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They didn’t have to forget on their own though. That was the key to success, the thing which would make this great new world possible; they didn’t have to forget on their own.

The idea was very new then. Not the idea itself, really. For centuries man had longed to have the ability to forget a horror in his life, or to wipe away a terrible memory for a loved one. The principle was not new, but the idea of the
means
of how to achieve it was.

It was all about electricity then. The brain was nothing more than a super complex conductor, telling arms to move and eyes to blink and language to form and memories to be stored. And like anything electrical in nature, all it took was one blown circuit to cease the current flow and render a piece of the machine useless.

They couldn’t stand their own brilliance over it. Lords of humanity they were, or so they called themselves as they drank their champagne and reveled in their own genius and simplicity of it all. Why hadn’t they thought of it before? they all wondered. Of course that would be all it took to eradicate a memory from a human mind. Just a couple of fried circuits and the huge messes from the last few years would be erased from the history of John’s Town, like a burned out light bulb leaving a room of a mansion in darkness.

It never occurred to them that one short circuit could shut down the whole thing, like a missing bulb from a string of Christmas lights.

Chapter Sixteen

Tuesday April 3, 2010

Population: 403

The afternoon light pierced a little too harsh through the gaps in the blinds at eye level
in
the south end of the library, and it was a far walk from all the really useful books. The small table behind the language section was chipped and wobbled with every touch, and the chairs squeaked and threatened to collapse with every move, but with the end of the semester fast approaching the library had come to life as students took any vacant seat available. The heat wave that
couldn’t make up its mind on whether or not it wanted to stay over the last three weeks
had finally stuck, and with the promise of summer just around the corner
,
every student at the high school was determined to pass their classes for fear they’d have to take summer school and miss out on the first baseball games and swimming races of the season.

A
copy of a third edition chemistry book sat in front of Melissa. Aire had been watching her for quarter of an hour from her peripheral vision, and the girl’s eyes hadn’t moved to read a single word.

“Are you okay?” Aire finally asked.

“Oh,” she said, brushing a strand of blond hair out of her face. “Yeah, I was just thinking.”

“Thinking of what?” Aire said as she pretended to concentrate on the diagram of an atom.

“It’s nothing.”

“It must be something.”

Melissa sighed and took a deep breath. “It’s Gary. He’s been acting strange since the accident.”

“Well you would too if you had a crash like he did.”

“No, I mean really
weird
. He’ll just forget what he’s talking about and gets this funny look on his face. Then all of a sudden he’ll do this weird twitching thing and pick up right where he left off.”

“Hmm, that is strange.”Aire’s eyes did not move from the diagram of her book as she tried to think of something comforting to say. “Well, maybe it’s just his brain fixing itself. I’m sure he’ll be fine in a week or so.”

“Yeah, maybe it’s just his brain.”

His brain…his brain… Finally an idea clicked in her head and she had an inkling of what the strange rice grain could be. All she would have to do was make it through tonight and school tomorrow, then she could investigate her lead.

Troy joined them just after three, and scooted his chair close enough to bump elbows with Aire. The afternoon
moseyed
on, the sunlight slowly dragging its way across the rows of books and heads bowed in concentration. Every once in a while other students they knew would pass by and smirk at Aire as Troy leaned in a little too close to be considered proper.

F
ive
o’clock was nearly upon them when Troy closed his book, sending the battered table swaying on its hinges. “I think that’s good enough for today. What do you think?”

“I agree,” Melissa said as she slammed her book shut. “I’ve had enough of periodic tables and
molecular
diagrams.”

“Me too.”

“Do you want to get a burger?” Troy asked Aire.

“Sure. Um,
” s
he hesitated, glancing towards Melissa.

“I’d like it if you
’d come, too. My treat.
”

“No, it’s okay. I think I’m going to go check on Gary. He’s been sleeping a lot this week so I’m sure he’d love some help with his homework. Have fun.”

“Alright, see ya,” Aire said as Melissa grabbed her bag.

They packed their books and left the library, each acting on their instinct and starting down Bourbon Street towards Maggie’s.

“I feel really bad about Gary.”

