Dreams & Memories
Part 6
By: Tisha


	Akina came into her apartment, dropping her keys on the table and kicking off her shoes. She 
headed for the bathroom to take a long, hot bath. Chris had been right, she made great money 
working as a waitress in his friend's restaurant, but it was sure tiring. She smiled as she walked through 
her apartment, her home. 

	It was the only place she knew. She had seen American doctors who all said the same thing. 
She'd most likely get her memories back if she was in Tokyo, where there was something to spark 
them. She didn't want to go back there though. She hated the not knowing part the most; she didn't 
even know when it was her birthday. Exactly a year after her fall she had got a call from Hiroshi saying 
happy 16th birthday. It'd been another year since then so in that sense she was now 17...maybe.

	When she first got to America she'd been put into the 12th grade because they said she was 
advanced, so she had already graduated, very proud of her American diploma. She had decided not to 
go to college, working more hours on her job instead. And it made her enough money to keep her 
apartment, which was now fully furnished.

	She lowered herself into the large tub and exhaled at how good the hot water felt. Her 
relationship with Chris had turned out to be interesting. They ended up being quite different. She'd 
have a lot of fun when she was out with him. On their second date he'd kissed her, and for some 
reason it hadn't felt right. She had been the one to suggest that they be only friends.

	He hadn't liked the idea, but gave in for her. They still went out often. He'd had several 
girlfriends that came and went, but then they stopped. Akina knew how much he cared about her, 
and she really liked him as a friend. She was even frustrated at herself that she didn't like him more. 
She sighed thinking about him and hurried to shampoo her hair. Even though she'd stopped the 
physical relationship they went out all the time and got along well.

	She had a 'date' with him tonight. She wanted to look nice so she got out and put her hair in 
curlers, putting on her makeup as she usually did. She put on a black tee shirt and light pink skirt that 
stopped a few inches above her knees. She took her hair down and smiled at the way the curls made 
her hair bounce where it fell right at her shoulders.

	The doorbell rang and she hurried to grab her purse and pulled the door open. Chris looked 
very handsome in a dark suit and Akina looped her arm in his as they headed for the restaurant.


•••••••••••••••••••


	"That was a great movie."

	He laughed as he followed her into the apartment. "Yeah, it was pretty funny."

	"You want some coffee?"

	"Sure."

	Akina started making them each coffee when she suddenly felt uncomfortable and turned 
around. Chris was looking at her, no, staring at her. She bit her lip. "Chris..."

	"What is it Akina?"

	"What is what?"

	"*It.* I don't know. It's like you're not here. You don't have any photo albums or pictures of 
friends. You always look so lonely. You don't know how much I want to do away with that."

	She sighed and set his coffee in front of him, taking the seat on the opposite side of the table. 
"It's a long story."

	"I'm not in a hurry."

	She laughed a little as she stirred cream into her coffee. "This'll sound unbelievable...but...I 
have amnesia." She carefully took in his face and could tell he believed her. "Two years ago I hit my 
head, hard, and now I don't know who I am. Akina Nakao is a name that Hiroshi, a man who brought 
me to the hospital, made up. I don't even know if I *am* 17, or when my birthday is."

	"Wow..." Chris looked deep in thought. "You don't remember anything, after all of this time? 
Have you seen any doctors?"

	"I started to remember, when I was back in Japan. They were frightening memories. Of people 
trying to kill me. You see, when I fell and hit my head I had been running. I think that's what I was 
running *from*. That's why I left Tokyo. I've seen doctors here but they all suggest that I go back."

	"Akina...I never imagined it was something like that. I'm sorry."

	She smiled. "Well I had to get on with my life one way or another and I like my life here."

	"But...I don't understand why you don't want me."

	"Chris...it's not that I don't want you. There was just something in my mind that felt funny, but 
I really like you..." She started thinking about the fact that she *did* like him, and she wondered why 
it had seemed so weird before.

	Somehow they both felt closer together. They were able to talk for hours about anything and 
everything. 

	"Wow it's already one. I should go."

	Akina stood up, following him to the door. He turned to look at her. Akina bit her lip and 
returned the gaze. She could feel that he wanted to kiss her, and she actually wanted him to. He put a 
gentle hand on her cheek and when she didn't resist he leaned in to kiss her. She returned the kiss, 
which was soft and gentle.

	She absently thought that the kiss was familiar. On that very thought images exploded in her 
head. She pulled away and gasped, putting a hand over her mouth.

	Chris looked startled. "Akina?"

	She looked up at him. "Oh my God."

	"What's wrong? I'm sorry..."

	"No, it's not that. I...I think I just...had memories."

	Chris looked at her and swallowed the lump in his throat. "When I kissed you you 
remembered?"

	She stared straight passed him as she tried to focus on the images in her mind. "There...there's 
someone that I was...in love with. I could *see* him, and...and *feel* him." She looked up at him with 
watery eyes. "But I still don't know who I am. That is so *aggravating*. I thought I'd just remember 
everything and that'd be it."

	Chris wiped at her tears. "No wonder we weren't meant to be. This whole time your heart was 
longing for someone else."

	She cocked her head to the side. "I'm sorry."

	"That's okay. I want you to be happy."

	She nodded as he opened the door. He said goodbye but she was too deep in thought to 
reply. She *knew* those were memories. It felt like more and more were popping up but there was 
nothing solid. She could feel love and see a picture but there was nothing to lead her anywhere. The 
memories felt so warm though, contrasting the cold ones she'd gotten two years ago.

	Akina lowered herself into a couch, trying to think hard at her past life, which was more like 
thinking up a story than remembering what had actually happened to her. The only thing that came to 
her mind was him. She could see herself with him. She knew they were happy together; this was 
actually a good memory. Focusing on the picture in her head she desperately tried to think about that 
person, forcing her brain to work hard.

	And suddenly a name popped out. A simple name didn't give her more memories, but it made 
the ones of *him* seem so much more real.

	"Mamoru."


To be continued