Memories.

      With a heavy sigh, I launched my bag from my shoulder down onto the tile floor. I slid off my shoes- and then froze as a soft chuckle resounded behind me.
      "Who. . ." I began, but shook it off when it silenced as quickly as I had begun my sentence. It was just in my head. It sounded. . .so familiar, though. . . Banishing the thought from my mind, I concluded I just needed to get some fresh air. So, tossing my jacket onto the couch a few feet away, I made my way back out the door while rubbing my hand over my eyes. My blue-tipped bangs fell in front of my face, so I pushed them to the side and looked around; stuffing my hands into the back pockets of my dark blue jeans. The Indian-styled shirt I wore fluttered slightly as the wind blew- I shivered. Then that chuckling was carried back to my ears, followed by footsteps. I spun around, ready to beat anyone who was following me- but no one was there. The chuckling had vanished once again. In confusion and suspicion, I began walking down the sidewalk.
      Those footsteps fell again, heavier. My heart began to race. I didn't know why, but those footsteps followed mine; slowing when I slowed and accelerating as I did. I worried my lower lip with my incisors until a light metallic liquid dripped into my mouth. Then I stopped dead on the spot. Those footfalls stopped as well.
      Who's there! my mind shouted, but no sound passed my lips. I turned slightly- a flash of blue caught my eye. That was enough to send me sprinting down the center of the street. I could hear those heavy poundings of feet larger than mine behind me- I was terrified. I only stopped when racing back for the safety of the sidewalks and my converse slid on the mud-slicked grass. I landed with a gasping grunt against the pavement; my hands became scraped as they skid across the harsh cement, and I collapsed onto the ground in a gasping heap. Those footsteps didn't stop this time, and a boy about three years elder to myself approached. The feature that caught my eyes first was his neon blue hair- it hung loosely in front of dark red-brown eyes. Little hints of gold specked his irises. Sounding troubled, he knelt beside me and asked softly,
        "Erin, you 'kay?" His hands immediately went down and he scooped me up from my aching spot on the grey pavement- I shoved him away as memories flooded my head and made me grip my skull in pain.
        "Stay the hell away from me, whoever you are!" I shouted back at him, beginning to step away but black spots dotting my vision and the world tumbling around me. The next thing I knew I was back on the ground, only leaning against a brick wall- I recognized the lot we sat in as the back parking lot behind the stores near my house. My head throbbed; the boy was leaning over me. He had a dark grey flannel rolled up behind my head- those red eyes continued to look concerned.
        "Who. . ." I began once more, but he shook his head and fell back into a sitting position; his head cradled between his knees before he looked up at me. His eyes were pleading- I recognized them, but my head began to pound once more as memories flashed through my head.
       
       Chucking me lightly beneath the chin, he gave me a crooked grin and I laughed. My hands rose to brush his hair from his eyes.
    
       I grabbed my skull and bent forwards with a gasp of pain. He was there in almost too fast of a second; teeth too sharp to be normal were visible behind his lips as they parted.
      "Don't try to remember. . .You don't remember. . .Do you?" The last part of his sentence sounded torn. I looked up at the older male and shook my head slightly; his hand slid off of it's place on my shoulder. "I'm sorry. . .I shouldn't expect you too." He then gave me a gentle grin and ran his strong hand beneath my chin. My eyes widened and I gasped- no air entered my lungs. That grin was replaced with a frown, and his horror-stricken face was the last thing I saw before I tumbled into darkness.
     
     "Your eyes. . .are so beautiful. . .I'll never forget them," A promise made, two fingers brushing over my eyelids and closing my eyes;then brushing over the lashes that fluttered shut.

      When I opened my eyes again, I was still there behind the shops; and he was pacing back and forth in front of me. He glanced my way every now and then- when he finally realized I was awake he rushed back over. Again that speed confused me; but I let it pass. He murmured something, and then his eyes fell over my body. They came back up and rested on my eyes.
      "Still so beautiful. . .Did you change your hair? I like it," He grinned stupidly and took one side of my layered hair into his hand- examining the navy blue dye on the ends. I batted his hand away and questioned, "Who the hell are you?" That's when his eyes grew sad again.
      "I'm so sorry you forgot. . ." He suddenly pulled me forward and into his arms- my head was clasped to his shoulder. Squirming, memories flashed in my mind- my vision flashed white.

      Fingers grazing up my sides and then resting on my cheeks- thumbs stroking my pale, untouched skin. "Beautiful. . ." Covering every inch of my face in light, fluttery kisses- my forehead, my cheeks, my nose, my chin, and lingering over my lips before he pulled away. "Sorry. . ."

      "I'm so sorry I went away. . ."

      Eyes wide in shock the day he made his depart; the way his red eyes glossed over with tears and he gave me that goofy grin before hugging me once more. "I'll never forget you. . ."

      "I never forgot. . .Erin. . ." I felt tears flooding my eyes and I whimpered softly as one name began to pass it's way into my head. Ch. . .Cha. . .Cha-

      I woke up again on my bed- it was as though I'd never left. My shoes were off, somewhere downstairs. My clock blinked 4:10. My phone buzzed with a text- but I just stared at the scars on my wrist, remembering many things and at the same time forgetting them. I got up, moving mechanically, and made my way to my closet. I needed my knife. I needed it. I grabbed the jean bag from the top shelf of my closet- and blinked in shock as I felt it's light-weight. What. . .
      "No. No!" I cried, tearing the top open and seeing everything- my knife, my bandages and gauze, everything -gone. I curled up on the floor right there, upon the creamy carpeting, and I just held my head and whispered over and over.
      "No. . .No. . .No. . ." Then I curled up tighter, my head feeling as though it were splitting into two pieces- one that held my sanity and the other that held my memories.

      And I screamed.