Forget Me Not
Table of Contents
Title Page
Forget Me Not
Jake
Alison
Jake
Epilogue
About the Author
A short story by
ELAINE EWERTZ
For the drama queens
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
eSquared Press
Orlando, Florida
Also by Elaine Ewertz
The Black Shadows Series (Coming Soon)
The Devil You Know
Shadow House
A contemporary fantasy thriller series about Dr. Cecilia Harper, a young neurosurgeon who is drawn into a world of Celtic gods and goddesses after a chance meeting with a charming but dangerous man at a coffeeshop.
Dr. Aiden Black seems to know shameful secrets from Cecilia’s past, secrets she thinks no one knows. She will have to find out whether this “chance meeting” was really an accident or if Aiden planned it all along.
It doesn’t help that he’s not quite human and has supernatural abilities.
Sign up for my newsletter at http://eepurl.com/c6C38r if you want to read the first chapter of The Devil You Know. You’ll also be the first to know the release date and gain access to new stories and cool freebies. Your email address will never be shared and I won’t spam your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Also check out http://www.elaineewertz.com/ for more info on Elaine’s work and new releases.
Jake
January 15, 2051
Alison stormed into the room. "I'm not staying here another minute!" She raked her hands through her hair, matted from sleep or from needing a good washing. When she untangled her fingers, devil horns made of hair jutted from either side of her head.
That's kind of the idea, Jake thought. "Then by all means, leave. I'm not forcing you to stay." He stood up from the couch and shoved an empty Greenbox to her.
Her hands slammed onto her hips. "You don't seem to care at all! You never did! Were the last two years just a little fun trip for you? Bang me, use me, have pretty arm candy, then dispose of me when you get tired of me? You're such an asshole!”
Jake started to turn away.
“Hey, don't walk away from me. Jake!"
He sighed loudly. "I'm not getting into this again, Allie. We both know this is over and has been for a while. The faster you start packing, the faster you can get away from this asshole," he said, walking into the bedroom, ready to lock himself in until his psychotic soon-to-be ex-girlfriend either left or calmed down. He figured he had a better chance of getting struck by lightning.
"Start packing? Wow, you are cold! Who are you, Jake? I don't even recognize you!" She charged towards the bedroom, following him.
"Allie. You brought the boxes home yesterday and told me you were leaving." Leaning against the door-jam, he closed his eyes, resting his head against his forearm.
"So? We had a fight.” She switched to her kitten voice, the one she used when she realized she had gone too far. “I don't really want to leave, Jake. Please just talk to me."
"It's over, Allie." He started to close the door.
The kitten morphed into a tiger. "Like hell it is!" Using all of her nearly hundred pounds, she slammed open the door and as the glass from the vanity mirror behind it shattered, her palm met his left cheek in a loud SLAP.
Jake took a step back. “Really, Alison? Are we going to do this again?"
Her eyes blazing with fury, she attacked like a vicious wildcat, kicking and clawing at him. He tried to dodge her blows but she managed to land a swift kick in his right shin.
"Dammit!" He lunged for her, picked her up by the waist and flung her over his shoulder.
"Put me down! Jake! Put me down now!"
"Nope," Jake said, as he carried her to the living room where he dropped her onto the sofa. "This isn't happening. Never again, Alison. You need help. Pack. Now. You're going to stay at Samantha's." He pointed at her Apple Watch on her wrist. "Call her."
"No one says call anymore," she said under her breath. "Besides, it’s been acting wonky. It stopped reading my mind.”
Jake gave an exasperated sigh. “So, talk to Siri or use the screen.”
Allie tilted her head to the side. “What? That’s too much work.” She sat up on the sofa, smoothing her hair. “Why won't you just talk to me?"
"Because you don't want to talk. You want to fight."
"So, hit me back."
"You’re insane," Jake said under his breath as he slammed the bedroom door and locked it in one motion.
Alison
January 16, 2051
Lying in the fetal position on the bathroom floor, Alison pulled at her hair, ripping out a few strands at a time and chewing on them. Tears streamed down her face, wetting her hair so that it clung to the sides of her face.
“What . . . did I . . . do wrong?” she asked the empty bathroom in between sobs. His face was all she could see, everywhere she looked. It was on the white tile of the shower—she grimaced at the mildew in the grout and blinked a few times to refocus—his bright blue eyes, soft brown hair, perfect white teeth, the way a dimple formed on his left cheek when he smiled. It didn't make any sense. What they had was so special, unlike anything she'd ever experienced.
“So, I have a temper,” she said to the tile. “Who doesn't? If he really loved me, he'd stay with me no matter what. Hello? Hasn't he ever heard of loyalty?”
She had finally figured out how to use her watch to contact someone. But she didn’t reach out to Samantha. Samantha and Alison had been best friends in high school, but Samantha had gotten married right after graduation and had three kids. Alison shivered at the thought. Sure, I want kids one day, but shit. We are way too young. And like hell I'm going to go put up with those loud little brats until I get a place of my own, she thought.
After screaming at Siri for twenty minutes to get her mom in the room, Alison’s mom appeared as a hologram in the bedroom. Rita stood, fading in and out slightly, wearing a black biker jacket over top of a red dress. She had a spatula in her hand.
