The Memory

I was at Sportscamp. My brother Josh was at computer camp. We were facebooking each other.

Dave Braham logged in.

Dave: Josh, are you here?

Josh Braham logged in.

Dave: Hey Josh, how are you doing?

Josh: Hi Dave, can I ask your advice on something?

Dave: Is it a girl?

Josh: Not exactly...

Dave: So what's your problem?

Josh: My name wasn't on the list of people to join.

Dave: Must be a mistake on the computer.

Josh: That's the thing. They didn't use a computer. They handwrote it down.

Dave: They probably just forgot to write your name down.

Josh: But I called them yesterday to make sure. They told me it was written down and my room was ready. They were really friendly.

Dave: Maybe they think your a different person or something? Mistaken identity.

Josh: I kept telling my name and they said they have a faint memory of me. From years ago.

Dave: So what have they done? Where are you sleeping?

Josh: They gave me a room for the night and expect our parents to pick me up.

Dave: Why don't you just tell them that your parents will pay when they pick you up?

Josh: Good idea. What's it been like where you are?

Dave: Okay, I guess. Some dicks keep showing off and get picked first all the time.

Josh: Huh... Why don't you just forget about them?

Dave: Iv'e got to go. We have to get off our phones at 11.

Josh: See you later.

Dave Braham logged out.

I turned off my phone and closed the door. Everyone in this dorm was having an all nighter. 3 people had already fallen asleep. I was left with 2 people. Jack and Lewis. This wasn't worth it. I decided to just fall asleep. It's going to be a long day tommorow and I don't want two egomaniacs making me tired. I decide to just let them win. I guess forgetting about them might help. I close my eyes an lay my head down on the pillow. It's kind of lumpy and I can't get into a comfortable position. I keep tossing and turning but I just can't get to sleep. I turn my phone on and it's 6:00 AM. I can't believe how quick the time has gone. It felt like minutes. I sit up and look at Lewis and Jack's beds. They're out as deep as the sea. I guess I won after all. The funny thing is I don't feel tired at all. If anything I feel more energetic. I feel like I could go outside right now and do at least 40 pressups. The thing is... I don't want to. I turn on the dorm computer and log in.

Josh Braham logged in:

Dave Braham logged in:

Josh: Hey dave, how are you doing?

Dave: Fine, isn't it weird how we keep coming on at the same time?

Josh: Yeah. And Iv'e been on the computer all night, but only now do I check if your online.

Dave: It's not like I would be on it at night anyway.

Josh: True, you were probably busy sleeping.

Dave: Yeah.. about that. I couldn't sleep.

Josh: Me neither. I kept tossing and turning, something with my pillow I think. That's why I came on here.

Dave: That's really freaking weird. The same thing happened to me, only I just kept in my bed for like.. 7 hours.

Josh: I got to go, breakfast.

Dave: Already? It's only like 6:15.

Josh: Nope... it's 9:00.

I look at the clock on the bottom right of my screen. He was right. Where had the time gone.

Josh: Dave? You still there?

Dave: I spent 3 hours on the computer? How is that possible? How long did I spend answering and typing back.

Josh: You were pretty quick to me. How about me? Maybe I took ages typing and spent 3 hours answering.

Dave: No. You were quick to answer too. It's odd.

Josh: Well.... got to go remember. Bye.

Josh Braham has logged out.

Dave Braham has logged out.

I turn around and see Lewis laughing at me.

"What's wrong?"

"You should have seen your face. You were mesmerized by that thing. Like a zombie."

"So you were watching me? Pedo."

"Only for the past minute. Everyone told me you were doing it for ages, like.. 2 hours."

Everyone else must have woken up at 7.

"You didn't come to breakfast, did you forget or something?"

"I was busy."

To be honest I had no idea when breakfast was. No one told me.

I turn to leave but Lewis talks to me.

"Where are going, don't you need your bag?"

"Why?"

"Your parents are picking you up today. Remember?"

"No. That was supposed to be my brother, Josh. How did you know anyway?"

"No... you must have forgotten. You weren't on the list, so your parents are picking you up.  If it's happening to your brother too then your parents are really unco-ordinated."

I go to the bathroom and get changed. I walk into the office.

"Miss Holden. Can I talk to you?"

She's on the phone and holds her hand up to me.

I give her a minute and then she puts it down.

"Excuse me. Who are you?"

"I'm Dave. I met you yesterday."

"I don't remember."

No one is remembering me. It's as if i've been erased from their memories.

I run out the room. I don't understand what's going on. Is this some trick? Why is this happening to Josh too. Maybe I should talk to him. I think I will talk to him. I will talk to him. I run back into the dorm and boot up the PC.

Josh Braham logged in.

Dave Braham logged in.

Dave: Again? Are you secretly timing this?

Josh: Yeah, I'm fine too. Thanks for asking.

Dave: Sorry. I've been having a bad day.

Josh: I know. Me too.

Dave: You know?

Josh: No one but the people in your dorm remembers you from yesterday.

Dave: Yeah... How did you know?

Josh: I woke up today and only a couple of my friends knew me. Not even the camp leader.

Dave: And how did you know about me?

Josh: I tried to fluffen up my pillow, to help me get to sleep tonight, and a photo fell out. Of you.

