Planet X Pandora

Broken Memories

Zia gasped. She bolted up, and her head hit the ceiling. Gaah! She fell back down. Her body was numb, and her head throbbed with pain. The events of the past day rushed back to her and made her more confused. Am I dead? Then the smells hit her. Is that.... Chicken? She looked around for the first time. She was inside a mini cave, wet rock covering all sides except one, which was apparently the entrance. It had six or seven wooden rods  interconnected, so it looked like jail bars made of wood. Where am I? Then she remembered her fatal fall, and assessed her body. She touched her temple first, and felt a gash slashed across. It'll go away. She slowly felt her ribs, and cried out with pain. Definitely broken. Her ankle was wrapped in a bandage. Probably broken as well. She sat up and eased her back on the wall, trying not to hurt her ribs. Just then, she saw the gate slide open. She watched calmly. I can fight my way out. Hopefully. And then, an old man stepped in. He was thin and frail, gray rags covering his body. He was slightly hunched over, his eyes kind.

"Wh-who are you? " she asked

" Rest, child. We found you at the bottom of the Cliff. It's an omen, my dear, " he gently sat down at the foot of her cot, "how are you feeling?"  He put his hand on her forehead, and she relaxed a little. Who is he?

"O-omen? W-what omen? "  usually she never stuttered, but his presence felt too powerful. He's an old man, she reminded herself.

" Dear, you have yet a lot of things you need to learn about your kingdom. "

" My kingdom? What kingdom? Old man, are you alright? Why did you bring me here? Who are you? What is this place? "

He smiled at her gently, and placed a small pot next to her.

" Drink, my dear. My son has made  broth for you. In fact, he was the one who carried you here from the cliff. In order for your kingdom to accept you, you must remember. "

" Remember wh-" she began, but he slowly stood and left. That's it, I died. She couldn't believe all this. Another civilization in the forest? What kingdom? I don't want to remember. But the longer she smelled the delicious broth, the less she could resist. She picked up the bowl with trembling hands, and gulped down all it's contents. It could be  poisoned for all I know. She lay down and braced herself for the memories she'd been trying to forget for so long.

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She was young. Five or six years old. She watched her only home burn down in flames. She was an orphan, and one that no one wanted. She wandered the streets, begging for food. A cardboard box was her home, and now she was watching it burn. Her clothes tattered, cuts and scars and bruises covering her body.
Then the memories flashed forward.
She was ten years old now, and she was bleeding. She ran fast, trying to get away from them. A group of older orphans had chased her, and robbed all of her hard earned money. She ran into an alley, and hit a dead end. She turned around, her arm bleeding and her heart threatening to explode. The older group rounded the corner and came to a halt. The leader snickered at her. She felt anger rise up in her throat. These were the people who burned my home, she thought. One of them stepped forward, and jabbed his hand out. "Give me the money." he said. She shook her head. He reached into his pocket, and took out a switchblade. Her heart dropped. He held out his hand once more, and she reluctantly handed him the five dollar bill. He reared back his hand, hit her cheek, and walked off with his friends. She slowly stood, a tear escaping her eyes, and she walked out, limping.
Her thoughts flashed forward another five years.
She had grown used to living on the streets. It's amazing what five years can do to a person. She was on the run now. Her long, strong legs propelling her forward. She was strong and lithe, after years of practice. Stealthy and cunning. The cops were on her tail. A law had been passed to gather all orphans on the streets and put them in a shelter. The police had captured over fifty orphans, and were now on her trail. There were four cops on foot, and a police car. She ducked and dodged, jumping over cars and scaling walls. She lost two of them near an alley, when the last two tackled her. The police car parked in front of her. She was stuck in an alley dead end. She reared back her elbow, and struck one in the nose. His head jerked back, and he pressed a hand against his bloody nose. The other one pulled her into a choke hold, and she kicked him in the soft spot. Just as she thought the the fight was over, a cop stepped out of the car, and held up a gun.
"Hands up or I'll shoot" he warned. She slowly backed up to the wall, her hands up. The alley wall was a little under forty feet, and made of wet bricks. She slowly walked forward, and the man relaxed his gun. Quickly, she turned around and jumped into the wall. She grabbed the slick walls with both hands, and she easily scaled it. She stood balancing on the top and smirked at the last cop, then turned and jumped down the other side.
Her memories flashed forward once more.
She was sick and bruised. It had been a few days since she arrived at the facility. She couldn't understand why she was here. She couldn't remember anything. She had fought hard to get out of the place and was now in the forest, having escaped her captors. She heard footsteps and turned. The boy that had helped her and given her the tour sat next to her. His blonde hair looked white in the moonlight, his sea blue eyes twinkling.
"Hey," he whispered. "Why'd you run?"