Vestigium

By, The Cheat

Okay. This is The Cheat speaking, and I think I should explain this a little bit about this, because it doesn’t follow regular linear order. The parts in left alignment and in times new roman text are the second half and main part of the story, which actually takes place after the major event/turning point. The centered text that’s in Arial font is the first part of the story, and at first will be short and will seem to be pointless. Don’t worry, it’s not gonna be backwards like in Memento. Read, and most of all, enjoy.

-The Cheat

…we came in?

Ash was slow to wake up. His head felt like someone had taken a hammer to it. He tried to sit up, but some unknown force pinned him to the ground. Through the haze, he heard someone calling his name. Or, at least, he thought he heard someone calling his name. Okay, think. You know who you are. He thought dazedly to himself. You’re Ash. You know where you live…or at least where you grew up. Pallet. But where are you now? And why does your head feel split in two? Ash looked up at the night sky, and dimly felt below him. He was lying on concrete. He turned his head to the left, and thought he saw someone else sprawled lifelessly next to him, and behind that a heap of something that was either luminous or burning. He tried to make out what it was, but felt the sudden urge to go to sleep.

When Ash awoke again, he was in a white room. Blindingly white. A sign was on the ceiling. He was still too asleep to read it. He sat up on the side of the bed he was in and put his head in his hands. Desperately trying to shake the pall, he stretched his body and got up. He leaned against a corner and looked at the room. It was completely white. White walls, white ceiling, white linoleum floor, white curtains that looked sealed shut somehow, white bed, white bedside table. Once he thought he was lucid enough, he laid back on the bed to read the sign that was attached to the ceiling. It said in big black letters THIS IS YOUR ROOM. THIS IS A ROOM IN A HOSPITAL. THIS IS WHERE YOU LIVE NOW. Ash face-faulted.

“Ash, you’re awake!” someone had come in the room. He looked over and felt a warm sense of familiarity. The person who walked in sat down on his bed next to him. “It’s me, Brock. Do you remember?” Hearing the name brought images and memories flooding back to him.

“Yeah. Not completely, but enough. What happened?” He asked. Brock looked down, then from side to side, uncertainly.

“You were in a car accident… you and Misty. Do you remember anything?”

“No, well, not a whole lot. I know who I am, and where I was born and the year…I think…where’s Misty?” Again, Brock looked around uncertainly. “Brock, where’s Misty?”

“Ash…she’s dead.”

“Ash, we’re gonna be late!” Misty yelled from downstairs.

“I’m coming, I’m coming! Calm down!” Ash yelled from upstairs.

“The movie starts at 7 and it’s already 6:53, we’re already going to miss the previews!”

“Oh, no, not the previews!” Ash said sarcastically as he ran downstairs.

“I swear you’d be late for your own funeral.”

“Oh yeah? Well you’d be in a rush for your…your…oh yeah?”