I am swimming with two of my friends. We are in a beautiful lake, the water is crystal clear, rigged black rocks on the shore. I am wearing a one piece swimsuit with a big symbol on my chest, I can’t quite tell what it is, distorted by the moving water. I drift back in the water, floating.
I wake up and find myself in a strange sea port, except without an ocean, lake, river or large body of water nearby. I walk out of my room, which is right next to the front door. I head deeper into the building which is built out of rough wooden shelves. Some parts are cleanly sanded and lacquered, other parts look like they were build by a child, multiple nails to one joint, half hammered sideways into the wood. I walk down some wonky stairs and find myself in a sort of dining/social room with a big table and benches. I go to walk up the stairs at the other end of the room but can’t go any further. The need to fix the wooden walls is to great, it is as if I have to right the sloppy job or go crazy.
I start planning down boards that stand out awkwardly, sanding vigorously and happening in nails where boards are loose. Puling out crooked nails and replacing them satisfyingly with a straight centrally placed nail, hit on the head and going all the way in with just one or two swings of the hammer.
Over the next few days I notice that there is something strange about the place I’m at, for a start no one remembers their name, where they came from or what this place is. And it doesn’t bother them that they don’t know.
I for one remember who I am… nothing else though
I hear rumors about certain people who remember, they seem to be viewed with a mixture of awe and hatred. It is known that these people are persecuted sooner or later. Or (this shocks me most) some of the people who remember disappear for a few days and then return truly having forgotten everything. These people are welcomed with smiles and congratulations.
I track down one man who openly claims he remembers. He turns out to be the guy from the crooked wooden house I woke up in.
I find him in the black market trading squirrels for batteries off an old man.
I try to prove to him that I can also remember. He doesn’t believe me, but eventually he gets curious when I don’t give up. We walk up on of the airplane skeletons on the escarpment to talk in private. As we walk up he says something that jogs my memory and I remember him from the time before the world ended. I say his real name and he sweeps me up in a bear hug. He confesses that he had a crush on me back in the old world. I am ridiculously happy and for a few short hours the trouble of the real world are forgotten. After some time we get up from the makeshift bed of moss and get dressed, heading back down to the town.
We of course agreed to meet again in secret and discuss what we would do to free all the mind blank people.
We reach the town and get surrounded by security personnel. They only wanted to take him in, they are unsure of what to do with me but take me in as a safety precaution.
I pass out from whatever they shot into my neck and am back floating in the lake. Only this time my friends aren’t there and it isn’t as pleasant. The water is thick with dirt, floating sticks scratch my exposed skin.
After what feels like a long time I wake up, in a different house this time. It takes me a while to remember everything. Once I do I go searching for my lover.
Dread and anger mix inside me, perhaps he doesn’t remember, perhaps he isn’t even here, if he is I will kick his ass for having me taken too only because he openly announced that he remembered. Kick his ass won, I had made up my mind.
I found him eventually sitting in a hut with the same old man from the market, turns out he remembers too. I convince them that I remember, then recruit them for my cause.
I tell them that while I was drugged I had a baby (yes dude whose name I don’t yet remember it is yours) and knowing that it is with the … evil people has given me a reason to attack them.
They are both dumbstruck, the old guy recovers first and asks how I propose to do this. Make an antidote I reply.
We work in secret and make an antidote. We mix a large quantity into the towns water supply then head to the giant security station.
Breaking in isn’t all that hard, they weren’t expecting it after all.
We make it to the baby station. I stand in front of a window looking at a room filled with sleeping babies, each in their little hospital crib. I don’t know which is mine. Neither do my two accomplices …