Remember it. You cannot forget it. You run from it because you are afraid. But that will come to haunt your very existence. Embrace the true you.
Isaac: "—!"
The cold breeze brushed across his jagged skin. In a moment's notice, after briefly drifting off, he returned back to reality.
Heiman: "You know, I said I was sorry man. Now you got me out here doing work for the whole week!"
Isaac: "It was your own words that got you where you are. Maybe you should try being more in touch with your environment. If your dad wasn't the slightest bit hesitant, I could've died."
Heiman: "Of course you wouldn't. It's not in the Wynak genes to kill. I know pops may look like deadly man, but he's quite soft on the inside. At least that's what mom says, 'cause there's not an ounce of kindness that I've ever seen."
Isaac: "I feel a though it's self-inflicted. You have quite the abrasive personality."
Heiman: "Guess so. Anyway, we should probably head inside. We have enough wood for the night, and we don't want the ingredients to freeze. We'll eat some of moms cooking and then we'll have a chat about you after."
Isaac: "Got it. But, you know, don't call me a slave again."
Heiman: "Yeah. Sorry."
After picking up the supplies, they made their way towards the house. Isaac understood that Heimann was a truly caring person deep down, but he also knew that he couldn't stay there for much longer. Anywhere he went, he brought dread to those around him. He can't remember anything, but that feeling of resentment towards himself never left his soul.
Heiman: "Hey mom, we brought the stuff you wanted."
Eleanor: "Thanks sweetie. Leave all of that stuff there on the table. I'll quickly cook this up, so if you want you can head downstairs where everyone is."
Isaac: "Thank you Miss Eleanor, and again, thank you for letting me stay the night in your lovely home."
Eleanor: "No problem sweetie. Just make sure you get enough rest and eat lots, I don't want you passing out on me!"
She was extremely pleasant to be around, and Isaac knew how much he was indebted to her and her husband. Not many would offer a place to stay to a random person they just met, especially someone as unwelcoming and disheveled as Isaac. Even so, he knew her words would not do much for him. Rest was a distant thought for him, not because he wanted to, but because he couldn't. His body yearned for nothing more than to rest, but he could not allow himself to do it. Residing in a beautiful sanctum in which he could not rejoice.
Who would want a power that hurts you this much. I want nothing more than to lose it all.
The downstairs area was quite spacious, containing 2 bedrooms and a living room. There wasn't much furniture, but it worked out since the kids would run around there often.
Elise: "Heiman! Dad said he was going to the town to collect some materials he had ordered a month ago, so until he gets back, you're in charge."
Heiman: "Guh! That's about the worst thing you could've told me. My worst enemy is responsibility."
Isaac: "Elise, please don't be like your brother. You seem to be quite mature for your age."
Elise: "Thank you! I want nothing more than to be the exact opposite to Heiman."
Heiman looked at both Isaac and Elise with a pitiful expression. He looked like kid being scolded for the first time, on the verge of tears.
Heiman: "You really hurt your big bro's feelings. Apologize."
Elise: "Sorry big bro. I forget how sentimental you get at times."
Quickly, his pained expression changed back to its happy and carefree state.
Heiman: "Thats more like it."
They talked more about themselves, and Isaac quickly learned that Elise and Axel, who was currently sleeping, were twins, aged 12. Their hobbies, goals, memories, connections, bonds—all of it was foreign to Isaac. He was envious of what they all possessed, but he knew it was something he couldn't show to them. Not only were they not at fault, but he himself didn't know whether he experienced it before or not.
Eleanor: "Kids. Isaac. Dinner is ready. Make sure to wake up Axel and Klein for me and bring them upstairs."
Elise and Heiman: "Yes mom."
They quickly got everyone together and headed upstairs to eat. Eleanor was actually not the designated chef, as usually that was Hagen's job, but with him away, Eleanor was more than competent enough to cook for them. Once sat, Isaac looked at the food, genuinely perplexed as to what he was looking at. He had distant memories of food, but from what he faintly remembered, nothing looked this good.
Eleanor: "Alright Isaac. Dig in and tell me how it is. I don't cook often, but I'm quite proud of my craft."
As he took a bite from the food, a surge of tears came flooding out. Even though he did not remember having eaten anything close to what he was now, a feeling of deja vu rushed his mind.
