The Other Boy

The Other Boy

The room was bathed in bright and warm sunlight. It was most comforting. Although, for some unknown reason, it seemed not right. Not ... deserving. He somehow thought it should be dark and cold and ... but when the old man turned around and smiled at him, he felt welcomed.

"Do you remember your name?" the man asked.

"No."

"Your age?"

He looked over his shoulder and into the mirror. "I look like ... eighteen, maybe. I don't know."

"Do you know why you are here?"

"I was in a coma. But I don't know why I am here with you, or even where here is. I already told the doctors everything I can remember," he said more sharply than he'd wanted to.

"Yes, I know. There won't be any more questions after today."

The man's eyes held his calmly, and so he believed him.

"How do you feel?"

"There was another boy ..." he said quietly, not sure why he'd said that.

"Does this answer my question or is this something you remember?"

"I don't know." Perhaps it was both. Somehow everything he felt seemed connected to that other boy. He gazed once more into the mirror. "I feel tired."

The man nodded slowly. "I know you have to rest -"

He noticed the fatherly undertone in the man's voice with a kind of longing.

"- but there are things I have to -"

"Where are my parents?" The question was out before he'd known he wanted to ask it. For a second the old man frowned deeply, then he smiled again.

"Everything is ... arranged. They are waiting for you outside."

He heard himself gasp. Relieved. But - "Is this real?"

"Why do you think it isn't?"

"No one told me anything yet. I thought ... I'm going to be punished."

"For what?"

"I don't know. Is there something wrong with me? I don't remember!" He heard himself yell, but he wasn't angry. He just wanted to go home.

"There's nothing wrong with you." The old man aswered slowly, like he was weighing up every word before speaking it. "And ... I believe you. But the man who'd caused your memory loss was a very powerful wizard -"

"The boy saved me. That's the only thing I remember. He killed that man ... and saved me. Didn't he?"

"Yes he did."

He dropped his gaze and felt another strong rush of relieve. So he really had been saved. He couldn't be a bad person then. Only the good ones were saved, right? "Can I see him?"

"I'm sorry, but that's not possible. I think ... it's time for you to go now."

"Will I remember. Within time."

"No."

In a sudden movement the man bent over his desk and touched his cheek - and he was too surprised to jerk back. The man's hand lay warm on his skin, and he could feel the crackling of magic at the man's fingertips.

"It's not a curse, it's a chance. Use it." The man drew back his hand and stood up.

He felt dizzy, but he, too, got up from his chair. A stern-looking woman entered the room. She looked somewhat suspiciously, but not unfriendly.

"You can come with me now," she said, holding up the door for him.

He threw one last look over his shoulder, but couldn't say anything.

"It's all right. You're going to be fine," the old man said gently. "Good bye, Tom."