Read The Alchemist’s Code for Free Online Page B

leave.
    â€œDon’t you want to hear the rest of the story?”
    â€œPlease, give me back my clothes and let’s call it a day,” I said calmly.
    â€œMr Aragona, I’m not kidding. You don’t remember anything about what happened yesterday.”
    I snorted in annoyance and sat back down beside her. “Ok, if you really want to play this game, I’ll grant you a few more minutes. So, what is it that’s wrong with me, eh? Some disease that I am unaware of? Who are you? How do you know me?”
    A bitter smile appeared on her face. “It’s unbelievable – this is the fifth time that we’ve met. My name is Anna Nikitovna Glyz. I’m Russian. I speak Italian because I studied in Rome. The same thing is happening to you that happened to me, that’s why I know so much about it.”
    â€œWhat do you know, for example?”
    â€œYour job, your partner, your life: it’s all a sham. Your days are probably all the same because that is what they want.”
    â€œWait a minute…
They
want? Who are you talking about?”
    â€œI don’t know yet, but what is happening has nothing to do with any disease that wipes your long-term memory. You’re being drugged.”
    I stood looking at her for a moment longer, then leaned back, shook my head and smiled again. “You really are quite the joker. And I have to admit, your imagination is remarkable.”
    â€œMr Aragona, please, listen to me. When you get home this evening, observe your wife’s behaviour very closely. Try to work out if she is lying about anything or does anything unusual. And then, from tonight on, try not to eat or drink anything at home. That will make your wife suspicious, of course, but it is the only way to stop the administration of the drugs, because we don’t know where they are putting them. Say that you’re not feeling well, that you’d rather not eat. In a word, stop taking the substance.”
    As she spoke, I was staring at the altar, trying to reconstruct in my mind some anomaly that I might have noticed that morning in my wife’s attitude. A gesture, a word, a look that was out of place: nothing at all, everything seemed perfectly normal. My wife was just as loving and kind as ever, even when…
    The thread of my thoughts stopped in front of a seemingly insignificant image, and two words emerged from my lips.
    â€œThe pills—”
    â€œSorry, excuse me?”
    â€œEvery morning I take… pills. Because I’ve been having some problems. I have very vivid dreams and—”
    Shaken, I turned to look at her. “I… I even dreamed about you last night… Anna.”
    â€œThat was not a dream. It was a memory, because we’ve already met, as I told you.”
    Anna took out her phone and showed me a photograph of herself with me. “I took this two days ago, in secret.”
    I couldn’t believe my eyes.
    â€œYour mind is fighting against the drugs every night, but then each morning succumbs again,” continued Anna. “When you wake up, you don’t remember anything except what they want you to remember.”
    â€œNo, this is impossible. Àrtemis would never do such a thing.”
    â€œYou don’t understand – that is
not
Àrtemis! Prepare yourself for a shock when the veil falls away from your eyes, because that woman’s real face may not be as attractive as you imagine.”
    Undecided, I scratched my forehead for a moment, then looked at her coldly. “No, I’m sorry, I can’t believe you. It’s simply not possible.”
    Anna sighed. “All right. I’ve done everything I can. I can’t help you anymore, I’ve already run too many risks, and you can be of no help to me unless you break out of it. You must believe me and find the strength to fight this. But you have to start this evening: you told me that you take the pills in the morning, but