I waited for his reply. The silence was deafening. He contemplated for a long time before he said anything.
"What do you plan to do?" He finally broke the silence. "This doesn't seem like it can be solved easily. After all, people around us remember differently."
"You believe me?" My eyes widened. I was really not ready for this. I didn't think he'd trust me just like that, seeing how no one believed a word I said when I woke up.
"I do." He replied so calmly that I almost felt like a loser for thinking that explaining my condition to anyone would be hard.
After a brief silence, I finally found my voice.
"I don't know that yet."
"But maybe, Lucian's appearance can help me understand more about this because I don't know how, but when he came, I think, the memory of people around us was altered to make him look less suspicious."
I took a pause.
"When I first came here, it was like this too. Everyone remembered me, but I could recall nothing."
"Do you think that both these incidents are related?" He asked
"I have to hope that it is. I don't have any other lead right now. I've been searching for two months but nothing out of ordinary happened...until...I found you." I said.
I was silently praying that he wouldn't ask me more about himself, 'cause I really don't want to tell him the condition I which I found him.
"And what about that teacher? Mr. Mark? You said he knew you weren't from here."
"He didn't know much. It's just that he was the only person whose memory wasn't framed." I replied.
Our conversation stopped when Lucian came running towards us.
"What boring things are you talking about? Come and help me. These children are driving me crazy." He complained.
"I remember certain someone was very eager to play with the kids. What happened now?" I reminded him how he was the one who volunteered to help.
"Hmm...did I say anything like that?" He made a pouty face and sat with us.
"You guys are so mean. Don't you know that you shouldn't speak the truth when it hurts someone?" he said as he looked at us.
I really wondered how he managed to fool so many people into thinking that they knew him. But I knew it was possible. To be honest after seeing Becky turn into a monster, I won't even think that something's impossible.
But something about Lucian seemed different. Something about him made me believe that he wasn't like Becky or at the very least...he isn't here to kill me. But why does he think that I should know him? Is it...could it be that he knows me from who I was before I lost my memories? I was tempted to ask him, but I stopped myself. It's not that I didn't want to know, but it's because I don't know whether I can trust him or not. I can't risk getting false information because since I don't remember anything, he can very easily lie to me about myself and I wouldn't even know it.
...
'I can finally think in peace' I thought as I crashed on the bed. I could finally appreciate what this orphanage is doing. Truly, taking care of kids isn't what you think it is, they can literally pull out all your hair and you'd just be standing and watching.
I was enjoying this brief moment with myself when the door opened and Lucian walked in and made himself comfortable on the couch.
I really don't want to share this room with him. It'd rather be a kid or anyone else...I'm fine even if it's Grandma, but not HIM!
Apparently, when we returned from the playground, Grandma asked Lucian to stay overnight. We didn't had any unoccupied rooms. So she ordered him to share the room with me. No one could object. No one could say anything and just like that she went away, being the head of the house that she was and no one had the audacity to say or do otherwise.
I looked at Arya and she returned back an apologetic look and mouthed, 'Please bear with it.'
Yes. But I doubt it I'll be able to do that peacefully.
"Since when have you know Arya?" Lucian broke my line of thoughts and I was snapped back to reality.
"Why do you want to know?" This was the first time I didn't answer anyone's question, but questioned them right back. It felt a little weird. But I am willing to do it again and again as long as it's this guy. It hasn't been that long since I met him, but for some unknown reason, I can't seem to feel at ease around him.
He chuckled as he heard my question.
He looked at me and I could detect a sudden change in his eyes. I felt no longer uneasy and suddenly Lucian didn't look so bad after all. 'What's happening?' I thought.
"It's not your mistake. Everyone feels like that around me. I'm sorry I just had to make sure, you weren't a threat." He replied.
But why does it still feel like he's talking in tongues or something, 'cause I can't seem to understand a word he said.
"You didn't understand what I said, did you?" he asked and I shook my head.
He straightened his back and his face lost all that carelessness. He looked grave and very serious. I was having a hard time believing that he's the same boy whom I was with for a quarter of my day.
"How much do you know about Arya? How long have you been with her?"
His look was radiating a sense of authority. I was having a hard time keeping my calm in front of him. But no matter how intimidating or authoritative, I can't trust him yet.
"I will tell you. Everything that you need to know, but not until I trust you."