FALSE MEMORIES

     The world froze. Or more accurately, my mind had frozen. Not a single sound or movement occurred in the world around me. I was sort of just… lost.

     Agent Yamanaka grabbed me by the shoulder. Her touch gave me an olive branch back to reality where I found the remaining members still mesmerized by the substance on the floor. “Hey! Let’s step away from that shall we? We still don’t know exactly what it is.”

     Agent Yashiro and Officers Shiro and Kuro seemingly broke through their standstill as they began maneuvering themselves away from the substance. Uzume, however, had already found herself tiptoeing around the rest of the shrine.

“Does this place bring back anymore memories, child?”

She peeked over at me as she slowed her steps.

“I’m not sure I’d call them memories, but… regardless, it’s not really adding up. To be honest, they haven’t really been since I got here.”

     Never has her words sounded so clear to me. As she stood centered in front of a single window inside the shrine; the moonlight grazing over her, I found myself looking out the window and across to the forest extending far on the other side of the hill. As I stared diligently, I began to feel this sense of my body falling. As if a steep drop awaited me right below the window. Like the other side of the wall was nothing but an endless fall into nothingness.

     As the sensation grew stronger, I found myself almost tumbling forward as my body inadvertently nudged towards Uzume. An urge to catch her from falling too? I wasn’t quite sure.

     I turned back towards the rest for a crutch to lean on, but all I received were confused expressions. But looking back at Uzume I began to get a essence of… familiarity.

     Just then a waft of anxiety urged me to peek down at my wristwatch.

5:26pm.

     I turned to Agent Yamanaka to find her staring up at the ceiling. Looking directly above the puddle below.

“Did someone… die here?” she asked with a her voice shivering.

We all turned our gazes upwards towards the ceiling.

“I think… that we all eventually die here…” she then cryptically followed.

     Somehow there was an energy present that spoke to me with deafening words, despite the room being utterly silent.

Like the call of insanity.

     As my head began to spin, I closed my eyes and attempted to leave my mind adrift, thinking to myself:

Why can’t I remember how many years I've worked this job?