Chapter 16 - Memories Lost

Day 8: The next morning, I could feel someone's hand against

my shoulder, urging me to get up. I groaned in

aggravation and turned slightly over onto my back. I had this awful crank in my neck and shoulder; guess

that's what I get for sleeping all night on a spring sofa. It took me a few seconds to finally open my eyes.

When I saw who had been standing next to me, I jumped and fell to the floor. My head, not to mention my

neck and shoulder, hurt even worse as I picked myself up and glanced over to where I could've sworn I saw

… no; no one there. It must've been a dream. I stood up and stretched my arms, and grunted from the

aching pain in my shoulder. There was a clock and a calendar hanging on the wall over the television; Eight o'

clock, Monday, July 5th. Everyone else had to be still sleeping. Suddenly, I was jumped by the startling ring

of the telephone near the window. I was starting to feel like this was going to be a horrible day. I

answered the phone on the second ring. “Hello?” I answered, still half asleep. The words I heard after that

shook the sleep right out of me. “Hello, I'm calling from Beijing Hospital for a Mason Owens.”



After I hung up, I slowly walked over to the couch and plopped down, my head spinning in circles. I looked

up at the ceiling, almost catatonic; like I was in a trance. I never blinked. Everything was suddenly a blur.

One part of my mind felt like it was somewhere else, while the other half played bits and parts of the

conversation over and over again. “Uncle…… heart attack…… hospital…… brother… alone…… must return

home…… claim custody…or … foster home” I hunched over and buried my face in my hands. Things couldn't

possibly get any worse. It was happening all over again. Wasn't there a way out? How could this have

happened- no. How could I have not been there? How could I be so selfish; so stupid? Just like before…

just like my father…



“Mason! Slow Down” Jason called from behind him as I continued to run while my little brother, the tiny thing

that he was, desperately made his way up the mountain pass.. “C'mon Jason! It's only a little farther!” I shouted back.

He was panting like a dog on a hot day, slowly dragging his tired little legs as he inched his way up; poor kid. I

stopped and went back for him, smiling amusedly at his constant efforts to keep up. “Here, hop on my back. I'll carry

you if you're that tired.” So, Jason tiredly scrambled onto my back, wrapping his tiny arms around my neck. I hoisted

him up from the ground and continued walking higher up the side of the mountain. I couldn't wait to show him the

secret place.

When we finally reached the lonely tree growing near the edge of the cliff, I knew that the cave was just around

the corner. “Almost there” I whispered to my exhausted brother, barely awake and slumped heavily over my back.

Finally, I stopped and set Jason down o a nearby rock, as I went on ahead to make sure I was right. When I reached

The top, I stopped cold and stared at what I saw; or more likely what I didn't see. The entrance to the cave was gone!

Not blocked or hidden behind a giant stone; just plain gone! It was as if it were never there. At first I thought I

might have taken a wrong turn or gotten lost, but something told me that I wasn't. I knew this was the spot where I

had stumbled into that magical place. I couldn't figure it out. Wait… could I just have imagined that whole thing?

That day, I had been so tired, delirious, and thirsty; maybe I-… no. This WAS the spot. I just knew it had to be. I

could just still barely hear the whispers. So, what had happened to it?

I went back to where I had left Jason, and found him there, sitting on the rock, waiting for me. He looked up at me

with excitedly. “Where is it? When can I see it?” he piped. I just frowned and did not look up from the ground. I

stopped in front of him and shook my head. “Sorry. It's… not here.” Jason's face drooped to a disappointed frown.

“Oh…” he sighed. I bent down so that he could once again hop onto my back for the return trip down the mountain.

Without another word, my little brother and I slowly and sadly made our way back down the mountain side.

Even after that day, I would sometimes return to that same spot where the cave had been, and waited hour in rain,

sleet, and shine; hoping it would somehow magically reappear. But it never did. Eventually, I just stopped going. I had

convinced myself that it had all been just a dream, or had never happened; one or the other. My mind may have

forgotten it, but my heart just could never seem to let go of that memory…

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