Phase 1 – Revitalization
Chapter 4 – So I Thought you were Gone
Alexa takes me to her house, and I explain my situation to Alexa and her parents while eating leftover dinner. They’re speechless and don’t know what to say for a solid minute of awkward silence.
“I’ll call my parents now, so they can pick me up as soon as possible. I’m sorry to surprise you like this and put so much on you at once,” I say to break the silence.
Alexa says, “No, no, no! It’s no trouble for us. Here. Call your parents.”
I try calling my parents, but they don’t pick up. That’s strange. The time difference between here and my home shouldn’t be that different. In fact, they should be awake and getting ready for work by now. I leave a message and give them a call later. I tell Alexa and her parents what I did, and they think the same.
A thought comes to me and I say, “I wonder if the Doll Factory got to them. I know that they’re experts in cleaning up the messes they start.”
“Don’t think like that, Michael! I’m sure they’re fine. Just hold out hope until you know for sure.”
“Okay.”
Alexa’s father says, “I can’t believe the Doll Factory is still alive after all these years. I remember my father fighting against them when they were in the city. It was really a group effort to get rid of them when the city knew they were here. We’ll take care of you for as long as you need, Michael. Don’t worry about how much time you spend here. You deserve it.”
“Thank you so much,” I say as I bow my head.
“I’m going to make some calls to investigate the remains of that ‘church’ you were at. In the meantime, you should get cleaned and changed out of those rags. Alexa, find Michael some of my old clothes to wear. I’m sure he’ll fit into them.”
“Okay.”
Alexa finds me a black tee shirt, a red buttoned up shirt, and a pair of black shorts for me to wear. After taking a shower, I change into this outfit and…I look the same still. Did I always have a black and red eye? Where did the clothes go? I don’t even feel them on me. No matter how many times I wash my face, it remains the same. What’s going on?
“Is something the matter buddy?” my reflection says to me.
AHH! What are you?
“I’m you or rather the other you. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Are you okay, Michael?” Alexa says with a knock at the door.
“Don’t keep the lady waiting.”
I hesitantly open the door with an uneasy smile. Alexa looks at me then smiles.
“You look good.”
“Oh, I do?”
“Of course you do. I did pick out the best outfit for you, didn’t I?”
“Y-yeah. You did! Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You can sleep in the extra room we have. It’s for friends who sleep over. There’s a pair of PJs there too if you want. The outfits a little dorky because of my father’s taste. My mom has been trying to get rid of those PJs for a while.”
“Thank you again, really.”
“Well, have a good night, and…Michael?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m glad to finally see you again despite the circumstances. It’s been too long.”
She hugs me. I’m starting to remember more about her. I hug her back.
“I’m happy to see you again too.”
Alexa smiles then goes to her bed. Inside my temporary bedroom, I find the pair of PJs that Alexa told me about. They are definitely dorky. The design on them is that of a familiar horror series that I remember with bloody rabbits on them. I like them, so I wear them. It doesn’t take me long to fall asleep, but when I do, I see the other me again. This time he looks like the normal me, but he’s naked with a large black scar mark on his body that looks like a weird version of the symbol for a boy.
“She’s a cute girl, isn’t she?”
She is. Why?
“I know your previous feelings for her. I know your precious memories of her before you even remember.”
What’s your point?
“I’m just giving you a little heads up. Don’t do anything you’ll regret.”
What am I going to do?
“Hopefully you’ll reconnect. Maybe you’ll even make her your girlfriend. Do you remember your time with her yet?”
Give me a second. It’s kind of blurry since it was a while ago, and obviously, a lot has happened since then.
“It’ll all come back to you soon. I’ll be sticking with you the entire way.”
You’re me so how can you not?
“Good point. It’s time to wake up-”
“- for breakfast!” Alexa says while shaking me.
“I’m up!”
“Come on. My mom made pancakes for us.”
“Sounds great.”
I go downstairs and have a nice breakfast with Alexa’s family.
