Unparalleled

by D. S. Smith

  The address Angela had given him was about twenty minutes out of town. The house was situated on a modern estate not unlike the one he and Lauren lived on. Or at least where he thought they lived. He pulled up at the bottom of a drive noting a silver Mercedes parked on it. It was only two in the afternoon so he would not have left to pick the kids up from school yet. Stuart’s stomach started to churn again as he approached the door with trepidation not knowing what to expect. He knocked lightly and waited. After a minute had past he decided to knock harder. After a further two minutes he knocked harder still but it seemed there was no one home. He returned to the car to wait around for someone to return.

  While he waited he put on the radio to pass the time. A jingle from the radio informed the listeners they were listening to the Mark Jenson Afternoon Show on 93.1 FM. Stuart had never heard of the guy but the first song he played was very familiar ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ by Simple Minds. He smiled to himself and thought back to the first time he and Lauren had met and how he knew something special was happening even though they were both just teenagers. It really did seem like just yesterday but this was probably because he had relived the events during the last hypnosis session with Dr Carson. He tried again to entertain the idea he had somehow constructed an alternate life involving Lauren. He immediately dismissed the notion. After three more songs, two of which he recognised and one he had never heard of, the news came on. By now he was feeling tired and as the dulcet tones of the news reader announced a collapse of talks in the Palestine Peace Agreement, Stuart drifted off to sleep, subconsciously registering that the man on the radio had gotten the name of the president of the USA wrong. He had been sleeping for almost two hours when he was woken up by a knock on the window. As his eyes began to focus he recognised the unmistakable features of Adam White. He rolled down the window. “What you doing here Stuart? Aren’t you meant to be convalescing or something?” Stuart felt a wave of relief wash over him. He had half-expected his friend not to recognise him but there he was, larger than life. “Come in mate I’ll make you a cuppa.” His friend said nodding toward the entrance to the house. Stuart jumped out of the car and followed his friend to the door were he took out his keys and unlocked it. Unlocked it with his right hand.

  Chapter 14

  Director Wei Hui Zhang considered the information in front of him. He had known the British were trying to develop a Resonant Harmoniser for some time now but he had not realised just how close they were to achieving this. If Agent Lee’s information was accurate, and he was confident it would be, they were already looking for a candidate. If they were already looking for a candidate they had more information than he did and this would not sit well with the Chairman. He needed to know just how near they were before his next meeting with his superior. He replied to the encrypted email instructing Agent Lee to step up the investigation using all means necessary. Lin Lee was the best agent he had, but she was nearing retirement. Two years was the maximum amount of time they would use any agent for. Unlike other Intelligence Agencies, the Chairmen’s organisation did not plant sleepers for years at a time or use highly trained operatives to infiltrate organisations. They preferred to use ex Chinese Nationals who still had strong family connections in the provinces. They could be easily reminded of their heritage and swayed by strong promises of rewards for themselves and for their relatives back home. Agent Lee had not needed much persuading and had proved to be a very willing recruit. With the highest success rate of any agent he had known he was confident the information from Lin Lee would be forthcoming, but he was concerned it would be too late.

  Chapter 15

  Ameen Ibn Saeed decided this was the best birthday ever. Not only had his father come home on leave but he had also brought him his present. At first he was nervous in case the present was not what he had asked for and he would have to pretend to like it. His father handed him a large flat box and his hopes were raised as he tore the wrapping paper from it. Free of its bindings he lifted the lid from the box revealing the latest Manchester United replica shirt. He giggled with delight as he took the shirt out of the box and saw the bold white number 7 on the back of it and the name Beckham across the shoulders. “Thank you Father, thank you, thank you. This is the best present ever and look; number 7 for Beckham and for how old I am today.”

