"Thirty more minutes," Evan groaned as he stretched.

"This coffee, are you sure it's got any caffeine in it," I asked as I yawned as well.

"Yeah, believe me it does," he coughed as he cracked his knuckles.

"I got food," Fox said as he walked back in carrying sacks in his hands.

"Tell me that's not from the China Inn," Evan asked suddenly.

"Ok, Evan it's not from the China Inn," Fox smirked as he sat the sacks of Chinese take out on the table.

"Anything we should know," I almost laughed.

"Yeah, they use cats when they run low on beef," he said with a frown as he peered into one of the small paper folded buckets.

"I always wondered what cat tasted like," Fox said as he tossed a chunk of meat in to his mouth.

"Well," I grinned.

"Sort of like chicken," he laughed.

"That's sweet and sour chicken," Evan said as he rolled his eyes.

"That would explain it," I smiled as I scooped a load of rice and mystery mix out onto my plate.

"Hand me the mystery mix," Fox said out loud as I slid the carton to him.

"Mystery mix," Evan slightly gasped.

"Yeah, not sure what it is, but it tastes good," I chuckled.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," he growled as he pulled out a Twinkie and began to unwrap it.

"I'm sure there's more protein in cat, than that Twinkie," Fox laughed.

The screen beside us blinked.

"It's done," Evan said sliding back over to the screen.

"Any room for TWQ," Fox asked through a slurp of coke.

"No, the chip is filled to the maximum," he frowned.

"Well, hey we got the food lets watch the show," Fox laughed as he flipped the light switch.

The holodome of the game system flickered and filled with light. A computer voice could be heard.

"Begin, Virtual Memory bank of Jordan Taylor Hanson," the voice said as we all looked at each other confused.

"Name doesn't ring any bells," I said to Fox as we both began to wonder what this was all about. I was almost positive the name would be familiar, top brass, and presidential aides. Heck, even foreign dignitaries would have made sense.

"What the hell are we looking at," Fox asked as we watched the screen.

"Looks like two girls and an older guy in an elevator," Evan said leaning forward.

"Which one is Jordan," Fox asked.

"We're seeing his memory, so we're seeing from his point of view, unless we catch a mirror we won't know what he looks like," Evan said as he clicked a few keys.

The image flickered and grew brighter and more detailed.

"Actually, that taller looking one looks more like a young guy," Evan said as he clicked another key and brought the detail up higher.

They people in the dome in front of us talked about a concert, about backstage passes and song sets, as well as an interview that was supposed to begin soon. We realized that both the other 'female' looking people in the elevator were named Isaac and Zac, that the older was named Chris.

The elevator doors rolled open and we saw a young man. He looked, maybe almost twenty years old, maybe a little more or less. Long brown hair, handsome, but definitely no one I had seen before. One thing I did notice, Jordan did not stop looking at him from the moment he got in the elevator. He said his name was Taylor.

"Is this Jordan a guy or a girl," Fox asked as I began to wonder myself.

"Not sure, Jordan and Taylor are both fairly androgynous names," Evan exclaimed.

"Well, what ever this Jordan is, they sure haven't stopped staring at the guy with the brown hair," Fox said as he crunched up his can.

"And by what the younger one just said, Jordan must also go by Taylor," I said as we watched.

"How much is there left to watch," I asked.

Evan leaned forward and looked at the screen, his eyes grew wide.

"Dana, this Jordan Taylor person has had over a year wiped from his mind," he said quietly looking at me.

"Wouldn't that be dangerous to remove that much from anyone at all," Fox asked.

"It ranks right along side a total lobotomy," I agreed with concern.

Suddenly I was very interested in this Jordan. Whoever he was, must be important, at least to whom ever wiped away an entire year of his life from his mind.

*          *          *          *          *

"Well his car is still here," I said as we rolled into the driveway.

"The lights aren't on," Zac said as we got out of the car.

"Weird, he always leaves the front porch light on all night long," I said out loud as we walked up to the front door.

"Do you have a key?" Zac asked.

"No, but I know where he keeps his spare," I said as I tipped the potted plant next to the front door up slightly and reached under.

"Something wrong," Zac asked as he saw the look on my face.

"Yeah, the spare is gone," I frowned.

"Let's knock," Zac said as he raised his hand.

I caught it in my hand and gave him a look that read 'no,' something felt wrong.

"There's another spare in the back," I said as we walked around to the back door.

A loose brick on the sidewall was the last place he told me he had hidden the second spare key. I reached over and pushed the brick up and slid the key out.

"Cool," Zac smiled as we walked to the backsliding glass door.

"Shit, this doesn't fit that one, come one," I said as we walked back to the front door.

I pushed the door open slowly and we stepped inside. The air conditioner was blasting. The place was near freezing.

