Asleep

64 Kechik

Nora~~

Charlie pours Tye a glass of wine while Tye sits on the couch in Charlie's lounge.

Earlier, I pulled out the piano bench, the idea of sitting with either of them on one of the two couches too overwhelming; Tye's about to tell us if he wants his memories back—if he does, I get to meet his true self—and Charlie and I, well, we had that moment in the jungle. Right now, I need space to collect my thoughts.

Tye sips on the white wine Charlie poured. "I read the file. I don't remember any of that."

Charlie sets the wine bottle on the glass coffee table and leans forward, his arms resting on his thighs. "You will if you let me give the memories back to you. I can restore all of them."

The wine in Tye's glass trembles. "This man—my father as the file referred to him—raised me. It said his name is Kechik? That's my last name. How do I not remember him at all?"

"I'll explain everything," Charlie says. "The best that I can."

Tye continues, "I know I must care for him, but I feel nothing toward him. If you give me my memories back, I know there will also be pain as feelings for people in my . . . past life come back. I don't want that, not unless I can see them."

Charlie threads his fingers together. "There's something you need to know before you make a decision, and I'm not sure how to say this because this world prevents you from understanding, but your father . . . he—he died. I'm sorry, Tye."

Tye looks back and forth between both of us. "I don't understand. Died?"

I place my hand over my mouth and swallow the lump in my throat, sadness for him bubbling up inside me.

"He no longer exists," Charlie says.

"Oh." Tye leans back into the couch. "I see, I think. How does one cease to exist in this other world?"

"Many different ways." Charlie slips his thumbs over and under each other, the rest of his body still. "It was a car accident."

Tye cups his glass in both hands. "And what of your father, Nora? You have one, right? Is that how this works?"

"Sometimes, and I do. As far as I know, he's fine." My eyes drift to Charlie who gives me a slight nod in confirmation. I only want to see my dad again to ask him why he gave me to Pace. "I also have a mother. She does the same thing as a father only she's a woman. But I have other people I want to see desperately."

"And do I have a mother?" he asks Charlie.

Charlie continues to roll his thumbs. "She also died. It was before you left Singapore."

"Singapore? Is that like another Somnia?"

"In a way . . . but on a much, much larger scale. Your father immigrated with you—" Tye looks confused, and Charlie quickly says, "traveled from Singapore when my father offered him the option to relocate. He had been doing research for my father before that."

"I don't remember any of this."

Charlie nods. "I know. I don't expect you to be able to. And there's more, and I'm not sure if telling you will help anything, but you deserve to know. Did Nora tell you anything about Ryann? That he was someone she knew from before?"

"I knew him only a little, but I didn't know"—he looks at me—"that you knew him before Radia did."

"Believe it or not, I had a crush on him."

"But not here in Somnia?"

I feel my jaw trembling, and I know tears will be welling in my eyes soon. "He wasn't the same."

"My father altered him. He didn't just take away his memories; he replaced them. But it took him many attempts to be able to do something like that. You were one of his first tests."

Tye rears back. "So I'm not at all who I think I am?"

Charlie shakes his head. "Not like Ryann. My father had to start small. He blocked out memories of your real name, and in its place put your nickname."

"So Tye . . ."

"Isn't your real name, yes. Your file says it's a nickname your father and mother gave you. They said when you were younger, you'd pull their ties as if they were hair." Charlie huffs out a laugh. "After scolding you enough, you started responding to it. They didn't want to spell it the same, so Tye was born. When you got a little bit older, you always stole their ties."

"How do you know all of this?" I ask. It's one thing to know who is parents were and what his real name is, but how did he get those details?

"His father included it in his file at mine's request. He didn't tell him why he needed it. Like I said, he had to start small with his tests. He made you detest ties: forget how to tie them. And there was a list of other things that you either liked or hated, that he reversed. Some were successful and some weren't." Charlie picks up the folder beside him and hands it to Tye. "This has everything I'm telling you inside. I didn't want to give it to you earlier with the rest and overwhelm you more."

He stares at something behind Charlie, but I'm not sure he's really looking at whatever it is. His mouth is parted slightly. He looks lost. "And what is my real name?"

"Tuah."

His throat bobs. "I've never heard that name."

"I'm so sorry for what he's done."

He rubs at his face. "It's not your fault. I'm still having a hard time believing it anyway." Tye bows his head. He's silent for a few minutes before he says, "If you can free us, we'll see Radia?"

I look to Charlie who nods and says we will.

"Then I want to help in any way that I can. And then once we're free, I'll welcome my memories, no matter what pain comes with them."

Tye only has enough time to set his wine on the coffee table before I throw my arms around him.

"We'll get her. I promise."

This chapter is dedicated to KhonnieJonathan and seventhstar for all their help with answering my questions about Singapore and Malaysia. Thank you so much!