Ephemeral

Dead on Arrival

"Try and say these words for me, Arianna," Doctor Sullivan spoke gently, tapping down at the laminated sheet of paper that was in front of me. 

I breathed in, staring down at the words that I was very aware that I could read. I opened my mouth, my throat becoming dry and scratchy all of a sudden. I winced and swallowed some spit, trying to lubricate my throat to let me say a single word. 

"Take your time..." She said, going over to a nearby metal counter and grabbing a glass of water.

She placed it on the table that I was sitting down at, and I took the glass of water with a trembling hand.

"If we keep practicing for a few hours every day, then I'm sure that you'll be able to talk," Doctor Sullivan added in some encouragement.

I breathed in and out of my mouth, taking a few quick sips of the liquid. I placed it back on the table and let out a silent sigh.

"Did you remember anything?" She asked, placing her chin on her hand as she sat at the table with me. Her elbow landed on the surface of it, and she stared at me from across the way. I shook my head and looked down at the ground in defeat. "Sometimes..." She trailed, strumming the surface of the table with her other hand. "It's better off not knowing your past..." She quietly said under her breath, darting her eyes behind me.

I watched how they widened and I tensed from her reaction.

I knew who it was without even having to turn around.

"How is my baby doing?" Rafael asked, his hand landing on my shoulder. Even though I wanted to shrug it off, I knew better than to do it. I swallowed down the queasy feeling that was beginning to rise in my stomach and focused solely on breathing in and out. "Were you able to make a sound?" He asked, leaning down to look at my face.

I glanced off to the side -- in a direction that he wasn't in.

"There's no need for you to be so shy, Arianna!" Rafael mocked, patting the top of my head. I felt his hand stroke the back of it, and I clenched my hands. I couldn't help it when the resentment began to build inside of me. "Well," he stopped touching me. I watched him shrug his shoulders out of the corner of my eyes. "You can be bashful all you want in front of me – I don't mind it if my wife is modest."

I'm not your wife.

An alarm went off, and it was coming from Rafael. I turned my head to look at him, as did Doctor Sullivan. Rafael pulled out a cell phone from his pocket and then let out a small chuckle. "Mira -- look at this-! The second game has already begun!" He yelled excitedly. He showed me the screen on his phone, but it displayed a map that I didn't really understand. "It looks like your sister is the next player..." He muttered out, and rubbed his chin in thought.

My...sister?

I opened my mouth – "I-I..."

"Isabella," Rafael said the name that I was trying to say. "You remember your dear old twin, don't you?" He asked, patting my head again. I quickly looked down, wishing that I could at the very least nod my head – I knew that I loved her. I didn't remember anything else aside from what I had the day I found my ID in that room. "Ah – you don't?" Rafael mocked, bending down to look at me. "She's going to have a choice to make, just like your brother did."

Brother...?

I had a brother?

I blinked my eyes and quickly shot out my hand to grab Rafael's wrist. 

I was begging him to tell me more with his eyes, but he only smiled at the desperation that must have been on my face. Rafael stood up, lightly stroking my hand on his wrist for a few seconds, until he pried it gently off of him. My hand fell to my side and my eyes were wide at the realization that I had a brother.