffocate her, the feeling of being pressed together like a car crusher.

  A hand on her back made her straighten up instantly. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Just needed a breath." She tried to block out the black swirling around her, the damp air that crawled down her throat. She gave Kat no opportunity to speak as her feet picked up the pace.

  There's nothing to worry about. You're safe. You're not alone. The walls can't hurt you. The darkness can't take you away. Your name is Aubrey. But who are you? She repeated that each time her foot connected with the ground, propelling her forward.

  "Going slow you freak me out. Going fast is just as freaky," Kat muttered behind her.

  "We're almost there."

  "Shit, are you remembering stuff?"

  "No, I just feel it." Another step forward. "Or, maybe, just hoping."

  Kat almost tumbled into Aubrey's body when she abruptly stopped. Kat's flashlight fell to the floor, making a clunking sound that reverberated throughout the dark mass that surrounded them. She grabbed Aubrey's shoulders, peering her head to look in front of her. "What is it?"

  "A door."

  Aubrey tracked her light to the right, landing on another steel door that stood open. Its invitation to enter rang loudly in her ears. Who are you? You're Aubrey, but who's that? She let her light shine on the doorway for a few seconds as she contemplated, for the first time, if she should really walk in there. Did she want to know what happened in that room? Did she need those memories? Her new memories were so beautiful she almost didn't want to tarnish them with old, ugly memories. You're safe. You're not alone. Find out who the real you is.

  "Do or die," Aubrey said as she took a step forward.

  "Really, must you say those words? Down here, in the darkest of the darkest place I've ever been."

  Aubrey glanced at Kat, her light still shining through the doorway. "Are you scared?"

  "Are you making jokes? Is this really a time for jokes?"

  "I would say this is the one time we need it."

  "You have a point." Kat let loose a fake haughty laugh. "That better?"

  Aubrey chuckled and shook her head. "Much better." She didn't stop to contemplate anymore, to wonder what the hell they were doing; she moved her feet again and stepped through the threshold.

  Kat, forgetting she dropped her flashlight, walked in behind her and stood close to Aubrey as she shined the light around the room. The room wasn't large. Four walls with no windows, a set of chains hanging directly in front of them. She took her time covering each wall. Dirt, dark, damp, but nothing else to help speak to her. She swung the light in front of them, deciding she couldn't ignore the chains anymore. She held her light there, processing it, forcing it into her mind.

  "Anything? 'Cause if you are, you are taking it more remarkable than I thought," Kat whispered, afraid to hear her voice echo back.

  "Nothing."

  "Hmm, well, that sorta sucks."

  Aubrey looked at her and smiled. "I'm so glad you're here. You've made this easier. I can't believe I still can't remember."

  "You can't force it. Take another look around." Kat gestured with her hands, finally realizing she didn't have her flashlight. "Crap. Can you shine the light in the hallway? I dropped my flashlight when I ran into you."

  Aubrey nodded and turned around. She stayed in her spot, more afraid to move than anything else, and shined her light into the hallway. Kat ventured through the doorway and bent down to pick up her light. She stood there a moment, making Aubrey shiver with unease.

  "Everything okay?"

  Kat glimpsed at Aubrey, producing a small grin, then brought her head forward again. She lifted her light up and shined it down the hallway. "I think we have a problem."

  She had heard the worry, the concern, the slight agitation in Kat's voice, but never fear. Until now. "What sort of problem?"

  "Can't you smell it? Because I can see it. Unless it’s a ghost. A ghost I can handle. Yeah, let's go with a ghost," Kat said, her words spilling out rapidly.

  "A ghost? Kat, what the hell are you talking about?" Aubrey rushed to her side, grabbing a hold of her shoulder as she shined her light down the hallway towards their exit. "That's smoke, Kat. Not a ghost."

  "Are you sure? Wouldn't a ghost be better? Because otherwise we are screwed. Someone just started a fire and we're trapped Aubrey."

  "Who would do that? I—" Aubrey's lip froze.

