Felicity hustled down her street. She was late for a photoshoot she promised to a friend. She stopped and pulled out her camera to look at the lenses, making sure the picture was crisp and clear. When she looked through her camera, a naked man with palm trees around his waist emerged from behind a rock. "Oh my god." She whispered.
Frozen in place she shouted to the wanderer. "Are you okay sir? What's your name?" The man whipped his head in her direction, and tilted his gaze looking a bit puzzled. He then lifted up his hand, releasing his hold on his leafy skirt. Before the falling leaves could reveal too much, he snatched them up and regained his grip. Sheepishly he shouted back, "Ari?... I think."
"OOOO" Ari groaned, he lifted his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. "AH!" Ari jerked his hands away from himself and found sand stuck to them. Through squinted eyes he wiped the grains off his hands so he could do the same procedure to his eyes. He tried to sit up, but his muscles felt as heavy as mountains. The warm, sunbaked sand whispered to him "stay for a while," but the voice inside his head firmly told Ari that it was time to go. Taking a deep breath, he sat up.
"JESUS!"
Ari was used to looking at his own body in the nude, but only when HE consciously decided to do so. He scanned the area to see if anyone was at the beach, luckily for him he was only met by a small turtle. "Hi" as he waved his hand, the turtle scurried underneath some palm tree leaves. Ari grabbed the leaves and brought them to the ocean for a rinse. It wasn't the best solution, but it was the only one he had.
"I have to find out where I am." Ari saw some black ink on his arm and briefly scanned it. "I guess that will give me some ideas as to who I am." Ari cannot remember anything after one of his black outs. To prevent a small amount of his amnesia he writes down what he thinks will be the most important information to remember. His name, his age, his address, his sex, his country and his mothers name. Anything else he writes on his arm usually gets too smudged to read.
Ari wrapped the palm tree leaves around his waist and marched inland to find someone who could help him. "Hopefully they'll be able to help me with some clothes too."
There looked like there was a small town just passed the beach. Ari crouched behind some rocks that were on his side of the street. He looked both ways and so far couldn't find any residents of the beach town. He tried to hurry across the street when he heard someone ask "Are you okay sir? What's your name?"
Felicity handed Ari a small foam cup of water. The sound of tapping key boards, fuzzy radio calls, and beepers filled the police station where they waited. Felicity glanced at Ari's face when they brushed hands. His expression was anything but happy. "I'm sorry if you feel like I ratted you out. I was just trying to get you the best help I could think of, in this unique situation..." Felicity waited for his response. Ari looked surprised "You didn't rat me out! Ha ha." He sighed "It's just going to be a chore trying to explain myself. That's what I'm thinking about."
Felicity's best friend would strongly disapprove of her helping a stranger to the police station and waiting there with them. She couldn't help it though. She was a very kind soul who wanted everyone to be safe and accounted for. "So... You can't remember anything?" Felicity asked. Ari took a breath.
"Ari! Officer Kindle will see you now." The receptionist announced.
"I guess that's me. Will you be here when I come back out?" Ari looked at Felicity with a happy hope in his eyes, as if he's already made a new friend for life. Felicity's heart felt charged. "S-sure. I'll wait for you."
Ari watched the steam rising out of a coffee cup, nearly falling asleep.
SLAM!
Officer Kindle rushed into the room with paper work, and shoved her body hard into her chair. "My name is officer Kindle, I'm here to write down the events of today, your information and all that jazz as well as you can remember it. Let's start with your name."
Ari looked up from the coffee steam and sluggishly said "I think my name is Ari."
"Alright, do you have a last name to go with that?" Officer Kindle asked patiently.
Ari looked at his arm and saw the word Fauna beside his name. "Fauna."
"Can you show me your arm please?" Kindle nudged her head in his direction. Ari stretched out his elbow and flashed his forearm towards the officer. "Okay, your name is Ari Fauna, you identify as male, you are 25 years old, and from Victoria, British Colombia, Canada. Looks like you put down your mom too, her name is Caly. Is that short for anything?"
Ari's eyes widened. "I have no idea. I know this is going to sound crazy, but I don't remember anything after having a black out. I don't know where I've been, or where I came from. That's why I write all that information on my arm."
Kindle tapped her pen on the table, "How do you know that you're the one who wrote on your arm? If you can't remember anything."
Ari sat back in his chair, "I can remember glimpses of things. I've had to write on my arm so many times now, that it's easy for me to remember that I was the one who did it."
"Alright, do you have any medical issues? Any mental heath conditions, or medication that you take?" Kindle looked up at Ari.
He looked disappointed as if he wasn't being heard. She probably just had to keep asking incase he remembered anything. "I don't know. I'm sorry."
"Alright, I can't let you go, when you have no where to go. Can we talk to that girl out front and come up with a plan for you?"
"I just met her, so I'm not sure how well that will go over." Ari rubbed the back of his neck.
Kindle grabbed the cup of coffee in front of her and said "we are going to do a criminal record check on you, then we are going to help you find your health records online, that way you can have your moms phone number back, assuming she is your emergency contact. I'll grab some easily accessible clothing for you right now. Then we will go talk to your brand new friend. Does that sound good?" Ari nodded half asleep. "Great," Kindle took a sip of the coffee and started coughing. "This isn't mine."
