The Forgotten

Chapter 5: The Last

I remember now! And how could I have ever forgotten for even a second. After all those haunting nightmares that never left me close my eyes! All those sleepless nights just because of the screams. God! The screams! Those unbearable bloody screams of hers were still there!

The reason why I couldn't sleep during that week was never because she wasn't with me. Harmony's absence was never the reason behind my lack of sleep. It was the fact that she was still there but I couldn't find her. All I could do was hear her scream. I couldn't find her, see her, help her, protect her like I wanted to. All I could do was hear her scream.

I was weak, powerless, vulnerable. I wanted to do something, anything, but I couldn't. It was like I was paralyzed and I hated it. I hated the feeling of not being able to do anything. I always had and I don't think that will ever change. She needed me and I couldn't do anything about it. The guilt was eating me alive.

She needed me.

And the worst part was even though I couldn't handle all of the guilt, I didn't have the guts to ask her about the screams. I had no clue if the screams were hers in the first place. No clue, no proof. But I simply knew. I knew that it was hers. Who else could it be? But I also knew that those screams are directly related to painful memories, and I didn't have it in me to hurt others. The questioned remained was: Whose? Whose painful memories are they? Hers or mine? Could be both. Why not? What pains her pains me. What hurts her hurts me

Time passed and I ended up never even hinting at the subject. All the contrary I would avoid it. Night after night, she would write with that adorable childish handwriting of hers and I would talk. Things weren't like before but she was there and that's all that mattered.

And then one night, I noticed the notebook was coming to an end. It only had one page left. I wanted to buy her a new one but how can I even give it to her. She's in a different world. I knew that that page was gonna change something. Without her notebook, we can't communicate. Maybe I was jumping to conclusions. Maybe she'll come with a different notebook. Maybe she'll speak.

I tried to look at the bright positive side but I couldn't help but think of other possibilities too: Maybe she'll use it to say good-bye. Maybe she won't even show up. Those thoughts destroyed every ray of hope I had. For some reason, negative thoughts tend to overtake the positive ones in a human mind. I was so focused on them that I was forgetting the positive conclusions. At the end, I got sick of jumping to conclusions and realized the only way to find out the true answer was to wait. And so I did.

And then, the night fell and I was getting more nervous than ever about sleeping. But I needed to know. I fell asleep easier than I expected. I entered the dream like I usually do and was looking around for the seven years old Harmony that became so important to me in such little time. I didn't find her at first but I knew she was here. She had to be because I was in the dream like I usually am. I remembered that sometimes I would find her sitting on a chair, a chair that I don't always find at first glance. All I needed to do was focus a little more. Once that was done, I saw someone sitting on Harmony's chair.

She didn't seem to be Harmony. It was a lady that seemed to be around my age, maybe slightly younger. She still looked familiar with her strawberry red hair falling on her back as she sat in that chair. Her long wavy hair reminded me so much of Harmony that eventually I was sure she was Harmony who grew up. I needed to make sure I was not mistaken and so I yelled her name as she turned to me and smiled. She stood up and looked at me with a kind smile on her face as I stared at her beautiful summer dress. That was Harmony. That was really her!

The notebook was still in her soft hands. She grabbed a pen and wrote on the notebook with her thin fingers, She was using the last page as I was emerged with her beauty. I instinctively came closer to her as joy was slowly filling my heart. Harmony was standing right in front of me looking around my age. She was no longer seven and it felt like she was supposed to be my age and it was just right for us to be the same age. It just fits. The overwhelming thoughts were distracting me since I didn't even notice Harmony handing me her diary like notebook for me to read the last sentence she will ever get to write on it.

She wrote: 'How do I look?'

A smile crept on my face as I replied "You are the most gorgeous person I have ever met, inside out."

She gave me a sad smile as she suddenly hugged me before saying "I was told this is how I would look like if I had the chance to grow like you did. I look so mature and beautiful a-and..." she trailed off before continuing "and alive. I was always told I looked like my mother and it's true. I grew up to look almost exactly like her." I was actually shocked as her words replayed in my mind. What did she mean with 'if I had the chance to grow up like you did'? Is she dead or was she dying? Is that why she didn't like talking about herself? Because it reminded her of herself? I didn't want to add anything to the pain so I just told her "You are indeed beautiful."

As I said that she blushed a little and then waved. But she wasn't waving at me, she was waving at whoever was standing behind me. I turned around to only see a woman in her mid-thirties standing a few feet behind me with a kind smile on her face. She looked a lot like Harmony but it wasn't her. My only guess was her mom. Right in front of me was standing the women who gave life to the kindest nicest person I have ever met and I had the opportunity to thank her for raising such a wonderful child. I introduced myself with a polite smile.

"Hi. I'm Leto. You must be Harmony's mom. It's a pleasure meeting you. You have raised a wonderful child ma'am" I raised my hand toward her to shake her hand but she didn't take it she just gave me a shy nod with a polite smile but her eyes betrayed her as I saw fear burning inside of them. She didn't seem scared of me. Instead she seemed scared of giving something away as she was hiding her arms with her long sleeved shirt. I then saw seven year old Harmony run toward her mother only to grab her leg and hide behind while smiling at me. The mature Harmony was gone and the familiar friendly kid was back.

"Is something the matter, ma'am?" I asked politely as her mom shook her head 'no'  so quickly it made it more obvious to me that she was hiding something.

"Then may I see your arm please?" I asked to see if that might be related to the problem since she refused to shake my hand. Again she shook her head 'no' and backed away a little bit uncomfortable.

"Why?" That was the last sentence I said before a heavy silence fell upon us three. I looked at Harmony who had a depressed look on her face then looked at her mother who mirrored her daughter's expression. Suddenly, I just launched forward without even thinking of how rude my actions seem to be and forcefully grab Harmony's mother by the hand only to find it bruised all over as small silent tears were shed through Harmony's face. I looked at her mother inspecting her as she suddenly seemed so pale. I was shocked when I found the wounds on her back as blood was pouring everywhere ruining her clothes.

I then looked at Harmony who whispered "I'm sorry Leto. I really am. I tried to stop him. I did. But I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry" She broke down crying her heart out leaving me confused. Her mother was dying in front of her own eyes and she was apologizing to ME!

"What are you talking about?" I asked completely puzzled. she pointed behind with her hand shaking from her cries. I turned around. It was only then that I noticed we were standing in my house and right in front of was the creepy door I refused to open. I had completely forgotten about that room. I turn around to ask them what's in the room but they weren't here anymore. I was alone. I found a note at the spot where Harmony should have been standing in front of me smiling. It was the last page from her precious notebook. Beneath the question she had asked me earlier was a new sentence written in the same handwriting that seemed to be burned in my head.

'Check the room you never dared to look at, please!' was written on the note.

I was determined now to see what was in that room.

AN: I'm so sorry. The chapter was supposed to come out sooner but I was busy with a hella lot of things to do. So I tried to make it up to you by writing a longer chapter. That's actually the longest chapter I've written in this story. I hope you liked it. Speaking of which, I'm kinda sad to announce that the story is coming to an end and there's like a chapter or two ONLY left. But on the bright side, you guys will soon learn his past and what actually happened! So tell me what you think: Who is Harmony? Why was her mother dying while she was apologizing to Leto? What do you think happened to him when he was young? Who is the guy Harmony was trying to stop?

TALK TO ME PEOPLE!