Mary's glitches occurred often and in silence. The nightmares of Dr Richard played frequently in her brain as well. Scenes of the past though in faint traces tried to show Mary her story in timelines called 'memory'.

Mary did not deny the fact that her memory had begun to return. However she feared the truth she would discover if she did regain her tales of old.

She had gotten quite attached to the life of normality with the Beckhams and the solemn chemistry that existed between her and Todd was thrilling as well.

"The past is the past." She told herself.
Still her green eyes hungered for more explanation to the uncertainties that surrounded her present.

On a beautiful morning as expected of any forest bathed in the warm sunny glows of summer, the Beckham boys decided to go on a short trip by foot.

Richard had decided to take the family camping. Completely thoughtless of others' opinion, he made perfect preparations to set out in search of the perfect camp site in the midst of fog and green.

"We're in the forest. This is summer so everything is perfect. The sun isn't too hot out here due to the endless shades from leafy branches and when the rain pours it does so in gentle patters. Like in a musical. The birds...the animals...it'll be perfect." Richard tried to convince his wife that morning while he struggled with a huge backpack.

"Since when did you become a lover of nature Richie? You always loved the city! Besides you couldn't stand NAT GEO or any channel that showed anything 'Nature'. You called people who went for holiday in places like Bali, advanced savages. You said they were trying to live their life backwards while denying the future. Those were your words Richard, your words." Alice said.

Anger swayed with every bend and curve of her veins and arteries. She despised Richard's sudden gesture.

Alice had no problem with living in the forest as she already did for over a month. However she wished her husband would enquire of her before he took such bold steps, just like he did not before they moved into the wooden mansion.

She stood there with many words and one thought 'Slap him'. Alice blinked twice to get the thought off her mind but her hand twitched and pressed against the ladle she held.

Richard noticed the void in his wife's eyes get larger. He knew what that look meant and he thought it too early to tread crazy lane that morning.

He walked to his wife and swept her hair backwards. He wrapped loose strands around her undone bun and held her thin waist.

His palms caressed her apron and gave her skin warmth. Alice knew what her husband was trying to do. Still she fell for it and smiled sheepishly.

She had her charms and so did Richard.

"Babe I honestly think it's a good thing to do. I've begun to appreciate new things. Isn't that what life's about?" Richard asked his wife in a bold whisper while he nibbled her left ear lobe.

"Life's about surviving Richard. What are you really up to?" Alice asked her husband, with a raised brow.

"Do you suspect me of something?"

"No Richie. Of course not. I don't just understand why you'll wake up one morn and decide to take everyone camping. You did the same thing the week before we moved here. You should really run these things by me. It makes no sense to wake up one morn and decide to turn your family into ape people." Alice told her husband.

"Alice I'm sorry if this seems quite unconventional but it's something I've wanted to do for a while."

At that moment, Richard spotted George walking down the stairs with heavy camp bags and his brain immediately cooked up the perfect excuse.

He placed both hands on Alice's shoulders and with eyes of endearment, he spoke in gentle whispers.

"Alice I have to do this. Also today was set apart for George's sake. You've seen how cold our relationship has gotten since we arrived at this forest."

"Well you're the one who wanted to move here. You took George from his friends, civilization and the only chance to actually groom himself into a normal high school kid. His peers are in Palm spring for the summer but you brought him to the nest of bugs and bats. He's a teenager Richie, of course he'll get cranky." Alice defended her son's behaviour.

"Yeah but he's cranky to me and not you." Richard said with pouted lips.

"I'm the mom Richie. Sons don't get mad at their mothers especially, when she's a good one." Alice winked.

"Come on Alice. I just want to renew the bond I have with my son. That's if there's any bond left. Recently, I've got the feeling the kid hates me."

"Hey, don't talk like that. He's your son. Of course he loves you. He's just being what he is. A teenager. I'm sure I'll dance to the same music as you when Mel's grown up." Alice assured her husband with an angelic smile and eyes that spoke comfort.

She took in a deep breath which she let out almost immediately.

"Fine. You can take your son on the search for a good camp site. Things have been quite unsettling since we moved in and I think camping is a good change."

"Thanks babe." Richard pressed his lips against his wife's right cheek until faded red was seen in a solemn spot.

"Alright boys! I hope you've got everything you need all packed up. It's going to be a long walk." Richard told George and Todd who stood at the main entrance with huge green bag packs pressed upon their shoulders by thick straps.

"This sucks. It makes no sense. I can't keep up with your crazy decisions dad. They're just like you. Crazy!" George said under his breath.

"What did you call me boy?" Richard asked, while he took one hasty step towards his son.

"Okay! That's enough! Let's get going before you two tear your limbs apart. And that's you George! It's best you keep that mouth of yours shut today. Your mom won't be there to save you from your dad. I might be of some help but you'll still have scars all over." Todd told George.

Todd's sentences reached George's brain word by word. He was right. His father was crazy. Maybe Mary's dreams were true. Maybe Richard was a villain.

"Fine. I'm sorry dad." George said out loud.

"I'm sorry you're an evil bastard and I'm going to find out what you're really up to." George's thought said silently while his words were merged with boldness and assurance.

"It's alright boy. After a few hours in the woods, you'll come back a real man." Richard said with a wide grin.

