The Potential of Forgetting

By A.C. Ward

Was the ability to freeze time worth giving up her former life?

Kali has no memories, only a voice in her head claiming she chose to forget. When she attempts to escape her holding cell, she discovers she has the power to freeze time. Kali uses it to rescue others like herself. But before they can leave, she has to defend against erratic powers by freezing one of her own.

Distrustful of the facility and her former self, Kali is torn between escape and seeking answers from within. There is more to the abilities they've developed than she could have imagined. And the longer she stays, the more she comes to care about the others, despite the danger they pose.

Will Kali's potential save everyone, or prove they should lose their freedom forever?

If you like superpowers, flawed characters, and tragic pasts, then you'll love A.C. Ward's captivating tale.

Content notes: depression, attempted suicide, bullying, violence

• Language: English
• Publisher: A.C. Ward
• Release date: Mar 29, 2021
• ISBN: 9781386311706

A.C. Ward

A.C. Ward is a little worried that her internet search history is on some sort of watch list. For her writing she has researched demonic rituals, exorcism, and lethal stab wounds. Her next work in process is only making it worse. A.C, lives with her husband, daughter, and various pets – dog, cat, gecko, fish, and tarantula. When she’s not writing she’s watching Netflix or rereading her favorite manga. She’d love to hear from her fans. You can contact her at [e-mail].

Book preview

Chapter 1

ONLY A YOUNG BOY’S face remained in my thoughts. Dirt streaked his cheeks. His sandy-colored hair was disheveled and untidy. As I reached for him, my current surroundings came into focus and the image disappeared.

A heaviness filled my limbs. I braced my arms behind me on the bed and felt a twinge, almost a stretching, but it passed quickly. I glanced down at myself, taking in the light-blue jumpsuit I wore. It covered me from wrist to neck to ankle. The material flopped over my hands and heels, slightly too big. My feet were bare and chilled.

I reached out to touch the nearest white wall and was surprised by its spongy texture. Other than the bed, there was just a door with a glass window.

Where was I? I tried to think back but encountered an unending blankness in my mind. That, and the beginning poundings of a headache.

I swung my legs to the side of the bed, letting my feet touch the thick carpet, again white. Though shaky at first, my legs firmed, and I was able to stand. I moved toward the only thing of any interest, the window in the door. Standing on tiptoe, I swiveled my head both ways, hoping to glimpse something, anything. All that spread before me was another white wall. I began to step back and saw a vague movement in the glass.

It took me a moment to realize that it was a reflection of me. I looked young, somewhere in my late teens. My eyes were a little big for my face, with straight, brown hair framing it.

Suddenly, there was movement beyond my hazy image. Someone had stepped in front of the door, peering in. Surprised, I skittered backward. The woman continued to stare, her eyes sharp behind a pair of glasses.

Ugh, not her.

The voice was in my head, but I couldn’t tell where the thought had come from. Why not her? Wouldn’t it be good to talk to someone, figure out what was going on?

It should be Teo.

The name didn’t bring an image. I tried to remember, but the pain that followed was sharp and insistent, no longer a warning but a whip lashing my mind to the present.

The door opened, and the woman stepped inside followed by two men, all clothed in white coats. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes as they moved closer. You have finally woken.

I nodded, taking a step back. Wh-where am I? I shivered at the hesitancy in my voice as I backed away, my legs hitting the side of the bed.

Her lips thinned as she studied me. I see the procedure worked, as it has with the others. Wouldn’t a more effective question be to ask who you are?

I didn’t know my own name. The thought added to the anxiety crawling through me. Who am I?

She pointed with a manicured nail toward my shirt. I glanced down, noticing the lettering sewn above the pocket for the first time. Kali. The name didn’t spark any recognition.

Why don’t I remember anything?

The woman sighed. I will answer your questions in due time, but first, we must take precautions. She motioned to the men.

I shifted away from the bed, but my back hit the wall instead as they grabbed for my arms.

Stop them! the inner voice shouted.

