"She says she's your wife."
Stating the obvious of what was given to me already, I could only sigh.
"Yeah, she's said that much, thanks... But, I just..."
As though to show empathy for the woman, she steps to her and crouches down. However, in the end she ends up just staring at her.
"Don't tell me, you're with another woman..! Please don't say it's true!"
"It's not, that at least, I can say for su- Oww!"
A sharp pain strikes my shin as I look down at the perpetrator.
"Lie. You have me, do you not?"
"She's talking about something else!"
Please! Try to read in between the lines here! ...Though, in her defense, I guess it's not something that happens regularly for her.
"Then, please... Tell me, what happened? What happened to you? I... don't know what..."
Grabbing the attention of every person in the surrounding area, I'm getting weird looks as the woman before me is crying her eyes out, as a little girl's now pulling my shirt as though to get my attention. Clearly, somethings going terribly wrong here, and the further we continue this in the public, the worse it'll get.
"Okay, look. I don't know what's going on either, but let's take this somewhere else."
"Home," she rises from the ground as she suggests the location, "Let's go home, Henrik. I-... I'm tired..."
If she is telling the truth, then this woman is my wife. If that's the truth then... I'm a lousy husband; who can't even remember the person in which he vowed to.
I look to the girl who seems to be rather nonchalant of the situation.
"I don't mind. If this is important to you, then, I can wait. But, I expect something out of it."
"...Yeah, thanks."
...
We step into a rather ordinary apartment on the seventeenth floor as I take the time to look around.
"...This, it does look familiar... but."
To the rather vacant shoe rack, to the wooden floorboards; even just the atmosphere. I recognise it all. The moment I turn to Mari, tears fill her eyes as she steals a glance at me.
"Is there something wrong?"
Brushing the tears away with her finger, she smiles wholeheartedly.
"Nothing, it's just... I'm not sure how long it's been since, we both entered our home together."
"...I see."
Seeing her smile in such a way at me, it feels wrong. She clearly shows deep affection and yet, I feel nothing for her.
"This place. It stinks."
The girl pokes her head out from behind me as she proceeds to hide against my back.
"Oh, sorry... Ever since then... I haven't been, cleaning well and..."
Compared to the scent of the home in the forest, I'd say this is more refreshing in all honesty.
"Don't mind her."
Heading further in, she leads us in a small dining room consisting she insists that I take a seat first. Realising that there is only two chairs by the circular table, the girl hops against my lap as I can only imagine just what sort of thoughts are flowing through Mari's mind. The smell was rather faint at the doorstep, but now further in, it's more apparent. Looking over towards the kitchen, stacks of unclean plates fill the sink as numerous garbage bags lay over the place.
Showing a rather forced smile, she heads towards a cabinet and picks up a framed photograph and places it in front of me.
"That's... me..?"
A rather arrogant looking man in a suit stands beside Mari in an elegant wedding dress with a dazzling smile.
"It was our wedding night... don't you remember?"
"..."
I rarely have the opportunity to see myself, it's only when I wash myself down at the underground lake, at the waters reflection. Each and every time I do however, it frightens me. Now that I see a photo of how I was before... I hate it.
"Sorry, I just don't know..."
"He's not lying."
Her motives may be good, however, if there's a third part in this conversation, I feel as though I'll miss something. Not only that, but she doesn't need to be involved in this.
"Yeah, thanks. Sorry, but could you let us talk for a bit?"
"Hmm..."
Taking a long glance at me as though to read my intentions, she eventually hops off and disappears into the hallway.
"Hahh..."
I heave a heavy sigh as this unexpected situation occurred when my guard was down. I knew that some day I'd have to face my past, but, not this soon.
"I lost my memory, after I died."
"Died..? W-What are you talking about, Henrik?"
Whenever she mentions that name, I can't bring myself to like it, or acknowledge that it's my name.
"Sorry, but could you not call me that? At least, not right now..."
"O-Oh, okay..."
...
I explained just about everything to her from what I remember the moment I woke up in that forest.
"W-Wait, you were in that forest, with the Witch? Then she's?"
