"Three years, that's a long time to be gone," I replied.
"It is but do you remember anything? Anything you can remember from when you were captured could really help us," said Hank.
"I don't remember anything from the last three years or any of the years before that. I can't remember anything at all. It's news to me that my name is Jack. I don't remember Amy or this farmhouse or anyone else I've seen so far. The only one that is vaguely familiar is you which is the only reason I'm telling you this. I'm hoping because I can remember you, it means I can trust you. I'm hoping you can tell me something that will bring back my memory or at least understand what's going on," replied Jack.
"I can tell you who you are, why you probably trust me and what is going on in the world but you're probably not going to like most of it so let's first get you some food. You're definitely in need of some nourishment," said Hank as he left through the door.
Jack was worried. What if he'd put his trust in the wrong person just because he could remember him faintly. "I need to see if I can even stand up," thought Jack. He pulled back the covers to expose his legs, fully clothed in someone else's clothes. At least they were a nice pair of jeans but the waist was a bit loose. Jack turned his body so that his legs now touched the ground. He remembered how hard it was for him to sit up so he took it easy. He slowly pushed himself up off the bed until he was upright. The room spun and he quickly sat back down. Hank was right, he needed something to eat but he probably also needed a lot of R and R to recuperate from his freefall from the sky. Jack did look around the room for some kind of weapon he could use if he needed it. The best he could do was a heavy old book on the bedside table or the bedside lamp might come in handy. He'd keep his wits about him and hope he wouldn't need to escape tonight. He couldn't stand let alone escape. Time would have to be on his side.
Hank came back after about twenty minutes with a tray laden with soup, toast and milk. Food for the sick. It would have to do. Amy was hovering right behind him.
"Amy, I told you to wait in the kitchen," said Hank.
"I know but I wanted to see him again."
"Well, there he is now get back downstairs. Come back after a little bit and we'll fill in Jack," said Hank.
"Okay dear," replied Amy as she waved and left the room.
I waved back but I knew she still was not familiar.
"You probably don't remember her very well. Amy and I married right before you disappeared. You'd only met a handful of times. She's wonderful but can be a bit exuberant at times. Her Grandmother's old farmhouse has sure come in handy for us though," said Hank. "I'm glad she left it to Amy. Eat up. It's not much but I didn't think you'd be up for much to eat after your descent. Jumping always made me sick to my stomach and I would imagine crashing would make it all that much worse. Amy makes a fabulous chicken soup. Eat up."
I ate my soup like a good, little boy, hoping it wasn't poisoned. I didn't have any other options. I knew I needed to eat to get better and the soup was very good. I finished all the food and then looked up at Hank who had been watching me all this time.
"Soooo, what's the deal? What have I forgotten? Why are you the only one I have a faint memory of? What is The Center? Yes I heard them talking and how do you think I came to be jumping out of a plane and happen to land such a short distance from your farm?" asked Jack.
"Let's start with why I think you remember me. I am your older brother. We grew up together. I am five years older but we still spent a bunch of time together, mostly because you tagged along behind me whether I wanted you or not. Mom and Dad always made me take you. By the way, they're both dead. They died about a year before you disappeared. They're one of the reasons we're at war with the government. We believe the government had them killed as a tactic to try to get to you. We have a younger sister that lives in Las Vegas. She is blissfully ignorant about our lives. We keep her that way to keep her safe. She has four kids and is a Mormon. Her life is completely different from ours," said Hank.
He took a breather and looked at me but I didn't know what to say. I had a brother and a sister plus four nieces and nephews. My parents were dead. My brother has a wife with purple hair. I'm at war with the government. What do you say to all that?
I shrugged my shoulders, "It's all news to me. What about The Center? What is it and how does it fit into this mess?"
"The Center is a government program where they were trying to figure out ways to give humans super abilities. They would create concoctions using steroids, drugs and natural ingredients that they hoped would give humans the ability to be stronger or have better hearing or just be healthier so we could live longer. They tried these all out on mice but they needed a human guinea pig. Someone who was young and healthy and could hopefully survive the testing. You were chosen and accepted the orders. You used to be in the Air Force. You changed; you got stronger, seemed healthier, had super human hearing, ran faster than anyone else and you had a photographic memory and who knows what else," said Hank. We were interrupted by a knock at the door and Amy came in and sat by Hank.
"I was just telling Hank his story," said Hank to Amy.
"Oh good, I'll help if I can," said Amy.
Hank began again, "You were the miracle boy until you disappeared off their radar. That's when you came to me for help because you wanted out of their program. You said you didn't like what they were doing to your body and how you felt and you knew they wouldn't let you out just because you asked. We hid you but they went after Mom and Dad, not the people at The Center. They're just a bunch of scientists who were excited about the results. It was the government that came after us. They couldn't find you so they went after Mom and Dad in hopes they would tell them where you were hiding. It was about three months after you left the program that the house exploded from a supposed broken gas main and they were killed instantly. You were on the run from the government when we figured they must have caught you and killed you as well. We have no idea where you have been the last three years. We have tried everything we could to find out where you were but everything was a dead end. All official documents list you as dead," said Hank.
"And none of our spies on the inside have been able to find any trace of you Jack," said Amy.
"What I don't understand is why are we at war with the government? I mean, they killed our parents, is that why we are at war with them?" asked Jack.
"I think I can explain that," said Amy.
Check back tomorrow to see if you can unravel the mystery!
