[ WP ] The owner and manager of a lonely motel never needs sleep , and the reason behind that ability was lost to an old amnesia . But , a recent guest seems to be stirring up something .

The youngster wanted to have a chat with me, and since I had time – I always have time – I accepted. 
 
 “ Old man, ” he started as he took out a cigarette. “ You ’ ve got a nice place here. Really… ” His eyes locked with mine. “ …Cosy. ” 
 
 I held up my hand. “ No need for insincere flattery, and please, put away the cigarette. ” 
 
 His hand stopped in the middle of taking something else from his pocket. “ Oh, I thought this was a motel? ” 
 
 “ And it is. I just don ’ t like it when someone is puffing smoke in my face. Please, indulge an old man. ” 
 
 With raised eyebrows he took the cigarette out of his mouth and put it into his breast pocket. “ Perhaps I will. ” 
 
 “ Thank you, ” I let out a sigh. This man was already getting on my nerves. “ Now, if you don ’ t mind me asking, what did you want to talk with me about? ” 
 
 “ I don ’ t mind you asking at all. Not in the slightest. ” He took a sip from the water I ’ d put in front of him. “ In fact, I was hoping that you ’ d ask. ” 
 
 Than just tell me instead of being so roundabout. 
 
 “ Well? ” I asked. 
 
 “ Well? ” A look of smug confusion was looking back at me. 
 
 This guy… 
 
 “ Well, ” I tried again. “ What did you want to talk about? ” 
 
 “ About you of course. ” 
 
 “ About me? ’ 
 
 “ Yes, you. ” 
 
 … 
 
 It ’ s probably too much to expect him to clarify it on his own, right? I can ’ t stand people like this. 
 
 “ What about me? ” I asked as I rubbed my eyebrows. 
 
 “ About your ghosts. ” 
 
 “ My… ghosts? ” 
 
 The smugness was still plain on his face. Did he enjoy this? Does he enjoy confusing old men? Is it a hobby of him? Going around and uttering random crap to old people. If so it ’ s a creative one. 
 
 “ Yes, ” He took another sip. “ Your ghosts. ” 
 
 Alright, time to call him out on it. 
 
 “ And what do you happen to know about ghosts? ” I said, annoyance clearly in my voice. “ Why should I listen to you about ghosts? Who are you to breach this subject? ” 
 
 The smile didn ’ t leave his face. 
 
 “ Energetic, aren ’ t we? ” Another sip. “ I just happen to be an expert when it comes to these special cases. ” 
 
 “ An expert when it comes to ghosts? ” 
 
 “ Not just ghosts. I specialise in everything… odd. Let ’ s just say I ’ m an exorcist for convenience ’ sake. ” 
 
 For convenience ’ sake? Did this convoluted guy just say for convenience ’ sake? 
 
 “ But enough about me, ” he continued. “ I ’ m here to talk about your ghosts. Or don ’ t you want your memories back? ” 
 
 My stomach churned the second he mentioned my lost memories. My entire body went from mild annoyance to ready alertness. 
 
 “ Ah. ” His eyes lighted up. “ Judging from your reaction, I just hit the jackpot. ” 
 
 I tried to ignore my pounding heart. “ How do you... know? ” 
 
 “ I know lots of things. Especially when it comes to ghosts. But again, enough about me. I ’ m here for you. ” 
 
 The young man took his cigarette from his breast pocket again and lighted it without any seeming concern for my previous objection. 
 
 “ What, ” I started. “ Did you mean ‘ get my memories back ’? ” 
 
 “ No no no, that ’ s not going to work. I need you to be in a more contemporary state. ” He 
 breathed in sharply. 
 And blew smoke right into my face. 
 
 My coughing fit was a bad one. The many years had not made my lungs any more receptive and instead seemed to have made them more sensitive. 
 