Stop them how? Three against one were not odds in my favor.

Her left hand held a syringe. Do not be concerned. This medicine is only meant to relax you so we can have a proper discussion.

She’s such a liar. We need to get out of here.

I jerked my arm hard enough to cause one man to stagger. The other pushed me into the padded wall, and the woman leaned toward me with the syringe.

My arms flew up, trying to block the needle. Stop! I cried. Something inside me expanded and spiraled outward. A shimmer arced away from my body, enveloping them and spreading even farther. Dizzy and sick, my eyes blurred. I forced them to focus again.

The strangers had stopped. In fact, the woman was motionless, with the syringe held midlunge. As long moments passed, she didn’t blink. The man’s hands rested against me, and I jerked my body to the left, away from him. It took a couple of tugs to free myself before I fell sideways, woozy and nauseous.

I turned my head to find they hadn’t moved. The man was poised as if pushing against me. He didn’t appear to be breathing either. The room was silent except for my own panting.

Did I do something? That shimmer, did it come from me? If so, it seemed to have stopped them like I wanted. But for how long? I scrambled to my feet and lurched to the door. I pushed on the handle, but it didn’t budge, frozen as well. I pushed it down again, and there was a slight shimmer. The handle turned, but the door didn’t open. It was locked.

Take her key.

A quick scan of the woman’s shirt found that the voice referred to more of a key card. I grabbed for the clip and yanked it off. Back at the door, I inserted the woman’s card into the slot above the handle. No green light flashed, but I heard a faint click, and the door opened.

Moving into the hallway, I shut the door behind me and heard the faint click again. I raised on tiptoe to glance in. They still hadn’t moved. Did the power end, or would they stay that way forever? My conscience twinged at the thought.

It’s fine. Let’s go.

Glancing left and right, I saw no one else in the hall. There weren’t any other doors along the hallway, only the one for my room. Metal gates loomed at both ends, with slots for a key card. I started to the right, but the voice protested.

No, they’ll expect you to go that way. It was as if she smiled in my head. Not that we have to worry too much with our ability.

I had frozen everyone in time and space. My fingers lifted to press against my pounding head. It was impossible to wrap my mind around the idea, and I didn’t see a reason for that to make us smug. We hadn’t gotten far. A quick swipe of the card and the opposite gate unlocked. Opening it, I stepped into the next section of the building.

Chapter 2

I MADE CERTAIN THAT the gate shut behind me, not wanting to leave an obvious trail of open doors in my wake. The new hallway I had stepped into looked exactly like the last, with another gate at the far end and one door midway between.

Looking back through the bars of the gate, I could see the same fluorescent lights reflecting off white walls. I wasn’t trapped in a loop. Both hallways appeared real, though reality was a little fluid to me at the moment.

Just keep moving, the voice in my head encouraged.

Nodding to myself, I moved forward. Curiosity drew me to the window in the door. I expected to see a room similar to the one I had escaped. Instead, the space inside was much smaller, the size of a closet. The area was barely big enough for a person to stretch out—they would touch the walls on each side if they did. It wouldn’t even fit a bed, and I wondered why I had ranked having one in my room.

There was an occupant, crouched down, balancing on the balls of his feet. His bent head, with brown hair curving forward, obstructed his face. The person’s hands pressed through his hair and into his temples, as if trying to ease the pressure of a headache. It reminded me of the pain I encountered when struggling to remember. My temple throbbed in warning.

Leave him.

The harsh tone caused tension to tighten my shoulders. My inner voice meant it.

The bent head lifted, unusual violet eyes meeting mine. He let his hands fall to his sides but remained crouched. He seemed about my age, I guessed, maybe a year or two older.

Who the hell are you? His voice was huskier than I had expected, like it hadn’t been used in a while, or like it had been used too much recently.

It was a fair question, but I wasn’t sure how to answer it. Remembering the lettering on my shirt, I reached down and ran my fingers over it.

Kali, I murmured. It was the only answer I had. I heard a snort from my inner voice.