“Allie-bear! I’m so glad you Halo’d me.” Rita licked the spatula. “What’s going on?”
“Mommy, I need to come stay with you. Jake kicked me out.”
Rita threw the spatula but it disappeared out of sight. “No, he didn’t! Oh, that boy. Ooh . . .” She growled and put her hand on her hip, tapping her foot.
Alison sat up straighter on the bed. “He did, Mommy, he did! I don’t know what I did wrong.”
“You did nothing wrong, baby. We’re going to fix this.”
∞
Alison hadn't gone to work in days and had probably lost her job by now but she didn't care. Jake wouldn’t answer her Halos or texts but she kept trying every few hours or so. When the Halogram app had been introduced ten years ago, her mother refused to let her have an Apple Watch because when someone answered a call, their hologram appeared five feet away. Samantha had used it to call her boyfriend while in various states of undress and as soon as Rita Walker heard about it, she forbade Alison from having one until she was eighteen.
Figuring Jake needed some space, Alison decided to give Halo'ing a rest and began posting on his Facebook wall every day. No response. She couldn’t believe it. How could he be so cold? Over the past few years, she had opened up to him so much, told him things she had never told anyone. She had even told him her parents were dead, that they had died in a car crash ten years ago. That was a lie, of course, but he didn't need to know that. It only gave him more
reason to stay with her. He didn't want her to be alone, did he?
If only I could start over. Maybe it was my fault. Maybe I do need help, she thought.
Her body splayed across the couch in her mother's living room, she forced herself to eat a cup of Ramen. She hadn't eaten much for the past few days and was starting to feel weak. As she was about to turn off the television, a commercial caught her attention.
"...are you heartbroken over your ex? Do you find it difficult to get through the day, an overwhelming sadness consuming you? Are you unable to eat or sleep? Are you plagued with obsessive thoughts of your ex? You may be suffering from Heartbreak Syndrome and Amnesatryl can help! Within a few short minutes, all memories of your ex and your relationship will be erased from your mind and you will be able to move on, happy and free of the debilitating emotional pain. Talk to your doctor today! Side effects may include restless leg syndrome, gallbladder dysfunction, heart failure, loss of vision in one or both eyes..."
Alison said, "Off!" and the screen went black. "That's exactly what I need!"
∞
On Monday morning, she had an appointment with a psychiatrist.
"Well, with your depression and inability to function after two weeks, I'd say you're the perfect candidate for Amnesatryl." Dr. Ambrose leaned forward in her chair. "Now, remember, before you take this, make absolutely certain that you want to forget Jake and what he meant to you. Because there is no going back. There is no drug on the market that will reverse this. Your relationship with him will be erased forever."
"That is fine. That is what I want. But, will I recognize him at all? Or will it be as if we never met?"
"You will not recognize his face. He will be a stranger to you. You will have to warn your family and friends before taking the pill so they will play along and not mention him ever again. Have a trusted friend with you when you take the pill to check for side effects. The dangerous ones only occur in about twenty percent of cases, so you should be fine. Have your friend throw away the pill bottle immediately after you take it.”
"How long until it kicks in?"
"It usually takes between ten and twenty minutes. If it has been longer than thirty minutes, please call me. But, it will most likely take effect before then. You must remove all traces of him from your life; if you have any pictures of him or anything that will remind you of him, you must get rid of it first. Erase photos, Halo calls, everything from your Apple Watch. This is very important, because if you don't, you can imagine the confusion it will cause when you see photos or messages from someone you've never met."
"But, won't I remember taking the pill?"
Dr. Ambrose smiled. "No. That's the beautiful thing. You're taking the pill because of Jake, right?"
"Yes..."
"Well, the pill erases any memory relating to him and since taking this pill relates directly to him, you will not remember taking it."
"Oh . . . I think I understand."
"Here's what you do when you are ready to take it. Remember, it takes ten to twenty minutes to work. So, as soon as you swallow the pill, focus on thinking of nothing but Jake for up to twenty minutes. Bring his face up in your mind's eye. This will help it to be more effective. It works by erasing the most recent and most traumatizing painful experience in your mind. So, if you are concentrating on his memory and your breakup, the pill is guaranteed to work more effectively. Do you understand?"
"Got it."
"Good, I wish you the best of luck and if you need anything, please Halo me. There is no need to drive all the way to my office unless you really want to. We can have a chat right in your living room."
∞
Alison turned the pill bottle around in her hands as she sat on her bed, staring at the picture on the nightstand. It was her and Jake last year during a happier time, before all the fighting started. She sighed and tossed the bottle onto the bed. It was time to start the purge. Delete all his photos, get rid of his gifts from the past two years. But, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She scrolled through her photos on her watch, opened the album titled “Love” and stared at a picture of her and Jake from last year's vacation in the Bahamas. Once I take this pill, these photos will mean nothing to me. I will forget he ever existed and the pain will be gone forever, she thought as she pried the phone from her wrist and tossed it onto the bed.