"That's weird," I whispered as I pushed the thermostat up from forty-two degrees.

"No one is in the living room," Zac said quietly as he walked back into the hall.

"There's a light on in the bathroom in Wills room," I said as we walked back.

I stopped as the door pushed open.

Taylor was asleep, curled up on Wills bed. He had pulled some of Wills cloths out of the dresser and had them wrapped over him. I walked over quietly and watched him breath.

"He's asleep," I whispered.

Zac looked down at his brother.

*          *          *          *          *

I wanted to cry. God did I want to cry. Looking down at Taylor, curled up in a pile of Will's cloths, asleep. I knew why he was doing that. I remembered Ike told me he took grandma's sweater and wrapped it around himself after she had passed away. He had explained later on her smell helped sooth his nerves. I turned and pressed my face into Daphne's shoulder. I swallowed hard, trying to keep the knot in my throat from choking me.

"Where is Will?" I kept thinking.

"Come on, let's go into the living room," I heard her whisper as we walked out of the bedroom.

"Think he'll be ok," I whispered as she pulled the door closed.

"I don't think its Taylor we need to worry about," she said quietly as we sat down.

"Where is he?" I muttered.

"I don't know, all we can do is wait," she said as we sat back against each other.

The darkness was calming.

"Think we should call up your parents, let them know we found Tay," she asked.

"No, I'll call Ike, have him tell them, that way we can keep where Tay is secret,"

I said as I pulled out my cell phone.

"Won't they ask Ike where he is," she asked.

"Don't worry about it," I grinned.

I punched in Ike's number.

"Zac, where are you, where is Tay?"

"We found him, he's ok, he's asleep," I smiled.

"Is he with Will," Ike asked.

"No," I could honestly say.

"We'll be home in the morning, or so, not sure yet, tell mom and dad that they can relax," I said hanging up before he could reply

The phone rang again, once. It was Ike. I was about to answer when the phone stopped ringing.

"We can stay here tonight," I smiled.

Daphne shifted against me and looked up at me. Her beautiful brown eyes twinkling in the dim light.

"You know, I don't think I'd feel anymore comfortable than I do right here," she sighed.

"I know," I grinned. At least I could reply that way, which allowed her to think I either felt the same way or was just being arrogant. I liked having some mystery to me.

*          *          *          *          *

I knew risking a flight out to Roswell was too risky. Having to opt for the Orlando base was going to have to do. I knew I could get him in past security, I just hoped that the equipment I would need would still be available.

*          *          *          *          *

"Will," I screamed. The silence was devastating. I glanced around. The world seemed destroyed. Broken buildings all around me. Fire blazed up out of nowhere. The ground began to shake again.

"Where is he," I cried sitting down. He was supposed to be here, he was supposed to save me but he was gone.

I cried, I didn't know what to think, what to do, or where to go. Suddenly I saw I was standing on a beach. Nothing was making any sense anymore. It was almost like being awake.

"Funny," I thought to myself. I know I'm dreaming here. I looked over, sitting in the sand was my laptop, and the screen was blinking. I walked slowly over to it. The screen was blinking.

"Eternal Night, save or destroy?" Blinked on the screen.

My mind scrambled.

"Eternal Night, I know that," I said out loud sitting down in the sand.

I reached and hit the first key as the next message flashed onto the screen.

"Press any key to destroy ... "

I screamed. It was too late. The screen went dark. It was gone.

I heard his voice, echoing, he was screaming, crying, I cried bolting up to my feet glancing from side to side like a frightened cat. Where was he?!

My eyes snapped open. I glanced around. A bed, all these cloths, Taylor where the hell are you? I looked over to my left and saw his shirt draped across my arm.

I sighed. I knew where I was. Only the deep horrible stabbing in my chest remained. I knew where I was, but I did not, still did not know where he was. I cried and felt back into the pillows.

My stomach turned slightly. I wasn't sure if it was from hunger or nausea. I sat up and swung my feet off the bed and stood.

"Damn, you need to lay off the cigarettes man," I thought to myself. My stomach was definitely not happy with the nicotine.

"Coffee," I said out loud walking towards the door.

"Get some coffee in you Tay, get some caffeine, and then you'll be ok, he'll come in and it will be the same all over again, you can be with him just relax," I heard my mind whispering to me as I walked down the hall.

I stopped short. I heard something.

I waited. Someone was in the living room. I slowly stepped closer to the arch and leaned in. Two figures were moving around slowly on the sofa.

I felt my skin sprinkle with goose bumps as I realized I was unable to protect myself. I glanced around. There was nothing around that I could use. I moved a bit closer and recognized a tennis shoe on the floor. It was Zac's.

"Zac," I almost yelled.


On to Chapter Seventeen

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Memories ... Of A Forgotten Past is Copyright © 2000 by Taylor W. Quest.
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