  “You have been a good boy son and as I always tell you good things come to good people. Now why don’t you put on your shirt and we’ll go and score some goals.” Ameen pulled off the t-shirt he was wearing and slipped the bright red football shirt over his head. He brimmed with pride as they walked outside into blinding sunshine. They crossed the road and headed toward a park just minutes from their home. As soon as they entered the park gates his father kicked the ball ahead of them and Ameen went chasing after it excitedly. He caught up with the ball, putting his foot on it to stop it rolling. He turned to face his father and side-footed the ball toward him as he approached. His father met the ball, flicked it up with the toe of his left foot and volleyed it with his right foot back toward his son who jumped up and down with excitement. As the ball approached him he swung out but missed the ball which carried on past him. “Always trap it first. Take control of the ball then kick it. Once you are more confident you’ll be able kick it on the move.” He started running toward his son who responded by running toward the ball to beat him to it. He was giggling so much he almost fell over as his father passed him. Just as he was about to reach the ball his father fell onto the grass allowing his son to beat him to the prize. Ameen reached the ball and put his foot on it again to stop it rolling but he tripped over it and fell to the ground. Before he had chance to get up again his father was there to take the ball and kick it as hard as he could further into the grassy field. The ball rolled for about twenty metres before bouncing back toward them as if it had hit a wall. “What was that?” Ameen shouted. His father stood and stared for a moment before running at the ball and kicking it as hard as he could in the same direction. It flew forward toward the same point. This time it seemed to spin round in a loop before flying back toward them. Ameen’s father approached the spot cautiously, holding his hand out in front of him. When he reached the point where the ball had bounced back he waved his hand slowly in front of him. Ameen watched with amusement as his father thrust his hand forward and backwards into the air in front of him. But his amusement turned to horror as his father appeared to be pulled forward violently. An invisible force dragged him along the ground and span him around rapidly. His feet were in the air as his body span like an ice skater pirouetting. Ameen ran toward him but before he could reach him his father exploded and was gone, leaving only a shower of clothes falling back to earth at the point where he had disappeared.

  Ameen was in shock as he pawed at the clothes that just seconds before had adorned his father’s body. The realisation hit him. His father had gone. He broke down into tears, hugging the empty garments. He was there for several minutes before a passer-by noticed him and came to ask him what was wrong and where his parents where. Ameen was unable to speak. He just sobbed uncontrollably holding on to his father’s clothes. The passer-by, a young woman of twenty, noticed a set of keys on the floor and asked Ameen if they were his. Ameen managed a few words through his sobs that the woman identified as “keys belonging to father who just disappeared”. She managed to get Ameen to show her where he lived. She was able to get him home and call his mother on the house phone. Ameen’s mother was at work but managed to get home within thirty minutes. On hearing Ameen’s account of the event and the woman’s account of how she had found him the mother called the police. The police did not arrive at the house for a further four hours and when they did Ameen’s father was with them. They said he had been wandering the streets of the City naked and had been reported to the police when spotted trying to steal clothes from a hotel balcony. Ameen immediately ran over to his father and embraced him but the man did not react to the boy. He turned to the policeman and informed them they
must have the wrong house as he did not recognise it or any of the people in it.

  Chapter 16

  Stuart sat down on the plush leather sofa and took in his surroundings. He had never been in this house before yet it was supposedly the home of his best friend. He noticed a picture on the mantle showing Adam with his wife and kids. He recognised all of them and could recall a dozen times in the last twelve months when he and Lauren spent time with them at dinners, at BBQs and on days out. Lauren loved Adam’s kids and had brooded over them through the baby and toddler years. He could hear Adam whistling in the kitchen as he busied himself making the tea. He had hoped his friend would be able to help him unravel the mess he found himself in, yet everything he saw here just added to the confusion. He was dreading hearing the person he was closest to, other than his brother, dismiss the only life he knew. So, when Adam came back with the tea he decided to try a different tack. “Here you go mate,” his friend offered as he handed him the tea. Stuart noted Adam held the tea in his right hand and had probably stared at this a little longer than would be normal. He could see his friend look at him with a concerned expression on his face.

