and drank in silence then once done he took the tray to the dishwashing machine and put away the dishes and silverware then began to pace watched by Brianna. He sighed and walked out of the room to the hallway to his quarters as his meeting with Tikcanni for the first time flashed in his mind’s eye. He frowned as his feet took him to the meeting spot in the hallway as he stared at the area with a narrowed eyed glare.
Tikcanni’s words about Highlanders echoed in his mind which he exhaled breath thinking to himself about one of the species mind wiping him to have amnesia which his memories were later restored by another “I’ll never forgive them for what they did to me.”
He cut himself off as he felt his mind scanned followed by Merra’s feminine voice speaking sounding in his mind “I don’t like having to tell you this but the Highlander responsible for the mind wiping has died a few days ago which his last words to me was ‘Merra don’t let Highlanders do what I did to Eric happen ever’.”
He heard Merra paused then continued speaking “You’re free of this Highlander’s torture and his influence so be happy with that knowing that he can no longer torment you. Be happy living the rest of your life without being influenced by a Highlander like what he did to you ever again. I oath to you on that for I’ll see it won’t happen to anyone or you again.”
He sighed as Merra left his mind and spoke out loud “Finally dead. At least I won’t suffer from this again. Thanks Merra.”
He turned and walked to the door to his quarters opening it a bit to hear noises inside. Eric frowned as he recognized the noises as Brianna crying. He walked into the quarters towards the open bathroom doorway where he could see Brianna leaning over the sink crying tears while staring at the mirror.
He spoke “Brianna.”
He heard Brianna speak in a weepy voice “I’m losing my looks. I’m aging which is making my hair change from its state to another state along with getting wrinkles on my face and elsewhere on me.”
Eric sighed and walked till he was standing behind Brianna and placed hands on her shoulders that felt thin to the touch while rubbing the areas.
He spoke “Your eyes will always be the same despite your appearance changing. I can still see that look you always give me is still there.”
Brianna moved out of his hands towards the rack next to the sink where she grabbed a towel rubbing her face into it. He stared at her as she placed the towel back on the rack and looked at him with affection in her eyes. He opened his arms wide as Brianna walked to him which he wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
He heard Brianna sigh loudly before speaking “Eric, oath me something.”
Eric groaned softly as he hugged Brianna before speaking “You have my oath so tell me what it is.”
Brianna spoke “I want you to continue living your life after I die and if you have an opportunity to live without me, you are to take it please.”
He spoke with a groaning tone “Brianna that is something I don’t agree with for nothing will replace you as my purpose to live.”
He felt Brianna’s hands on his cheeks and looked down to look at her in the eyes whose expression he saw had a serious look in them.
She spoke “Please, it’ll hurt me if you don’t continue living your life after my death.”
Eric opened his mouth to speak and found a hand forcing his jaw shut as Brianna continued “I insist on this just so you have my permission to move on and I can rest easy knowing that you’ll continue your life with a purpose to live.”
Eric sighed and with a hand stroked Brianna’s cheek as she removed her hand from touching his jaw to his cheek. He heard her sigh as he hugged her and felt her push herself out of his arms taking his hand. He sighed as she pulled him out of the bathroom to the bedroom and sighed again as she hugged him before letting go to go to the armchair to sit staring at him.
He spoke “I think I’ll explore the ship.”
He saw Brianna nod her head and he walked out of the quarters to lean his form on the wall groaning loudly. He straightened up and stood in the hallway with a frown on his face. He sighed and turned his form invisible and frowned as he saw Brianna with tears streaming down her face leave his quarters walking towards the double doors to the stairwell in the hallway. He silently followed her walking a maze of hallways and stairwells till he reached an outer deck where the gang plank was. Eric frowned as Brianna paused from walking to look behind her still sobbing away. He quickly and silently ran till he was ahead of Brianna and stood watching her as she turned and continued walking. He walked backwards ahead of Brianna watching her face that showed sadness with tears running down from her eyes. He reached the edge of the gang plank folded his arms and made his appearance from his hidden state as he saw a surprised look arrive on Brianna’s face.