“He just misunderstood me so much! He never really knew how much I loved him. Love him. If only there was a way to make him understand...understand that we were meant for each other...If only I could start over, go back to the time we met. I wish I had a time machine.” Then, she suddenly bolted upright on the bed. "Oh my God. That's it!"
Her mother walked in. "What are you doing, sweetie?"
She glanced up. Her mother was leaning against the doorframe, drink in hand. By the way she held the glass—tilted sideways so that the liquid almost poured over the rim—Alison could tell this wasn’t her first glass.
"Oh, just looking at old photos . . ."
"You really should get rid of those, honey. They will only remind you of him. I still can't believe he kicked you out. After two years! What really happened?"
"Mom, I don't feel like going into it. We had a fight."
"Oh, honey. You guys fought a lot, didn't you? Well, if he didn't have what it took to make a relationship work, you have to let him go. You can't do it all yourself. You're too beautiful and too smart to accept less than you deserve. And I can't believe you never let me meet him. Next time, I want to meet the guy you date." She sat down on the bed next to Alison and took her hand. "You're still my little princess, you know that, right?"
"Mom, I'm too old for that . . ." she said as she tried to pull away.
"Nonsense! You're my baby and always will be. We'll think of a way to win him back or we'll find you another man. But don't you worry."
"I can't help it. The breakup was really my fault. It was my fault he never really knew how much I loved him. I tried so hard, but . . . I don't know. If I could get him to talk to me, just listen . . . but he's done. I don't see him giving me another chance."
"You never know, honey. Just give him some time. Maybe he'll come around."
But Alison was not a patient woman. A plan was already forming in her mind, a way to get him back.
"Maybe he will," she agreed.
The next morning Alison drove out to 623 Mercury Lane. Jake would be long gone by now, on his way to work. Using her key (she had made a copy before returning the original to him), she unlocked the front door. His house was immaculate, as usual, and she took a few minutes to walk around as memories flooded her mind. Glancing at his bed, she remembered the first time they had made love. It had been the best sex of her life. Jake was so sensual and romantic. Passionate. He had been like a drug to her; she had felt a connection with him she hadn't felt with anyone else. And now she was suffering the pain of withdrawal. Hopefully not for long, she thought.
Making her way to the kitchen, she opened the fridge and pulled out a twenty ounce Pepsi bottle. It was already opened and about a third of the liquid was missing. “Perfect,” she said to the kitchen. “He'll probably finish it tonight. I'll come back tomorrow to make sure.”
Pulling the prescription bottle out of her bag, she carefully broke the capsule open and poured the beige powder into the Pepsi bottle. She gently swirled the liquid to make sure it had blended but was careful not to shake the bottle. Otherwise, it may just explode when he opened it and what a waste that would be.
After leaving Jake's, Alison drove to Silver Fitness to talk to her manager, explain why she hadn't been to work in the past couple weeks. She was sure it would be fine after she explained her breakup with Jake. Surely, they would take pity on her. She was feeling better, more hopeful since implementing her plan to win Jake back.
"Well, look who it is!" Terry, the manager, was working the front desk. She was a stocky, muscular woman of forty-two who had never seemed to like Alison.
"Hi, Terry.
Look, I'm sorry, I've had a rough few days and—“
"A rough few days?" Terry repeated. "You haven't come to work in almost two weeks! You better tell me someone died or you were in the hospital, because otherwise, you can march your cute little behind right back out!"
"No, no one died. I just had a serious personal problem I had to take care of. It's fine now and that won't happen again. I'll be here every day—“
Terry laughed. "The only way you'll be here every day is if you're over sixty-five and have a membership. You can't pull a disappearing act like that, Alison. You didn't even bother to call. You're twenty-six years old; you should know better. Besides, you know the only reason you had this job was because your mother begged us and she is friends with the previous manager. But, you blew it.” She pointed with her thumb to the door. “Go.”
The hellcat broke loose. "Fine! You've always been a bitch anyway, so it'll be great not to see your butch-ass face anymore. And working in a gym for old people? I'm over it. They fucking stink! Piss-soaked Depends and Liz Claiborne perfume . . ." she said, trailing off as Donny, the assistant manager took her by the arm.
"It's time to leave, Alison. If you step foot in here again, we'll call the police."
As Donny guided her out, she noticed several of the members staring, some with mouths gaping open in shock and some shaking their heads.
“Do you see how they’re treating me?” Alison yelled over her shoulder. Donny gently pushed her through the door and pulled it shut behind her.
∞
"But, you didn't even call them, honey. What do you expect? You can't no-show to a job.” Rita leaned in and petted her daughter's head. "It's OK, sweetie. We'll find you something else. That place wasn't right for you, anyway."
Alison stood to rinse out her coffee cup. "I know. Well, I'm going to apply to a few different places today."
"Good, honey! I'm sure you'll find something. I'll make a few phone calls, too."
∞
In Jake's kitchen again, Alison smiled when she checked the fridge. The Pepsi bottle was missing. She looked in the garbage can and clapped her hands together and giggled when she saw the empty bottle. "Yes!" She pranced to the living room and began dancing slowly around the room like a ballerina.
Forget Me Not Page 1