Frozen Memories

Tattoos and No Memory...But A Feeling

When we finally arrived at the home, I started up the stairs while others went into the kitchen to grab snacks and drinks. After taking a quick shower, I headed into my room and hopped into my bed, grabbing my cellular device to call Dr. Byrne to let her know about my first day. Unfortunately, she did not answer so I just messaged, adding that I hoped that she was well and that if she had heard anything concerning Lisa Jones. I then placed my phone to the side, hoping for the best.

    I laid back for a while when I thought to grab the history book. Feeling more in tune with the readings of the past than I anticipated, I couldn’t wait for Tuesday to come so that I could learn more about such an era as interesting as the early 18 and 1900’s.

    “You-are such a nerd.”

    My attention averts momentarily from the book just in time to see Max Powers falling on her bed. “Nerd?” Taking into context her wording, I perceived that to be an insult. “I assume that to be another insult you bullies have come up with.” I said, returning my attention to the information in the history book.

“Ha! That’s probably true!” She said. “So, did you learn anything useful on your first day?” She asked.

I sat up over my bed, suddenly realizing that I would not find enough quiet to read up on the history.  I marked the page I was on and placed it on the shelf, when I heard Max Powers gasp.

    “What th-what happened to you?!”

I jumped and turned around, suddenly remembering that I had on a form fitting t-shirt that seemed to rise at the slightest move. I looked down to my side and saw the part of a scar that inevitably led to my back. I quickly pulled my shirt down, and sat back on my bed.

“You know I don’t remember.” I answered.

“What did they do to you?” She asked, now sitting on my bed. I knew the question was rhetorical.

“Question for the ages.” replied.

“Well, have the police found anything?” She asked.

To this question, I could only shrug. “If they have, I am not aware.” I said. “Which is why I have been trying to read up on the history of this earth from this book.” I grabbed the book from the shelf again.

Max snatched it away and looked at me incredulously. “You really think you’re going to find answers from this thing? These school books don’t even have our world’s full history in them?” She said.

I sighed. “It’s-” It was hard for me to explain why I felt that the book was a big help in terms of giving me answers. “From my research of the information in that history book, and the things that had not come into fruition then that are now…” I knew she’d not believe me due to our past conversation.

“Spit it out, Frost. Apparently you’ve found some answers.” She said, leaning back.

I had no reason to believe that she would believe but for some reason, some part of me felt a need to tell her. “Look, I know that-you do not believe in the idea of my being...older than what I am-”

“You mean hundreds of years older?” She asked, hinting at sarcasm.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” She said. “But?”

“And your argument of this-this source amnesia is very strong and very plausible but-there’s something that has been bothering me about it-”

“What Frost?”

“How can someone take away-the full comfort of my being in this era-being in-in a whole millennium?” I looked at her. “Nothing of this time bears comfort to me. Nothing of this time is familiar to me. Everything new-even things that you considered old makes me uncomfortable.” I reasoned. “But when I look in that book-in the older times-those earlier years….I cannot explain it.” I finally said.

Max Powers watched me for a long moment, before she sighed, dropping the book to the bed and rubbing her face to her hands and making a loud groan. She then looked at me again. 

“Alright, Benjamin Button, say this is the case.” She said. “What year are you supposedly feeling comfortable in?” She asked.

I hesitated before I answered her next question as outlandish as I knew this would be. “Early 1800’s-is-what my mind calls me to.” I said. Her expression was full on surprise. She obviously didn’t know what to say to this. “I know it may sound crazy to you but quite frankly-I do not think that I’m mistaken in thinking this.” I scoffed, adding. “Though, I do fear that I did not have the time granted to build my social skills then either. Something about my past feels...sheltered, for lack of a better phrase.”

Max did not speak right away, but just sat there, mouth widely ajar for a long moment. “Wow.” Was the only word that momentarily seemed to come to mind before she looked away from me and into the clearing of the window.

    Truth be told, I really did not expect her to understand or believe anything that I was saying. “I know it sounds unbelievable, but I fear it is true.” She still doesn’t reply to me. I look away, assuming that maybe the conversation was over and that she has finally panned me mentally unattainable and was silently brainstorming on the best way of getting away from me and reaching the proper authorities before I could commit any harm toward her.

    We waited in silence for a long while. I refused to say anything more waiting for her reply, doubting that it would be anything good. Then, oddly enough, a smile crept upon her face. She looked at me and lifted her wrist.