Aire glanced up at him. “Why? He landed on you, remember?”

“Yeah, I know. But he’s a go
od friend and I still feel bad
that he’s hurt. I’ve been going to his house after school to help him out around the house a bit for the last couple days and he just looks awful. I’m glad his dad and brother are around for him though.”

“Yeah, that’s sad his mom was recruited last fall.”

“Yeah
,” he replied. “But the Army is a good thing and we should be happy to make those sacrifices.”

“So true,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Have you noticed anything strange about Gary’s behavior?”

Troy shook his head. Several moments of silence went between them. Aire had been feigning interest at the Bourbon shop specials when he spoke again. “Well, maybe a little weird.”

“Like how?”

“Well,” he said. “He’s been kind of quiet and twitchy. It’s like he’s a wind-up toy that ran out of juice, then jerks back to life like an invisible hand had twisted his key.”

“Huh,” she grunted. “Anything else?”

“Not really. Yesterday he raised his voice at me a little when I didn’t get him the pen he wanted. It’s nothing big, but he’s just never done that before.”

“Weird. Anything else you can think of? Has he been saying strange things?”

Troy stopped walking and glared at her. “Why are you so interested in Gary?”

“I’m not. I mean, I am, but I’m not.” She looked into his eyes. They were hard and shining, as if all the kindness had gone out of them.
He looks like a
lion
ready to pounce
, she thought as a little shiver ran down her spine. “I’m not interested in Gary as a boyfriend. I’m just concerned because Melissa said she was worried about him too.”

Troy remained silent.

“Look,” she said, lowering her chin as her eyes locked with his. “His girlfriend is my best friend. If anything really bad happened to him it would make her sad, which would make me sad. That’s all, okay?
Gary is just a friend.
”

“Okay,” he finally nodded. They returned to their stroll and Aire burst into laughter after several steps. “What’s so funny?”

“You thinking I liked Gary,” she said, and clasped his hand. “That’s funny.”

Troy smiled. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

They’d reached Maggie’s and ordered their usual, fried zucchini for her, cheese fries for him,  the tension between them now absent, as though it had never existed. The aroma of fries and grilling burgers gave an added touch of easiness to the fresh air that carried the first scents of new grass clippings. The evenings were beginning to warm, making twilight strolls more alluring than ever. She’d tuned out most of his conversation on their way home, her mind lost in daydreams of him walking her down this road many more times when the summer hit full force. Wicked little thoughts of perhaps not going home, but instead straying hand in hand into the woods made her flesh warm in the cool evening. Perhaps the summer would hold all new discoveries
for
them that
neither could ever imagine
.

The crooked mailbox with the faded yellow flower in the middle of Roanoke Street marked the end of their journey. Troy turned to face her at the end of the drive, one hand shoved deep in his pockets. His faced looked flushed, and a smile danced in his eyes.

“Thanks for the zucchinis,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“My pleasure. Thanks for inviting me to your study group. I really needed the extra help from that fantastic brain of yours.”

“My pleasure,” she laughed. Troy looked to the ground, kicking a rock onto the street. She cleared her throat and
squeezed her arms tighter around her torso. “So, I’ll see you tomorrow at school?”

“Yeah, yeah tomorrow,” he said.

“Well, goodnight then,” she said, turning to walk up the driveway.

“Night,” he said, and turned towards his street. Aire slowed her pace to keep in step with
his
uncharacteristically short, slow footsteps. She heard the gravel drag as he spun on his heel. “Hey, Aire?”

“Yes?” she said, snapping around to face him.

“Would you maybe want to eat something besides junk food this weekend? Maybe go to The Restaurant for like some duck or something? All that greasy food is
starting
to give me an ulcer.”

“Sure, that would be fun. When?”

“
Maybe around three on Sunday?”

“Sounds great. See ya then.”

“Cool. See ya then.”

Aire ducked her head down so her hair could conceal her face from Troy.
Act cool, act cool,
she told herself as she went into the house. When the front door closed behind her, she let out a whoop and sprinted upstairs, causing her father to jump in surprise and spill his evening tea over his lap.