The Future of Our Past (The Remembrance Trilogy)

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Future of Our Past: The Remembrance Trilogy—Book I
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Copyright © 2012 Kahlen Aymes
. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical without the express written permission of the author. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.

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Cover Designed by Telemachus Press, LLC

Cover Art:
Copyright ©ThinkStock Photo/86534108/Couple Holding Hands Outdoors/JupiterImages/Getty Images
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Published by Telemachus Press, LLC
http://www.telemachuspress.com

Visit the author blog site:
http://www.kahlen-amyes.blogspot.com

ISBN: 978-1-937698-96-6 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-937698-97-3 (paperback)

Version 2012.04.18

Sincere and deep thanks to all who took a chance and read my work before I even realized I was a writer. Your love, support and loyalty has meant more than I can ever articulate. Your reviews and love of the trilogy has left me breathless! You overwhelm my heart.

To Kathryn, Ali, Liz and Sally, thank you so much for your time, love and patience in the meticulous task of getting the trilogy ready for print.

Jena and Samantha, who volunteered to help with my blogs and banners at the very start of this journey, I couldn’t have made it this far without you.

Ana, Janice, Tanya, Marie, Bunny, Erin, Maureen, Kelly, Wendy, Sophia, Stephanie, Sydney, Carol, Dani, Danielle, Renata, Jennifer, Ally, Debra,

Sylvain, Irene, Marcelo & Phoebe;

you have become such good friends over the past two years,

and I will keep you close always.

To my little Kacy…You have always been a great joy. I’m so proud of you.

To my parents & the rest of my family, thank you for your faith and love.

Your support means so much.

To the team at Telemachus Press; your professionalism is truly appreciated.

Thank you.

Special thanks to Tony Bartello for lending his voice to the review video, and to all of you who believed enough to launch the dream on kickstarter.com.

The Future of Our Past

Remembrance Trilogy—Book 1

Table of Contents

~1~

~2~

~3~

~4~

~5~

~6~

~7~

~8~

~9~

~10~

~11~

~12~

~1~

Harvard Medical School
.

I’d dreamed about it since I was twelve, my parents had dreamed about it since I was born, and now the reality of it was staring me in the face. The acceptance letter fell from my shaking hands as I sank down on the sofa in the apartment I shared with my best friend, Aaron.

He and I had been best friends since we were kids. He moved in with us after his mom and dad were killed in a car accident and, a few years later, my parents legally adopted him.

Now, Julia was my best friend. She was…
everything
.

I spent most of my college career convincing myself otherwise, but the prospect of leaving her to go to Boston, was sucking the air from my lungs. I literally couldn’t breathe; my chest constricted and heat infused beneath my skin in a flush. My heart was pounding so fast I thought it would fly from my body.

What was I going to do? This was what I wanted, wasn’t it?

Aaron walked in and I didn’t even hear him; I had my hands fisted in my hair and my elbows closed over my face as I sat there motionless, except for the heaving of my chest.

“Dude…what the hell is wrong with you?” Aaron’s deep voice finally intruded on my thoughts.

“Uh…Sorry. When did you get back?”

“Ryan, I’ve been talking to you for
five
minutes! I got my acceptance letter. Did you?” His tone was excited and he was smiling from ear to ear.

I bent to scoop up the letter from the floor where it had fallen and went to stare out the window. Fall had left the trees barren of their lush leaves, reminding me of what my life would become if I went to Boston; a blank page, without the colors that Julia painted on my life. It seemed so bleak, a wasteland.

We met in a freshman psychology class my second semester at Stanford. I was instantly mesmerized by her flowing dark hair and translucent skin. She had a soft blush on her cheeks and I was drawn to her stunning face; lips that were full and luscious and sparkling dark green eyes. I’d never seen anything more beautiful. She made some sarcastic remark about the lameness of the class and how unnecessary it was for a degree in advertising and marketing. I found myself bursting to speak to her.

“Or most anything…for that matter,” I agreed. Her bright eyes met mine and I was done.

We’d been getting closer as time went on, completely relying on each other for anything and everything…practically inseparable and that was how I liked it.

Three years later, she wasn’t sure where she wanted to live after graduation, and had been applying for jobs at various magazines on both coasts and Chicago. Everything was up in the air, except that she and Ellie planned to move somewhere together. There were only a couple of months until graduation when life would take us in different directions.

We’d talked about it a little, both of us feeling the weight of real life about to intrude on the little Ryan and Julia bubble we’d created, and the discussion had never gotten serious. I sighed loudly as I struggled to expel the emotions threatening to choke me.

“Ryan…what the fuck is your problem? Did you get rejected?”

“No. I, uh, got accepted, too. Congratulations, man,” I muttered as my mind raced.