Eric spoke with a begging tone “Brianna, don’t leave me.”
Brianna he stared burst out a wailing like sound and cried harder. He walked up to her and took her hand pulling her away from the gang plank.
He spoke as he held a firm grip on her hand “Stay with me, Brianna.”
Brianna in response to his annoyance gave up another wailing like sound as she continued to cry tears. Eric exhaled a breath and pulled her walking a maze of hallways and stairwells till he reached a grey wall with a small TV monitor on it. He put his hand on the monitor that flashed a white light and then the wall in front of him opened sliding like a door showing a huge room with large vertical tubes jutting from the floor with wires coming from the tops going into the ceiling. He heard Brianna gasp as he pulled her into the room walking by tubes ignoring their emptiness till he reached a tube and stopped. He felt Brianna stiffened with his hand on hers as he stared at the tube’s contents which he saw had a lumpy tan object he recognized as a brain with wires attached to it.
Eric spoke “Brianna, this is Anya what’s left of me who is talking through him.”
Brianna he heard gave another gasp as he continued “Eric isn’t aware of me and I will keep it that way and will make sure he doesn’t believe you even if you tell him.”
He placed a gloved hand on the tube partition and added “Eric won’t remember this after he wakes up from sleeping off a headache.”
He turned towards Brianna and gently rubbed a hand on her cheek as she wiped her tear stained eyes with her free hand. Eric smiled a small smile at Brianna then gently pulled her out of the room walking a maze of hallways and stairwells till he reached the hallway where his quarters stood.
He pulled her into the bedroom and forced her to sit in an armchair then spoke “Brianna, I have a headache. I need to sleep this off.”
Eric went to the bed and laid his form on it lying sideways facing Brianna and he closed his eyes. Eric opened his eyes with confusion in his face. He frowned as he looked around the room and saw Brianna sitting in an arm chair with a sad look on her face eyes staring at the floor. He got up from the bed and went to Brianna gently putting hands on her cheeks rubbing the areas. Her eyes he saw continued to stare down as he released his hands’ touch on Brianna to stare at her. Sighing loudly he walked out of the quarters walking towards the double doors entering the stairwell. He walked a maze of hallways and stairwells till he reached the outer deck leading to the gang plank and stood with arms folded staring at the land deck that was empty of people. He stared at the land deck seemingly lengthy and heard a whooshing sound behind him. He looked to see Brianna standing at his side with a frown on her face that was showing wrinkles on it. He groaned as she walked towards him and went in his embrace as he wrapped arms around her.
He heard her speak “Eric, what’s wrong? You seem upset about something.”
Eric spoke “I’m upset about the others not coming to visit us or let me know how their doing.”
He felt Brianna raise her head and he looked at her in the face where he could see was showing wrinkles of old age.
He stared at Brianna who spoke “What would happen if the others come visit us?”
Eric spoke
“I’ll keep them from leaving again-“
Brianna interrupted “That’s why they don’t visit.”
He stared at Brianna with shock who stared back at him with a serious expression on her face.
Eric spoke in a groaning tone “If they can’t visit us then why can’t they sent someone to update me on their lives?”
He heard Brianna sigh loudly again before she spoke “Perhaps it’s best to not to know how their leading their life.”
He rubbed her back with his gloved hands as he spoke “I really would like to know about Ricky and Cassie growing up to adulthood, perhaps learn if they have mates which could result in them having children. I also want to know how Ricky handled his rages something I suffer with myself. I really want to know how Arielia and Ionela are doing living out there for I miss them.”
He paused as he looked at the land deck and growled loudly as he saw Tikcanni walking slowly towards the gang plank while being escorted by four Kaddar all Highlanders. Eric felt Brianna remove her hands as he let go of her back. He turned and walked towards the gang plank while being followed by Brianna. Reaching the gang plank he stood with arms folded a glare on his face as he watched Tikcanni looking wearily slowly walked on the gang plank towards him. He narrowed his eyes as Tikcanni reached him with tiredness. Eric glared at Tikcanni who took off the glove of his right hand and