BEATING HEART
SHE MOVED TOWARD HER CLOSET AND TOOK OUT A FILE. SHE OPENED THE FILE AND SLID OUT A FOLDED PARER. SHE LOOKED AT THE FILE FOR A LONG TIME BEFORE PUTTING IT BACK. THEN SHE PUT THE FILE BACK IN HER CLOSET. SHE CLOSED THE DORR AND PUT THAT FOLDEDE PAPER ON THE TABLE BY THE SIDE OF THAT BIG WINDOW. THEN SHE MOVED BACK TO HER BED BY THE SIDE FROM WHERE SHE COULD SEE THE SKY OUTSIDE.
AFTER FEW MOMENTS, SHE HEARD A KNOCK ON HER DOOR.
“COME IN AX.” SHE SAID NOT MOVING HER GAZE FROM THE EINDOW. AX OPENED THE DOOR AND ENTERED THE ROOM WITH TWO CUPS OF HOT CHOCOLATE AND CLOSED THE DORR WITH HIS LEG. THEN THE LOOKED AT AEELA WITH A FLAT FACE AND CIRCLED THE BED TO STAND IN FRONT OF HER...EXTENDING HIS HAND TO OFFER HER CUP. SHE TOOK THE CUP AVOIDING EYS CONTACT. SHE TOOK A SIP OF THE WARM LIQUID FLUID AND LOOKED AT AX WHO WAS STILL STANDING IN FRONT OF HER...BLOCKING HER VIEW OF THE OUTER SKY.
“COME. SIT HERE WITH ME.” SHE SAID LOOKING AT HIM TAPPING ON HER SIDE OF THE BED. AX FOLLOWED HER INSTRUCTION AND SAT BY HER SIDE. THEY BOTH FINISHED THEIR DRINKS IN COMLPETE SILENCE.
“ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM INSOMNIA...?” AX SAID PUTTING HIS CUPON THE TABLE AND HELDING OUT HIS ARM FOR AELLA’S CUP. SHE LOOKED AT HIM AND GAVE HIM HER MUG.
“NO.”
HE PUT THE CUP ON TABLE WITH A NOD AND SAT BACK BY HER SIDE.
“WHY ARE YOU NOT ASLEEP THEN...?”
“BECAUSE I HAVE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT WITH YOU.”
“WITH ME...?” AX SAID WITH HIS BIG EYES.
“YES MY DEAR AX.” THEN SHE LOOKED AT THE SKY AGAIN AND AX FOLLOWED HER GAZE.
“WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME...?”
“ABOUT WHAT...?”
“ABOUT YOUR MEMORY?”
“WHAT ABOUT MY MEMORY...?”
“THAT IT CAME BACK.” AELLA SAID LOOKING AT HIM.
HE SWALLOWED HARD.
“I DIDN’T WANT YOU TO BE WORRIED.”
“DON’T LIE TO ME. I SEE THROUGH YOU.”
AX NODDED AND LOOKED AT AELLA.
“BECAUSE NOW I CAN FEEL HOW MUCH YOU STRUGGLE WITH YOUR PAST MEMEORIES.”
AELLA WAS SILENT. SHE SAID NOTHING. AX PUT HIS HAND ON HERS AND CREASES IT SOFTLY LIKE IT WAS FREGILE AS A BUTTERLY’S WINGS.
“DO YOU REMEMBER EVERYTHING...?”
“YES.” HE SAID TAKING HIS HAND BACK TO HIS MIDLINE.
“WHAT ABOUT THE LAST DAY... AS A PERFECT NORMAL HUMAN...?”
“EVERYTHING” HE SAID WITH A LISTLESS TONE.
AELLA NODDED.
“WANT TO TELL ME...?”
“ABOUT WHAT...?”
‘WHAT I ASK...?”
“AND WHAT IS THAT...?”
HE NODDED.
“TELL ME ABOUT YOUR DAD AND HIS WORK.”
“MY DAD...?” HE PAUSED FOR A MOMENT TO PROCESS HIS THOUGHTS AND LINE THEM UP.
“MY DAD WAS A VERY INNOCENT PERSON. MR. ADISON NOVA.” HE SAID LOOKING AT AELLA. SHE NODDED AS IF SHE WAS TELLING HIM TO CONTNUE.
“HE WORKED FOR THE INTELLEGENCE CELL UNDER BIOTECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT. HE WAS A WELL KNOWN PERSON IN HIS DEPARTMENT. HE WORKED WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS TOO LIKE NUCLEAR ENERGY DEPARTMENT AND ADVANCED MEDICAL TEACHNOLOGY DEAPRTMENT.”
“WHAT WAS HIS LAST PROJECT THAT HE WORKED ON...?” AELLA ASKED HIM INTURREPTING HIM.