George managed a smile.

Todd's searched the stairs and surrounding for Mary, but she was not near.

"Calling for her would only make me seem pathetic and it would definitely anger George." Todd thought.

"Do you have an idea of where we're going exactly? It'd be stupid to parade an unknown forest in the name of adventure. You feel me big bro?" Todd asked his brother, while thoughts of Mary lingered in his mind.

"I understand and yes, I do have a place in mind." Richard replied his brother.

"I've got to get there before that bitch does! If she's getting her memories back, she'll definitely go there. Fuck! You should've killed her Henry!"

Words patrolled Richard's thought as he bit his lip to make sure they didn't slip out. No one needed to hear them. No one should hear them.

"Okay! I hope you boys will be back for dinner. Stay safe and Richard, don't get lost!" Alice instructed her husband.

"We'll be fine sweets." Richard told his wife.

George rolled his eyes. Todd turned his neck, left and right, still in search of Mary, while he stepped out of the house.

After a few more waves of goodbye, Richard, George and Todd were out of their wooden home, ready to tread forest grounds.

Mary sat still and silent on George's bed.
Her eyes crawled on the posters of bikini models pasted on the walls of the room in half and full pieces.

Something about the room made her feel warm. Something filled her being with safety and protection seemed far closer than the fear that once shrouded her the past few weeks.

"Mary?" A calm and soothing voice called her name.

"Todd? George?" She asked.

"Mary." The voice called her name again. It was louder this time.

Surely it was neither George nor Todd. The voice did not sound like theirs and she had seen them both go downstairs with their backpacks a few minutes ago.

"Mary."

The voice had begun to annoy Mary. She stood up and began to search the room. It was too small to conduct a thorough search of any kind. Surely her mind toyed with her.

In a moment of what could only be defined 'human instinct', Mary took a long look at a small mirror kept on the wall of George's room by a simple nail and thick thread.

There he was. The one who called her name.

He was a man. A handsome man. One could tell he was in his early twenties. He had beautiful eyes and dark curls for hair. He wore an unbuttoned red Hawaiian shirt with white floral pattern and black shorts. An intriguing tattoo peeked from a part of his chest, left bare.

Mary had seen him before.

Of course! The man she saw in glitches whenever she looked at Todd.

Mary stared at the man in the mirror. He was beautiful.

"The forest. The little cabin. The wooden shed under the fig tree." The man said.

"Forest?" Mary asked the non-existent.

In those few minutes of contemplation, the man in the mirror faded and so did George's room. A different scene played out before Mary.

She found herself in the midst of fallen leaves, bushes and old trees. There was more brown than there was green. A wooden shed the size of a large dog's kernel stood beside a huge fig tree.

Mary stood beside the man in mirror. He looked taller and his skin a bit more tan. He held her hands, while he spoke to two figures that stood before them.

The figures were indeed human. They were both females. One was brunette. Her hair swam with the harsh winds and the other maintained a short blonde hair and a sturdy manly stance. There was something quite peculiar about both figures. They had no faces.

"Michael, this more important to me than life itself. I've got to keep it safe. We all know he's coming soon and if he gets his hands on this, he'll definitely destroy it." The blonde said while she held a book tightly to her chest.

"It might just be an ordinary book to him. It's the content that's worth something and I doubt he's going to read it." The handsome man said. It seemed his name was Michael.

'Michael', that was what Mary called Todd once when he had the face of the handsome man that now stood with her.

"You really think he's not going to read it? You do know the guy's crazy right?" The brunette asked.

"What do you think Mary?" Michael asked.

Mary did not move, but her neck was subjected to a force that caused her to nod while being still as a graveyard ghoul and silent as ants in the snow.

"Alright then, let's hide the book." Micahel said.

The blonde arched her back and walked into the wooden house with the large book in her hands.

Mary squinted and got a clearer view of the book. It had a red leather cover and two brown threads hung from within the pages of the book. It looked old. It was a red leather journal.

Michael turned to Mary and held her cheeks. He got closer. She could feel his breath in between her eyes. He was truly tall and so handsome.

He moved close. So close Mary could see his face in details and her heart beat began throb loudly. She wanted her memory to digest the sculpt of his face and not forget it this time.

Michael began to speak but his words faded and so did the scene.

Mary was in George's room again.
She heard noises and peeked out the window.

Richard, Todd and George had set out for their hiking in the forest. Mary blinked twice and a glitch so simple made itself known again.

Three figures did set out to the forest but it was not Richard, George nor Todd. It was a blonde, a brunette and a dark haired boy.

The dark haired boy turned and looked up at the window of George's room and with a smile so wide and cute he called "Come on Mary, we've got to go!"

The scene disappeared again and as though instructed by a spirit of some kind, Mary ran to the basement packed up snacks, weapons and dressed up from head to toe like a hiker in the summer should.

With bold and unsure steps she walked out of the wooden mansion and followed Richard in far paces, hoping to find what was not fantasy but reality. A book with a red cover, a man who wanted to read the book, a little wooden shed. Whatever cause her mind hoped to discover on this journey, Mary only hoped it was real.

For in years left alone in the wooden mansion, this was the first time she heard the man in the mirror speak.