"It is but do you remember anything? Anything you can remember from when you were captured could really help us," said Hank.
"I don't remember anything from the last three years or any of the years before that. I can't remember anything at all. It's news to me that my name is Jack. I don't remember Amy or this farmhouse or anyone else I've seen so far. The only one that is vaguely familiar is you which is the only reason I'm telling you this. I'm hoping because I can remember you, it means I can trust you. I'm hoping you can tell me something that will bring back my memory or at least understand what's going on," replied Jack.
"I can tell you who you are, why you probably trust me and what is going on in the world but you're probably not going to like most of it so let's first get you some food. You're definitely in need of some nourishment," said Hank as he left through the door.
Jack was worried. What if he'd put his trust in the wrong person just because he could remember him faintly. "I need to see if I can even stand up," thought Jack. He pulled back the covers to expose his legs, fully clothed in someone else's clothes. At least they were a nice pair of jeans but the waist was a bit loose. Jack turned his body so that his legs now touched the ground. He remembered how hard it was for him to sit up so he took it easy. He slowly pushed himself up off the bed until he was upright. The room spun and he quickly sat back down. Hank was right, he needed something to eat but he probably also needed a lot of R and R to recuperate from his freefall from the sky. Jack did look around the room for some kind of weapon he could use if he needed it. The best he could do was a heavy old book on the bedside table or the bedside lamp might come in handy. He'd keep his wits about him and hope he wouldn't need to escape tonight. He couldn't stand let alone escape. Time would have to be on his side.
Hank came back after about twenty minutes with a tray laden with soup, toast and milk. Food for the sick. It would have to do. Amy was hovering right behind him.
"Amy, I told you to wait in the kitchen," said Hank.
"I know but I wanted to see him again."
"Well, there he is now get back downstairs. Come back after a little bit and we'll fill in Jack," said Hank.
"Okay dear," replied Amy as she waved and left the room.
I waved back but I knew she still was not familiar.
"You probably don't remember her very well. Amy and I married right before you disappeared. You'd only met a handful of times. She's wonderful but can be a bit exuberant at times. Her Grandmother's old farmhouse has sure come in handy for us though," said Hank. "I'm glad she left it to Amy. Eat up. It's not much but I didn't think you'd be up for much to eat after your descent. Jumping always made me sick to my stomach and I would imagine crashing would make it all that much worse. Amy makes a fabulous chicken soup. Eat up."
I ate my soup like a good, little boy, hoping it wasn't poisoned. I didn't have any other options. I knew I needed to eat to get better and the soup was very good. I finished all the food and then looked up at Hank who had been watching me all this time.
"Soooo, what's the deal? What have I forgotten? Why are you the only one I have a faint memory of? What is The Center? Yes I heard them talking and how do you think I came to be jumping out of a plane and happen to land such a short distance from your farm?" asked Jack.
"Let's start with why I think you remember me. I am your older brother. We grew up together. I am five years older but we still spent a bunch of time together, mostly because you tagged along behind me whether I wanted you or not. Mom and Dad always made me take you. By the way, they're both dead. They died about a year before you disappeared. They're one of the reasons we're at war with the government. We believe the government had them killed as a tactic to try to get to you. We have a younger sister that lives in Las Vegas. She is blissfully ignorant about our lives. We keep her that way to keep her safe. She has four kids and is a Mormon. Her life is completely different from ours," said Hank.
He took a breather and looked at me but I didn't know what to say. I had a brother and a sister plus four nieces and nephews. My parents were dead. My brother has a wife with purple hair. I'm at war with the government. What do you say to all that?
I shrugged my shoulders, "It's all news to me. What about The Center? What is it and how does it fit into this mess?"
"The Center is a government program where they were trying to figure out ways to give humans super abilities. They would create concoctions using steroids, drugs and natural ingredients that they hoped would give humans the ability to be stronger or have better hearing or just be healthier so we could live longer. They tried these all out on mice but they needed a human guinea pig. Someone who was young and healthy and could hopefully survive the testing. You were chosen and accepted the orders. You used to be in the Air Force. You changed; you got stronger, seemed healthier, had super human hearing, ran faster than anyone else and you had a photographic memory and who knows what else," said Hank. We were interrupted by a knock at the door and Amy came in and sat by Hank.
"I was just telling Hank his story," said Hank to Amy.
"Oh good, I'll help if I can," said Amy.
Hank began again, "You were the miracle boy until you disappeared off their radar. That's when you came to me for help because you wanted out of their program. You said you didn't like what they were doing to your body and how you felt and you knew they wouldn't let you out just because you asked. We hid you but they went after Mom and Dad, not the people at The Center. They're just a bunch of scientists who were excited about the results. It was the government that came after us. They couldn't find you so they went after Mom and Dad in hopes they would tell them where you were hiding. It was about three months after you left the program that the house exploded from a supposed broken gas main and they were killed instantly. You were on the run from the government when we figured they must have caught you and killed you as well. We have no idea where you have been the last three years. We have tried everything we could to find out where you were but everything was a dead end. All official documents list you as dead," said Hank.
"And none of our spies on the inside have been able to find any trace of you Jack," said Amy.
"What I don't understand is why are we at war with the government? I mean, they killed our parents, is that why we are at war with them?" asked Jack.
"I think I can explain that," said Amy.
Check back tomorrow to see if you can unravel the mystery!
