Chapter 107
Chapter 107
D:
46
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The strong smell of antiseptic and fragrance waft through my nostrils and underneath it all, the faint, sweet- metallic scent of blood. A low, steady beep–beep–beep to my right, and the soft, rhythmic breathing of someone asleep very close to my left ear.
I hissed in pain as I try to shift my arm a little. I feel awake but also drowsy, possibly an after effect of whatever stuff was injected into my body. I forced my eyes open. The light was dim, but it still sent a spike of discomfort through my skull. Blinking my eyes clear, blurry shapes resolved into a white ceiling, a curtain half–drawn around a bed. I’m in a hospital and the beeping was my heart monitor.
Slowly, with immense effort, I turned my head on the stiff pillow. There, their heads resting on the edge of my mattress, were Helen and Robert. My parents. My adopted parents. Helen’s usually perfect hair was a mess, a strand stuck to her cheek by dried tears and Robert’s face was pressed into the sheets, his glasses askew. They looked decades older.
The sight of them, so vulnerable and here, is heart wrecking but also breathtaking. They’re worried about me. Something my real parents never were. Yes I got my past memories, including the one of my past life.
My real name wasn’t Aria. It was… Avery. Just like Lisa had said. Lisa, I remember her now, my first friend when I got kidnapped. How could I have forgotten her?
My real parents didn’t lose me. Their prayers were simply answered. They must have always wanted to get rid of me but why, I’m their child too right? A dry, soundless sob shook me causing my monitor to beep faster.
The movement stirred Helen. She lifted her head, her eyes bleary, unfocused as they swept over my face and then snapped wide.
“Robert,” she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. “Robert, she’s awake.”
Robert jolted upright, his glasses falling onto the sheets. “She is? Aria? Sweetheart?” His voice was rough with sleep and emotion. He fumbled for my hand, his grip warm and trembling. “Oh, thank God. Thank God.”
Helen was already out of her chair, hovering, her hands fluttering as if she wanted to touch me but was afraid I could break. “Don’t try to talk. The doctor said not to strain. You have a concussion, a fractured cheekbone, stitches… a tree branch, they said.” Tears spilled over as she rushed to spill her words. “What were you doing in those woods?”
I looked from her devastated face to Robert’s. The love they have for me there is so real, so thick it was like a physical presence in the room. It clashed violently with the cold, transactional memories of my first family. These people had chosen me. They had fought for me and loved me like one of them. I still want to be with them but the curiosity and ache to have a revenge on my monster family is a little stronger than that.
“I…” My voice cracked like a sandpaper croak. “I remember.”
Two words. They froze them both.
I watched them both, noticing Helen’s breath hitch and Robert’s grip tightens. “Remember what, honey? The
accident?”
I shook my head minutely, the pain flaring. “Before. I remember… before you.”
15:43 Tue, Mar 31
Chapter 107
46
55 vouchers
The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the relentless beep of the monitor. The hope in their eyes curdled into a deep, terrified dread. Why do they look so scared? Do they not really wish for me to remember?
“Avery,” I whispered. “That’s my real name.”
Helen made a small, wounded noise and sank back into her chair.
Robert closed his eyes for a long second. “Oh, Avery. You finally did.” He didn’t deny it. He just said my name.
“You knew who I was and about my re- I mean first family?” The question was barely audible.
“When you had a memory loss, we wanted to know what type of past you had,” Robert said carefully, choosing each word like he was walking on glass. “Through our power and connection, we discovered you had likely been through severe trauma, especially since when we found your parents, they didn’t seem to care that they lost a child. We fell in love with you as our own and your Amnesia was a blessing as it made Our job–our privilege—was to give you a safe, quiet present and future.”
you ours.
“Before my accident, I was almost sold,” I sniffed, “other girls like me and younger are still there, those men are involved in kids trafficking.” The machine beat faster as I spat, tears dripping down my cheeks. Different emotions rushed down on me at once.
“Calm down Aria, please calm down.” Helen let out a choked cry. “Those men died in the accident, remember, they died. It was an easy escape for them but karma decided that was what it wanted. And those girls, we learned about the men too and discovered their den. We release them, making sure they are lead to their parents. Lots of them are also kids of big people which earned us more allies.”
“R–really? I am grateful f for having you guys.”
The door to the room swung open with a soft squeak and Asher walked in, a paper cup of vending machine coffee in each hand. His lanky frame filled the doorway, his own face pale with worry and lack of sleep. His eyes went wide as they landed on me.
The paper cups hit the floor. Brown liquid splashed across the linoleum.
“Aria?” He stumbled forward a step. “You’re… you’re awake tiny?”
“When did she?” He turned to Robert, “Why didn’t you call the doctor, dad?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He spun back into the hallway, his voice cracking with a relief so loud it echoed. “Nurse! Doctor! She’s awake! Get in here!”
15:43 Tue, Mar 31
Chapt
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
