Chapter 2:

   Sitting beside him is weird, in a sense. His pale skin, the marks... Everything adorning his body as if he's some sort of... I don't know. I want it all gone. I want it thrown away, I want him to be free of... all of that. But I know I'd never do it. It's still only been a day. Just a day...

   ~Preston~

   There's this warmth on my side that I can't explain. I want to hold onto it. Never let it go. It makes me feel safe...

   I gently rub my head against the firm object, yawning silently. I crack an eye open and in front of me I see the color blue, and hands holding reins. My body leaning against Rob, I can feel my face flush, and glance up to find his gaze elsewhere, not paying attention to me. Are you not upset anymore...? I cast my vision forwards and listen to Syrup as he snorts slightly, the sounds of nature all flooding back around me. This is nice.

   It isn't long at all before we're back at Rob's home, and that's when he finally looks down to me. He tenses.

   "How long have you been awake?" I meet his gaze as I slowly sit up, glancing around as he looks away again. "I, uh... I'll assume not very long." Rob clears his throat. "The doctor I had you see said that you have amnesia, and you have it pretty bad. You must've hit your head when the volcano erupted, or something like that." The barn walls around us is a familiar comfort, Syrup nickering as Rob slows him to a stop. We both climb out of the cart, and I step back to let Rob do whatever it is that needs done. "The doctor said that he couldn't determine who you were. He couldn't take a DNA sample either; he said something about not being able to find your blood vein?" I glance down at my snow white arms, but I don't see any notation of a blood vein either and bring my hands together, fingers intertwining. "So, he decided that it would be best if you stayed with me until your memories come back." Rob glances over to me, and I nod, understanding.

   After Syrup is free from the cart, Rob walks him back to his stall, allowing the horse to trot inside and begin eating the leftover food from the ground. Rob sighs, glancing at me once again before returning to the cart. He climbs up into the back and begins to grab stuff, stuff I didn't notice he brought. Or did he get it all in town? Now that I think about it, I can't remember what all we... he, did.

   "If you're staying here," Rob begins, jumping down from the cart. "Then you aren't just going to be standing around." I blink, blushing lightly. That makes sense, I guess... "So here, take these." Rob motions me over and I approach, reaching out to take the two baskets and one bag. Rob hands them over before returning his attention to his cart, beginning to drag it towards the back wall. "Take those to the house, I'll be there in a second."

   The forest at this time of the year is full of color and life. The sky as clear as crystal and no clouds hovering about, the trees swaying with each breeze. Beyond are the mountains, and the volcano Rob must've been talking about. That volcano is pretty far off... How much land does Rob own? As I stare off into the wilderness, I can see animals big and small all lurking about, eating the grass up or just simply resting nearby. I witness a small little bunny attempting to eat a dandelion, and silently giggle, as the flower is much too big for the bunny. It devours the flower in seconds. I stop laughing.

   "Hey," I flinch, Rob suddenly at my back, a hand upon my left shoulder as I look to him. "The house." Rob walks away again, towards his home. I follow closely behind. "We have work to do today, so don't get too comfortable." Rob pauses and I bump into his back. Rob raises an eyebrow. I blush, looking away. "Let's just put the stuff inside and get to work."

~-~-~-~

   "I have some work I need to get done, the others are waiting on me."

   "That's fine! We'll keep you updated if anything happens."

   "Thank you..."

~-~-~-~

   "Can you use an axe?" I blink, looking to Rob. His kitchen is where we are, and yet I don't remember coming inside. I blink again. Rob sighs. "I'll assume no." I place my left hand to my right waist, my right hand finding my left shoulder as I look away from Rob. "You can clean up the yard instead." I look to him. "Come on, I have the tools outside." Once more, Rob leads me out of the house, and off towards the barn. Déjà vu.

   In the sunlight, Rob's hair is a gentle brown, a soft color. His eyes are dark, however, constantly up to date with his surroundings. He removes his hoodie with ease, beneath said clothing article a plain white tank top, a few rips here and there but nonetheless the shirt seems fine. Inside the barn once again Syrup pays us no mind, and all Rob grabs is two objects. One's a rake and the other an axe. He tosses the rake at me.

   "You can clean up all the leaves and pile them somewhere on the property, I could care less where. I'll be chopping up firewood." Moving past me, Rob goes back outside, and I follow for a few short seconds before realizing that I'm not supposed to be trailing him anymore. I stand in place, and watch him walk away, and somewhere deep down I have this urge to ask him to come back. I don't, not like I could if I even want too. That urge bugs me, though. I get to work.

   Trying my best to rake up all of these leaves that are dancing around on the floor, I do my best to avoid the flowers. They're all so beautiful, I'd hate to kill one of them. The sun is shining brightly, beating down on my skin as I work, Rob having disappeared some time ago. How much of an area do I need to clean up? How long will we be working? I sigh, standing up straight for a second before bending back over and continuing. The longer I continue; the longer questions have to form within my head. Where am I from? What does Manama mean? Why do I keep spacing out? Why are there voices in my head...?

