Every building, plant, person, and crack in the ground stands out. No matter where I look, I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve been here before. It’s so painstakingly familiar. I didn’t remember it until now, but I know I’ve been here before.
“Viv? You okay?” Rowan touches my arm. Her eyebrows draw together lightly in concern, dark curls brushing her eyes. “You kinda went blank on me for a second.”
I force a smile. “Yeah. Just lost in thought.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” she purses her lips, “what were you thinking of?”
“I don’t really know.” I glance around again. The same feelings sink into my gut. “Something about this place feels . . . familiar.”
“Really? This street’s mostly new.”
I shake my head. “It’s stupid.”
She brushes her bangs out of her face. “Is it good or bad?”
“I . . . have no idea.”
“Huh,” she tilts her head.
“Can we talk about something else?” I keep my eyes focused on her.
She raises an eyebrow. “Okay. How’s your job going?”
“Cliché.”
“You ask something, then.”
I laugh. “Fine. How was your day?”
“Oh, come on.” She rolls her eyes. “That’s the most basic question ever.”
I grab my chest in mock offense.
“Ugh, fine!” She pulls my arm away, giggling. “It was fine.” She enunciates every word. “I had breakfast with my cat.”
“With your cat?”
It’s Rowan’s turn to gasp. “Do not speak of Fluffy with that tone!”
I stick out my tongue. “Just because Fluffy is your only other friend doesn’t mean —”
“I think you’re” — she pokes my chest — “just jealous that I love him more than I love you.”
“You so do not!”
When she shoots me a grin, my lips can’t help but perk up. I’ll never tire of spending time with Rowan.
“I had to drag myself away from him this morning to meet you.”
“Mm-hmm,” I mutter, looking at a red rose poking out of the cement. The skin at the back of my neck prickles. Where have I seen this before?
“I was sad the entire car ride to your place,” Rowan sighs.
“Car ride?” I look up from the flower.
Her smile appears more forced. “How else do you think we got here, silly?”
I rack my brain. No memory of the car. No memory of the ride. No memory of . . . anything. “I don’t know.”
“We took my car.”
“Where did you park?” I ask.
“I don’t know.”
“What does your car look like? What type of cat is Fluffy?”
“Viv, enough!” Her brown eyes cloud with fury. “Enough with the inane questions! You know the answers to all of them!”
My feet move me unconsciously. “Rowan . . .”
Her smile reappears. “Sorry for that outburst. I’m working on it with my therapist. You know me, raging temper.”
“Yeah.” I comb through my mind once more. Now that I think about it, I don’t have any memories of Rowan, either. I could swear we’re best friends but . . . how did we meet? Do I have any other friends? What’s her last name? I’m so lost in thought, I crash into someone watering their plants.
“Ack!” Water spills down my shirt. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry.” I lean down and offer them a hand.
They take it, pulling themself to their feet.
“I’ll help you clean up.”
“No need,” they smile. Something in their eyes falters when they meet mine.
This is new.
“Viv! Are you okay?” Rowan grabs my arm. “Aw, your favorite shirt!”
Is it? I wonder. “I’m fine.”
She tugs on me, eyeing the stranger. “We should go get you a new one.”
The stranger studies me. “Viv?” they whisper.
Rowan gives my arm a slight tug. “We should go now.”
But my feet are planted in the ground, my eyes stuck on the stranger. The stranger stares right back at me. Their eyes widen.
“Viv.”
“How do you know my name?” My voice is shaky. I don’t know why.
They take my shoulders carefully. “It’s really you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We need to go!” Rowan’s grip tightens painfully. I glance at her.
“No.” The stranger squeezes my shoulders gently. “Eyes on me.”
I turn back to them.
“No!” Rowan shouts.
“You’re not supposed to be here. This,” they wave their arms, “isn’t real.”
“Then what is it?”
The stranger shakes their head. “There isn’t time to explain. Don’t trust anyone. Especially not her.” They gesture toward Rowan.
“But —”
“Please! Promise me you’ll remember.” They take my hand. It’s familiar, but in a different way.
Home. It feels like home.
“I promise.”
They smile. “Good.” Their hand brushes my cheek. Everything comes back in a second. A name. A life. A partner. A smile. Two hands wrapped together. The alien invasion. Being torn apart, plugged and unplugged into those awful green machines over and over again.
“I remember,” I smile.
“Good.” Casey’s fingers elicit tingles through my face.
“Sickening.” Rowan’s lip curls downward. “I guess we’ll have to try again.”
I return to my body.
I hear mumblings. I can’t see beyond this murky green sludge holding me down. I try to scream, but I can’t. My fingers twitch, feeling rolling up my arm.
“We’ll get it eventually,” says Rowan. “We’ll get the information we need.”
“We will,” says a foreign voice.
“They’ll forget and tell us everything.”