"...She's not a Witch but an apprentice. So the title of Witch does not belong to her."
A mere apprentice holds nothing to a true Witch, that's what she told me.
"But... you never told me anything about being part of the Mafia... I mean, I knew you were caught up in something, but you wouldn't tell me... So I believed you, when you said you were just a salary man."
"...The hole just keeps getting deeper."
Henrik, you're unbelievable, you bastard.
"Sorry, I'll listen to what you have to say. But for now, can I have some time?"
Even if she has told me rather straightforwardly that I'm her husband, would it even be right to say that she's my wife if I remember nothing about her?
"...Mm, okay. As long as you like."
Agreeing without any arguments makes me think there's a few layers to her love for Henrik.
Leaving my seat, the girl soon reappears from the 2nd floor as she rests her hand against the railing looking at us.
"But, Hen- ...answer me this..." almost letting the name slip, she looks around rather uncomfortably, unable to make eye contact, "Just, what is she to you? You don't have to answer, if you don't want to..."
"...What is she, hmm..."
I look back to the girl by the railing as she simply observes us before everywhere else.
"...I don't know, but... I just want to be there for her, whenever she needs it. You know how much the tale of the Witch has an affect on people."
"What's her name?"
"Name? Well."
She never mentioned a name, nor was there one given to me in my time there. There was never a need for it after all, we just lived by ourselves.
"She doesn't have one, and like her, I don't either. Come on, get down here and let's go."
Joining us at the doorstep, it seems Mari intends on following us, though if that does happen, I won't be able to concentrate.
"You're tired, aren't you? I can tell just by looking at you."
"Well, I just got off work and so..."
Anyone could tell what was about to follow as she already anticipated my words.
"You don't want me to follow, do you? But then, when will I see you again? I don't know, but every time you say you'll be going, it feels like you'll leave me forever. I... I don't know how long I can-..."
Breaking down into tears once again, I realise that I really just don't understand the situation at all. It may be larger than I thought, not just my disappearance, but my past relations with this woman. At a glance, I can already tell how shaky the foundation is and that's just the beginning.
"...You'll see me tomorrow. So, just stay here and get some rest. Take a day off work, if you can."
"...Mm, okay."
Her eyes begin to water, now perhaps for a different reason as she smiles.
"Thank you."
Closing the door, I take a deep breath and sigh as we both head down the elevator.
"Well, sorry that took longer than I thought it would. What were you doing?"
"I was exploring."
"Exploring, hmm. Well unfortunately, we won't be able to explore much of the town since the mall will be closing. How about something to eat, anything you want in particular?"
"Hot. I want, hot food."
Clinging to me as we exit the apartment complex, sure there's many ways to satisfy her wants for hot food, but that just makes it harder to decide. I can't even remember the last place I ate, nor any place specifically that I enjoyed from memory.
"First, we can't get food without funds."
"We're, not stealing? If you want, I can get something hot."
"What kind of hot food can you possibly steal? No, we're not having any of that. You couldn't help it before, but now the situation's different. You can afford to buy food."
"I can? What do I pay with? I saw some places in the past, they sell people and offer-"
"I'm going to have to stop you right there."
...
Arriving at the safe house it's more of a secret lodging for myself in plain sight. In an apartment complex, but unlike Mari's, this one's small in comparison and a little rundown with only three floors.
Applying some persuasiveness to the landlord, I obtain a spare key for my unit and head to it on the 1st floor. Making our way into the cramped living space consisting of a single room and bathroom, I recall the area is roughly within fifty square feet.
"Now then... I do recall something being... where?"
Searching the place for hidden items, the girl does as she pleases and walks around before lying against the worn leather couch.
"Hm, not as soft as the other."
"You mean the one in the house you lived in before? Well, excuse the non soft couch, not sure how long it's been there. May have to crash here for the night unless you want to head back."
"Head back? But, you said. You were going to see her tomorrow. Were you lying?"
During the midst of my search, I stop and glance at her blankly staring at the ceiling.
"It doesn't matter to me, but. For some reason, I don't like her."
