Fragile Existence outtake: Memories of Youth

I closed my eyes as laughter filled my tired ears, fighting back the memories of my youth.

“Granna, Granna! Wait for me!” A young boy cried excitedly, followed by the laughter of a little girl. “Catch me, Warren!”

A gentle hand touched my shoulder, and I opened my eyes. Hansen's wrinkled face still held some of the youthful charm I had grown to love over the years.

“Memories?” He guessed with the accuracy of a mind reader.

“Though time has aged them, some seem as if they had only occurred yesterday.” I sighed, looking down at my wrinkled hands.

So much time had passed since those dreadful days, yet I could not forget them.

And the truth was that I didn't want to forget.

To forget would be worse then to remember. Because if I forgot, then I would be dishonoring those who had sacrificed their lives.

Hansen reached out and took hold of my hand, his brown eyes kind. “Love, I know you have lost much. But you don't have to suffer alone. I'm here.” He looked into my eyes, and another voice entered my mind.

“We are both here, Jessie.”

I shook my head, a tear rolling down my cheek.

“Life grows harder every day. Regrets deepen, old scars reopen. I question the decisions of my youth, and wonder how things could have been changed or prevented. Nothing comes easily anymore.”

Hansen kissed the hand he held, his love for me filling his countenance. “Things are easily questioned in hindsight, but you must remember how it was during the event. There are many things that we cannot change. But the present is ours, and must be faced with the wisdom gleaned from our past mistakes. Our children are grown, and our grandchildren play in safety because of those sacrifices. Do not forget that not everyone was lost.” He looked away, and I followed his gaze.

Doyle glided through the air until he reach us. Then he landed gently on my lap. I stroked his spine, smiling sadly as I gazed into one of the rubies on the cover of the book which held my friend.

“Does he still fight?” Hansen's grip on my hand tightened for a moment as Doyle answered my question in our minds.

“Constantly. But the seals remain secure. His outrage never dies, and he swears revenge.”

Hansen looked at the book which was our oldest friend, then shook his head.

“So he truly has rejected our aid?”

“Yes. Though I try to limit our conversations. Each time I converse with my brother gives him an opportunity to test the barriers. There have been a few times where he has succeeded in breaching my mind.”

Hansen glanced at me, then spoke once more.

“What would happen if he succeeded in breaking free?”

Doyle was silent for a moment, his pages rustling.

“Because of the mutation Ahriman's Power caused, it is highly likely that he could somehow gain control of someone's mind and thus control their body. But the seals are strong, and the probability of his getting free is slim.”