A Rush of Blood to the Head

Chapter 14

"Hey", Chris said as he followed Max into a cave, "I can't see a thing"

"This is where you are gonna find some forgotten memories", Max said.

"What? I thought that..."

"The area of your mind you just toured doesn't store memory...That place is responsible for imagination and creative abilities", Max paused, "This place is the actual Holy Grail of your mind"

"What...How can they be memories if they are forgotten?", Chris mumbled.

"Your mind remembers everything...But if you had access to that information every moment of your lifetime...you would have gone mad...It would have been quite overwhelming for an average human being...", Max said.

"But I can't see a thing... Care to get a torch or something?", said Chris almost tripping over a rock.

"Okay... Light up"

All at once the whole cave was illuminated with a blue fluorescent light. Patterns appeared on the walls. They were engraved.

Chris looked at the glowing patterns. They made no sense. He inspected them carefully, until he stumbled upon one that looked familiar. He looked at it for a while until a chill ran down his spine and he remembered what it was...what it signified...

This... This can't be...

The pattern began to glow in gold.

"Congratulations...you have rediscovered a forgotten memory...", Max's voice echoed in the cave. 

She walked up to the wall and ran her hand over the pattern. A path appeared in its place.

No...No...

Max looked at Chris, "After you"

Chris hesitantly walked towards the pathway. The place gradually transformed to a lush green grassland. Chris instantly knew where he was.

"You brought me to... The Heath?", Chris asked.

"Your mind did...", Max said.

Chris had almost forgotten this day. He struggled to remember all the details, but something about the weather there seemed to mesmerise him. He couldn't think clearly.

It's all gonna be okay...

This day had meant so much to Chris and Jonny, and their friendship. Yet they both remembered nothing. Well not nothing. But not much either.

"So... remember anything yet...", Max said as people walked past them, not even aware that they were there.

"I feel... invisible...", Chris remarked.

Max laughed.

They had been walking for a while now. Slowly, the memories started to come back. It was the end of 1999, and Chris, Jonny and Will were still working hard to graduate. Guy had dropped out, cause he believed that their band was gonna be a major success. Chris blamed his bad judgement on the fact that he remained drunk almost all the time. Guy had taken up a job as a bartender, and was extremely annoyed when he found out that bartenders aren't allowed to drink on the job. Drinking had been one of the reasons he had actually taken up the job. 

One fine Sunday morning, in the autumn perhaps, Jonny had got up early to get ready for the breakfast he was gonna have with his girlfriend at the time. Chris had drunk too much last night. He woke up with a terrible hangover to see Jonny all dressed up. 

"Going to a funeral, Jon?", Chris asked while rubbing his eyes.

"Yeah...yours...", Jonny said, fixing his tie.