  Feeling Aubrey's fear grip her shoulder in a slow pain made Kat jump out of her stupor. "Come on, Aubrey." She pushed Aubrey inside the chamber, grabbed the door and slammed it shut.

  "What are you doing?"

  "The smoke will kill us before the fire even hits us," Kat said as she grabbed her shirt and started unbuttoning it. "We have to stop the smoke from getting in."

  "How do you know it's a fire? Maybe it's just…"

  "Aubs, there wouldn't be smoke if there wasn't a fire. Come on. Help me block the bottom of the door." Kat yanked her shirt off and started stuffing it against the door where it met the floor.

  Aubrey had a buttoned shirt on as well, considering she was wearing clothes borrowed from Kat. Her hands started to unbutton the shirt, shaking while she struggled to hold the flashlight at the same time. The light slipped from her fingers when she made it to the second button. She heard it fall, crashing with a loud clanging sound. She shuffled in a circle, the dark too much for her, and the frantic sounds of Kat shoving her shirt against the door. She knew the moment she found the flashlight as her foot connected with it. She lost her balance, flinging in the air and landed with a hard thud on the ground.

  "Aubrey!" Kat scrambled on her knees to where Aubrey fell. "Hey, are you okay?"

  No sound echoed back as Kat screamed her name again.

  "Shit!" Kat rushed back to the door where her flashlight lay and shined it on Aubrey. She looked her over, seeing a small dark patch on the side of her head. She gently turned her head to see a slow trail of blood running down her hair. "Shit, Aubrey. Wake up. Don't do this to me."

  Kat turned her head back to the door. She could still smell the smoke. Her shirt wasn't enough to cover the whole door. A small portion still allowed the smoke to enter. It would take longer, but they could still be in trouble from smoke inhalation. Who was she kidding? They were in deep shit regardless. No one knew where they were.

  She looked at Aubrey one more time, knowing she couldn't jostle her and take her shirt off. But she needed to cover the rest of the door. She would probably die down here anyway. Was her modesty that important? She groaned as she yanked off her undershirt and scooted back to the door, shoving her other shirt to cover the rest of the door. She breathed a sigh of relief, glancing up at the deep darkness. She gave another groan as she flicked her light towards the top of the door. A small crack of smoke filtered through. "Oh, hell."

  Chapter 17

  Derek knocked on the front door of Logan's house again for the third time. He yanked on the doorknob just to make sure it was locked. It didn't make any sense why they weren't answering. Kat knew better than to leave the house, especially without telling Logan where they were going. Logan would flip a lid when he found out. He heard about the near heart attack he had when they left the sheriff's office to have a simple lunch down at the diner. Logan wanted to know where Aubrey was at all times. Just the thought of her back in the hands of the
lunatic who hurt her put him in a panicked rage.

  Derek knocked again, pounding harder, thinking about the conversation he had with Kat about her slip up. She had, in her Kat-like way, told him to mind his own business. He kindly responded the sheriff was his business. He didn't consider Logan just the sheriff. He was his friend, someone who he couldn't imagine not confiding in when he needed an ear, or a buddy to grab a beer with after a long day of dealing with crap. If Logan was upset, he considered it his job to correct that matter. Or maybe he just wanted a chance to speak to Kat. Not that she ever saw him more than just Deputy Graham, at your service.

  He gave up knocking, circling the house to make sure they weren't lounging out on the porch or in the yard somewhere. He knew how much Aubrey liked the fresh air, enjoying nature at its finest. If she chose to stay, which he sincerely hoped she did for Logan's sake, he knew she would fit right in around these parts. If you decided to stay and put up roots, you normally had some sort of affinity to nature. Lucky, Minnesota had a lot to offer with its small population, ranging forests, and beautiful hiking trails.

  He walked back to his truck with agitated steps when he failed to find them anywhere on the property. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, scrolling through his contacts. He would try saving Kat's butt from a severe reaming by attempting to call her first. If she didn't answer, well, he could already picture Logan's reaction.