  “You alright Stu? Do you want to talk about what’s been going on?”

  “Shit, were do I start? How much have you already been told?”

  “Well, Dave has filled me in the best he could but to be honest he’s a bit fucked up mate. He doesn’t know what to make of all this. I wanted to come and see you myself in hospital but he told me to wait until the doctors said the time was right. He said you’re barely speaking to him and think he’s involved in some sort of conspiracy against you. What’s going on mate? This is not like you at all.”

  “I suppose I have been a bit hard on him.” Stuart said as much to himself as to Adam. “I’ve just been really struggling to remember how things should be.”

  “Well from all accounts you’ve been through the mill, Stu. It’s not surprising you can’t remember everything. Don’t be too harsh on yourself.”

  “It’s not that I can’t remember things Adam. I have absolute clarity in my mind of how things should be. It’s trying to fit what I actually see to what I think I should be seeing.” Stuart looked around the room hoping to see something that was familiar. He turned back to Adam. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

  “Yeh, course, whatever helps.” Adam answered. He sat down on a chair opposite to where Stuart sat on the sofa.

  “Ok, it might seem a bit odd but bear with me. How did we get to know each other?”

  “We went to the same school. I used to protect you,” Adam added laughing.

  “See. In my head we went to different schools but met after talking to each other on the CB radio!”

  “No mate, I never had a CB. Are you thinking of Paul Dent? He had one.”

  “Fuck knows. Ok, have you ever worked as a dispatch cyclist in London?”

  “Absolutely not, you’d have to have a death wish to do that shit.”

  “Yeh, you’re not wrong there pal! Right, here we go. Have you ever known me have a girlfriend called Lauren?”

  “Lauren, Lauren, that name rings a bell. Ha-ha, get it? Rings a bell, Lauren Bell? Sorry, course I remember Lauren mate, that little stunner you got off with at that party years ago and never shut up about for months after. What happened to her anyway?”

  “That’s the thing Adam. In my mind I have been married to Lauren for the past four years. We met up again seven years ago. You and Liz are as much a friend to her as you are to me. I don’t get it mate, I just don’t get it.”

  “Shit, that is fucked Stu. Listen, get another brew on, I want to show you something.” Stuart headed for the kitchen and did as his friend asked. By the time he returned to the living room with two refills of tea, Adam had spread out a selection of photos on the coffee table. He told Stuart to look through them and point out any he remembered. Stuart scanned through them closely. There were shots of the two of them skiing and snowboarding, family shots at BBQs with Adam, Liz, the kids and Dave. There were some with Dave, Adam and a few other guys Stuart did not recognise in what looked like a street bar. He did not recall any of the scenes displayed. He felt the anxiety rising again. “Adam, I don’t remember a single one of these events, yet there I am. As far as I know I have never skied or snowboarded. Those two guys with us in that bar, never seen them before in my life! What is going on mate?” Adam was determined to help his friend remember. “Stu, look at him,” he pointed to a big guy in the photo in the bar. “You must remember Chunky! We still talk about him to this day. Look, remember this?” He rolled his sleeve up revealing the blue ink tattooed letters AMS09. Stuart just shrugged and shook his head. “Show me yours.” Adam patted the top of Stuart’s right arm. “I don’t have any tattoos,” Stuart said, looking questioningly at his friend. “Course you do, we all got them. Take your shirt off.”

  “Ok then,” Stuart said looking somewhat indignant. He undid his shirt and slipped it off revealing two bare arms and no tattoo. Adam looked at his friend in amazement. It wasn’t just the missing tattoo, it was his physique. There was not an ounce of fat on him. Stuart had not exactly been overweight but like most men his age he had developed a middle-aged spread. “What’s going on Stuart? Have you been on some kind of fitness regime? Are you on steroids? That could be it mate. Those things really mess you up.”

