Let Me Forget (standard:Suspense, 1580 words)
Author: Cloud Strife	Added: Feb 16 2004	Views/Reads: 3771/2428	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
The short tale of how a chance encounter between two men brought back memories for one of them which should have remained hidden forever.

Let Me Forget 

By Christopher McCarthy 

It was getting rather chilly that afternoon and was just beginning to
rain as Adam turned off Burton Street and onto the long and busy 
stretch of road that was Jones Street where the bus stop was.  After a 
good deal of rustling through his pockets and trying to avoid bumping 
into the throngs of people in town shopping for the day he pulled out 
umpteen useless receipts and also a number of coins which he began to 
count for the bus after he had thrown the receipts into a nearby bin. 

He soon reached the bus stop where a number of people were already
waiting and was about to light a cigarette when he saw someone in the 
crowd.  He saw someone who looked very familiar.  He couldn't remember 
the persons name or even how he knew him.  The person in question 
looked to be about eighteen years old, as was Adam so maybe it was 
through school they had made their acquaintance he thought.  The sight 
of this person made him feel very uneasy and his heart started to beat 
quicker and quicker.  Adam had no idea why this was. 

He then saw the bus grind to a halt beside the growing crowd.  He hung
back behind everyone making sure that ‘his school friend' got on the 
bus first.  Adam saw the man take a seat towards the back of the bus 
and breathed an audible sigh of relief.  He had a strong gut feeling 
which he couldn't explain that he did not want this person to see him 
and Adam was the sort of person who trusted his gut feelings.  A few 
short moments later and Adam too was inside the bus and had paid his 
fair.  Even though there were several seats available towards the rear 
of the bus Adam chose to stand at the front of the bus without looking 
back once at those seated behind him.  He was just starting to wonder 
if he should have waited for the next bus when the doors closed before 
him and the three-mile journey home began. 

He tried to convince himself that everything would be fine and he was
simply overreacting but found that he had to grip the handrail tightly 
because his palms were slick with sweat and shaking slightly.  Who is 
he?  Why am I so terrified of him?  Why can't I remember anything about 
him?  There was just no answer to any of these and other questions that 
were pounding ferociously through his head.  At least not yet anyway.  
Maybe if I can get another look at him I will be able to remember 
thought Adam.  He instantly wished that the thought had not come into 
his head but he couldn't stop his head from turning slowly around to 
face the back of the bus. 

Most of the people on the bus were either busily texting on their
mobiles, staring idly out of the window at the miserable weather or 
rolling their bus receipts up like cigarettes except for one person.  
It was him.  This person was staring intensely at Adam through cold 
blue eyes with a twisted, almost sadistic smirk on his scarred face.  
That horrible, evil smirk.  I hated it.  I lived in fear of it 
everyday.  That's what always terrified me more than anything else.  
That twisted, inhuman smile meant that something bad was going to 
happen soon.  It meant something bad was going to happen to me soon.  
Adam closed his eyes but could not stop a solitary tear running down 
his face as the long forgotten pain returned from deep inside him 
enveloping him in sorrow. 

William Reed.  Yes, that was his name. 

It had been about four years ago.  Adam had spent much of his school
days afraid of Will and his gang who had bullied him for no reasons at 
all other than that they could and that it amused them greatly to 
inflict pain on others.  Adam could now vividly remember one of the 
worst incidents that occurred during this dark period. That day was a 
day no different to any other.  When the school day ended at 4 ‘o' 
clock Adam was out through the doors like a shot to make sure he was 
ahead of them so they wouldn't be waiting for him.  If they were he 
would pay dearly for not being quick enough.  This dash was a daily 
ritual for Adam. 

His fear would begin to gnaw away at him as the school day wore on and
it would grow until by 4 ‘o' clock he was a bundle of nerves and sick 
with fear.  He thought he had done it that day as he strode confidently 
forward at a quick pace but his heart sank as he saw them about fifty 


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