   The work continues for what feels like hours, though I must say I've gotten a lot done in however long we've been working. Where's Rob? As I look around, I can see a few stray piles here and there along the forest line, from the leaves I've been moving out of the yard. The grass beneath is showing itself more now that the leaves are gone, and there are a whole lot more flowers as well. A wind blows through with just enough power to send my hair to the side. I reach up and move the hairs behind my ear again, sighing. Rake in hand, I begin to wander around, trying to find Rob.

   The forest looms beside me as I walk around its edge, peering briefly into its darkness. I can hear crows and other things as I watch Rob's home, walking around the clearing. No sign of him. It's evident where I've been working, the front yard all clean while the sides and the back aren't. I take a slow breath, another breeze sweeping through as an eerie feeling settles over this place. Where are you? I pause, clinging tightly to the rake in my hand as I glance back into the dark forest. There's this path, hidden by leaves and shroud by some of the darkest shade I've ever seen. It's almost like a cave. There's this warmth surrounding me the longer I stare at it, stare at what's there. What's not there. And it almost feels like it's staring back at me. I feel warmer and warmer the longer I stand here, the closer I get to whatever I'm seeing. One step, two steps, three... My pace is slow and yet I feel like I'm running at it and getting nowhere. Four, five, six... There's this pressure sitting on my chest, this pressure that eases when I release all the air in my lungs and don't suck up anymore of the substance. Seven, eight, nine...

   "HEY!" I jump away from Rob as he suddenly grabs my arm, the man scaring me. "What the hell are you doing?" I look back towards the path, but nothing is there. Nothing but a "DANGER: RAVINE AHEAD" sign, anyways. It's only now that I notice how much I'm shaking, how cold it actually is... how tightly Rob is gripping my arm, that lingering fear in his angry gaze. "Didn't I tell you to clean up the yard? Where were you trying to go- what did you think you were doing?" Rob is yelling at me, but I can only stare at his chest. I'm holding my left arm to my own chest, my right arm badly shaking, just like the rest of my body, though my arm is in Rob's grasp. "Well? Damn it, answer me!" Rob is silent other than his laboring breaths. I glance towards his house, and the house is far off, the trees shading the path I'd taken, though that shade isn't as dark as I originally thought it was. It's just shade. I can see my rake laying on the ground, though I don't remember dropping it... "Don't leave the yard unless you're with me or someone else, do you understand me?" I glance up to Rob. "This forest is dangerous- it's bad enough you were at the volcano and I had no clue! Stop trying to get yourself killed!" I'm not trying too...

   I step forwards, wrapping my arms around Rob as he stiffens. I'm still shaking, though now I'm crying. If Rob hadn't of been here, would I have died...? The thought sickens me- I want to vomit. My arms around Rob's neck and my head within his chest, Rob moves his own arms around to my waist, pulling me closer.

   "You need to be careful, kid. Your mind can play tricks on you. You'll never know when what you're seeing isn't real." Rob's voice as he whispers the words is dark, and yet it's such a comforting tone to hear his voice in. Rob's embrace is warm, and he moves his head overtop of mine, his grip one of a man saying his last goodbye. "You need to work with me. I need to know that you can handle yourself- that I can trust you won't do something stupid." I nod against his chest, sniffling quietly. Rob nods as well. "Let's go back to the house, I was making us lunch." You were in the house...? I nod again, Rob separating our embrace and gently holding my hand, leading me back to the clearing like a child, though the action makes me feel safe. Rob makes me feel safe.

   As we walk around to the front of the house, I spot the axe that Rob had brought out from the barn, stuck within a tree trunk base and a pile of cut up firewood all around it. The location of the site is in a corner. The front door lightly creaks open, and Rob leads me into the kitchen, sitting me at the table.

   "I'm cooking pork, if that's alright. Spicy grilled pork tenderloin..." Rob mumbles. I place my head on the kitchen table, pulling Rob's hoodie over to me after the man turns his back. I wrap my arms around his hoodie and use it as a pillow. My head hurts. I close my eyes and let my mind wander, and all of those questions start to come back again. Why am I here? Why is the forest so dangerous? Why does it seem like Rob isn't telling me something? "Hey, kid." I open my eyes, glancing up to Rob. His face flushes slightly. "What, uh, do you want me to call you?" I sit up, unsure. I don't know my name... "Um," Rob glances towards one of the windows. "I, uh, could call you Flower." Flower...? "I mean, Flower is kind of girly, but um, I really like flowers, and uh, calling you kid doesn't seem right to me..." I nod my head. If you want to call me Flower, then... I don't really mind. Rob smiles lightly, almost as if hearing my thoughts. "Flower it is then." And he gets back to cooking, his flower apron tight around his waist.