“See that?”

I looked down; there on her wrist was a small marking, beautiful, it was. On her wrist was the marking of what looked like a crescent moon entwined into an animal-a wolf was it? And below this was a flower, so beautiful. I could sense by the shape of it that it was rare in its form.  I knew that it meant something; I knew that it had a name and yet I could not place it.

“Is this one of your tattoos?”

She nodded. “One of sentimentality, I suppose.” She said. She lifted her other wrist. On this one, it was not as detailed but just as beautiful as it held a tribal like marking that elongated on both sides almost like slanted sharp canines. Down the middle was what looked almost like a cylindrical silver stake that sharpened at the end; and above seemed to be bladed black wings.

“Wow.” I gasped, but before I could say much else, she turned around and pulled the straps of her tank top down to reveal two more.

On the left shoulder blade there was a dark blue face in silver hair, ears as sharp as the tribal tattoo on Max Power’s wrist. It’s eyes were a deep red, penetrating almost life-like and right at the center of this creature’s face was a silver arrow facing down, black feathers sprouting from its end. It was intimidating and undeniable in its beauty.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” She said. “You should take a closer look at this one.” She leaned over to show me the one on her right shoulder blade.

She was right-this one might have been more detailed than them all. It was the same size, remarkably, yet the detail of it was amazing. The being was neither male nor female and its arms seemed to be stretched out, ears not as pointed as the other tattoo but still pointed, nonetheless. Its hair dualed in color; one side seeming frosted in silver while the other was a deep dark hue of reddish brown. Not only the hair, but the eyes as well-one being ice blue while the other was a verdant green. Even the skin tones were dualed in colors-all contrasting from cool to warm. What was most noticeable, however, were what looked to be the crowns sitting atop their heads; one was intricate in its silvery white while the other was in its verdant greenery.

She finally turned around and looked at me. “I don’t remember any of those tattoos, ya know.” She said. She looked away, not saying anything for another moment. I didn’t take this time to say something, instead giving her time to gather her own thoughts. “They-are very intricate, aren’t they?” She chuckled half-heartedly, returning  her gaze to me. Her smile suddenly faded. “I try to explain away these tattoos-why I can’t remember them.” She rubbed on the crescent one. “They hurt like hell sometimes.” She said. “They shouldn’t.” She scoffed. “Sometimes, I even fool myself to think that they’re warnings or something.” She said, her gaze suddenly distant. Both of us silent, she quickly seemed to snap out of it and smirked. “Now who’s sounding crazy?”

“Both of us, I guess.” I said with a light chuckle. She scoffed and shrugged her shoulders. “So-” I started. “Are you saying that you believe me?” I finally asked.

Max Powers did not answer right away. It was clear that she had to think of a way to word her response. “I believe, that your mind is in a weird state right now, Frost. I also believe that because you were the subject of unwilling experimentation and quite frankly-torture, that you have no legitimate memory of your past.” She shrugged. “Then too, far be it from me to tell you that you’re not right. In my experience,” her gaze, suddenly distant, “...anything can happen.”

    An odd and seemingly truthful way to put an ending to her explanation. Instead of questioning her past experiences at that moment, I decided to only focus on the fact that, at least for now, she partially agreed with my point of view.

    “So you do not believe me-but you believe that I believe me is what you are saying.”

    “I guess that’s one way of putting it.”

“What I expected.” I murmured. “As oddly as it seems, I am not disappointed.” I added as I thought that her reaction could be worse. “Besides, seems that you are not completely in disbelief that I may be right.” I said. In fact, after listening to the story behind her tattoos, I held the feeling that she believed me more than she chose to let on.

    “I don’t think it gets as strange as you are, Frost.” She switched the lamp on her side of the room to assist in light as the already barely visible light outside had slowly given way to darkness. She took a seat on my bed again. “Now, let’s get started. We got a long weekend ahead of us.”

Taken aback by her words, I countered in curiosity. “What do you mean?”

She sighed. “Look, you say that this Dr. Byrne and Lisa taught about this era before your release but they did not teach you the ins and outs of the i***t kids in this era, apparently.” She said. “And while you speak so highly of these two, I am quite sure you haven’t told them about the fact that you think you’re like one hundred years old, have you?” When I didn’t answer, she scoffed. “Yeah, exactly. So shall we start with the basics?”