  ***

  Danny hopped off the four-wheeler, stretching his legs as he glanced around the woods. He saw the backpack he assumed Deputy Bolten had found, but oddly enough, he didn't see the deputy. "Where the hell is your guy, Sheriff?"

  Logan inhaled a patient breath, perusing the area in the same fashion Danny had. "I'm not sure, Agent O'Rourke." He eyed the backpack, then glimpsed at the four-wheeler he knew belonged to Bolt. "Bolt? Where are you? Bolt?"

  "Maybe he pursued Wayne?" Deke said, walking up to the backpack. He opened it up and started to dig. "Survival and hunting gear in here. And damn, evidence to lock his ass up."

  "What do you have?" Danny asked, stepping closer to the backpack, but still keeping continuous glances with his surroundings.

  Deke slowly raised his hand holding a gold heart-shaped locket. "Aubrey's necklace. Same one she never took off for anything. Unless, of course, the bastard who took her snatched it off her damn neck." He stood up, clutching the necklace with pure rage.

  Seeing the necklace, Danny almost dropped to his knees hyperventilating from the thought of Aubrey manhandled, hurt, beaten, and locked away, the picture too much for his mind to handle. His eyes caught the corner of Logan's face, which stopped his downward fall. He looked just as shaken as Danny. And now wasn't the time for them to act this way.

  "Well, we need to—" Danny stopped when Logan's phone started ringing.

  "It's Derek," Logan said, looking at the screen as he put it to his ear. "What's up, Derek? Did she recognize anyone in the picture?"

  Deke stood up and walked to the four-wheeler. He grabbed an evidence bag from his belongings when he turned towards Logan's worried voice.

  "What do you mean they aren't there? Kat never called me. Did you try calling her?" Logan asked. He started to pace, walking from one large tree to another. The scrunching of the leaves and twigs below his feet didn't register anywhere in his mind as Derek's words filtered through instead.

  Danny and Deke watched his agitated pacing, sharing a look of concern. Deke quickly bagged Aubrey's necklace while Danny tried focusing his eyes on their surroundings other than Logan's distressed posture. And it suddenly pricked his senses again, why in the hell was Deputy Bolten not waiting for them? Why weren't Kat and Aubrey at home?

  It felt like déjà vu when Aubrey went missing the first time. His slight worry when Deke called saying Aubrey wasn't home when she said she would meet him there after work. The panic that built when they found an officer who found her phone on the sidewalk on her usual trek from school to home. The complete and utter devastation that consumed him when he realized that his sister was truly in trouble. He couldn't deal with that again. Never again. He just found her.

  "Okay, we have a problem," Logan said as confidently as he could, slipping his phone back on his belt with a trembling hand. "Derek says they aren't at my house. He tried calling Kat's cell with no answer. She wouldn't ignore him. He called Seth and he has no idea where they are. He hasn't seen or talked to either of them this morning. He even called Charlotte, who said she hasn't seen them stroll through town. And she would have seen them."

  "Alright, let's not panic. This isn't the time for that. Let's think rationally about this first," Deke said, combing a hand through his hair.

  "Where the hell is your deputy?" Danny shouted.

  "Don't go blaming my deputy. He has nothing to do with why they are missing." Logan took a step towards Danny with Deke walking into his path.

  "I told you two to knock it off and I meant it. Fighting does not solve the issue." Deke trained his eyes on Danny, knowing he needed the warning more than the sheriff did. Although, he could see Logan's control hanging on by a thread. He could possibly snap at any time. "Would your sister go somewhere without telling you? Maybe they are just having some fun and couldn't answer the phone yet."

  Logan dragged a haggard hand down his face. "Possibly. Kat knows how I would feel about it, but my sister, if you haven't noticed, has a mind of her own."

  "Oh, I noticed," Danny muttered.

  "But she also knows the possible danger," Logan continued, ignoring Danny's small interruption, "and I just don't think…"

  "What? What are you thinking?" Deke asked, wondering why Logan's look of worry transformed into pure panic in a blink of an eye.

  "I just thought of something and it makes sense."

