Scarlett, the Found One

Untitled Part 9: Scarlett

The nauseating smell of mold and mildew permeated the room, making me even more nauseous than I already was. The carpet had yellow and orange stains near the old looking bed.

"I can't stay here," I said, wrinkling my nose in disgust.

Flies swirled around the light fixture above the bed, adding to the overall sense of filth. A steady drip echoed from the bathroom.

Alexii dropped a suitcase by the door, breaking the oppressive silence. "There are extra clothes in there," he informed me.

He began to stalk around the room, his eyes scanning every corner and crevice searching for hidden threats. On any other day, I would tease someone for being so paranoid but in that moment I wanted him to turn the whole place upside down. 

"I thought you said this place was supposed to be a safe house or something," I muttered.

Ignoring my comment, Alexii pressed a finger to his ear, his attention diverted to some unseen threat.

"I'm going to take a bath," I announced, my tone dripping with sarcasm. "Hopefully, no one will grab me from the drain."

I limped my way to the bathroom, leaving Alexii and Charlotte behind in the bedroom we were expected to share. Inside the suitcase were a pair of shorts and a black tshirt. Normally, I preferred to sleep in just my underwear and some socks, but with Alexii in the mix, I had no intention of giving him a free show. I hated how hot and itchy I felt with fabric on my skin.

I grimaced at the sight of myself in the mirror. My lip was busted and there was a cut just above my eyebrow. I reached to the back of my head and felt wetness of what I assumed to be blood. Upon further digging around I was relieved to assume I had no cracks in my skull. There was surface level bleeding but nothing I'd need stitches for. A bruise bloomed on my cheek where I had collided with the unforgiving concrete.

Eventually, I sank into the steaming depths of the bathrub, the heat searing my skin in a strangely comforting way. I tried to not think about how filthy the tub may have been. As the water enveloped me, washing away the physical remnants of the night's events, I felt little comfort.

Yet, as warm and comforting the water was, a simmering anger bubbled to the surface. I had spent years building a life for myself in America, creating my own path and pursuing my dreams. With just a single night's events, everything had been upended. I was on the precipice of completing my degree, with aspirations of a career in fashion. The thought of abandoning those ambitions to return to Vastoria, a place that no longer felt like home, filled me with bitterness.

Leaning back against the stained porcelain, I closed my eyes, allowing the warmth of the water to lull me into a drowsy state. I wished I was back in Wisconsin, carrying Charlie in my arms, or drinking at the park with my friends. But my memories were fragmented, scattered like pieces of a puzzle lost in time. Ever since the car accident after prom, my recollection of events had become hazy. The doctors called it a minor concussion, but I knew it was more than that. Accommodations for coursework helped me navigate through the fog, but this time felt different.

Questions swirled in my mind, a tangled mess of uncertainty. Did I go to Chicago or Seattle? Who did I date in high school? What was the name of my high school? How old was Charlie? And where had Maya disappeared to? It was as if chunks of my memory were disoriented or altogether missing. I didn't even remember why I had come to America in the first place.

I felt this intense pull in my chest to figure out these answers before going back to Vastoria, perhaps never to return to America. Rising from the bathtub, I wrapped myself in a ragged towel and marched back to the motel bedroom, where Charlotte and Alexii were engaged in conversation.

"We need to go to Wisconsin," I declared, stepping back into the bedroom.

Alexii raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his expression. "Princess Scarlett, you know my mission is to escort you back to the palace—"

I cut him off, asserting my authority. "Your mission is to obey the crown. I am the Princess, and you follow my orders. I order you to take me to Cassius and Lillian Azizot's house in Wisconsin." I commanded.

His shoulders slumped, but I remained resolute. "Princess, we only have a month to get you back home," he reminded me.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I reiterated my directive. "One, Vastoria is my birthplace but it is not my home. Two, It doesn't take a month to drive from Wisconsin to D.C. This is an order," I emphasized.

I needed answers. I needed to know the truth about this concussion. Most importantly, I needed to say goodbye to my family.

Alexii bowed, acknowledging my command. "Yes, my Lady."

Charlotte's excitement was palpable. "Road trip!" she exclaimed, her enthusiasm bursting through the tension.