“Hey, Michael! I see you have good taste,” Alexa’s father says as he notices what I’m wearing.
“Oh. Yeah, I like games that these rabbits are from.”
Even though they see that I’m wearing a different outfit, I still see that I’m wearing that torn black wedding dress. I don’t understand this. I hope this changes soon.
Alexa’s mom says, “You can take it with you when you leave. I was going to get rid of it anyway.”
“Hey, that is a rare and top quality set of PJs. It is probably worth a month’s paycheck by now.”
“It’s not worth the muck on a dirty penny.”
After finishing, her dad says, “Alright, I’ll be going to the car shop. Take care while we’re at work you two.”
Alexa and I tell her parents that we’ll be fine as they leave. They left their plates near the sink. I’m guessing that Alexa helps around the house while her parents are away. I’ll help.
“You don’t need to do anything, Michael. You’re a guest in this house while you rest after what happened to you.”
“Alright, I guess, but I can help.”
“Oh, hush. Just relax.”
“Okay.”
I wish I could help in some way and show my thanks. Maybe I can come up with something or get my parents to give them some kind of compensation. Alexa and I almost look like a married couple like this. All she needs is…
My other me says in my head, “Hey, stop imagining her in a naked apron!”
I’m not doing that!
“Are you okay, honey?”
“What?”
“Are you okay, Michael?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I just want to show my appreciation to you and your family.”
“That’s sweet of you, but you shouldn’t worry about it too much.”
“So, are you still in school? Are you on summer break yet?”
“Yeah. School just ended last week. I got some things upstairs I want to show you. Come on.”
“Woah there, stop imagining those things,” The other me says.
I’m not doing it myself!
We go upstairs to her room. It is filled with various certificates for awards in school and sports. There are also figures from various TV shows along with an actual TV in her room. No gaming system though, which sucks. Alexa looks through her drawers and pulls out a game. I think I see something in the drawer that I recognize. Could that be?
“What’s this for?” I ask.
“I borrowed it from you a while ago. I thought it was only right that I’d give it back.”
“Right…”
I can’t get my eyes off the red letter in the drawer. Alexa seems to have noticed and moves over to hide it.
“Don’t you still want it?”
“I didn’t mind that you kept it then I forgot about it…”
“Well, you can bring keep it. I don’t play video games that much anymore.”
I move my head to see the red letter, which makes Alexa sigh and take it out. Yep. It’s what I remembered it to be.
“You remember this letter?” Alexa asks.
“I do. I gave it to you one day in front of everyone during recess. I got laughed at a lot, but you took it anyway and gave me a kiss.”
“I did.”
“Aww. You two are blushing,” the other me points out.
Shut it.
“So, why do you keep it?”
“To remember you by. I still read it every now and then to cheer me up.”
“Oh, I’m surprised my writing cheers you up. You can probably tell I was scared while writing it.”
“What do you mean you were scared? What you did was brave, and it showed on your face and in your writing.”
“It did-ah, I hope it did!”
“Haha, well uh. Do you want to go out for a bit? You do still exercise and play sports, right?”
“I do, but I haven’t been doing as much since you left.”
“Then I better get you back into shape today.”
“Oh boy.”
After getting changed and some waters, we go outside and for some reason, we’re back to the way we looked as kids. At least I’m not wearing that stupid dress anymore.
“Come on, Michael! Keep up!”
“I’m trying to Alexa! You’re way too fast for me!”
“That’s right! I can run faster than a car!”
We’re running through a forest near a park now. I think we used to make our little camp here all the time.
“Do you want to try climbing the trees?” Alexa asks me.
“I’m going to try.”
I climb up the tree and make it to one of the heavy branches.
“Come on, Alexa. You’re more athletic than me.”
“I can do it. Just watch me!”
Alexa struggles to climb up the tree.
“Ah!”
“I got you!”
I catch her arm and pull her up to the branch I’m on.
“You saved me! You’re my hero!”
She gives me a hug.
“You’re welcome.”