Hearing the sound of unraveling paper, she throws a sheet at me.
"What's this?"
She answers with silence as I take the time to read the paper, or better yet a ticket.
"...From Lust till Dusk."
What the hell is this? A hotel? No, it's a-
"Why do you have- where did you get this?"
"It was in one of the rooms at her home. The date was recent, so. It's not yours, is it?"
Taking a peek at the analogue clock which also displays the date, it is definitely recent, so it's not mine. But, what does that even mean?
"...She's. No, that's-"
A spiral of conflicting emotions run rampant as I'm unable to determine what I wish to believe. Not only that but, why is it that I feel betrayed, when I don't even know her? Or is that simply what I chose to believe because it was the easier way out?
"Hm. You said you don't know her. But here you are, crying, over someone who may or may not be your wife."
"I'm-..?"
Bringing my hand up, tears run down it as they continue to fall as I brush them all away as I take deep breaths to calm myself.
"...Sorry, but would you be okay if we stay here for the night?"
"You don't have to ask me."
...
By the time I realise, nightfall came during the midst of my search as I eventually find a safe hidden below the flooring. However, it seems I miscalculated a certain thing, the combination code.
"...What was it again?"
And so, after numerous attempts of inputting random sequences, I left it alone for the moment and rummage through the drawers. Though much to my dissatisfaction, the combination code wasn't written down anywhere, not even a hint. It must've been something so obvious to my past self, that my current now does not know of.
"...Well. At least we have something."
A small amount hidden away inside winter socks, it's not as much as I'd like. But we'd be able to get by perfectly fine. That is, depending on how much we spend.
"All right, let's-"
Hearing a light snore in the background, I realise that she fell fast asleep.
"I guess, it must've been tiring. It was a far walk and yet, you didn't complain about it. Heck, I didn't think you'd want to be back here."
Kneeling down by the sofa, I push the bangs covering her eyes as I do my best to not disturb her sleep. She almost never moves during her slumber and her breath is so calm and controlled that it doesn't make a sound. It was frightening enough that I always thought she passed on during her sleep. Yet now, I think it's because she couldn't let her guard down. She didn't trust me and yet, I think she wanted someone. It didn't have to be me, but that doesn't matter to me.
I pull a blanket over her and remove her worn out sandals. Perhaps she wanted to rest ever since we entered the town and yet showed no signs of exhaustion.
"Sleep well, I'll be back with some food."
...
Not leaving the house back in the forest for months, I forget how cold it can get. Luckily, the apartment have a spare change of clothes and a coat. Though, the size doesn't exactly fit, it may be because I lost some weight.
"Eating such foods everyday. I'm surprised I haven't actually got poisoned yet."
Walking the night streets, there's far less people but some restaurants are still open at this hour. Though all will close an hour before midnight.
Deciding which food will suit her palate, a sweet scent wafts through the air as I'm lead to a corner store. Hot buns filled with various stuffings, some sweet, some savory. They deal with roasts also.
"I wonder how long it's been since she had meat."
I head towards the counter as the other customers finish, as the clerk greets me with high enthusiasm.
"Hey old man, what can I get for ya?"
Old man..?
I take a quick look behind, but surely, no one else is about.
He's referring to me? Well, surely... I haven't shaved in awhile and my hair has grown ridiculously long.
"Hey... I'll have some buns; the cheese one, custard and the quarter roast."
At that point, the man gave me a peculiar look, as though he wanted tell me something but held back his words. Moving to the grab a few buns, he puts a few in before stepping back in dismay.
"Oh, sorry old man. We're out of poultry, let me check out back if we have some."
"Oh, well sure..."
Despite the a few dozen were still visible in the hotbox, he exits out back as I proceed to wait for awhile. With the streets basically empty, the only people I could see were a few blocks down.
Before I knew it, a hard object presses against the back of my head as I freeze up.
"Hands behind your head. Start walking, into the lot. No sudden movements."
"W-What do you-"
Unable to even ask a question, he presses the item firmly against my skull as though to shut me up as I'm forced into the empty lot.
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