Unremembered (Unremembered #1)(6)

Kiyana leans forward and examines the inside of my wrist. I expect her to react as harshly as I did, but her expression remains neutral. ‘It looks like a tattoo,’ she says casually.

‘A what?’

‘Relax,’ Dr Schatzel assures me. ‘It is a tattoo. No reason to get hysterical.’

I gaze downward once again and run a fingertip across the inside of my wrist. Across the strange black line that stretches horizontally parallel to the crease of my palm. It’s about an inch and a half long and razor thin. And it seems to be etched right into my skin.

‘What’s a tattoo?’ I ask, glancing hopefully between them.

‘It’s a permanent marking of sorts,’ the doctor is quick to explain, sliding back into his professional and informative demeanour. ‘Some people choose to decorate their bodies with them. Oftentimes people choose favourite animals, or Chinese characters with a special significance, or names of people who are important to them. Other times, people choose designs that are –’ his chin juts ambiguously in the direction of my wrist – ‘more obscure.’

I look at the mysterious marking. ‘So that’s all this is then,’ I reply, infusing my voice with certainty. ‘A decoration. Something I chose at some point in my life.’

Dr Schatzel offers me a half-smile. ‘Most likely.’

But I can tell he doesn’t believe that. I can tell, from the way he averts his gaze and nervously shifts his posture, that he’s already considered this option . . . and ruled it out.

Because if he’s even half as reasonable as he looks, he’s probably come to the same conclusion that I’m coming to right now. As I examine this strange black mark that’s stamped into my skin like a label. Like a brand.

It certainly doesn’t look very decorative.





5


EMPTY


It takes a little over an hour, but my locket is finally brought to me in the late morning. Dr Schatzel sets it down on the tray next to my bed and rotates the swinging arm so that the tabletop is directly under me.

‘Unfortunately the police weren’t able to figure out where it was purchased so I’m afraid it’s another dead end,’ he explains, taking a step back as though to give me time alone with my one and only known possession on this earth.

I carefully reach out and lift the necklace by the chain. I extend my finger, allowing the glossy black heart-shaped charm to swing like a pendulum in front of my face.

I study it carefully. On one side of the amulet’s surface is a curious symbol carved out of a matte silver metal. It’s a series of interwoven loops, swirling around each other, with no beginning and no end.

I turn the locket upside down but the design doesn’t change.

‘What kind of symbol is this?’ I ask the doctor.

‘It’s actually an ancient Sanskrit symbol. Called the eternal knot.’

‘Does it represent something?’ I ask, disliking the contemptuous quality of my voice.

He forces a smile. ‘The Buddhists believe it symbolizes the interweaving of the spiritual path, movement, and the flowing of time.’

I frown, feeling disappointed. I was hoping his answer would be more helpful than that.

‘But to put it simply,’ he offers, almost sounding sympathetic, ‘it represents eternity.’

Kiyana squints at the locket. ‘It almost looks like two hearts,’ she asserts with a confident nod of her head. ‘One on top of the other.’ She smiles. ‘Pretty.’

I stare at the symbol, trying to see what Kiyana sees. It does kind of look like two hearts. One upside down and the other right side up. Intersecting at the cores. ‘It is beautiful,’ I agree.

‘Yes,’ Dr Schatzel concurs, although the sharpness in his voice is back. ‘At first the police believed it might be an antique. But I’m told it wasn’t registered in any databases so that can’t be confirmed.’

Like me, I think, instantly feeling a special affinity to the necklace.

I reach for the tiny clasp on the left side and manage to pop open the locket with the edge of my fingernail. My hopes fall once more when I see that the hollow space carved inside is empty.

‘Was there something in here?’ I ask, shooting an accusatory look at Dr Schatzel.

He shakes his head. ‘It was empty when they brought you in. I assume if there was anything inside it must have fallen out during the crash.’

Another piece of me. Lost.

I close the locket and give it a flick, sending the empty heart into a spin. The silver-link chain twists and wraps around itself, winding all the way up, threatening to strangle my finger.

It’s not until it slows and eventually starts to unwind that I notice something on the other side.

An engraving.

I catch the charm midtwirl and bring it closer to my face so I can read the small calligraphic characters etched into the back.

S + Z = 1609.

Kiyana and Dr Schatzel watch me carefully, awaiting some kind of reaction.

‘What does this mean?’ I ask.

The doctor appears disappointed. ‘We were hoping you could tell us that.’

I can feel the frustration start to build up inside me again. ‘Why does everyone keep saying that to me!?’ I yell. ‘Does no one around here have any answers to anything?’