When You Were Young - Page 133/259

Molly stood at the edge of the cliff with Joey digging his fingers into her arm. At each gust of wind, he flinched in fear of being blown into the sea below. "Can't we go back?" he said.

"Not yet," Molly said. She pointed to the waves pounding against the shore. "Doesn't this remind you of something?"

"No," he said in a whimper. "Should it?"

"Of course. You grew up by the ocean in a town called Seabrooke. Do you remember?" He shook his head. She patted him on the back. "It's all right. It will come to you."

She led him away from the cliff. Two days since leaving the cabin and still Joey hadn't remembered anything from his previous life. Molly didn't know what she could do. A trip to Seabrooke might stir his memories, but she couldn't risk letting anyone recognize him or else the secrets of Eternity would be revealed. There has to be something I can do, she thought.

As they walked through the forest, Joey's nose began to run again. He hadn't experienced another sneezing fit like back at the cabin, but he had to blow his nose about every three minutes. Molly had been forced to cut up an old shirt for him to use as makeshift handkerchiefs. He took one from his pocket and stopped to blow his nose, the sound like a trumpet. His knees buckled from the force so that she had to steady him.

"What's Seabrooke like?" he asked. "Is it like Eternity?"

"Oh no, it's much bigger than Eternity and many more people live there," Molly said. "They live in great big houses and there are all kinds of different stores where people can buy things. The children there don't have to do chores like here. They go to schools to learn about things like math and science."

"And I lived there with Mommy?"

"Yes, and your father too. Do you remember him?" Joey shook his head. "Your father is a very nice man named Judah. He's a fisherman. He spends most of the time on the water in his boat. Do you remember?"

"No," Joey said. "Why would anyone want to spend so much time on the sea? It looks scary."

"It's not scary, dear," Molly said. "Why you and I used to go out on a boat all the time with your aunt and parents."

"We did?"

"Oh yes. I remember you and your mother liked to sit on the bow so you could feel the breeze." She had in fact witnessed Joseph and Samantha do this several times. They would cuddle up on the prow, despite Mr. Pryde's warnings that they'd fall off. When Veronica and Molly tried this once, Samantha hauled them back, scolding them for recklessness.