“IT WAS ACLISSIFIED PROJECT. I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT. BUT IT WAS RELATED TO REGENRATION.” AX SAID BEFORE SEALING HIS LIPS.
“WHAT ABOUT YOUR MOM...?”
“MRS GINA NOVA, SHE WAS A PERFECT SOLDIER WITH HER SHARP OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS ABILITY. SHE WAS A FRONT LINE SOLDIER IN SPECIAL FORCES.”
AELLA NODDED.
“WHAT HAPPENED ON THE LAST DAY...?”
“I HAVE A BLURR MEMORY OF THAT DAY.”
“TELL ME.”
“IT WAS HER BIRTHDAY.”
“WHO’S BIRTHDAY...?”
“ELISON, MY YOUNGER SISTER.”
“AND...?”
“WE ALL WERE OUT TO CELEBRATE HER BIRTHDAY. THE CAKE WAS WHITE WITH A PINK WHIPPED CREAM. I STILL REMEMBER HER GREEN EYES AND GUMMY SMILE.” HE PAUSED AGAIN TO PUT THE PIECE OF HIS DISTORTED MEMORY IN AN ORDER.
“THERE WERE NINE CANDLES ON THE CAKE.”
“HOW DO YOU REMEBER THERE WERE NINE...?”
“I PUT THEM ON THE CAKE.”
AELLA NODDED.
“AND WHEN SHE WAS ABOUT TO BLOW THEM...A MAN CAME NEAR US AND ASKED AD ABOUT SOMETHING. HE ASKED DAD ABOUT A PASSWORD BUT HE REFUSED.” AX TOOK A DEEP BREATH BEFORE RESUMING.
“THEN MORE PEOPLE WITH THEIR FACES COVERED CAME INSIDE AND STARTED TO FIRE ON US. DAD WAS CALLING OUR NAMES AND HE WAS ASKING MOM TO TAKE ME AND ELISON AND RUN AWAY. BUT SHE REFUSED TO DO SO. A MAN CALLED THE EMERGENCY BUT AS HE DIALED...HE WAS SHOT DEAD.” AX LOOKED AT AELLA WITH A PAUSE. SHE LOOKED AT HIM AND SAID NOTHING. HE RESUMED.
“AND AFTER FEW MOMENTS...THERE WAS A BIG BLAST. I ONLY REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS JUST A LOUD SOUND AND EVERYTHING WENT BLACK. AFTER THAT I DON’T REMEMBER ANYTHING.” HE SAID WITH A SENSE OF GUILT IN HIS VOICE.
“WHY CAN’T I REMEMBER ANYTHING AFTER THIS...?” HE ASKED AELLA WHO WAS SILENT. THEY BOTH SAT SILENT FOR SOME MOMENTS WHEN SHE PARTED HER LIPS.
“DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW...?” AELLA ASKED AX.
HE NODDED.
“I WAS THE ONE WHO RECEIVED THAT CALL. WHEN I GOT THAT CALL I RUSHED THERE AND CONTACTED THE SPECIAL FORCES. BUT IT WAS TOO LATE FOR ME. EVERYTHING WAS RUINED. EVERYONE AT THE PLACE WAS ALREADY EITHER DEAD OR BADLY INJURED. THE TRAITORS WERE ALSO DEAD. ALL OF THEM.”
AELLA LOOKED AT AX WHO WAS LISTENING TO HER VERY SILENTLY. TAKING A GLANCE AT HER...SHE CONTINUED.
“YOUR DAD AND MOM WERE SHOT DEAD BEFORE I GOT THERE. YOUR SISTER...ELISON...SHE WAS BADLY INJURED...HER BOTH LEGS WERE BLOWN IN THE BLAST. SHE WAS IN SHOCK DUE TO HEAVY BLEEDING. AS I SAW YOUR DAD...I MOVED TOWARD HIM AND LOOKED AT HIS HAND. HE WAS HOLDING HIS ID CARD. AND AT THAT MOMENT I GOT TO KNOW WHO HE WORKED FOR. AND SOON I CONNECTED WITH SOL AND ASKED HER TO TAKE YOUR SISTER TO MY PLACE.”
AX CLENCHED HIS FISTS WITH ANGER.
“AND THEN I SAW YOU. YOU WERE BARELY ALIVE. COMPLEATELY DISTORTED. YOUR BODY WAS COMPLEATELY OPEN AND YOUR HEART WAS VISIBLE THROUGH YOUR OPEN CHEST.”
SHE LOOKED AT AX.
“LOOKING AT YOUR HEART I GOT TO KNOW...HOW MUCH WE ALL STRUGGLE TO BE ALIVE.”