"Ah don't look so scared young wamesahau moja, I didn't steal this necklace nor did any harm befall the foolish girl who had it." as she spoke, she reached out and gently took the necklace from my hands and held it in front of her face. I scrambled to my feet and held her satchel tightly, my knuckles turning white. She looked at me expectantly and I passed her satchel to her. She reached into it and pulled out a tattered leather journal.

"It's not easy being forgotten is it? Hatred for yourself and your decision building up inside of you." her voice trailed off and she ran her fingers reverently over the journal. I couldn't answer, not that it wasn't true. But how did this old woman know anything about me or what I felt. She looked up at me again and her voice was suddenly serious.

"It's not easy to be remembered but you can be if you wish. But listen when I say your friends might not wish to remember you. And the feelings of hate and regret won't leave." I broke into her warning as I felt a rush of anger at her words.

"My friends would never choose the forget me! It was my own stupid choice to take my friends place! They didn't want to leave me!" She held up a hand and I clamped my mouth shut.

"I may be wrong but I'm warning you to prepare you. Don't be surprised if you have to give up. You need to find one who didn't forget you. Bring them to the mansion and read this journal, do not read it without them." she passed the journal and necklace to me before adding "This belongs to you, you may find that you need it. Good luck wamesahau moja." With that she dipped her head and headed the way she had come. I watched her head off and continued to watch long after the trees had swallowed her and I had lost track of her.

I couldn't wrap my mind around what she had said. Nobody remembered me, after Helix had stepped off the staircase everyone who I ever knew had forgotten me. My mind buzzing I headed back to the mansion, fading back into a kitsune before I entered. I never let the moja mbaya know that I was a shifter for the painting and skull in the room Helix and I had found remained fresh in my mind. The moja mbaya was waiting for me at the top of the grand staircase anger flowing from him. 

words: 

moja mbaya- evil one

wamesahau moja - forgotten one