   The rest of the time Rob is cooking is spent in a comforting silence. As I sit here, head down as thoughts run through my head, it's almost like I can hear this quiet ticking, counting out every second that passes as Rob continues cooking. One, two, three, four, five, six...

   "Hey," I open my eyes as Rob shakes at my shoulder lightly. "Food's done, Flower." I slowly sit up, rubbing at my eyes as a yawn graces my lips. Rob chuckles, taking his hoodie off the table and replacing it with a plate of food. What did he make again...? Oh well, I'm hungry. Rob is sitting next to me, his hoodie hanging off of his chair. "All of that yard work make you tired?" I look to Rob before shrugging, yawning again and rubbing away the dreariness in my eyes. Rob chuckles. "Usually I do everything on my own. In time you'll get used to it, it isn't all that hard." Are you implying I'll be here a while? The rest of the time we're eating, is full of silence.

   I stand as I finish, Rob already done. I walk up behind Rob, moving next to him as he glances to me, hands wet from the water spilling out of the sink faucet. He smiles, taking my plate from me and beginning to wash it off.

   "The doctor told me," Rob begins out of nowhere as I'm moving back to my seat at the table. I pause, looking to him. "That it is possible for you to talk." He turns the sink off, and moves to dry his hands on a towel. He glances to me as he does so. "We'd just need to work on it for a while. It would take a lot of time, but he said that it can be done." Rob smiles at me. "If you'd like to give it a shot, we can." As the thought runs through my head over and over I can feel the smile growing on my face. Talking? Talking like you can? The doctor said I have a chance at that? I rush towards Rob and hug him tightly, Rob tensing for a split second before chortling, hugging me back. "I'll take that as a yes." Rob determines, placing a hand to my head and messing up my hair. "You'll need to cooperate with me- I'm not the best instructor." I look up to meet Rob's gaze and nod, still smiling. I have a chance of talking!

   After Rob explains that, we almost immediately start. He works with me for hours, trying to help me form words, or honestly even make a sound. Nothing works though, and Rob can tell that throughout the entire thing I'm beginning to feel discouraged. Rob gives me the hope to continue though. I place my faith in him and he gives me 110 percent the entire time we work together. I know today is only the start, though impatient as I am, my expectations are too highly set.

   Eventually we did decide that enough is enough for one today, and now, we're back to doing yard work. This time, though, Rob is also raking. He said that he doesn't need to cut up anymore firewood for today.

   The sounds of nature all around us is a blissful peace, the leaves crunching beneath the weight of our rakes a nice buffer to keep out the silence. The work is going by a lot faster with the both of us working together. Rob doesn't feel comfortable leaving me by myself, though, not after the earlier incident. He's keeping me in his sight the entire time we're working, but nonetheless I don't mind. It just means that he cares, right? The forest doesn't seem so dark anymore and my mind isn't given any chance to linger around and create images like the earlier one, seeing as I desperately want to keep up with Rob's quick pace. I just need to focus on the task at-.

   Out of nowhere there are leaves pouring on top of me, getting into my clothing as I thrash at them, hearing Rob begin to laugh. I spin around and find the older man smirking, sticking his tongue out at me. I look to the ground around my feet. Did he just pour leaves all over me?! I make a face before gathering up a handful of leaves and rushing towards Rob, but Rob drops his rake and takes off running with laughter. I'm quicker, though, and manage to tackle him down into a larger pile of leaves, tossing my pathetic handful at his face as his spits up the small little pieces that broke off from their original forms.

   "You're fast, Flower." Rob pants, sitting up as he moves me into a position where I'm straddling him, though neither of us take note of it. I smile, sticking my tongue out at him. Rob sticks his tongue right back out at me.

   After finishing up the yardwork, a few more minor delays of chase scenes slowing us down, Rob and I both return to his house for dinner. Seeing as leaves are covering me from head to toe, Rob tells me to go and clean myself up in the bathroom. The bathroom is in the same hallway as our bedrooms – Rob's room directly across from mine, the door I had first seen when waking up this morning. The bathroom is a door I didn't see, one at the other end of the hallway.

   Making my way inside, I find the light switch and flip the lights on, freezing the instant I see myself. Dark bags are features beneath my eyes, my eyes a bright, glowing red, like the dying embers of a once hot fire. My hair, not too terribly long, though not terribly short all the same, is a bloody orange color, with low lights of brown blending all throughout it, making the color radiate in some spots and be dim in others, almost like fire, or lava... I wearing this blazer, and a yellow undershirt beneath it. The blazer is a dark gray, with a white collar and white cuffs at the ends of the sleeves. There are two vertical red strips parallel to each other on the front, the back simply plain. My pants are just a light gray.

   The longer I stare at myself, the more at ease I feel. This is what I look like. This is who I am. I take a deep breath, and reach out to my reflection, our hands meeting in perfect sync against the cold mirror. This is me.