Eleanor: "Oh my, are you ok!? Umm, if its that bad you can spit it out!"
Heiman: "Relax mom, it tastes quite good. I think he's just having a moment."
Axel: "Damn. And here I thought you were a stoic guy. Dude is a sissy."
Elise: "Axel, quit it. Don't forget you once cried the whole night 'cause the girl in your favorite romance novel lost."
Axel: "I told you to forget about that!"
As the room erupted into different emotions, Isaac finally regained his composure and broke his silence.
Isaac: "I'm sorry Miss Eleanor. The food was just so amazing, it made me realize how much of the world I have never known."
Eleanor: "No need to apologize sweetie. I don't know anything about you, or where you come from, but I'm sure you wouldn't be so harsh as to cry out of disgust for my food."
Heiman: "You're sure? You just told him to spit it out just five seconds ago! Anyway, speaking of, tell us more about yourself Isaac. I know it might be a little insensitive or a touchy subject, but you know so much about us now that it's only fair we learn some about you. When I first met you, you seemed to not know much about anything, so are you suffering from some amnesia of sorts?"
Isaac: "I wish I could tell you all more about me, but the truth is, I wish I knew more about myself. The first thing I remember is waking up under a pile of rubble, which seemed to be from a building which was completely destroyed. All I felt in that moment was that the place was extremely dangerous, so I ran as far as I could until I eventually wandered here. Up to then, that's really all I know."
Eleanor: "So, you don't know anything about what's going on right now?"
Isaac: "Correct."
Eleanor: "Well for starters, we live on the land of Tabit, which is unfortunately in a time of war. The country has been split between the East and the West. Many have died so far from both sides, so we have moved to the forest to hide from the atrocities going on around us."
Isaac: "So which side of the war do you support?"
Eleanor: "Well, it's complicated. My husband was originally aligned with the West, even fighting two years in the army. During his service, he lost many people, and realized the war was not worth fighting for. Unfortunately, they did not let him leave the armed forces. All males over the age of 16 were forced to fight for the west, and anybody who refused to do so was disposed of. This was made worse by the fact that Heiman, who was at the time 15, would be forced to join the war the year after. As much as I love him, he is not equipped to fight in a war. The army doesn't even do a good job of training the young recruits, often preferring to use them as bait. Life is not expendable. So, in order to get away from this terrible war, Hagen faked his death, and we fled over the border to the East."
Heiman: "I mean, considering how close this forest is to the southern part of the border and the direction from which you came, I wouldn't be surprised if the building you came from was in the West."
Isaac: "So... does that mean I could be bringing bad people to you all?"
Heiman: "Don't sweat it. Not only is this forest uninhabitable by most because of the terrible nighttime temperatures., but the vast area makes it impossible to navigate without proper planning. Not only that, but this forest is heavily infested with demons. Which is why I was so surprised at how you were able to get here without being attacked."
Isaac: "Demons?"
Heiman: "Oh right, forgot you don't know nothin. In this world, there are five major races that live abundant throughout the land. There are us humans, who make up the majority and occasionally have powers, demons, who for the most part hunt humans for sustenance, spirits, who live outside the bounds of time, and gods, those with extraordinary power and are able to bend the rules of the world."
Isaac: "Isn't that only 4?"
Heiman: "Well, yeah that is true. There is a fifth race of the world, the dolls, but they are often seen as taboo. Reason being is that they are manmade inventions, who at one point gained a level of sentience. They disguise themselves as humans, mix into society, and eventually, like a parasite, try to take over the bodies of real humans. What makes them scarier is that, quite honestly, they are indistinguishable from humans besides 2 major differences. One being their abnormal healing capabilities since their body and organs are inorganic, and the other being their complete inability to feel emotions."
Isaac: "So then... why was I able to get all the way here if the demons in the area hunt down humans?"
Eleanor: "Well, I guess there are 2 possibilities. One is that you are a person of godlike status, and the demons feared to even attempt to attack you."
Isaac: "And the other?"
Eleanor: "Since dolls are not organic humans, demons are unable to feed on them. So... there is a possibility that you are a doll, which may explain why you have no recollection of the past."
Isaac: "...Huh?"