Roa's POV - What? Surprised to see me? Well, anyways, I was listening to the music box Autumn got me for my birthday, when the door to our room opened. It was Ben, still badly injured from the incident but too stubborn to go to a hospital. "She wasn't in her own mind, I'm telling you, Roa. She didn't have any control of herself." He coughed.
I still prayed that the amnesia the nurse said she had was an elaborate joke, but she seemed genuinely surprised to see me. I jumped at a knock on the door, sudden and sharp. No one moved, but the door opened. I scampered to the corner of my bed. Violet is dead, and we made amends before she died, so she couldn't be here. The clouding in my head is engulfing me, trying to figure out who this is. The knocking came again, but gentle and a little guilty.
Autumn walked into my room, hospital gown scorched. Ben got into defense position, and I (still a little embarrassed to admit it) screamed. Her wings fully unfolded, and covered herself completely. I heard her whimpers, and realized the nurse was right. She didn't remember anything at all. "Don't hurt me... I'm sorry!" She cried, bursting into tears. I got up, still in my nightgown, and gently crept up to her.
Resting a hand on her wing, she quickly folded them up again and scurried farther away from me. "Autumn, I should be sorry. But you're a mess. Let me fix you up and we can try to explain." I said slowly, clearly, and calmly. The way one would with a Special Ed kid (no offense to my darling). She looked filthy, just as she did at the hospital. They didn't clean her up well there, did they? I looked at Ben uncertainly. If one of us got amnesia, we promised to take care of each other as soon as we got out of a hospital. Do I have to bathe her?
I never saw her that way before, and I couldn't just put her in her swimsuit. I have to clean her, don't I?
(Feel free to skip)
I put my hands on the end of her dress, lifting it to see lashes on her thighs. The scars were pink, fleshy, and probably didn't hurt anymore. But I winced looking at them. That must've hurt badly, but when I looked up at her, she was looking at Ben and crying. "The ladies at the white building pressed my arms and legs down on my bed, and...And..." She sobbed. She put my hands off her thighs, pressing the shirt down. "Do you remember how to change clothes?" I asked her, looking up. She nodded slightly, raising the shirt again.
(Alright, you can continue here)
Now we're going somewhere. I gave Ben the look after her because we both know she's gonna do something stupid look. He nodded and I went to my own room. Looking around the forest painted on my walls, I found one of Autumn's suit-dresses. It was turquoise, and smelled of warm vanilla cupcakes. She told me that if anything happens to her, to keep her favorite things in a chest. I took the pearled necklace and peppercorn-colored flats. She needed to look her best on the first day back.
I walked in on her holding a photo of the four of us smiling. Ben before the fire, Violet when she was alive and our house poker champion, and Autumn in the dress she wore on our first technically-not-but-still-kind-of date. She was happier than any human could ever be once and ever be again. I miss everyone. She was crying again, looking at Ben and back at the picture. "I've caused so much pain to this home. Yet I'm still welcomed in? Why?" She whispered.
She turned to see me, jumped, and dropped the frame. It shattered into a million pieces. And something about it gave me...closure? Seeing as how she— Violet, not Autumn— was really gone, nothing I could change, or Ben, or even Autumn. I looked at the two of them, next to each other in the photo, only a couple months prior, they would've been fighting about one's snoring or the other's party habits. Now, I don't think they'll ever fill the night with laughter anymore. I walked up to Autumn, who was on her knees again, scooping up the broken glass.
"Something about this feels familiar, like I've been with you guys my whole life. Now I'll never really know for sure." She sighed. Sliding the photo away from the damage, she flipped it over, tracing her finger over my handwriting. It said OCTOBER 9th, 6:20 pm. Love ya, Autumn. She stared at it, then at Ben and I. She kept that cycle for a bit; stare, stare, photo. Putting it down on my bed, she took the clothes from my hands and started undressing. Ben and I quickly averted our gazes, and I had to lead her to our bathroom.
"Woah, woah, woah! We change in here, Autumn. Not in front of each other." I blurted, my face as gold as my blood. She nodded and closed the door, and I sighed in relief. "We need to train her again, ASAP." I told Ben. He nodded. "Do I call someone?" He asked, raising his phone. I nodded.
Dialing our old friend Alice, she showed up within seconds, amber hair still flowing like waves. "Code Wildfire, Ali. You remember what to do, right?" Ben coughed. She nodded and saluted, sitting with the same power she always radiates.
It felt strange that we needed to actually use the plan we made for strict emergencies only. There wasn't a positive feeling, but there also wasn't a negative one, either. Alice would retrain Autumn, and when she understands that, we'll take her to the spot the fire started. She'll relearn how to be the person that I love again, maybe even sassier and spunkier than she was before. I sighed, picking up the frame that snapped in two. I sighed, picking up the rest of the glass and tossing it before Autumn could hurt herself.
She has to be okay...She's...I love her more than she'll ever know.
(A/N: OOOOOHHH, ROAAAA! Anyways, sorry if this was a bit of a read, I just barely hit 1030 words, and JEEZ, that took a lot off me, HOLY HECK. Oh yeah, fun fact! Ben is based of a real person, just minus the life threatening fire injuries. Ok cya next chapter)
YOU ARE READING
What Was Your Name?
RomanceI can't remember anything. All I recall is my name. I want to know who my visitor is to me. They seem kind and ready to help. Maybe I'll remember through the silly stories told by his fond smile.
