That Night

Chapter 1 That Night

         Elorn stared at the dark sky.  The clouds obscured the stars, making the streetlamps the only source of light.  He leaned on this desk, head in his hands.  He had a headache from the open book next to one of his arms.  He lifted his head and closed the book when he heard a knock on the door.  He heard the door creak and knew who it was.
         “I’m sorry to bother you, but I thought that you might be hungry,” said a quiet female voice.
         Elorn remained quiet.
         “Please, you have to eat something.  At least take a bite, it might help bring your strength up,” she begged.
         He still didn’t reply, but turned to look her in the eyes instead.  He saw the girl’s eyes widen in fear, put down the tray, and run through the door.  Elorn got up to close it.  He closed his eyes and slid down with his back against the door.  He looked towards the tray, then to what he could see of the closed book.
         He went to the book and opened it again.  He still couldn’t understand what it said, and he was beginning to think he never would.  Elorn pushed back he chair and thought about going to bed.

***

         “Hurry up Elorn!  You’re being really slow!”  Elayne yelled.
         “I’m coming, just hold on!”  he said.
         Elayne grabbed his hand and pulled him up, not giving him a chance to get both of his shoes on.  The sun was high in the sky and a cool breeze was blowing.
         “You aren’t going to run the whole way, are you?” he asked, trying to get his last shoe on the rest of the way while running.
         “We have to, or it’ll be closed before we get there!”
         “But it’s over a mile-”
         “Shut up and run!” she yelled.
         Elorn was breathing hard and his throat as getting dry.  He was trying his hardest to keep up, but his legs weren’t as long as his older sister’s.  His nose burned from the dust, and he was sure that he would collapse before they were a quarter of the way there.
         “Hey…”
         “I said shut-”
         Elayne stumbled because the rocks in the dirt road were loose.  She ran a few more steps before she realized that her brother was harder to pull than before.  She looked back and the stopped.
         “Are you okay?” she asked.
         “Thanks for stopping,” he said sarcastically.
         “Are you hurt?”
         “Just a few scrapes I think.  Just go without me.  I will catch up later.”
         “Are you sure?  We should go back home and get you cleaned up.”
         “I’m sure, just go.  It’s going to close soon!” Elorn laughed to himself as he saw how fast she ran away.  He stopped when he looked at the palm of his left hand and his legs.  He grimaced while he started picking out the pebbles in his skin.
         “Now that I think about it, why was she in such a hurry to go to the book store…?” he asked himself.
         “To get a book.”
         Before Elorn could turn around to look or ask who it was, he was hit on the head with a stick.
         “Ow!  Who the hell are you?  Sneaking behind people and hitting them!”
         “I’m nobody in particular,” replied the old man.
         “Why did you hit me in the head?” yelled Elorn.
         “You slowed the girl down.”
         “You know Elayne?” he asked.  What was she doing with some creepy old man?
         “She has been helping me shop lately, since I have gotten older,” said the old man, running his fingers through the end of his long, white beard.
         “Wait… I’ve never seen you before.  Where are you from, old man?”
         “That’s not a nice way to speak to your elders, sonny.  As to where I’m from, I’m not going to tell you.”
         “Why the hell not?”
         “Because you were rude,” said the old man, laughing.
         “Whatever, I’m going home,” said Elorn. 
         When he tried to stand, he fell back to his knees.  The old man was laughing and walking away.
         “It’s not funny you crazy old man!” yelled Elorn.

***

         “I said wake up!” yelled the girl as she punched Elorn in the arm.
         “What the hell is wrong with you, old man?” he yelled.
         “I’m not an old man!” she yelled, punching him harder this time.
         “Huh?”
         Elorn looked around the room, wondering where he was.  He saw the girl standing by his bed.  He glanced at the desk to see if the book had been touched.  He looked at the girl, and this time she merely flinched and blushed when he met her eyes.
         “Where’d the old man go?” he finally asked.
         “What are you talking about?”
         “I was with Elayne, but I fell, and she went to the book store without me, and then there was this old man…”
         “You’ve been asleep the whole time,” she said.
         “How long?” he asked.
         “Don’t know.  I heard you yelling, so I came up here to check on you.  I spent a good half hour trying to get you up.  Who is Elayne, anyway?”
         “My older sister.”  After almost a minute, he added, “how did I get in the bed, anyway?”
         “You got in yourself?”
         “Are you sure about that?” he asked, scowling.
         The girl responded by bowing and attempting to walk out.
         “Hey now, I never said you could leave yet,” he said.
         “What is it?” she asked.
         “I’ve been here a week, and I still don’t know your name.”
         “I… don’t know.”
         “How-”
         “I lost all of my memory when I was found, is that okay with you?”
         “What are you called, then?” he asked quietly.
         “Elaine…”
         Elorn’s skin paled, and his eyes widened.
         “Do you know your age?  How you got here?  How about-”
         “I already told you, I don’t know.”
         “Why do you get all weird when you look at my face…?  Do I look familiar at all?”
         “It is full of pain, and I can’t imagine how you could have gotten that scar.”
         “Pity, huh?”
         “No!  It’s not like that at all!  I’m just curious-”
         “That type?”
         “No!  Please, no matter what I say, it will come out sounding bad, so please, stop asking questions…”
         He looked up and studied Elaine closely.  He smirked and closed his eyes, and leaned back against the wall.
         “What… is it?  Do I have something on my face?” she asked.
         “Heh, there is no way you could be my sister.  She never whined like that.”
         “Why you…” she said, balling her hands into fists.
         “I was joking.  Your hair is the wrong color.  I don’t know why I didn’t notice before.  The name must be a coincidence.  Hey, how long have you lived here?”
         “Um… about five years I think…” she said, surprised at the sudden change of tone.
         He sat there quietly for a while, just staring at Elaine.  She started fidgeting, and looked like she wanted to leave.  Elorn wouldn’t let her; he just kept seeing all of the differences between her and his sister.
         “How could I have ever mistook you for her?”
         “Huh?”  Elaine said.
         “I guess I must have been really out of it when I woke up.”
         “You called me an old man.”
         “Please don’t look at me like that,” he said, laughing nervously while Elaine glared at him.
         “And I thought you were some serious, quiet guy.  I guess the scar was from some accident, huh?”
         “Oh... you were scared of me because of this?” he asked, pointing at the scar across his forehead.
         “Yeah, kind of.  I thought you must have gotten into some kind of fight, and that you were really strong and scary.”
         “You know?  You sound like a kid right now.  I’ve been here for a week, haven’t I?  You haven’t been hurt by me, right?  So why did you-”
         Elaine smacked him across the face, and he could only watch as she left the room and slammed the door.