Sacha's Memories

I'm falling. Words echo around me, voices from the past. Flashes of memories flutter past-some are images and others are longer snippets of things that have happened. I'm seeing Sacha's life flashing before my eyes. If only I could pinpoint a certain memory and leap into it.

My gaze fixes on one that Danika is also present in. They're young in it and still at school. I know which memory it is. A part of me is unsure whether I want to experience it, but another is louder and more curious. I reach for it, touching the image for it to ripple. My hand goes through. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath before swimming through and falling straight into the thick of it.

I land on my feet, my boots thudding against the stones in the playground. For a moment, I place my arms out at either side of me to help my balance. Once the waver in my legs steadies, I look around me to gain my bearings of where I am.

The grey building curls around the edges of the yard, glaring at the children below. There are at least two storeys with prefabs at the other side for the lunch hall and other classrooms. Even during my time here, it gave off a prison-like feeling. It is unlikely anyone really escapes this place after leaving.

Everyone was split up into cliques-the popular kids, the nerds, the outcasts and others I can't remember the name of. Some are watching the boys mess around playing football on the field, cheering them on.

However, my siblings catch my eye.

They're off to the side, away from everyone and everything. I didn't know them in this environment. Sacha always made sure to look after me in primary school whilst Danika would help with things like my homework. I thought I drove them away when they were here. Maybe it isn't as simple as that.

I wander over to them. Everything looks like a watercolour painting as I wade through the memory towards them. This will be how Sacha remembers it, not Danika. Her version of events might be different. That's not something I should be stressing about right now.

Once I am beside them, I listen to their conversation. However, it is cut short when one of the girls from further across the yard saunters over to them. Her group giggles as she pauses in front of Danika, her bushy eyebrows raising.

"What are you two freaks talking about?" she asks before shooting a glance over her shoulder at the gaggling group of girls. They howl with laughter again.

Danika's midnight hair is tied back into a ponytail, the uniform looking baggy on her slim figure. It used to be father's favourite way of punishing the twins.

Rolling her eyes, she snaps, "Go away!"

The girl just sneers. "I don't know why you bother coming to school-"

Before she can let loose another scathing insult, Sacha interrupts her calmly, "For an education."

I mean, he's not wrong and they all know it. Damn, I even know it.

Danika and Sacha try to hold their laughter back.

The girl's face turns a tomato shade of red. "No one likes you," she blurts out, clearly trying to fish for words and scathing insults so she is back in control of the conversation. "Not even your own parents."

I am taken aback by the words. I turn back to my siblings, no older than thirteen and being hit with the one truth everyone cannot deny-not even them.

Sacha bows his head, his thoughts swirling in my mind.

We're not good enough. We'll never be good enough for them. Why aren't we good enough?

My heart cracks at the lonely voice constantly repeating the words in my head. They echo into the memory, growing louder and louder until Danika finally breaks through it.

"You cow!" she screams, prowling towards her. "You don't know anything about us."

With each predatory step, the girl steps away. Her face drains of colour as she realises her mistake all too late. She will soon realise how grave her mistake is.

The girls' snide laughter fills Sacha's head. He doesn't notice the uncontrollable darkness surrounding Danika, the tendrils of smoke playing around her fingers. It isn't until her anger and power become so uncontrollable that she erupts.

Spikes of black obsidian course through the playground, finding their mark within the children. Their whistle through the air is halted only by the shock and open-eye deaths of everyone around them, including the girl who had been mocking them moments ago. Her eyes are open, her hands limp as the spear is pierced through her heart.

The playground is blood-soaked by Danika's untamed power.

She spins on her heel to Sacha. He just missed one of the spears. It is lodged into the wall behind him, his breath hitching unsteadily as he looks around at all their dead classmates.

"What have you done?" he finally chokes out.

Danika's eyes are watery, her bottom lip wobbling in harmony with the tremor in her hands. "I don't- I didn't-"

His gaze softens. Carefully, he wraps his arms around his sister, touching her head. It was his way of calming someone.

Soon, the tears in her eyes disappear as a serene calmness takes over. "You have powers too?" she asks almost timidly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "I never needed to use them before. I thought I could keep them hidden. I guess we can't do that anymore."

They both take a final glance around.

I know what must happen next.

"I always hated this memory," Sacha says from behind me.

I turn around to find him-the one I know-perfectly alive and well. I cannot help it. I race towards him and wrap my arms around his neck, keeping him there in a tight embrace.

"Imogen, careful!" he chuckles.

"You're not going anywhere ever again," I sob, trying to cover it by burying my head into his shoulder. "I don't want you to go."

He laughs again. "I'm dying, Imogen. I'll have to go soon. I'm just here to make sure you get out of my memories before my brain shuts off."

"No," I cry, shaking my head against him. "I'm not leaving you."

"Do you think I'd let you die with me? You're getting out. Dani needs you," he says sadly. "Look after her for me."

I nod, gripping his denim jacket for dear life. I don't want to leave him. I can't.

He pulls away, a mischievous smile on his face. "Tell her I love her and don't forget I love you too." He kisses my cheek and places his hand on the side of my head.

I feel the flood of emotions he's feeling, the pain of having to let us both go on without him. Then, a calm takes over and I feel my eyes closing. And I'm back in the real world.

Dathan laughs as he climbs into the car and steers off. There is a promise on the wind that we will meet him again, either by chance or by seeking him out. My bets are on the latter.

The blood drains from Sacha's face, death finally taking over him. I can still feel his hand on the side of my face, the emotions comforting me as he helps me back before he leaves the world for good. I hold his hand, trying to find some thread of his to bring him back. He's gone.

Danika collapses onto the pavement, landing on her knees. She sobs into his chest, making sure to not touch the thing that killed him. She murmurs two words, over and over and over again, her sobs drowning them in her throat.

"Wake up," she almost begs.

Settling beside her, Luke rubs her back. A supportive shoulder for her. It's what she needs.

"He loved you," I say into the silence between us.

She glances up, her sore eyes and blotched face looking back at me. I can tell she's only half listening.

"I promised him I'd look after you," I sobbed, my voice breaking.

She tilts her head. "You were inside his head?"

"No, I can somehow leap into memories. I saw-" I couldn't finish the sentence.

Lips parted, she bowed her head. "We can't leave him here. He'll be eaten."

I agreed silently.

However, none of us made a move to leave. We sat there in our thoughts, trying to comprehend what had happened. The laughter that used to surround us is gone. We wouldn't hear it ever again. Sacha is dead. A part of us is too.

Word Count = 1437