by T R Tells
Omari closed the door behind her, leaving us in pitch darkness.
“So, I’m guessing you can see in the dark too?” Helene commented
I rolled my eyes. “The switch is against the wall.”
The bright lights came on after a moment, and I flinched. Helene dragged my computer chair over to my bed and plopped the stack of papers on my lap. She sat down on the chair, backwards.
“I told the teacher that you said you were ill, and she said to hand that to you.”
I grabbed the papers and put them on my nightstand. “How did you find out where I lived?”
Helene shrugged. “I hacked into the school’s database.”
I narrowed my eyes at her, wondering if she was serious.
She chuckled. “No, I asked your friend Trey.” She paused for a moment. “So... How is your boyfriend? Is everything okay?”
My chest tightened, and I told her what happened. How Alessander didn’t remember me and had amnesia, how his ‘ex’ came back, and how he wanted nothing to do with me.
Helene leaned her chin on the chair as she listened. She frowned.
“Wow… That is a lot to take in. My girlfriend and I had broken up some time ago, and, even though there weren’t any exes involved, it shattered me. There was already something else going on in my life at the time, and both of those events left a deep void. It makes you feel like your body is weightless.”
I nodded at what she said, and how similar it was to my feelings.
“—But,” she said, “that gave me the motivation to keep fighting.”
“What do you mean?” I asked. There was determination on her face.
She rolled her eyes and smiled. “Exactly what I mean. How long have you known him?”
I shrugged my shoulder. “Since I was thirteen, really. Why?”
“Well, then, there you have it. It can take someone weeks, maybe a few months to remember something, but Alessander hasn’t forgotten you. He just needs to remember you somehow. He hasn’t accepted his ex, she was just the first person he saw, who probably told him a bunch of lies. His mind is willing to accept anything to put the puzzle piece together. He just needs to find his way back to you. So don’t give up on him, okay? Would he give up on you?”
Helene’s words made a lot of sense. If this had happened to me, Alessander would’ve fought. Everything had hit me so suddenly that I didn’t have time to process. But, Alessander needed me more than anything, and I wouldn’t let Veronica have him.
“...Thank you, Helene.”
“If there’s a chance you can have a moment with him, then I hope it's for the better. No one should have to suffer, knowing that they will never see their person again.”
I had a feeling that there was more to it by her words, but I didn’t want to push her to tell me.
“Anyway, now that I’m in your room, it’s time for me to be nosey.” Helene grinned, wiggling her brows. I laughed. She hopped off the chair and started to search the room. She stopped at the bookcase in the corner and skimmed through the books.
“You have a pretty neat selection.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t really have a particular author, but I do like fantasy. Do you read?”
Helene nodded and flipped through a book. “I do my fair share. I read more mangas, though.”
I leaned forward, my interest piqued. “So… Do you watch anime?”
Helene looked up from the book, and her eyes gleamed. “Subbed or dubbed?”
I grinned. “Dubbed, but I don’t mind reading the subtitles. I mean—hello—reader.”
“Wait, seriously, and you like S.T.A.R?” Helene said, looking at the poster of my favorite all-female ethnic pop group.
“That can’t be a coincidence,” I said, laughing.
Helene eyed me and nodded. “Alright, now we have to be friends. I love their music. I’ve been in love with Terra since I was nine.”
She put back the book and went over to my computer desk.
I chuckled, “Mhm, thought you didn’t want to be goodie-goodie friends.”
She waved me off as she riffled through the papers on my desk.
“I’ll make an exception this once. Plus, this tingling thing on my neck is annoying the crap out of me, so I guess it can’t be helped.”
So she feels it too.
“You write?” she asked, gesturing to a stack of notebooks.
Before I could answer her, my phone vibrated. I looked at the text and saw that it was Omari telling me that dinner would be finished in two minutes.
“Hey, dinner’s almost done. You wanna stay over?”
Helene was holding a manuscript of a novel I’d been writing for a while, but I had stopped three months ago when everything changed.
“I should get back to my grandparents. I just wanted to hand you the assignment and see how you were doing. We can talk later, and you can tell more about this.” She waved the manuscript in the air and set it down on the desk. “So, let’s exchange numbers.”
We took out our phones and handed them to each other.
“And you’re going to tell me more about these people?” I asked, handing back her phone.
“Well, I guess if you’re going to run around being a hero, I don’t want you to get killed or anything.”
We left my room and headed downstairs. My mother had already set the table, and Omari was feeding AJ.
“Oh, Helene, thank you for dropping off Hira’s homework,” my mother said.
Helene smiled, “It’s no problem, Mrs. Night. I’m sorry I can’t stay longer, I have to check on my grandparents, but it was good to meet you all.”
I led Helene out of the front door. I watched as she pulled out of my driveway and waved to her as she headed down the street.
I took my seat at the dinner table, ready to eat, but my mother touched my forehead.
“How are you feeling, Hira? Omari told me he picked you up after you weren’t feeling too good.”
From the corner of my eye, I could see my brother looking at me. I’d have to thank him later.
