My Knight in Shining Armor

Chapter XXVI

When I came to, all was quiet, and it was dark. My head was pounding, but I slowly sat up to see where I was. I was in an unfamiliar room, in an unfamiliar bed. I slid off the bed, my feet hitting the hard, cold floor. I found my way to the kitchen, only to find a young man asleep at the table.

I opened the cupboards in search of a cup, hoping the homeowners would care—I was just so terribly thirsty, and I needed water if I was gonna take an aspirin—after I found one, of course. I sat down at the table with a cup of water, debating whether to wake the teenager or not. Even with his arm under his head, it didn't look like a comfortable position.

I stood up to put my cup in the sink, but I stumbled and dropped the cup, glass shattering on the floor. My hands flew to cover my mouth and muffle the gasp, and I hoped I hadn't awoken the man or done anything to anger whoever the cup belonged to.

The teenager at the table lifted his head. "Penny?"

I looked around to see who he was talking to, but there was no one there. "Me?"

"Yeah..." The young man gave me a strange look. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling fine. My head hurts, though?"

There was a pause. "Do you remember why?"

"I can only assume I injured it or something."

The young man laughed weakly. "I can't believe it." His face suddenly grew panicked and distraught. "I can't believe it!" he cried.

"What? What is it?" I hoped desperately that I wasn't the one causing him to be so worried and upset.

"Sit down, sit down." As he had told me, I sat down, anxious to hear what he had to say. The teenager took a deep breath. "Do you know who I am?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm sorry."

"Do you know who you are?"

I shook my head again, my heart starting to race. I didn't know who I was. I didn't know my name, or my family, or my friends. I didn't know what I was like, or what I liked to do. I was terrified—I had no sense of who I was.

The young man was trying to stay calm. "Um... well... I'm Steve, and I'm your cousin. Just... find something to eat—you can have anything, it's your house—while I go make a phone call."

"Are you calling my parents? Do I have parents?"

"Your parents are out of town; I don't know what number to call. I'm calling our friends."

I nodded, and Steve left the room, though, I didn't get anything to eat. I wandered back to the room I'd come from—I assumed it was mine, now that I knew I lived in this house. From the bookshelf, I could tell that I loved fantasy stories. I found a framed picture on the nightstand of a bunch of people—there were seven guys and a girl.

I looked at other things around the room but stopped when I found a mirror. I was shocked at my reflection—a teenage girl with shoulder length, light brown hair was staring back at me, a bewildered expression on her face.

There was a knock at the door, and Steve came in. "Phones are down. There's a big storm—we're under tornado watch right now."

My eyes widened. "Where do I live?"

"We live in Oklahoma."

"Oh."

"It'll be fine, as usual. It's just... we've got friends that really should know... and it's about time we went to give Dallas a visit—assuming they allow visitors... you know, Penny, I'm starting to think Tulsa is a bit too dangerous for you."

"Dangerous? And who's Dallas?"

Steve gave me a pained look but took a deep breath. "Dallas is your fiancée."

"My fiancée!? I'm engaged!?"

Steve put his hands on my shoulders. "Breathe, Penelope. Breathe."

I nodded. "Alright. I'm breathing, I'm breathing."

"Yes, he's your fiancée, and yes, you're engaged. His name is Dallas Winston. You two met at a rodeo. You both are crazy about rodeos."

"Hmm... I liked rodeos... tell me more about myself."

Steve thought for a moment. "Well, you liked music and horses, and hanging out with the gang. You also like fast food and poetry. You were awfully sweet... definitely countered the roughness of the others. You really got to Dallas—he had been quite the troublemaker before he came around. You know, he came riding in on his horse to save you from the trouble-seeking rich kids. You always said he was your knight in shining armor."

I frowned and twirled my hair with my fingers. "I really wish I knew who I was. It's just... it feels like you're telling me about a friend you know—I don't feel it, though."

Thunder crashed outside, and I jumped. I could hear the splintering of wood, followed by a thud as a nearby tree hit the ground. Steve turned on the radio, leaving the volume low. The wind howled outside, and the rain was pounding the windows.

My head was really starting to throb again, so I rested my head on the table. "Hey, Penny," Steve whispered. "It would be more comfortable in your bed."

I nodded, and Steve helped me back to my room. After he left, I found a nightgown to change into. In the closet, though, I found a box of items. I knew I'd have to check it out in the morning, but each movement made my head pound more. I settled into my bed and fell asleep to the sound of the storm.

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Author's note
So haha... there you go? I didn't plan for that to happen—it just did. I'm not dead anymore, so you'll get more chapters this week, hopefully. I'm not sure where this story is going anymore—I only see the end goal, not the journey—so I'm in for the ride along with you. I just realized I'm rambling, so...

Your friendly neighborhood greaser, signing off...
Stay gold y'all ⭐️