Chapter 1 The Unraveling
Kanisa:
No one noticed when he came in. The coffee shop was very somber that morning. All I remember hearing were pages being turned from a nearby table every couple of minutes. People who worked from home loved to come here. The air carried the scent of cocoa beans being roasted and new starts yet to begin. Ummm...so relaxing that smell, this was my favorite part of the day, every - morning. It had become part of my new normal since I woke three months ago with no memory of who I was. I only knew my name because of an ID I found in the place I woke up in. Today was particularly rough because I kept feeling lonely like I was missing someone. But I couldn't even remember who that someone was.
Yet abruptly… as I sat slumped in my usual spot, I felt a shift in the atmosphere. My body became tense like it was ready for battle. I sat up straight within my seat, I was on full alert. I pulled my wavy black hair back from the front of my face and started to scan the room. With my back to the wall, I could see all around me. To my immediate right there was no one. Straight ahead of me there was a man occupying a table, body facing mine, shifting through a pile of papers. The front door's bell jingled. More people came into the shop, temporarily blocking my view to the other side of the room. Now in the middle of the store there was a small line of people, three women and three children had just entered. They were regulars at this time of day. Two of the children were paired next to their mothers, between 1-2 years of age in strollers. The third child, estimated to be about 3 years old, was being sat down at a nearby table and being set up for coloring by his mother. He had golden blonde hair and blue eyes so bright I could see them sparkling from in-between the people moving through the line. I started secretly calling them the lucky 6. As they each had each other and I had no one.
As they moved up to the counter I saw him. To the left of the lucky 6 was a man sitting alone in the corner. He had a dark grey trench coat and a black wool hat. His body was slightly slanted, with the front half of his body partially facing me and the back half of his body facing the check out. I wondered if he was posturing away from the lucky 6 in protest.
I have to admit, initially, I did not welcome their interruption either. This coffee shop had been a retreat for peace and quiet. A place where I did not have to speak to anyone, or put on the versaad of fitting in. I did not even have to place my order to the cashiers. They always spoke first when they saw me. "Good morning Kanisa! Would you like your regular drink, large Charamel Macchi?" "Yes", I would respond. So in a way, the children's presence was spoiling the vibe of tranquility. But on the other hand, I imagined if my mother had taken me on similar outings at that age. If she had been thoughtful enough to prepare in advance for anything that I might need. If she had thought of my own needs before her own. In the end, I was thankful for the images that these families gave me. So, the lucky 6, nicknamed by me, I expected. But that odd man in the corner, he was new. I had never seen him in the coffee shop before, and I don't remember seeing him there when I first came in. I always scan the room before I sit, just to make myself aware of my surroundings. Then I start my reading, reading is all I can do lately to keep my mind off of my missing memory. But… (my mind started analyzing) the door did not chime before the lucky 6 showed up. So where did this guy come from? The unsettling feeling in my stomach grew unbearable, I could no longer stay complacent. Every fiber of my being was telling me to run. I scooped up my jacket, folded it over my arm, and grabbed my book, time to go. I picked up my coffee with my free hand and walked over to the exit. I leaned my back into the door to push it open. I looked up, I could see the man in the trench coat face me as he was exiting the restroom…His face was smooth but hard, he had a 5 o'clock shadow on his face. His curly black hair was long enough to stick out the sides under his black wool cap, his strands were tucked behind his ears. His eyes looked shocked once they met mine. Like he knew me and did not want me to go. I quickly looked away and began to speed walk towards my car. I am sure I never met this man before. I would have remembered those eyes. They were dark Grey, but transparent and moving like- a whirlpool of water. I felt fearful and confused when I looked into them. My heart was racing. It looked like-there was a purple glow, beaming all around his body.
Before I could finish my thoughts… as I was walking past the adjacent store there was a huge explosion from the coffee shop I had just left. My body propelled uncontrollably in the air towards the concrete sidewalk 50 feet away, though I do not recall any impact. My memory was only flashes after that. I remember hearing a man's voice "Kanisa, stay very still if you want to live." His arms were wrapped around my body; I felt my weight lifted off the ground. I could not move if I wanted to. My eyes kept flapping shut…. I fought to keep them open; I saw fire everywhere…. broken glass &…a shadow? Fear struck my heart and my eyes closed again. Darkness! People were all around me, I could feel them. I had to open my eyes one last time, if I was going to die, I wanted to see who was holding me. I looked up and saw white light shining all around him, I could barely see his face, but I knew he had the face of an angel, his kind eyes were comforting, it was like staring into the sun without feeling the pain of the rays. But still the light was so bright I had to look away. When I did, if I could have screamed I surely would have. The man with the grey trench coat was looking in my direction less than 20 feet away, but not directly at me. His head kept turning like he was looking for someone. So, it could not be me, I was right in front of him. How did he make it out alive? I could not fight the darkness anymore. My eyes closed and I lost all consciousness.