“I’m fine, Mom, it’s just a bug or something.”
My mother pursed her lips. “Well, if that’s the case, then you’re staying home from school tomorrow. It’s probably something going around with the weather getting colder.”
I didn’t argue with her as I thought that would be a great excuse to find Alessander.
There wasn’t much to talk about during dinner. Omari had told us we would need to be careful because more and more people were getting kidnapped. My mother spoke about a new intern, a girl around my age, that had joined the Tribune,, and tried to encourage me to put something of mine in print.
I didn’t really want to talk about my writing.
After dinner, Omari and I cleaned off the table so Mom could put AJ to bed. I was washing the plates as Omari came from behind with the dishes.
“So, are you going to tell me why you skipped school?” he whispered. “And why you were crying?”
I knew that Omari wouldn’t let this go, and I’d have to explain sooner or later to him.
“And when I went to tell the school you had been sick they thought I was Uncle Garvy? Really, Hira? You’re skipping school and putting Garvy’s name down under emergency contacts?”
I bit my lip, unsure how to even start to explain this all to my brother.
“If Mom found this out… she’d be devastated and ground you for weeks.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry, Omari, but there’s some crap going on with Alessander, and I need to deal with it.”
I could see the wide-eyed expression on his face.
“Wait, Alessi is awake? Why didn’t you tell us?”
I turned away from the sink and looked at him. “He is, but he isn’t really himself, and I can’t just give up on him like that. I’m sorry, but some things have been out of control lately.”
Omari stared at me, and I thought that he would start arguing with me, or worse, tell mom, but
instead, he only nodded.
“I don’t know everything, but it seems like there are some things out of my control here. Don’t do any more stupid crap, and be careful. I won’t always be there to protect you, and neither will Garvy.”
“Thank you, Omari.”
Our mom came back downstairs and stood at the kitchen doorway.
“What are you two whispering about?”
We both turned our heads and smiled at her, telling her we were just being goofy.
She smiled, leaving us to wash the dishes.
“I’ll be more careful,” I whispered back to him.
Chapter Six
“If you need anything, Hira, call me at my job or call Garrison,” my mother said, pressing the back of her hand to my forehead. “Make sure to drink plenty of fluids.”
“Okay, Mom,” I whispered, pulling the comforter under my neck as I forced a cough. She kissed me on the forehead and left my room. I waited for a few moments until I heard her get into her car and start the engine.
When I was certain she was gone, I threw the covers off me and jumped out of bed, fully clothed. As I was lacing my leather boots, my phone vibrated. I saw a wall of text from Trey in all caps:
Trey: HIRA, SOMETHING IS WRONG. Mahogany’s parents keep answering her phone instead of her saying she’s still “sick” and locked in her room. You know she would have found some way to contact me by now. I’m going to check on her after school. I know you’re sick and all, but can you do the same?
I quickly texted back:
Me: Yeah, I’ll check on her.
I paused for a moment before writing next,
Me: And I’m not sick. Alessander woke up. He has amnesia, and his ‘ex’ Veronica was there. I don’t know what’s going on, but she might have brainwashed him because he doesn’t remember me at all.
I slipped on my shoes as I waited for Trey to text me back. The phone vibrated in my hand as I opened the front door.
Trey: WTF, she’s back? I thought Alessander said she was gone.
So, it seemed like Trey knew her too. Or, at least, Alessander had told him about her.
Trey: But don’t sweat it, Hira. It might seem like it, but Alessander would never forget you. He loves you. Remember, he was going to propose to you.
Me: I know, and I’m not going to give up either. I’ll text you the details about Moa soon.
I placed a ride for a Lyft to Mahogany’s house. I wanted to find Alessander and knock Veronica out, but if something was going on with my best friend and I could prevent it, I would do just that. It’s what my dad would’ve told me.
***
It was eighteen minutes into the ride when the Lyft reached Hermosa in Belmont Gardens. It was a beautiful suburban area filled with community homes and parks. The neighborhood was serene, with its many trees covering grassy lots and picturesque houses nestled a foot apart from one another.
The Lyft stopped.
The Apathy Current was so thick that it had trailed its way to the front of the house around the uneven hedges.
My heart pounded as I exited the car, and I raced up the stone steps to the red door. I pounded on its frame.
The person who answered was Mahogany’s adoptive mother. She had her dirty blonde hair pulled in a loose bun. Dark circles hung underneath her eyes, and she wore a nurse's gown that had several stains on it.
Regina King worked full time at the hospital, but still had enough time to berate and punish my friend, and when she was too tired to do that, she would let Arthur do the punishing.
“Where the hell is my friend?” I yelled, immediately barging inside.
She stumbled backward, dazed.
“Now wait just a damn minute, little girl,” she called out to me. Mahogany’s little brother, Philip, (the King’s real son) was sitting on the couch in his pajamas, playing Call of Duty.
I stomped down the narrow hallways within the small house. There were only so many rooms, and when I reached Mahogany’s, (which used to be some kind of storage room before they brought her in), I knocked on the door.
