Mind Games

Chapter 4: Annabella

"Annabella!" The last thing she heard before she blacked out. Beeping. The first thing she heard when she started to regain consciousness.

Her head was a car tire spinning but staying in place. Never stopping, and going anywhere. She knew she was laying down on something, but felt like she was moving and wouldn't stop.

It was a struggle, but she forced her eyes open. The light was blurry but, too much to handle at the same time. Her breathing was slow and heavy. Every part of her body felt heavy, like they weighed an extra thirty pounds and she couldn't lift anything.

Looking down at herself when her vision became clear once again, she saw that she wasn't in the same outfit that she was in before, she was in flimsy polka dotted gown. I'm in a hospital gown she thought tho herself. Why am I in a hospital? she asked herself. Her breathing became fast as she forced herself into a sitting position looking around the around the room. It was a typical hospital room. Next to her was an empty bed, currently being made by a nurse with her back to Annabella.

"Excuse me?" she said weakly, surprising her that the nurse even was able to hear her and turn around. Her eyes went big while looking at Annabella.

"Oh good, you're up. I'll be right back. i'm gonna get your doctor." She left before Annabella could even think of anything else to say.

Withing minutes, a man came in who she assumed was the doctor. He walked to the end of her bed first to pick up a clipboard that was laying there, then walked to the left side of the bed where an empty chair sat.

He took the liberty of filling it in and look at her.

"So, Annabella Rizzo?" he asked looking at the clipboard. Annabella nodded her head confirming her name. "I'm Dr. Shepherd." He extended his hand for her to shake, which she accepted. "How do you feel?"

"I'll feel better when I know why I'm here."

He chuckled a bit before looking back at the clipboard. "You banged you head pretty hard on the floor back home. You have a major concussion, which surprisingly, was lucky. That was a good two days ago. There was furniture tossed everywhere, the window wide opened, TV on. Can you tell me what happened?" 

She went silent thinking about it. It was so blurry and it was hard to remember. It hurt to think so hard like that. "Please don't force yourself to remember. It'll only make the concussion worse."

"No, no, it's okay. I think I remember." She began. "I was... I was doing homework. I took a break to watch TV with my brother and-" she cut herself off thinking of Jonas. "Oh my god! Where's Jonas? Where is my brother?"

"Let's focus first on what happened after you started watching TV."

"There was... a tapping at the window. It wouldn't stop. I opened the window to make it stop. That's all I know. Now where is Jonas?" She asked getting ready to scream.

Dr. Shepherd sighed heavily before he started to talk. "I don't know." Her eyes widened at those three words.

"What do you mean you don't know?" she asked now screaming.

"The police think that someone broke into your apartment and took your brother."

She thought she stopped breathing. The air was just sucked right out of her.  

He tried to change the subject to give her some form of good news. "You will be released tomorrow though." She wasn't even listening to him, just thinking of her brother. "Your step-mother Amanda is home right now. I'll give her a call and tell her you're awake." With that, he took his leave.

She didn't care that he would call that horrible woman, she didn't care that she would get to leave the next day. All she could think about was her brother. Her lost brother.