Ari came back to the waiting room but didn't see felicity there anymore. They had briefly met so he still wasn't entirely sure what she looked like.
Then Felicity walked into the waiting area. The draft from the door opening blew her hair out of her face, and around her shoulders. Ari watched as the sun outlined her body and she glowed in front of him. "Uh-umm, F-felicity, over here." Ari snapped himself out of the trance. "Sorry about that, I was just telling my friend that I won't be able to do her photoshoot today." Felicity looked at Ari and saw officer Kindle walking up behind him with a determined look.
"Felicity, Ari, can I talk to you in my office?" Kindle asked them in a hypothetical manner. After everyone took a seat Kindle broke the silence by saying, "you have a clean record Mr. Fauna, here is your mothers phone number. Miss?" Kindle waved her hand to Felicity. "Oh, uh, Soul. Felicity Soul." Officer Kindle took her hand back, "Miss Soul, I know you do not know Mr. Fauna and you've just met. My station is very busy right now and we can't have him hanging around here. As I've mentioned he does not have a criminal record or infractions of any kind. Would you be able to stay with him until he can contact his mother and get home?"
Felicity was caught off guard and it took a moment for her to wrap her head around that request. Kindle continued, "if at any time you feel unsafe you can always call us at 911, stay in public places together and/or have another friend keep both of you company. Would that be okay?" Felicity sat back in her chair, taking a deep breath. "Yes, that will be okay." Ari looked over at Felicity who seemed like she was just agreeing to get out of the police station. She looked overwhelmed and Ari could sense her distress. "It's okay," he said. "I will call my mom as soon as possible so you won't be stuck with me hanging around too long." Ari smiled softly when Felicity looked at him, and she gave a small nod.
"I figured after all of that hassle it would be nice to get something to eat at one of my favorite places." Felicity looked at Ari and noticed he was falling asleep. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital too to get checked out?" Ari opened his eyes "OH! No, I'll be okay I think I just need a nap. So, this is your favorite place to eat?" Felicity smiled, "actual I love their tea here, their food is okay. I'll buy for you since you got sweats from the police station and probably don't have a wallet on you."
Ari finished off a chicken drum and continued talking with Felicity, "so like I told officer Kindle, I can remember glimpses of things, and if certain things or people are there whenever I come to it's easy to remember them." Felicity took a sip of tea, "So, you know that you have a best friend then?" "Oh yeah! My best friend also lives in Canada, his name is Gareth." Ari beamed at the mention of his best friend. "He's never been able to help me figure out what happens to me when I black out though. You think he would be the first one to know."
"What about your mom? Can she help you?" Felicity's words echoed in the café. "No... but that's because she also isn't around a lot." "Oh... I see." Felicity looked away from Ari. "Don't feel bad for me. I'm alright. She and I are both working through some things." Ari started to rub his arms. "What if I help you then?" Felicity suggested. "You would do that for me?" "Well the way I see it, is if your bestfriend can't help you and neither can your mom, then you need another person to help you." Felicity explained. "Okay. Lets do it."
“Welcome to my house. I have a roommate Winnie who will be home later tonight. Also we have a friend, Cassey who stops by.” Felicity led Ari into her house and showed him the guest bedroom. “I am also from Canada. I’m just studying here in Mexico for a short time. Maybe we could catch up once this is over?”
“I would love that.” Ari sat down on the bed and was already falling asleep. “ I’ll give you some space so you can finally have that nap you wanted.”
“Felicity? Thank you, for being so kind to me, for letting me stay in your house, and helping me get my moms phone number. Your so sweet and beautiful-” “What?” Felicity looked back at Ari. “I mean you have a beautiful soul. You are also physically attractive, but I mostly meant your kindness. I’m sorry If you thought I was trying something.” Felicity stood in the doorway “I didn’t think you were trying anything. Thank you. You are also attractive.” Felicity then shut the door and went to the kitchen to clean some dishes. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Sure Ari is cute but of all the times for a handsome guy to come into her life it was now. While she is in Mexico and he can’t remember his own name after a black out. Is he crazy? She thought, maybe he’s an addict? After doing several chores trying to cope with her situation she heard a bump from the guest bedroom. “Ari? Are you okay?” Felicity opened the bedroom door and Ari was gone. Felicity ran outside to try catching Ari.
Ari was trying to sleep and as he closed his eyes he saw a splash in the ocean. He could feel the sensation of sand on his feet and felt waved crashing into his body. He thought to himself what an interesting dream it’s so vivid.
Felicity caught Ari emerging from the back of the house running toward the ocean. “What are you doing?” She whispered. Felicity crept closer to Ari and noticed that his eyes were closed. “You sleep walk?” She said to herself. When Ari ran into the ocean his body began to change. She watched as Ari’s human skin shed off of him and he grew fins and sharp teeth. His body started taking the shape of a shark.
About the Creator
Amber Fierce
I am a Canadian author. I get most of my inspiration from adrenaline spikes. From participating in extreme sports to going on dopamine enducing adventures. A lot of my ideas come from my dreams, and my songs come from my personal struggles.
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