Forget Me

The heat was smothering, windows in the large white Louisiana plantation house pushed open and ceiling fans circling overhead to give a lousy excuse of a breeze. The residents milled around the grounds and were watched by nurses who spoke in small groups or with the patients. From a window on the second story, one of the residents looked out to the small pond where ducks were being fed and swam in the water. She was thin, a sickly sort of thin that came from stress, and her eyes were hollow with dark bags underneath that aged her slightly. Most would look at her and wonder how she could be twenty six years old.

A knock at the door made her jump, but her eyes never strayed from the pond outside.

“Miss Stafford, you have a visitor. Zack’s here to see you again.” A nurse called out to the patient, his own voice laced with confusion.

He’d worked at the residence ever since she’d been a patient and she’d only ever had one visitor before, but he hadn’t expected him to come back to see her after what happened the first time.

The other man stepped into the room, silent until the nurse had excused himself. Still, he didn’t know what to do other than awkwardly clear his throat. The entire drive he’d rehearsed the speech he was going to say but now all the words had vanished. Instead, he stood there with muscled arms hanging limply at his side and feet scoffing back and forth on the hardwood floor.

“Why are you here?”

They were both startled by the words. He hadn’t expected her to say anything and she hadn’t expected the words to leave her lips.

“I don’t really know. I—uh, ended up here.” Zack let out a frustrated sigh at himself, but he didn’t have an answer to her question. He didn’t know why he’d come or what he expected. This wasn’t his business. “May I sit?”

Zack motioned to the empty chair at the desk in the room, the woman looking over her shoulder for a moment to nod as she hugged her blue shawl closer to her. That’s when he really got to see her, only having been able to familiarize himself with her figure, the white summer dress, and the blue shawl. Her hair was up in a high messy bun, the way it had always been. But her face was different.

Hollow.

“’I was home recently. My mom brought out a bunch of stuff from my high school days. There were pictures, a lot of me and my friends. I guess looking through them took me down memory lane.” Zack started to explain, pulling out the chair and slowly sitting down. He’d never gotten this far with her and he was scared he’d lose his chance. Last time she screamed at him and he was forced to leave. “I saw a picture of me and my friends…and you.”

He watched as she tensed, her back just a little straighter and her attention on him. “I thought about how I never knew what happened to you or where you went so I found you.”

“You knew me?” She finally spoke, turning from the window and looking at him. He didn’t look much different from the last time she spoke to him when he had visited.

“I did. We were really good friends, actually. You were also friends with my friends. You went to high school with some of them.”

“And why are you visiting now?” She didn’t believe him. If she had friends, they would have visited. Someone would have come to visit her since that’s what all the other patients’ friends did.

But Zack sighed, hands running over his khaki shorts. “Annie… things didn’t end well. The other day was the first time I’ve seen you since everything happened.”

Annie shook her head, raising a hand to press her fingers to her temple as the pounding in her head started. Zack stood up in concern, realizing he didn’t know what to do if something happened.

It was almost like being back in high school. Annie always managed to leave everyone feeling helpless.

“Are you okay? Do you need something?”

“No…it’s hot in here.”

“We can go outside and go for a walk?” Zack offered, holding an arm out.

Annie hesitated before she walked past Zack, leaving him to follow her closely as she led the way down the stairs with little attention to those who passed her and said hello. She’d always been the quiet one and most tended to simply ignore her much like she did to them.

When they were outside Annie was relieved, the pressure in her head lighter and she even smiled at the sight of the flowers and the pond. Her shoes crunched lightly against the gravel path in time with Zack’s steps.

“I’m surprised you didn’t try to hit me this time.” Zack laughed.

“I want to, if that makes you feel any better.” Annie retorted. “I’m assuming I knew you before the accident if what everything you’re saying is true. I mean, you could be a serial killer for all I know.”

“And I’d come after you here? With all these witnesses?”

Zack caught her smile even if she tried to hide it. For a moment, it was like having the old Annie back even though he knew she was gone. Walking with her felt like old times and Zack felt selfish for getting to see her but he knew he couldn’t tell the others. He shouldn’t have come to see Annie but Zack had a soft spot for her because of the guilt.

“I did know you before the accident. You used to live in Baltimore, which by the look on your face you already knew. Uh, you were an awesome student in high school except you were that girl that everyone sorta passed by because you were really quiet. I remember we were all surprised when we got to know you, we weren’t expecting your attitude and how lively you were.”

“You keep saying ‘we’, are you talking about your friends?”

Zack bit at his lip, running a hand nervously through his hair. Bringing them up wasn’t going to be good for Annie, whether she remembered anything or not.

“Yeah…my friends. Anyway, the two of us used to hang out at this cool park. I have some pictures from there that you—”

“Why are you here, Zack?” Annie interrupted, catching him off guard as she stopped in front of him. “Why are you really here? Not to catch up because that’s pointless.”

Zack sighed as he turned to the side and stared at the pond, lost in his thoughts for a moment. “Annie…do I really need to give you a reason?”

“I have no idea who the hell you are, so yes, you do.” Annie snapped, aware that people were looking over at them.

A moment of silence passed before he said anything.

“You do know me. I’m Zack, one of your old best friends, and I’m here because I was part of the reason why you had the accident that made you lose your memory. And Annie... I'm so sorry.”