Are you serious? He stared at me a moment longer, muttered under his breath, and then sighed. Mine says Atlus.

I hesitated, then asked, Do you know what this place is?

He laughed, though I couldn’t detect any actual humor in it, and shook his head. I guess it’s pointless asking you where we are.

I had to smile at that. It seemed we were both clueless.

How did you get out?

There was a woman... My voice trailed off as I glanced around. The hallway remained empty, and I heard nothing from the hallway I’d left. I wondered if they were still frozen. When I turned back to the door, Atlus was standing right next to it. I backed up a step. Have you seen anyone?

He shook his head. Just you. He paused. So, some woman let you out?

Not exactly. She came in with two men, and I stopped them somehow.

Stopped them from what?

The syringe had been so close to my skin. I wondered if I’d be unaware again if it had connected like they wanted. No, I mean I froze them or something. They stopped moving, even breathing. Atlus’s expression turned skeptical, so I rushed on. And I stole a key card.

He pressed closer to the window. Will it work on this door?

Don’t let him out, the voice insisted.

I hesitated. Was there something I was missing? Was this guy locked up for a valid reason? And would that mean there was a reason I should have stayed locked up?

Look, his voice broke into my thoughts. You don’t know me, and I get that you’re confused, probably scared. I looked at him sharply, and Atlus shrugged. It sounded as if you had to defend yourself, freezing them or whatever. What I’m saying is, I get why you’re thinking about not letting me out, but please don’t leave me in here.

It didn’t seem right leaving anyone in there. My room had been a paradise compared with the cramped space.

His eyes captured mine, and he held my gaze, unblinking. I swear I won’t hurt you.

Fine, the voice muttered in my head, and I felt better. Inching back to the door, I swiped the key card. The click sounded, and he opened the door.

I backpedaled into the hallway as Atlus rushed from the room. He glanced around, then focused on me again, his violet eyes intense and his grin fierce. He reached for me, and I flinched. Pausing, he left his hand outstretched. I took it, and we shook.

Thanks, Kali.

You’re wel— I started to say when a scuffling sound came from the hallway I had left, along with raised voices.

Go, track her down, the woman said, her tone flat. She couldn’t have gotten far.

I flattened myself against the wall, Atlus following my lead. Footfalls faded in the other direction before coming closer. A long silence followed.

I told you they’d check that way first.

My eyes drifted to his door, where I noticed a red, blinking light near the ceiling.

I think we tripped an alarm, I whispered, pointing.

Atlus followed my gesture, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the intermittent red.

The click of a heel sounded from my hallway, with the woman’s voice following. I need you to send them. There’s been an incident. She paused. I could imagine those sharp eyes behind the lenses of her glasses. I don’t have to explain myself. Do as I say. And send the feed to my phone. She cursed, and then quiet returned.

Atlus gestured toward the gate at the opposite end of the hallway. I nodded, and we began inching along the wall.

Pounding footsteps returned to the hallway I’d left.

About time, the woman snapped. Come on, she’s over here.

Giving up on stealth, Atlus grabbed my hand, and we ran toward the opposite gate.

Kali! the woman shouted from behind us.

I turned at the name. My eyes widened. Three men had joined her, all carrying large guns. Weapons that they pointed at us.

The woman crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing at Atlus. I cannot believe you let him out. She waved the men forward. Come along quietly. We still need to discuss your circumstances.

Atlus’s hand tightened on mine, and we both took another step back.

The woman huffed out a breath. Fine. She nodded at the men. Do it.

Watch out! Atlus shouted, angling his body in front of mine.

Stop them! the voice screamed to me at the same time.

I reached out with my unencumbered hand and sort of pushed. Like before, a wave of iridescent power bubbled out from inside me. The wave enveloped Atlus, then shot down the hall toward the men even as shots sounded. Everything the wave passed over froze. An eerie silence fell. Even the light showed as a steady red, the blinking paused.