Dave: Did you bring a photo of me to your camp?

Josh: No.. but there was a massive scratch where your brain is. It looks real. And there was a bunch of people I don't know next to you.

Dave: That's freaking creepy..

Josh: I know right.. I tried to scan it up and send it to you but it isn't working.

Dave: Maybe a problem with the machine?

Josh: I'll go check.

Dave: But wait. That still dosen't explain how you knew.

Josh: I'm back. I touched the scanner and it was boiling hot. I quickly opened it and took the photo out.

Dave: Can you explain?

Josh: It's what's written on the back of the photo.

Dave: FUCKING CUT TO THE CHASE. THE READERS ARE GETTING BORED. (Fourth wall lol, tell me if you want me to edit that out.)

Josh: On the back it said, writting in your handwriting "You are forgotten, I was forgotten, Your brother is forgotten. No one remembers us.

Dave: ... That's.. WAIT. Let me check my pillow.

I walk over to my bed. I mix of fear and unease riddles through me like a disease. I have too many questions. Why are we forgotten? Who is the other person that was forgotten? Who wrote those letters down? Who took the photo? How did they get my handwriting? How did they put it in his pillow?

I decide to just get it over with. I reach my hand in and grab a letter.

I walk towards the computer.

I don't want to open it.

I might open it.

I will open it.

I open it.

The photo shouldn't exist.

It's a picture of me, Josh, and a girl. We are smiling in the photo. It's one of those photos where the eyes follow you. Normally that's fun but this time it felt all too real and freaky. I turn it over and look at the text.

"What is your name?"

I look at that sentence for about a minute.

My mind is racing for an answer.

I.. I don't know.

Was it Josh? That sounds familiar.

Yeah. That's it.

My name is Josh.

I think I may sleep. But I feel a strong draw towards the computer.

I sit down.

On the screen there's a picture of a girl crying. Her brain is scratched out. She's holding a knife in her left hand. My name, Josh, and someone else's name called Dave is written on the screen. Flashing. Red. It keeps getting brighter and bigger. I feel a slight headache. I reach for my forehead. It's dripping with something red. I forgot what that's called again. I see a knife on my pillow. I feel tired.

Very tired.

I might sleep.

I will sleep.

I..NO.

I slap myself in the face. I can't sleep. I need to find out more.

I walk back to the computer. This time there's a weird chat screen open. Someone with the name Dave. Where have I heard that before. I vaguely remember a photo? Bright? Flashing? No.

I start typing.

Dave: Who are you?

For some reason my username is Dave.

Josh: I don't remember.

Polly logged in.

Alphie logged in.

Dave: I don't know who you are.

Sarah: No one does. No one knows who any of us are.

Josh: What's the time?

Sheryl: Where we are, Time dosen't matter. We can stay here forever and talk.

Dave: That sounds nice.

Milly: ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS SLEEP.

Josh logged out.

Dave logged out.

I slowly walk to my bed. The date has changed. It's been four months.

I lie down. I close my eyes.

My eyes are open. I'm sitting at the computer. There's a chat open with me and two people. Mark and Adam. I just sent a file to them. I open it. It's a picture of me holding a knife. My brain has been sliced open and their names are flashing. I don't understand. It's a Jpeg. Not a GIF.

I check the date. It's.. it's been 5 years. I look around. My room door has been locked. There's a knife on my bed and a letter. I can't get out so I read the letter. As I open it I suddenly remember everything.

Hello.

You've just left my game.

You have left The Memory zone.

You have passed it on to someone else.

You spent 5 years, 2 months, 46 minutes and 3 seconds in The memory zone.

Someone else is in it now.

You are freed.

Now I will kill you.

From Milly.

Everything from now is happening at the moment. I will be typing it back to you a couple moments after it happens.

I'm scared.

I feel fresher. My eyes sting. But I guess Iv'e been looking at a computer screen for 5 years. I wipe them and some blood comes out. I don't have long to live. On the computer there's a weird screen filled with text. I run it through a decoding software.

Here's what I found.

In 1378 a family of four had a little baby girl and boy.

The village priest wanted to baptise them but they didn't want it. So he cursed Satan to them.

At the age of 6 they started screaming at midnight. They kept talking in a weird language and they kept wispering "The devil is inside. The devil is inside. The devil is inside."

They murdered their family. The priest locked them in two rooms. He tried to exorcise them but it didn't work. Instead he bound them into a bed in each room. Their soul would manifest into each person who slept their. Everyone would forget the people that slept there. Then they would draw people to sleep there. The victim would be manifested and the cycle carries on.

I guess that using a computer is an easier way to trap people. That means that when I slept in the bed, I was manifested, or in "The Memory zone" I passed it on to someone else. I feel horrible inside. I guess I didn't know though. I keep reading.

Two people will always be manifested. They will both try to pass it on. Only the person who passes it on first gets freed. The other person is possessed into murdering the other victim...

That means that..

I don't have much time to live.

I can hear a peeling sound on my door. He's here.

Don't get drawn into the game. There is no escape. You'll know me in the newspaper, it will probably be written down as a suicide. Don't forget me. To know which person it is I'll tell you my full name.

My name is..

I forgot.