I won’t. I’ll remember Casey’s fingers intertwined in mine. I’ll remember. They will too. What’s a million more tries?
“Viv? You okay?” Rowan touches my arm. Her eyebrows draw together lightly in concern, dark curls brushing her eyes. “You kinda went blank on me for a second.”
I force a smile. “Yeah. Just lost in thought.”
“If you don’t mind me asking,” she purses her lips, “what were you thinking of?”
“I don’t really know.” I glance around again. The same feelings sink into my gut. “Something about this place feels . . . familiar.”
“Really? This street’s mostly new.”
I shake my head. “It’s stupid.”
She brushes her bangs out of her face. “Is it good or bad?”
“I . . . have no idea.”
“Huh,” she tilts her head.
“Can we talk about something else?” I keep my eyes focused on her.
She raises an eyebrow. “Okay. How’s your job going?”
“Cliché.”
“You ask something, then.”
I laugh. “Fine. How was your day?”
“Oh, come on.” She rolls her eyes. “That’s the most basic question ever.”
I grab my chest in mock offense.
“Ugh, fine!” She pulls my arm away, giggling. “It was fine.” She enunciates every word. “I had breakfast with my cat.”
“With your cat?”
It’s Rowan’s turn to gasp. “Do not speak of Fluffy with that tone!”
I stick out my tongue. “Just because Fluffy is your only other friend doesn’t mean —”
“I think you’re” — she pokes my chest — “just jealous that I love him more than I love you.”
“You so do not!”
When she shoots me a grin, my lips can’t help but perk up. I’ll never tire of spending time with Rowan.
“I had to drag myself away from him this morning to meet you.”
“Mm-hmm,” I mutter, looking at a red rose poking out of the cement. The skin at the back of my neck prickles. Where have I seen this before?
“I was sad the entire car ride to your place,” Rowan sighs.
“Car ride?” I look up from the flower.
Her smile appears more forced. “How else do you think we got here, silly?”
I rack my brain. No memory of the car. No memory of the ride. No memory of . . . anything. “I don’t know.”
“We took my car.”
“Where did you park?” I ask.
“I don’t know.”
“What does your car look like? What type of cat is Fluffy?”
“Viv, enough!” Her brown eyes cloud with fury. “Enough with the inane questions! You know the answers to all of them!”
My feet move me unconsciously. “Rowan . . .”
Her smile reappears. “Sorry for that outburst. I’m working on it with my therapist. You know me, raging temper.”
“Yeah.” I comb through my mind once more. Now that I think about it, I don’t have any memories of Rowan, either. I could swear we’re best friends but . . . how did we meet? Do I have any other friends? What’s her last name? I’m so lost in thought, I crash into someone watering their plants.
“Ack!” Water spills down my shirt. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry.” I lean down and offer them a hand.
They take it, pulling themself to their feet.
“I’ll help you clean up.”
“No need,” they smile. Something in their eyes falters when they meet mine.
This is new.
“Viv! Are you okay?” Rowan grabs my arm. “Aw, your favorite shirt!”
Is it? I wonder. “I’m fine.”
She tugs on me, eyeing the stranger. “We should go get you a new one.”
The stranger studies me. “Viv?” they whisper.
Rowan gives my arm a slight tug. “We should go now.”
But my feet are planted in the ground, my eyes stuck on the stranger. The stranger stares right back at me. Their eyes widen.
“Viv.”
“How do you know my name?” My voice is shaky. I don’t know why.
They take my shoulders carefully. “It’s really you.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We need to go!” Rowan’s grip tightens painfully. I glance at her.
“No.” The stranger squeezes my shoulders gently. “Eyes on me.”
I turn back to them.
“No!” Rowan shouts.
“You’re not supposed to be here. This,” they wave their arms, “isn’t real.”
“Then what is it?”
The stranger shakes their head. “There isn’t time to explain. Don’t trust anyone. Especially not her.” They gesture toward Rowan.
“But —”
“Please! Promise me you’ll remember.” They take my hand. It’s familiar, but in a different way.
Home. It feels like home.
“I promise.”
They smile. “Good.” Their hand brushes my cheek. Everything comes back in a second. A name. A life. A partner. A smile. Two hands wrapped together. The alien invasion. Being torn apart, plugged and unplugged into those awful green machines over and over again.
“I remember,” I smile.
“Good.” Casey’s fingers elicit tingles through my face.
“Sickening.” Rowan’s lip curls downward. “I guess we’ll have to try again.”
I return to my body.
I hear mumblings. I can’t see beyond this murky green sludge holding me down. I try to scream, but I can’t. My fingers twitch, feeling rolling up my arm.
“We’ll get it eventually,” says Rowan. “We’ll get the information we need.”
“We will,” says a foreign voice.
“They’ll forget and tell us everything.”
I won’t. I’ll remember Casey’s fingers intertwined in mine. I’ll remember. They will too. What’s a million more tries?