Page 12 of Jacob Michaels is Dead

“We don’t really have our memories back?”

My eyes went to Lucas and were greeted with a raised, questioning brow.

“Yes.”

“I’ve felt that, too.” Lucas nodded. “You thought you went and got our memories, but I think that you only got what someone wanted you to get.”

“Who?” I squinted.

“Your grandmother.”

“She’s not my grandmother,” I replied, though it wasn’t an admonishment, merely a reminder.

“Esther Jean Wagner.” Lucas shrugged. “She’s pulling our strings, Rob. I’ve known that, too.”

I looked down at the asphalt, my hand still on the tip of Lucas’ shoe.

“Fuck.”

“Get in the car, Rob.” Lucas’ words drew my eyes upward to find him shaking his head solemnly. “I’ll walk back into town. If you leave now, it might not be too late. Get in the car and drive as fast as—”

“You think I’d fucking leave you here?”

“You have to. I can’t leave.”

“Then I can’t.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Rob,” Lucas grumbled. “Get in the fucking car and—”

“Hey,” I gripped his foot tightly, “I’m not going anywhere without you. If you can’t leave, I won’t.”

“You know that’s the craziest thing you could decide, right? If you stay here, then…well, I don’t know. That’s one thing I don’t know. My head feels cloudy. I can’t see that far.”

“Maybe a decision hasn’t been made?” I suggested.

“Maybe. I wish…”

I couldn’t help but smile.

“Be careful with wishes, babe.”

Lucas smiled back. “I just wish we had the ending to the story in our hands. Then maybe…I don’t know…maybe we could change it. If we knew what was coming, I mean.”

“What?”

“If you know what’s supposed to happen, sometimes you can change it.”

“No, I mean, you said you wish you had the story in your hands?” I started to rise to my feet.

Lucas quickly followed, pushing himself up off of the ground to stand before me. Concern but also curiosity etched valleys in his face as he considered me.

“The book,” I said, simply.

“Sure.” He shrugged. “The book. What does that mean?”

“Books hold stories.” I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I marched towards the car, Lucas at my heels. “I mean, sometimes. Just, your thought about wanting to know the ending to the story. And books hold stories. I have a book.”

“I have a ton of books at home.” Lucas chuckled nervously from behind me as we approached the backdoor of the car. “But they’re not going to do much to save us, Rob.”