“Moa, it’s me! If you’re hurt in there, I’m here to get you out. I’m not going to let these bastards get away with this shit.”
“Excuse me,” her mother shrieked behind me. “You can’t just barge your way into this house like you own the damn place. Do I have to call your mother to get you?”
I spun on my heels. She’d been oddly close to me, and abruptly stepped backward as if I was going to hit her.
Either she was really that afraid, or Mahogany wasn’t the only one being abused.
“I know what you and your husband do. You abuse her and then try to hide it. I’m young, not stupid, and I won’t stand for this obvious façade that you’re trying to pull!”
Regina frowned, and a dumbfounded expression crossed her face as if I had suddenly sprouted two heads.
The door behind me opened before either of us could say anything. I turned around to see Mahogany partially walk out the doorway. She looked pale and sickly, her eyes were dreary, and she looked like she would pass out at any moment.
I stared at my friend, observing her. I had to look at her carefully just to make sure that her mother didn’t put any makeup on her to feign sickness.
“You really are sick,” I finally said after a moment. Mahogany’s head leaned on the door’s frame and nodded. “I... I thought your parents were lying. Trey said that you never contacted him at all, and—and that’s odd, because you’d always find some way.”
“Now do you see?” her mother called out behind me. She was shaking her head. “As if I would put my hands on my own daughter.”
I wanted to scoff in her face and tell her that one truthful incident didn’t make up for all the other times she lied.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
I was about to tell her off, but Mahogany spoke up in a hoarse voice.
“Can I just have five minutes, please, Mom? Hira came all this way… ”
If Arthur King had been here, he probably would have kicked me out, but there must have been some humanity in Regina King’s heart because she reluctantly nodded.
“Fine, she has five minutes, or else I’m calling that brother of hers to arrest her.”
Her mother walked away. Usually, when I came over to Mahogany’s house, we would lock ourselves in her room. This time she didn’t even so much as invite me inside.
Not to mention, now that I could focus, I was starting to get some mixed signals in the air. The mist that I’d seen was no longer in the house, but there was something off in the room. I couldn’t get over how Mahogany looked like she was dying.
“Mahogany, what the hell? Trey has been worried sick about you, I haven’t heard from you since we facetimed, and now that I see you, I’m questioning why you aren’t in the hospital.”
Mahogany lazily shrugged her shoulder. The movement was too uncanny and familiar that I had to shake off the thought in my head.
“I just... didn’t want to worry you guys, you know? You waste so much energy caring about me... and I told my parents they didn’t have to go through the trouble of taking me anywhere.”
I frowned. Something definitely wasn’t right, even though every word sounded like it was something that Mahogany would say. She never liked to be a burden, but Mahogany knew how Trey and I would get, she wouldn’t make us worry like this. It was like she didn’t want to burden us because she didn’t care.
And then I looked at the top of her head.
The cloud mass above her started to slowly form. It grew bigger and thicker, and I couldn’t be sure if it was because of what she was feeling right now or if it was something else altogether.
“Mahogany, you need to come to the doctor with me, and we need to let Trey know what’s going on.”
I reached out for her hand, but she surprised me by shoving me back.
Her eyes widened as she realized what she’d done. She started to close the door some, hiding behin
d it.
“I-I’m sorry, Hira.”
But I didn’t care, I just wanted to know what was going on with my friend.
“I-I’m just going through some things, that’s all… I promise to keep in touch, but you should go. I’ll text you soon.”
I tried to crane my head to peer into her room, but she kept shrinking the door closed so I couldn’t see.
“Moa, I don’t want to leave you here like this.”
Mahogany shook her head. “H-How is Alessander?” she asked. I hated that she was changing the topic. I briefly told her what had happened with Alessander and the girl, Veronica.
Mahogany chewed on her bottom lip for a moment and looked at me with tired eyes. “Then he should be your main priority.”
I snorted. “Yeah, but so are you. You know damn well that Alessander would’ve been right beside me, otherwise.”
“Two minutes left!” Her mother yelled from the living room.
“Go,” Mahogany said. “I’ll be fine, you go find Alessander.”
I was conflicted right then and there, but I definitely didn’t want her mom to call mine or Omari.
“Text me or call me, okay?” I said, and I went to give her a hug. Her arms draped limply around me. From the way I was angled, I could get a peep of her room, and even though it was quick, I thought I saw something in the room. Still, there wasn’t much I could do at the moment, and hated the thought of something lurking in the shadows.
I hoped the manifestations wouldn’t arise.
We pulled apart, and Mahogany weakly smiled at me as she closed the door.
I walked down the hall and passed Regina and Philip on the couch.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m leaving,” I said dryly as I could feel her eyes burning into my back.
***
Pulling out my phone, I texted Trey the brief details. He’d be glad that her parents hadn’t hurt her, but he might even be more worried that she refused to go to the doctor.
I sighed. I was about to get another Lyft when I received an Amber Alert on my phone.
Someone in a black Sedan had kidnapped another young person.
I shook my head. The sickness of the people in the world and why they had a need to take someone from their home made me furious.