As I look at her face, she gets older and I see that we’re sitting on a park bench. My appearance is back to normal. Is she sleeping? She’s smiling while holding onto me. Did we really do a lot?
“Alexa?”
“Huh? Oh. I’m sorry.”
“No, I don’t mind.”
“You rested and ready to have more fun?”
“Give me a sec-Ah!”
She squirts me in the face with some of her water with a giggle. When I open my eyes, I see that we’re at the shore.
“Come on, Michael! Let’s push against the waves!”
“I’m coming!”
We splash up against the waves until we see a huge wave coming.
I pull Alexa towards it while saying, “We can beat it!”
“Haha, are you crazy?”
“You aren’t going to beat us you big stupid wave! Ahhh!”
The huge wave throws us back to shore with us on top of each other. After coughing up water, we laugh at what happened. As I blink my eyes, I see that I’m sleeping over her house. Not her house in the present, but her house from the past. We’re reading old comics and acting them out. Every time we hear a noise we stop so that Alexa’s parents don’t suspect us of staying up late.
“And then the bad guy broke down the wall and-”
“Captured the two kids!” Alexa’s dad says as he picks us up and spins us around.
We laugh as he spins us around the room then plops us down on our beds.
“Come on, kids. I can’t keep spinning you around. You’re going to make me hurl one day and it’s going to be on both of you.”
We both say ewww while giggling at the thought for some reason.
“Now, come on and go to bed.”
As I agree to go to bed, I see that I’m sitting at the dinner table with Alexa and her parents.
Alexa smiles at me and asks, “What are you thinking about?”
“Huh? Oh, nothing. I was just remembering the times that your dad used to spin us around to tire us out to go to bed.”
“Hahaha. I remember that too,” Alexa’s mom says.
“Well, I hope you’re not thinking that I’ll do that again. You are older now and-”
“-Alexa has to go. We can’t stay here anymore I’m afraid.”
This is the day Alexa left town. She came to my house to say goodbye. I watch her in silence as if I’m trying to keep her there with my stare.
“We’re going back to our home in Hillside City. I love the community and everyone here, but we can’t afford to be here anymore.”
My dad says, “We understand. Right, Michael?”
I can’t get my eyes off Alexa and she can’t take hers off mine. My hands want to reach out to her and keep her here, but I’m too afraid and sad to do anything.
“Okay, well. I know you’re going to be fine without us. We’ll be keeping you in our prayers. Say goodbye, Alexa.”
“Good-goodbye,” she struggles to say.
No…don’t leave.
We go by the door to see them off, but when they begin to drive away, I bolt out the door.
“Alexa!”
I chase their car for a little while before her dad stops the car. It looks like he’s letting her say her last goodbye and that’s what she does. We cry and embrace without the want to let go. Her dad gets us to separate. I don’t remember what he was saying, but I begin to chase the car once they go farther away. They don’t stop this time and drive off into the distance.
I don’t hold any grudges towards Alexa’s family. I understand why they had to move, but I wasn’t the same after that. I stopped exercising and caring about school and other things in general. After a month, I started watching porn to fill a hole in my chest that was still gaping open. I don’t know why I did that, but it was the wrong decision or was it the right? I’m finally here with Alexa again.
“Are you okay, Michael?” Alexa asks.
“Ye-yeah. I’m just tired because of all the fun we had today. I haven’t had this much fun in a while.”
“I’m glad you had fun. Oh, dad, did Michael’s parents call you back yet?”
“They haven’t. I’ve been checking every now and then and I called a couple times today. Are you sure this is their right number, Michael?”
I look at the number again, and say, “Yeah, it is.”
“Okay, well I’m going to call my contacts in the police department and see if they can get officers to check your house. Don’t worry about them until we hear back from them, okay?”
“Okay.”
Part of me doesn’t want to go home. I’d honestly rather stay here forever.
After finishing up dinner, I go to bed and sleep with a smile on my face for the first time in a while. I can’t wait to see what we’ll do tomorrow.
So I Thought by Flyleaf is the song I thought of for this chapter.
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