The Traveller Lost - Part III

The hand remained suspended in the air with no takers.

"Err, oh I see," and the shade began transforming into a humanoid figure, all black but with eyes and a mouth and two hands and two legs. "So, lets do it one more time. Hi, I'm Slick," and it extended its hand once more.

Max tentatively moved his hand up to shake hands with the shade. When the hands met he felt like he touched solid frozen ice right from Antarctica, but ofcourse he had no clue what Antarctica was.

"Ouch! That's cold!"

"Sure it is kiddo, that's cos its the right hand. You wanna shake hands with the left hand?"

"No! No no no! Its fine, its perfectly fine."

"And how are you doing little pup," the shade tapped on the top of the head (?) of Emem.

"Excuse me? Pup? My name is Emem," Emem seeked to clarify.

"Yeah yeah, Emem pup. Ok right, we don't have a lot of time, let's get going," the shade grabbed Max's arm and started to pull him forward.

"But where are we going?" Max tried to stop him.

"To get back your memories! What else? Let's go, no time to waste."

"Excuse me, how would you know where the memories are?" Emem called out from behind.

"Ofcourse I do, listen lets start walking and I'll tell ya everything on the way."

"The way to......" Emem questioned once more.

"Pup! You're getting on my nerves. Listen! Max's memories have been taken to the central processing center for disposal."

"Disposal!!!!!!" Max screamed.

"Yeah cos apparently there was no one to claim them, so..."

"And why would you want to help us out?" Emem was eyeing the shade skeptically.

"Oh come on, can't I help a lost person? Does that sound so evil? Ok fine, you can go on your own."

No one said a word. A second passed, two seconds, three seconds passed.

"Ok right! Something of mine was also in this chamber and they took that too, so I have to go there to retrieve it."

"Something yours, but..." Emem started to question once more.

"Listen Pup! I ain't answering any of your question. Since neither of you know the way, just quietly follow me. Ok!"

The shade then drifted out of the chamber through the door. Max looked at Emem.

"What say you?"

"I don't trust him, something is wrong. I must tell you that as a rule, in a memory chamber all the contents belong to you and only you. Then how can something his be here?"

"I dunno! But I say lets just follow him, atleast he will lead me to my memories," Max said and walked out of the door too, and was quickly followed by Emem.

As they stepped out, they discovered that it wasn't the same outside the door as it had been when they entered it. They were standing on an illuminated pathway that seemed to branch into numerous directions. The musty overhead roof had disappeared, and was now filled with darkness all around, clearly distinguishable from the light of the pathway.

"So wisecrack, can you do it on your own now?" Slick had a shot at Emem.

Emem seemed to mumble something incomprehensible, maybe a foul robot words which I am unaware of.

"Ok lets see," Slick took out a map from inside him, and started studying it with great intensity.

"Right it's the 2rd, then the 3rd and then the 5th passage."

"Uhunnn...." Max nodded.

"You follow that Pup, store it up in case you forget," Slick had a rise smile on his face. And Emem was hating every moment of Slick's company.

Slick, who seemed to be hovering just a centimetre above the floor, drifted forward towards the second pathway from the left. As he reached the start of the pathway, it illuminated further and changed its colour to orange. Slick paused and his shoulders and head dropped.

"Feel like dancing under a rainbow,
Feel like singing happy songs,
But my rainbow, no my rainbow,
won't shine for me."

Max and Emem stared at him with utter disbelief. What was this they were witnessing, a shadow was muttering poetry! A site to behold I must say. I thought I saw a tear roll down the cheek too, but I won't vouch for it.

"Oh come on hurry up," Slick suddenly alerted from his emotional state ordered, "Damn! This place always makes me feel sick!" And he hurried along the orange pathway.