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And suddenly I stopped advancing towards her, I was in the exact spot I had been standing when I
discovered the star. The sparkling light of it caught my eyes just the same and suddenly I
remembered the night she had visited me and realised she must have taken something. The star or
just the memory of it at least. That was what had been missing. All my memories of her had been
erased and only my feelings had remained. That was also why the picture of the star had made me
feel excited for no apparent reason.
That was what I had wanted to name it; Emerald Nortorialis. It was after her. The Emerald who made
me spill about constellations and meteor showers because I didn’t know what else to say. The
Emerald who made my palms sweaty and caused me to stumble over my words. The Emerald I had
loved for so long yet had never been able to tell her so. Naming my greatest discovery after her, was
meant to the moment she would know how much she meant to me.
Yet she was furiously packing the bag she had with her and muttering about how she had go.
“Emerald,” I yelled. At this she looked up and a small tear ran down her flushed cheek. “I remember
who you are, what is happening?” I finished.
“I’m sorry Nolan but there’s too much to explain and I have to go.”
“No,” I said, “Not before you tell me what you did to me, and
why
! You’re a thief, you know that?
You caused me to lose the greatest discovery of my life, you have no idea how much I’ve lost! I think
you at least, owe me an explanation.” The anger pulsed through me but when I heard her heavy sigh
and saw pain cross through her eyes, I softened, “Please. Why did you take my memory of the star,
and of you?”
“Because you saw too much Nolan, you saw what the government has been trying to cover up for
years.”
“The government is covering up a star... yeah right,” I persisted in disbelief. She laughed at this.
“It isn’t a star Nolan.” Now it was my turn to laugh.
“It’s proof of life elsewhere,” she continued,“What you saw was anextraterrestrial.” My mind reeled
at the significance of what she was saying. “What some might call, an alien,” she finished. “I work for
the government and its part of my job to cover up any evidence, it’s what I do. The waitressing was
just a side job to keep an eye on your findings. I was meant to get close to you, but I didn’t mean to
get attached. When the government finds out about the mistakes I have made, they will be after me.
You should lay low as well but I doubt they will suspect you as you supposedly don’t remember
anything. Well on records anyway.”
Newspaper clippings about The UFO and paranormal Society of Australia claiming that the
government knew more about foreign life forms than they said, suddenly popped into my head and
the pieces seemed to fall together. I shook my head.
“I can’t be seen with you Nolan, they expect me to eliminate any evidence, and you, well you are
now evidence. I’m sorry but I have to go.” I saw her the immensity of what she was saying and
realised that I didn’t have much time. I pulled out the photograph of the breathtaking star and gave
it to her. She was about to rip it up but stopped when I began to speak.