He slowly opened
his eyes. He was lying on the wooden floor, in an entryway, next to a dark
brown door. The sunlight began creeping in from the side rooms.
He had no clue
where he was. Or who he was.
A pit formed in
his stomach. His body suddenly felt cold as a shiver trickled down his spine. He
couldn't remember anything. It was all black. Nothing. There was nothing before
his awakening. But there must have been.
He strained to
lift his torso up to a sitting position. His body ached and groaned as he
moved. His stomach was sore and his head throbbed painfully with each beat of
his heart.
"Hello?"
He said. His voice was scratchy and deep as it softly echoed down the hall.
No answer.
"Hello!?"
He tried again, bringing his voice to a yell.
Still nothing.
Fear prickled his
skin. The blood was swimming uncomfortably in his head. He shook and rested his
head in his hands. Trying to breathe slowly. In and out. In and out. But it
wasn't working. It didn't help.
His hand found a note in his jacket pocket. A handwritten
note.
“Harle,” The note
read. Interestingly he was not surprised that he knew how to read. The message
continued; “Run! The Feds are on their way. If they catch you, you’ll be prone
to interminable torture and possible death. I was able to buy you a new life,
free from memories, free from your past. Now run.”
He crumpled the
note and quickly stood. His heart now beating quickly. His hand rested on the
doorknob. He paused, waiting for the courage to come.
A phone rang
throughout the apartment building.
He froze. Unsure.
Half afraid, half relaxed. He let go of the doorknob and began walking slowly
towards the sound. A light flashed with each ring coming from the second side
room. He cautiously entered the room. It rang twice more. A computer monitor
flashed the words “Feds Calling… Feds Calling” and then dimmed. The ringing
stopped.
The monitor changed
to show a face of dark haired woman in a black suit. The words “Recording
message…” blinked a bright red at the bottom of the screen.
“Harle Jhons
Steveson IV” The woman said. “We received a distress signal from your smart
phone stating that you have been forced against your will to participate in an
illegal procedure. The Feds are on their way. You will be protected from said
illegal activity. Please stay calm and stay put for debriefing.”
The screen went
blank. His hands were shaking, still grasping onto the note.
