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The Forgotten Ones
One Step Forward
‘Esmeralda, wake up. See what is happening, fight back! Open your eyes dammit! Open your eyes and fight back against Fear. Chet is not yours’; Katie is probably not even her real name. You are being deceived. Clear your head, it's time for you to see. To really see what's going on. Open your eyes before you die.’
I wake with a start, completely drenched in a cold sweat. I look over to where Chet should be sleeping and his side of the bed was empty. REAF really works him too hard, I hardly ever see him anymore. Maybe I should apply there so we can see each other more often. I look over at the clock and see that it is 4 in the morning. I groan and throw myself back into the bed, it’s way too early to be up. What was that voice in my head? Why is it that for the past four months its been echoing in my mind almost non-stop? What is the point it's trying to make? Who is deceiving me? My heart is racing and my head is spinning. I need to calm myself down.
I pull Chet’s pillow to my face and breathe in his scent. I feel a calm wash over me. His pillow smells like faded polo cologne, an odd smoky scent and some night sweats buried under the other two more potent smells. I need him here to help me sort through all of this weirdness. He is always so helpful and soothing to me. Besides, I miss him, my heart aches and I know that I won't be able to go back to sleep. I am too afraid of hearing that voice again and having that strange nightmare that I can never remember. Maybe, I should just give my love a call. I smile at that thought of hearing his voice and i know that is what I am going to do. I pick up my cell and dial REAF headquarters, hoping that he is in his office and not in a meeting of some sort.
“Hello this is REAF, how can we help you today?” A sweet female voice says from the other side of the phone.
“Umm, hi. Uhh," I laugh nervously, "I am calling to speak to special agent Chet?”
Special agent? Where did I get that from? Chet is an accountant who got promoted to COF, not a special agent. All that stuff is way ancient history. I am turning into one of those nuts causing trouble in the neighborhood.
“Oh. Well I am sorry I didn’t know you also worked for Fear. Why didn't you call on the other number? Oh well nevermind," The receptionist laughed lightly. "It is late and we all get these things mixed up. So may I as who is calling to speak to agent Chet?”
My heart pounds, what do I say? Why am I lying? I thought Fear wasn't real and now I find out that my husband works from them. Which, of course, can only mean that Katie must too. I mean she was the one who told Chet to interview with REAF, so she must being working there.
“Katie De Leon.” I hope my hunch is right.
“Okay, I will patch you through Agent De Leon.”
I am crying. I feel the tears wet my cheeks and the sides of my neck. I wonder how much of what they have told me is a lie. Why is Fear such a big secret anyway? What do they do? Are they really a watching me? Is that why Chet and Katie are here? Are they really some secret organization? Are they dangerous? Why haven't Katie and Chet told me? Don't they trust me? Are they even who they say they are? No,that can't be it, I remember them being my family but…but.. but what? I bite the inside of my lip, I feel so, and so, betrayed, like everything I know is just so clever ruse to keep me distracted. What if they don't even love me? I shake my head, I have to be overreacting.
'You aren't,' the voice answers.
No, no it's lying to me. It has to be.
“Hello Chet speaking.” Chet’s voice pierce my dark thoughts, he loves me. He wouldn't be with me for four years if he hadn’t. Maybe his job asked him to shield me because he does some crazy science stuff to better the world or dangerous experiments, something of that nature. I mean that stuff still happens today, I think... “Hello?”
“Chet,” I finally spoke, I am sure he could hear that I am crying, “when are you coming home Chet? I miss you.”
“ ‘Adla, I will be there right away. Just forget it okay, just forget.”
With those words fog clouds my brain and I fall of the bed the phone hitting the floor with a loud clatter. I feel my head hit the floor with a far away thud, followed by some dull pain. I am scared, what’s happening to me? Am I dying? Did Fear do this to me? Can Chet stop them? Will he get to me in time? Wait, why isn't he here? Why am I on the floor? What is going on? I can't remember, I can't remember.
I wake with a start, completely drenched in a cold sweat. I look over to where Chet should be sleeping and his side of the bed was empty. REAF really works him too hard, I hardly ever see him anymore. Maybe I should apply there so we can see each other more often. I look over at the clock and see that it is 4 in the morning. I groan and throw myself back into the bed, it’s way too early to be up. What was that voice in my head? Why is it that for the past four months its been echoing in my mind almost non-stop? What is the point it's trying to make? Who is deceiving me? My heart is racing and my head is spinning. I need to calm myself down.
I pull Chet’s pillow to my face and breathe in his scent. I feel a calm wash over me. His pillow smells like faded polo cologne, an odd smoky scent and some night sweats buried under the other two more potent smells. I need him here to help me sort through all of this weirdness. He is always so helpful and soothing to me. Besides, I miss him, my heart aches and I know that I won't be able to go back to sleep. I am too afraid of hearing that voice again and having that strange nightmare that I can never remember. Maybe, I should just give my love a call. I smile at that thought of hearing his voice and i know that is what I am going to do. I pick up my cell and dial REAF headquarters, hoping that he is in his office and not in a meeting of some sort.
“Hello this is REAF, how can we help you today?” A sweet female voice says from the other side of the phone.
“Umm, hi. Uhh," I laugh nervously, "I am calling to speak to special agent Chet?”
Special agent? Where did I get that from? Chet is an accountant who got promoted to COF, not a special agent. All that stuff is way ancient history. I am turning into one of those nuts causing trouble in the neighborhood.
“Oh. Well I am sorry I didn’t know you also worked for Fear. Why didn't you call on the other number? Oh well nevermind," The receptionist laughed lightly. "It is late and we all get these things mixed up. So may I as who is calling to speak to agent Chet?”
My heart pounds, what do I say? Why am I lying? I thought Fear wasn't real and now I find out that my husband works from them. Which, of course, can only mean that Katie must too. I mean she was the one who told Chet to interview with REAF, so she must being working there.
“Katie De Leon.” I hope my hunch is right.
“Okay, I will patch you through Agent De Leon.”
I am crying. I feel the tears wet my cheeks and the sides of my neck. I wonder how much of what they have told me is a lie. Why is Fear such a big secret anyway? What do they do? Are they really a watching me? Is that why Chet and Katie are here? Are they really some secret organization? Are they dangerous? Why haven't Katie and Chet told me? Don't they trust me? Are they even who they say they are? No,that can't be it, I remember them being my family but…but.. but what? I bite the inside of my lip, I feel so, and so, betrayed, like everything I know is just so clever ruse to keep me distracted. What if they don't even love me? I shake my head, I have to be overreacting.
'You aren't,' the voice answers.
No, no it's lying to me. It has to be.
“Hello Chet speaking.” Chet’s voice pierce my dark thoughts, he loves me. He wouldn't be with me for four years if he hadn’t. Maybe his job asked him to shield me because he does some crazy science stuff to better the world or dangerous experiments, something of that nature. I mean that stuff still happens today, I think... “Hello?”
“Chet,” I finally spoke, I am sure he could hear that I am crying, “when are you coming home Chet? I miss you.”
“ ‘Adla, I will be there right away. Just forget it okay, just forget.”
With those words fog clouds my brain and I fall of the bed the phone hitting the floor with a loud clatter. I feel my head hit the floor with a far away thud, followed by some dull pain. I am scared, what’s happening to me? Am I dying? Did Fear do this to me? Can Chet stop them? Will he get to me in time? Wait, why isn't he here? Why am I on the floor? What is going on? I can't remember, I can't remember.
♠ ♠ ♠
Not just yet.