 “ Exactly, ” the young man said the second I stopped coughing. “ More like that. I can already see him. ” 
 
 It took me a few seconds before I caught my breath. “ What the hell are you talking about? ” 
 
 “ You didn ’ t see it? ” The young man looked slightly disappointed. “ Oh well, we ’ ll just have to do it again. You can hold your breath this time if you want. Oh, and please look at your left shoulder. ” 
 
 Before I could respond a second cloud of death was already moving my way. I tried to keep my eyes open – who felt like they were burning – and turned to look at my left shoulder. 
 
 It might have been my imagination. A trick of the eye. But I could swear that the smoke was swirling oddly. As if there was something it was moving around. Something solid. 
 
 “ You didn ’ t miss it this time, did you? ” The young man asked with his cigarette next to his mouth, ready for another attack. 
 
 I shook my head, not sure what to say. 
 
 “ Good, because this is terrible for my lungs. ” He waved the cigarette around. “ Did you see what he looked like? ” 
 
 I shook my head again. 
 
 “ To me he looked like a little you with a briefcase. Funny, right? ” 
 
 … 
 
 “ Where did all your energy go, old man? ” 
 
 “ Can you give me back my memories? ” 
 
 “ Ah, straight to the point, aren ’ t you? ” He shot me a sad smile. “ I don ’ t have your memories. The little you on your shoulder has them, and you probably gave them to him. ” 
 
 I gave them to him? Nonsense. Why would I do such a thing? 
 
 “ But maybe I can help. ” The young man continued. “ Close your eyes. ” 
 
 I did without hesitating. Anything to get my memories back. Anything to know what I did for more than half my life. 
 
 “ When I snap with my fingers, ” the young man said. “ The little you on your shoulder will empty the little suitcase in your head. I don ’ t know what exactly is in there, but I ’ m sure you ’ ll find it interesting nonetheless. ” 
 
 I nodded. 
 
 There was a short silence before the tingling sensation in my nose told me that I was breathing in smoke once again. Right before my first cough I heard fingers snapping. 
 
 COUGH 
 
 A beautiful woman is standing in front of me wearing a white dress. She looks incredibly happy, and I feel incredibly happy. 
 
 COUGH 
 
 I ’ m placing a ‘ SOLD ’ sign in a garden. Boy do I feel proud. To my right the woman is standing again. She grabs me and hugs me. 
 
 COUGH 
 
 I ’ m lying in bed with her now and I feel at home. This woman is my everything. She gives me a coy smile. My heartbeat increases. 
 
 COUGH 
 
 The space in the bed next to me is empty. My heartbeat increases again, but this time it feels different. I ’ m worried. 
 
 COUGH 
 
 I ’ m walking down the stairs and see that the ground floor is ruined. Everything is broken, moved, or thrown over. My breathing speeds up. 
 
 COUGH 
 
 I ’ m franticly trying to call someone, but can ’ t seem to reach that person. 
 
 COUGH 
 
 I ’ m in a forest, being escorted by policemen. We reach a white body bag. One of the policemen zips open the top part of the bag. I look at her. My breathing becomes erratic. I feel tears rolling down my cheeks. 
 
 COUGH 
 
 Then I was back in the room with the young man in front of me, something warm running down my cheeks. 
 
 “ I ’ ll take that as a sign that I ’ ve succeeded. ” The young man raised from his chair. “ Oh, before I forget, there was also a little you with a bright light sitting on your right shoulder. It almost hurt just to look at him. Must be terribly hard to sleep with someone like that on your shoulder. Just as with the one with the briefcase, you probably gave him the light. ” 
 
 I stared at my old, wrinkled hands. They looked so different from the ones in my memories. 
 
 “ I suppose you now know why you don ’ t want yourself to remember or to sleep? ” 
 
 I nodded. 
 
 “ Good. Well, I ’ m not going to help you with that one. You ’ ll have to overcome that yourself. ” 
 
 The young man walked over to the door. 
 
 “ Don ’ t worry about the expenses, someone else covered them for you. ” 
 
 And then he was gone, leaving me behind alone. 
 
 … 
 
 Never before had I felt so alone. 

