The sun came up, but who would have noticed? The sky was blanketed in deep gray rain clouds, the sound of my own thoughts drowned out by thunder and the torrential downpour hitting the pavement outside. Occasional flashes of lightning would make me jump, and the power surged every now and then, interrupting my editing flow.
I ignored Em's texts. She'd sent at least ten. I couldn't even bring myself to get out of my pajamas. I sat in my office, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket, clacking away on my laptop. 'Henry' texted me.
Are you okay? She screamed at you an awful lot.
I'm alright, I wasn't paying attention to anything she was screaming, I typed.
Okay. I won't repeat any of it, then.
Thanks. I'm really busy with work right now, I'll have to talk to you later, I replied.
Okay.
I finally scrolled through Em's texts. She'd heard Angela's screams down the street, and was wondering what happened. She wanted to know if I was okay. Was I okay? The connection 'Henry' and I had was no longer a secret. I blew up, and told her the truth. But she pushed me; she accused me. How was I able to stand there so calmly and tell her she wasn't wrong, when my first instinct should have been to deny everything?
She could take him back if she wanted to. I know she didn't believe that he didn't like her back. Would she get rid of him, once she did? I had no idea what was about to happen. No, I was not okay.
Em's impatience took over and she called me, "There you are! Why are you ignoring my messages?"
"I'm finishing up some work right now."
"Oh, I didn't know. Did you hear Angela carrying on last night? My goodness she woke up half her neighbors. I'm surprised they didn't get the police involved, with the racket she made."
"Yes, I did hear that."
"That boy must have said something."
"No, I did."
"You didn't!" she gasped in surprise, "I didn't think you guys were ready to come clean. I thought you'd want to be a little more sure."
"I wanted to be more sure. I wish I could explain what happened, but she just started on this tirade. Knowing what I was up to, and whatever. Then she called me a hussy and I snapped."
"Wait, I don't understand."
"I walked him home."
"What did you say?"
"I told her she was right, that I like him. I also told her, plain as day, that he doesn't like her. Then I just walked away, and she screamed at the back of my head until she couldn't see me anymore."
"...Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not. I don't know that she believed me about his feelings, but now that she knows about mine... She'll do whatever she can to keep him from seeing me. I'm surprised she hasn't called you to vent, honestly."
"Well, knowing our friendship, I am now guilty by association. I don't think she is going to confide in me again anytime soon," she paused a moment, "Kristin and Jin-young are going to come over today. I think we can leave the boys together to watch some sports. We'll come to you when she gets here."
"I appreciate that. Hopefully the rain lets up a little bit."
"Considering today's forecast, I doubt it."
We said goodbye and I finished the last of my editing work. I went down to the kitchen, finally tidying up the cups from last night. I pep-talked myself into getting dressed for the day, putting on jeans and a t-shirt. It wasn't long before Em and Kirsten let themselves in through my unlocked door.
"No one knocks anymore?"
"You should start locking your door if you don't want us letting ourselves in," Kirsten laughed, "Em made it abundantly clear that today you need your friends. Mark does, too, but it seems that Angela isn't letting him out of her sight."
I pulled a four-pack of locally made soda out of my fridge, "What do you mean?"
"I called earlier to see if he would like to go watch the basketball game with Finn and Jin-young. Angela promptly snatched the phone out of his hand and demanded to know who was calling," Kirsten said, cracking open a soda, "And when I asked her if it was okay, she said 'he's not going to see anyone unless I say so.'"
I chewed my lower lip, trying to swallow the lump I felt in my throat.
Em looked at Kirsten, "There's not a way to tell you that without adding on to your stress."
"You know, she was berating me from the moment she opened her door. Accusing me. All of it was true, but it wasn't until she called me a 'hussy' that I looked her in the eye and admitted I like him," I was staring, dead-eyed, at the tile. "I also told her everyone but her already knew. I am sorry that you two have to take the fall with me. I never intended for that to happen, but the words just came flying out. And now, she's even keeping Mark from his best friend."
I held my head in my hands. Kirsten sympathetically patted my shoulder.
"I feel bad for encouraging you," Em empathized, "I didn't think about what would happen to either of you once she found out. All I paid attention to was seeing him care for you in the way you deserve."
"Unfortunately, the contract gives her a large amount of control over him. If he runs away, legally, he has to be brought back to her. He has no say in the terms of the contract, and the only person who can break it is her. In a manner of speaking, he isn't much more than an elevated piece of property," Kirsten explained.
"How are they even able to do that?" Em was shocked.
"There are a lot of legal loopholes in use, and I can't even begin to untangle that web."
"Then why did you go to them?" Em asked.
"I was tired of being single. My sisters are all married, they have one or two kids. I'm mostly an afterthought to my parents because I've lived as a bachelorette for so long. My sisters take priority, and to be honest I got jealous. It just so happens that I got very lucky to be put with someone I click with."
"Tell me something, Kirsten," I began, "If you two didn't click, would you take him back?"
"Of course I would," she didn't hesitate, "there is no use in going after someone who doesn't want you back. It's painful and awkward for both sides, so it would be the best thing to take him back."
"Even though you have no idea what happens to them when they go back?"
She thought a moment, "I can't see what else I could do. You can't just cut them loose. They won't have feet to land on."
"Do you want to know something strange about Mark?" I didn't wait for a response, "He has knowledge of a book he's never read, memories of a teacher he's never had. He was here the other night, holding a copy of The Great Gatsby, and it all just started surfacing. It gave him a headache. I thought he might be someone who can remember a past life, but now that I bring it up, I think the truth is worse."
"What do you mean?" asked Kirsten, tilting her head to the side.
"I think he's remembering things from before he was at the lab."
"How can that be possible, when he was made there?"
I shook my head, "The more I think about it, the more I think they're not making humans, they're recycling them."
"Do you mean, like, re-animating dead people?"
"I'm not sure about how yet. And it isn't like we could report it. It's just my hunch at this point. I don't know how they're doing it, but I suspect they are 'erasing' what someone used to be, and making them into someone else."
Kirsten and Em looked at me like I was insane.
"That's a crazy theory," Em said.
"I wouldn't be surprised if there was something shady going on in that place, I just don't think it's quite that extreme," Kirsten replied.
"And remembering a past life isn't as crazy?" I asked.
They were silent, sipping their soda.
"I know there are some things better kept to myself. I wouldn't say anything if Mark weren't also searching for the answer. It must be so confusing to him, walking through life as he is now; with all of these vivid memories coming back, but they're so distant they seem like remembering dreams."
"Jin-young hasn't experienced anything like this."
"For his sake, I'm glad. Mark looked so scared. His identity is crumbling. He probably feels like he needs to be institutionalized."
"It may not lighten the mood much, but Angela is definitely behaving like a mom who just grounded her kid. She's not letting him leave the house, and has probably taken his phone away," Kirsten remarked.
"I'm not sure if that makes things better or worse," replied Em.
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