  “No, I’m not on steroids. I’ve been in a coma and under a lot of stress. That’s why I’ve lost weight.”

  “But what about the tattoo?” his friend asked almost pleading for a rational explanation for this. “I’ve never had a tattoo Adam. Despite what you remember and what those photos suggest, I have never been to Amsterdam with you or those other guys who I don’t even know. I can’t explain it but look,” he patted the top of his arm, “no tattoo. Now can you appreciate what I’m going through?”

  “Shit, this really is messed up,” his friend offered. “Ok listen, I have to go and get Liz and the kids from the grandparents. Why don’t you wait here and when we get back we’ll have dinner and try and figure out where we are getting our lines crossed. Liz is bound to be able to throw some light on it. You know what she’s like, always the voice of reason.”

  “No mate, I appreciate your offer but this is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ll give you a call tomorrow after I’ve spoken with the doctor again.”

  “Well just let me know if there’s anything at all I can do Stu.”

  “Course mate, I’ll be in touch soon.” Stuart told him as he left feeling despondent.

  Chapter 17

  Stuart sat on the kitchen floor with his back against the fridge. Tears were streaming down his cheeks. There were papers scattered over the slated tiles around were he sat, copies of the article that Dr Carson had showed him less than ten minutes earlier. To them the article was proof Stuart had lost his mind, for Stuart it was proof he had lost everything, his wife, his unborn child, his home and his job. He had continually refused to accept the possibility he was mad or delusional or whatever the correct term for it was. He clung on to the belief there had to be some other explanation and sooner or later Lauren was going to come for him and explain to everyone there had been a huge misunderstanding. Even after the revelations at Adam’s house he chose to reject the possibility that Lauren did not exist as his wife. But this could not be explained away. The article was about Lauren. It was her research, her description, her photo.

  He suspected there was something unusual when Dr Carson suggested having a therapy session at his home. She asked for David to be present but when the session started she had asked him to leave the room for a few minutes. They sat at the kitchen table and at first it was almost like she had called around for a coffee and a chat. She asked him how he was, if he had remembered anything from before the morning he had woken up in the strange bed and if he was sleeping ok. He told her about his walk around town and visiting his friend. How everything he found contradicted his beliefs. She seemed pleased he was able to
openly discuss these findings without dismissing them outright. She was happy with the progress he was making and felt there was a good chance they could get his life back on track.

  Then her tone changed and he knew straight away she was preparing him for something. She informed him she had made a breakthrough as to the possible cause of his condition. She explained how sometimes a shocking revelation from one’s past can trigger false memories or even lead to the disassociation they suspected with him. She explained how she sensed a strong bond had formed between him and Lauren at their first meeting at the party all those years ago. She talked about love at first sight and how one person can imprint on another’s psyche leaving an impression that stays with them forever, even if a relationship never develops between them. They talked about how such memories can be evoked by the senses, especially sight and smell, how when conjured up these memories can stay with a person lingering for days affecting their behaviour. Finally, she revealed what all this had been leading to, informing him she had something to show him, something that would be very hard for him to understand but should ultimately help him. She showed him the article concerning Lauren’s death and he immediately dismissed it, but he had to admit it was a strong coincidence. She showed him the photo. This weakened his resolve considerably but he still tried to dismiss the possibility. She explained to him that if Lauren had made a strong impression on him at their first meeting it was entirely possible he had since seen this article and his mind had shut it out as the pain was too great. He was clearly susceptible to collapsing under strong emotional influence and that was probably what had happened prior to waking up that morning. While he had slept his mind may have shut out the hurt caused by the shocking news of someone who touched him so deeply losing their life. Rather than wake up and face the reality of what he had learned his mind had constructed an alternate reality to preserve the possibility of the life he had imagined himself having with Lauren. Later that day when the visit to their perceived home forced him to rethink the alternate reality his mind shut down completely causing him to enter into a coma.