Agent Ez

Chapter 15 - One Big Family

Some swearing in this chapter, and a new character! Let me know what you think!

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I came to slowly, each sense awakening after the other, the first was my hearing. There were others in the room with me, one voice sounding achingly familiar.

 

“…. I have no fucking idea what that son of a bitch did to her. But believe me when I find out and when I find him he’s going to wish Ted fucking Bundy ate him alive….” His voice fades out again as I slip between conscious states. My eyes flutter of their own accord, then settle seemingly unable to face the world just yet.

“…. She was missing for four days and when we found her, she was hospitalised for a week. She didn’t talk to anyone, not even me for at least a month after and even then it was in monosyllables. That was the worst fucking time of my life, as well as hers…”

More snippets, sounding more and more familiar. Who was this girl they were talking about? I listened in on more of this conversation and the more I listened the more I was convinced.

This girl they were talking about?

Was me.

 

I realised my assumption of two people having a conversation in the room was wrong, there were a lot more than two people here. Each recited numerous anecdotes about me, was a weird sensation itself. I feel like I’m at my own funeral and can hear everyone’s obituaries about me.

As they spoke of these memories I remembered them. Each one unlocking itself and slotting into place in my memory. A jigsaw being completed slowly but surely.

Silence had descended on the group and my body felt ready to awake out of this weird state of conscious unconsciousness. I remembered quite a few things now, names, people, personalities, events. There were still things missing, I knew a name but what did that person look like? All the little things were left blank, the types of details that made a certain memory.

 

Not remembering those was worse than not remembering anything like someone handing you a roast lamb without trimmings, gravy and good company.

My eyes fluttered open to be greeted with the overbearingly white ceiling, slowly examining my surroundings, expecting, rather foolishly to be somewhere else. I ease myself into a sitting position, my body sore for no reason that I can remember.

“Sleepy Beauty’s awake.” I turn to the speaker, do I look like I sleep beautifully?

I scream, completely out of my own accord. Then fate does that annoying thing where it uses anything to get in your way and slow you down when you want to get somewhere fast. Who wants to trip over thin air? Or a flat surface, anyone?

He reached the bed before I managed to get out of it. Hey – no judging, wrestling with your tangled sheets is hard. As soon as his arms enveloped me in what can only be described as a –I-will-crush-you-to-death-bear-hug, I broke down. I have never cried in front of anyone but in this instance I didn’t care.

 

It took half an hour for my tears to dry and even then I was a sniffling wreck. “You good?” He murmured softly, not trusting myself to speak I nod.

“Well, at least I don’t need to wash this shirt now.”

“You're such an asshole Nick.”