Nauseous and dizzy, I sagged, trying to lean against the wall. The tug on my hand stopped me. Atlus still grasped my hand in what was now a frozen grip.

I hadn’t meant to freeze Atlus, just the men. Not that I had that kind of control over whatever I was doing, but I needed him unfrozen so we could get out of there. I grabbed his other hand and pulled. My dizziness increased as the space around him rippled. Pulling harder, the dizziness switched to pain, slicing through my head. I cried out as he finally popped free. Falling backward as he shot forward, we landed in a pile with him on top, knocking the wind out of me when I had already felt short of breath. My vision went black as nausea twisted in my stomach. I think I’m going to throw up.

Atlus scrambled off me.

I turned to the side, holding my stomach with one hand and my head with the other. Blinking the dots out of my vision, I managed to turn my eyes to the spot where he crouched near me.

He was staring at what were not bullets but pointed projectiles suspended midair. So, you freeze things, huh?

I shrugged, self-conscious.

He eyed the darts. For how long?

A few minutes? It came out as a question. I had only done it once before, and I didn’t exactly have a clock.

Hell, he muttered, scrambling past me.

I rose to my feet, moving closer to what we had almost been shot with. My best guess was tranquilizer darts. Like with the syringe, they wanted to drug us, not kill us.

Wouldn’t want to lose their guinea pigs.

Hey, want to bring that key card over here? Atlus called.

I followed him to the gate. My hand fumbled reaching for the clip. I felt drained and still a bit woozy.

A whirring sounded from above us. Both of our gazes darted up to see metal descending slowly from the ceiling.

I thought you froze everything.

I jerked my head around, expecting to see the darts about to connect with my skin. They and the people from before were still frozen. My wave had shot down the hallway in their direction, I realized, but had not gone behind me.

Damn it! Atlus swung his hand at the wall in a show of temper. Instead of smacking against it with a slap, his hand sunk in, making a crater. He stared at it in as much amazement as I did. Then he stared at his uninjured hand.

Swiveling back, Atlus lifted his arms. Incredibly, he caught the metal, stopping its descent.

Though lightly muscled, his arms were not those of a bodybuilder. Altogether, Atlus was more lanky than anything. He pushed at the metal anyway, easily forcing it up, or so it seemed.

When the card slot became visible, I lurched forward. I swiped the key, swung open the gate, and ran through.

Atlus shifted his grip, lunged backward, and cleared the gate as the metal slammed into place. The other side of the gate was blocked.

My accomplice fell to his hands and knees. He shook, and his pallor had taken on a green hue. A few seconds passed in silence as he tried to catch his breath.

What the hell? Atlus forced out, sitting up. He leaned his head into his hand, pushing his hair back from his forehead.

I looked at him in his blue cotton jumpsuit, like mine only short-sleeved, with his name written across the chest. You have a power too.

He looked over at me.

Well, you look...

Scrawny, my inner voice supplied with a snicker.

...weaker than the strength you just displayed, I finished instead.

So, I’m really strong, and you can stop time.

It sounded ridiculous. I nodded anyway.

Atlus sighed. The question is, were we always this way, or are we experiments?

We were in jumpsuits, couldn’t remember anything, and had special powers. We’d been isolated as well. Maybe they locked us up because we’re dangerous.

Atlus stared at me and snorted. You sure as hell don’t look dangerous. He shuddered. If the powers are natural, why do I feel this bad?

Nauseous and dizzy?

With a sick headache, he confirmed.

We lapsed into silence.

Chapter 3

HALFWAY DOWN THE NEXT hall, there was a door. I clambered to my feet and paused, checking for dizziness. It seemed to have passed. I moved in front of the window, raised on tiptoe, and peered inside.

The room beyond was the size mine had been. It also had a bed, with a similarly thin mattress that didn’t provide much cushion.

The guy stretched out on top made it seem like the most comfortable bed in the world. His arm was thrown across his face, covering his eyes. His hair was an unusually pale blond, nearly white. He had on a similar