  "Share it with the group, Sheriff," Danny said, his tone emphasizing the word sheriff in an insulting manner.

  Logan whipped his head to Danny, his face blank of any expression. "You asked her to go home with you. She told me she would think about it. She said she didn't know if she could leave me."

  "Wow, impressive, you're attempting to put doubts in my mind that she won't come home with me," Danny said, shoving his foot against the leaves with irritation.

  "You're so dense sometimes. I get why. I would probably act that way if something happened to Kat. Listen to my words, Agent O'Rourke. You probably appealed to her by using her memory. Old surroundings and all, her memory will come flooding back. She feels trapped now, rushed."

  "Oh, I get it," Deke said, turning around and eyeing the woods that lay in front of them. Colorful leaves hung in the trees, most blanketed on the ground, a slight breeze blowing throughout, knocking the limbs together giving off a mellow sound. It did nothing to soothe him. "They came out here."

  "Aubrey knows I would never bring her out here. Kat sure in the hell isn’t going to call me telling me where they are going if that's the case. I have a strong feeling they came out into the woods so Aubrey could get her memories back. She wants to go down into that room." Logan twisted away from them, breathing heavily as he tried to control the horrifying thought of her going down there. "Shit!"

  "Well, that is one place I don't want my sister going. We can both agree on that," Danny said, staring in the direction Deke had.

  Logan slowly glanced back at them, reigning in his emotions better. "It's not far from here. Let's check it out and then try to find Bolt. He could need our help."

  No one responded except to get back on the four-wheelers for the new destination. Logan grabbed the backpack first, throwing it in the compartment on the back of his four-wheeler. He led the way, hoping the whole time that Kat and Aubrey were safe. Hoping like hell Aubrey didn't go down there.

  ***

  Kat sat on the dirt floor, leaning against the wall near Aubrey, holding her flashlight up at the top of the door and watched as the smoke filtered in with small waves. A few minutes had already gone by as she contemplated how in the hell she could stop that. Her mind kept
telling her it just didn't matter. They were trapped. A fire sat in their pathway to freedom.

  Suddenly, she jumped from the slight moan to her right. "Aubrey!"

  "Kat," Aubrey whispered with a mumble. "What happened?"

  Kat helped her sit up and scoot to the wall. "You tripped and fell. You're bleeding and you'll probably need stitches, well, if we make it out of here, that is. How are you feeling?"

  Aubrey reached for her hair, feeling the sticky substance. She pulled her hand away, grateful that she couldn't see the blood on her fingers very well. "I think I'm feeling great."

  "Sarcasm is not helpful."

  "Did I say it sarcastically?"

  Kat looked at her and saw a smile touch her eyes. "We're trapped, Aubrey. Smoke's coming in from the top of the door."

  Aubrey glanced at the door and back at Kat just as quick. "At least I'll die knowing who I am."

  Kat's brows raised in astonishment. "Are you telling me that fall knocked some memories into you?"

  "Not just some, but all of them. I remember my brother and his undying love and protection. Especially when we lost our parents. His patience and understanding when I acted like a bratty teenager. I can't even tell him now how much I appreciated him being there. I never told him that." Aubrey exhaled a short breath as she took in Kat's appearance. "Why are you sitting here with no shirt on? It's chilly down here and you're sitting in just your bra."

  Kat pointed at the bottom of the door. "I didn't want to jostle you by trying to get your shirt off. I had to take both of mine off. But it's only stopping the smoke from coming in on the bottom."

  Aubrey started unbuttoning her shirt and handed it to Kat. She only had on a tank top underneath her shirt, shivering from the coldness that immediately swept into her skin. Kat needed more than just her bra covering her, though. "Put this on. It's cold down here."

  "Does it matter? No one knows we're here and the smoke will get us sooner or later."

  "Just take it."

  Kat rolled her eyes and handed the flashlight to Aubrey as she threw the shirt on quickly. She noticed Aubrey swinging the light around, unsure what was going through her mind. "Are you okay? I mean, stuck down here with your memories back."