Chapter Two

“Camden, was it?”

The fisherman nods his head, for that is his name. His surname, anyway. As his eyes open to greet a man in a grey vest standing over him, he tries to remember his first name and realizes that he cannot. He begins to panic, fearing that he may have suffered amnesia. He wonders briefly if someone who has amnesia still has the memory of what amnesia is, and confuses himself before the man in the grey vest begins to speak again.

“You took quite a tumble out there. Do you remember it?” he asks.

The fisherman begins to shake his head that no, he does not remember it. He does not remember his first name even, he does not remember anything! He realizes however, as he begins to shake his head, that he does remember it. He remembers it quite clearly.

“I do remember it,” he says. “I remember everything, but I don’t remember a lot of other things.”

“Well now,” the man in the grey vest responds, “that just doesn’t make any sense at all.”

And then the man in the grey vest is gone, and darkness is all there is. Darkness just like before, when the waves took him. He remembers the waves. He doesn’t remember his name but he remembers the waves, and he remembers that they took him.

The fisherman opens his eyes slowly. He is dimly aware of another man in the room, a man in a black cloak. He remembers the man in the grey vest from before, and realizes he never saw that man’s face. He wonders if the man in the black cloak is the same man.

“Awake again, Camden?” the man in the black cloak asks.

The fisherman nods his head, concluding that this must be the same man from before. He knows his name and he said ‘again’ when he spoke, so he must be the same man. The fisherman nods to the man in the black cloak who used to be the man in the grey vest that he is awake, and opens his mouth to speak before he is abruptly interrupted.

“You’re lucky to be alive,” he tells him.

“I suppose that I am,” Camden says. “There are some things that are unclear, however.”

“Unclear?” the man with the changing clothes asks. “But you said you remembered everything.”

“About the fall from my boat, yes. There are other matters,” Camden tells him.

“Such as?”

“Well, who are you?” Camden asks.

“Me? I’m the doctor, of course,” the man responds. “Garin’s the name. Garin Burton,” the man tells him, extending his arm to shake.”

“Well then, I suppose that makes sense,” Camden answers, shaking Garin’s hand. “I remember some of the men were looking for a doctor to tend to the post-war injuries still lingering in the village.”

“Indeed they were,” Garin responds. “And they found me, and just in time, too.”

“Yes, it was,” Camden responds. “That was quite a tumble I took.”

“Indeed it was. Anything else you’re concerned about?”

“I can’t remember my first name. I’m concerned that I may have amnesia,” Camden answers.

“Well, how would you remember the accident if you had amnesia?”

“I don’t know,” Camden answers. “But still, shouldn’t I remember my first name?

“Probably, yes. But it could be temporary damage to your head. Try not to rush it. If it’s going to come back, it’ll come on its own.”

“And if it’s not going to come back?” Camden asks.

“Well then, I suppose it won’t come back then, will it?” Garin answers. “But if it’s not coming back you certainly won’t be able to force it back. It will either come on its own or it wont, so you simply cant rush it. Feel better?”

“Not really,” Camden answers.

“No, I suppose not. I probably wouldn’t feel much better either,” Garin admits. “A first name is an important thing. Now then, now that we’ve dealt with your concerns, do you think you could tell me what exactly happened out there?”

“I... don’t know,” Camden responds.

“You don’t know? I thought you remembered everything that had happened.”

“I do,” Camden insists. “And I remember not knowing.”

“Well now,” Garin responds, “that just doesn’t make any sense at all.”

“No, I mean I didn’t know what was going on.”

“Why are you still conscious?” Garin asks.

“What do you mean?” Camden responds incredulously.

“The last time I said that, you passed out. It had a very strong effect. Why didn’t you pass out this time?” Garin asks.

“I’m... sorry?”

“Hm,” Garin responds. “I suppose I forgive you, yes. Please continue with the details of your accident.”

“I.. what are... I was sailing,” Camden finally says, resolving that he may as well continue, rather than attempt to reason with a doctor who kept changing his clothes and also appeared to be mad. “I had stopped sailing, actually, when it happened. I had stopped sailing to fish, and I had dropped my net into the water when suddenly the boat began to rock violently. I checked the net and it was pulled tightly, as if having caught a fish that would be far larger than anything I know to be Lake Scorn. I resolved to cut the net free, knowing I could never take anything that large in, when the boat began to rock even more violently, and then suddenly, the boat and the water around it became still, but the Lake itself began to rage and storm, and suddenly everything became dark. I lost my footing and stumbled over the edge of my ship. That’s the last thing I remember. Wait. How did I end up here, actually?”

“You were rescued, of course,” Garin responds.”

“By whom?”

“Another fisherman out on Lake Scorn.”

“Which fisherman?” Camden asks.

“You don’t know him.”

“How could you possibly know that? Amount of fisherman left after the war, I know almost all of them. And you never told me his name, how could you know I don’t know him?”

“Fine,” Garin concedes. “His name is Morzansonsternbeckside. Do you know him?”

“You made that name up,” Camden insists. No one’s name is Morzansonsternburt...whatever you said.”

“I certainly did not,” Garin insists. “That is his name.”

“What is his name?” Camden asks.

“Why, whatever I just said. I already told you his name,” Garin replies.”

Camden sighs, knowing this is once more going nowhere. “Please tell me,” he finally continues. “Do you have any idea what happened to me out there?”

“You fell from your boat,” Garin responds matter-of-factly.

“I know that,” Camden answers. “Do you have any idea what I caught?”

“You caught nothing. Your ship was also recovered, empty.”

“But something pulled on the net!” Camden shouts.

“No fishing net was found on your ship, sir,” Garin responds.

“That’s because I cut it free! Now please tell me if you have any idea of what’s in that lake!”

“There’s nothing unusual in Lake Scorn that I am aware of, Camden. I’m quite certain you fell from your boat and imagined yourself a life as a fisherman and an awful accident that occured while fishing. All of it is probably your imagination. After all, you’ve already admitted you do not even know your first name.”

“I... but... well, I suppose that’s true,” Camden admits.

“Indeed it is. Now I think you’ve asked quite enough questions for today,” Garin says, tilting Camden’s head back and pouring a thick and vile liquid down his throat.

And suddenly everything goes black once more.

“Camden, was it?” Garin, now wearing chainmail for some reason, asks.

“Uh... yeah,” Camden responds, confused. “Garin, look.”

“Yes?”

“What we were talking about before, I-”

“Before? You have only just woken, sir. I’ve never met you before.”

“Don’t lie to me, Garin. I don’t know what’s going on but I know you’re lying to me about it. How did I know your name if we’ve never met before?”

“Why, I told you my name. ‘Camden, was it?’ I said. ‘My name’s Garin,’ I said. Right when you woke up!”

“The second part of that never happened, and you know it!” Camden shouts.

“I’m quite certain it did,” Garin responds, and tilts Camden’s head back to pour more of the vile liquid from before down his throat.

Everything begins to blacken again, and as he loses consciousness, Camden is dimly aware of a serious looking man in a chair on the other side of the room frowning at Garin, and is also dimly aware of the notion that the serious looking man has been there all along. He fights desperately to cling to something, to stay conscious. He knows now that this man must not be a doctor at all, and that he and the serious looking man must be completely aware of what happened in Lake Scorn, and hiding it from him for some reason.

Either that or he’s gone completely mad. He almost laughs at the thought, except he passes out instead.