A/N: Revised Prologue (Nov. 22, 2007)

Prologue

-Underneath the bright sky- I

A sleepy, spectral mist drifted from his lips as he glanced at his surroundings, his footsteps muffled by the ankle-deep snow; a sense of familiarity lingered in this powder white town, yet forgetfulness doubted his memory.

There were cars lined up against the sidewalk with a few on the road, all left by their owners in pristine condition. Mostly empty stores of various purposes lined the streets, their front windows blocked by wooden boards. A few streetlights continued to flicker intermittently, their soft light overcome by the bright, milky sky.

A glance around revealed that everything here lacked a name, a unique identity, separated from everything else; even street signs were nameless sheets of reflective metal, their ideal purpose lost.

In the distance, ominous, commercial skyscrapers overlooked this rural town, cloaked under a strange veil of night; a road lead straight to this city, underneath the fading sunlight of the twilight boundary between the cities, stretching out for eternity.

When he glanced down to this feet, he stomped his white sneakers a few times, until he struck the rigid concrete underneath. He bent down and grabbed a handful of snow, expecting the frigid kiss of winter to emanate through his fingers. Only to be met, and become remarkably puzzled, by a strange sense of warmth.

He dropped it soon afterwards.

He turned to his left, towards the window of a salon and examined his figure on its reflective surface. He was fairly tall with a tangled mass of chestnut colored hair as his bangs covered his eyebrows. A brown winter coat with white furry trimmings covered him down to his knees, partially hiding his jeans and his white sweater underneath. His own dark, brown eyes examined his youthful, yet mature teenage appearance; until he turned away and moved on.

When he came upon a bus stop and sat on a nearby bench, he dug into his coat, checking his outer and inner pockets; something was there, his memory had informed him, but what was it?

Although he didn’t find anything at first, when he zipped his coat, a photo fell and landed on the space next to him.

He picked it up and his eyes widened at the image as waves of remembrance flooded the recesses of his memory.

In the photograph, seated on a bench in an unknown park, he saw himself and a girl his age next to him. They were both high school students accompanied with a beige uniform with blue pants and a skirt, with the crest of their school sewed on his coat and her sweater.

His uneasy stance and his nervous smile made him smirk, just a little, but the girl carried a calmed, refined and composed air, her hands resting above each other neatly on her lap; they were complete opposites, it seemed.

When he focused on this mysterious girl, her silvery-white hair caressed her shoulders, while her pale, off-white skin glimmered in the photo; yet her deep, blue eyes echoed sadness to him, despite her smile. At first he felt alienated, failing to recognize the significance of his being there, but frustration soon possessed him when his memory failed him. His eyes turned to slits as he searched every corner of his vast memory, over and over again.

Nothing, nothing was there.

Maybe he had forgotten?

Maybe he hadn’t.

Regardless, he unzipped his coat and placed the photo inside with a strict note forced into his memory; forgetting about it was the last thing he wanted to do.

When he stood up and continued through this endless town, the wind whispered quietly, halting him in his tracks.

Why? Why can’t I remember anything? Am I really that pathetic?

The light, frail voice of a girl spoke to him; he searched around if anyone else was nearby in this peaceful, empty town. No one was there, however.

Maybe he had gone crazy, that his mind had begun playing tricks on him, even to the point of creating imaginary voices. Still, even if this was the mental narrative of a young man gone insane, he smiled, knowing that, at least, he was no longer alone.

He gazed up to the sky and whispered:

“If you are, then so am I.”

Another tender, white cloud slipped from her lips as she shivered under the night sky. She gazed at her surroundings for the first time, aided by the luminous moonlight. Past remembrances echoed out to her, yet she could not hear their delicate voices.

There were cars all over the streets, their wrecked appearance merged against the backdrop of concrete, metal, and glass. High-rise commercial buildings, corporate offices, apartment complexes, and tiny stores lined the street for as far as she could see, all destroyed with their debris scattered on the snow. Small craters were hidden on the road, their presence only seen in the sudden cliff that sliced this smoothed ground of white.

What she noticed, however, was that everything lacked a name; that one word needed to describe and set them apart. Without them, everything lacked meaning for her in this desolate city of white.

The wind struck mercilessly against her bare skin; she winced at the pain it wreaked. She buried her arms together against her chest, feeling a sliver of warmth spread throughout her body, but it wasn’t enough to stave off her inanimate adversary.

When she stopped along the sidewalk and turned to her right to gaze at the boarded-up window of a salon, she saw her figure on its mirrored surface. It held the pale image of a young teenage girl, wrapped in a sleeveless white dress with her ankles buried in snow. Her blonde hair flung wildly, out-of-control as the harsh wind guided its motions. And her soft blue eyes, though full of life, echoed out a soft, silent despair.

She turned away and moved on.

Along her path through the never-ending city, every poster, every magazine, every advertisement, and every photograph in sight held the image of a middle-aged, mature blond man; his hair combed back, his glasses hung lazily over his nose, his hazel eyes summoned a courageous gaze, and his lips kept in a consistent smile. His vague social status remained unclear, yet importance emanated solely from his black suit and tie.

A slight feeling of warmth came over her every time she gazed upon him, yet a strange, unknown bitterness clung to her heart. And no matter how hard she searched, no matter how frustrated she became, this man was nowhere in her memories.

Maybe she had forgotten?

Maybe she hadn’t.

She laughed softly at her own pathetic situation, her own useless memory, and her own uselessness overall; the seeds of insanity took root in her heart. Yet, tears began to emerge, streaming past her cheeks, “Why? Why can’t I remember anything? Am I really that pathetic?”

Suddenly, a gentle wave of warm air brushed against her freezing body; the sanctuary of relief, of safety, and of peace originated from its kiss. And with it, the kind, strong voice of a young man spoke to her:

If you are, then so am I.

Confused and bewildered, she checked her surroundings twice to see if anyone else was with her, but not a single soul was there. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, created imaginary voices in the wind, all in an attempt to remove the loneliness that indwelt her.

Still, she smiled.

For the first time, she no longer felt alone in this vast, empty city; even if it was just the wind mixed with her own wild imagination, she wanted to talk to it.

She wanted to talk to him.

She whispered, “Do you really think we’ll find what we’re looking for?”

Hope spread through her heart at his words:

We will, I’m sure of it.