Memory Lost

I woke up on the floor to a terrible headache. Slowly, I sat up and looked around, trying to recall the events that led me to my current predicament. More specifically, I was trying to figure out how long I was unconscious, what the unmoving creature laying across the floor was and why are were runes covering the walls and ceiling around me. Just then...

"Tim! We're late for work!" a voice yells.

"Work? wha-" I start to say, but I am cut off by the creature in the corner.

"Dang Tim, why didn't you set our alarm!" the creature grumbles. He turns to look at me and I see that it's my best friend, Gam. Gam gives me an angry look, but then quickly breaks into a resigned smile. "Alright then," he sighs, "time for another long day!" He gets up and begins to get ready.

But where did that headache come from? I wonder to myself, rubbing my temples as I do. ''Do dwarves have special ways of dealing with headaches? Why can't I remember? What happened last night?'' I stand up at my full three-and-a-half feet and intuitively touch some of the runes on the wall in a sequence. Suddenly a hidden panel pops out and my clothes are laid out, ready for a new day of... I can't exactly remember what.

"C'mon Tim!" Gam yelled, already almost ready. "We might get lucky and they haven't noticed us missing yet!"

I throw something on and chase him out the door. He looks back as he takes off in a run, laughing as he goes. "How's the noggin from yesterday?" He yells back with a smirk.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about!" I reply.

"Riiiighhhht...."

"Gam... What do we do for work?"

Gam whips around to face me. "Tim this isn't time for another one of your games. Stop messing around."

"Gam... where are we?"

Gam scrutinizes my face for any signs of lies, but thankfully I don't think I remember how. "You really don't remember do you? That was quite the hit you took yesterday. Hmmm...... Wait, you remember me, right?!?" He says, suddenly insecure and fake hurt.

"Unfortunately, my memory of you is crystal clear ya goofball." I respond.

"Well then, looks like we can skip work today and take you to see ''Rahfuhree'. He should know what to do."

"Rahfuhree?"

"Only the wisest and most knowledgable dwarf in all existence. If anyone can fix your memory he can!" and with that, Gam's run took an entirely new direction.

I struggle to keep up, weaving along long passages with massive drops on either side of the path. I'm scared and exhilarated and lost and home all at once. After some time, we arrive at the Reule, where Rahfuree holds his business. Gam walks in and I follow. We are met with a room of a million TV screens, all turned to... American Football? I am more confused than before. One screen catches my eye more than the rest though, and I'm on it! I walk towards it, and see a clip of myself, guiding a ball's bounce by digging tunnels under the field. a pileup occurs, collapsing a tunnel on top of me. Gam and others pull me from the rubble, unconscious, and the doctors say I should wake up... sometime. As I try to take in all that is going on, a voice creeps in form a dark corner of the room "That was quite a tumble you took there the other day. Head injuries are no joke!"

"Yes sir, " I mumble. "But sir, who are you?"

Rahfuree steps unto the light. He is a monochromatic dwarf - something that, given the strangeness of the day, strikes me very little. Black and white stripes move down his hair, complementing his ashy skin, his clothes mirroring his hair. "I am the very first. The rulemaker if you will. And you, my boy, suffered a great injury in my service."

"I suppose so sir, thought this is all so bizarre to me I don't know what to believe."

Rahf laughs. "Is that so? Well how's about we try to fix that?" He moves forward, reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flag. As he does so he begins whistling a tune and moving in a trance-like, dance-like motion, and I am caught in the spell. Memories come flooding back to me. The day of the incident. My family. The fact that I am a dwarf! Scary that I could forget that I thought to myself.

"Scary indeed" Rahf laughed again. I jump in fright. "Don't worry" he says. "Just one of the perks of the job." He winks at the two of us, jumps up, and suddenly is gone. Where the shack used to be is our boss, Mr. Underling.

"YOU TWO RUNTS!" he yells.

"Uh Oh!" yells Gam. "He'll have to catch us to kill us!" With that, Gam takes off running.

I love my life, rigging the games of the big folk in service of the Ref. I run after him, laughing at the ridiculousness of the morning and the shenanigans to come.