The Lost Memories

90. i know who you are

I slowly begin to open my eyes and I groan. My entire body aches; an agonising pain is coming from my head, and I can't help but feel nauseous.

It takes me a while to come around, but when I do, I panic when I look to my right, and Michelle isn't there... I sit upright, looking around in a panicked state as I search the car for her, but there's no sign of her.

"Michelle?" I groan.

"M- Michelle...?"

Suddenly, I remember everything that happened before I blacked out. I remember how Michelle and I were driving to the hospital, how we stopped off to get some gas for the ride, and how a young girl approached the car and asked for help. Then everything became a blur after that, and I realise that something bad must've happened.

I immediately think about Michelle's words and how she told me that she felt like she was being watched and that someone was planning to do something bad to her.

Maybe she was right. I should have listened to her.

"Shit..." I mutter while throwing my head back against the seat.

I try to figure out what could've happened and where she could possibly be, but I don't have an answer for any of it. But then I think about how she explained to me that if anything were to happen, I should inform Scarlett immediately.

I quickly pull out my phone and locate her number. But I stare at the screen, my finger hovering over the call button, as I feel my body fill with nerves.

I've never called her before. I've never heard her voice, even though I've desperately wanted to.

After some time working up the courage to call her, I press my finger on the button, and I hear the phone begin to ring. I rest my head against the back of the seat once again, my phone to my ear, as I anxiously wait for her to answer.

Maybe she won't.

But then the call is answered, but there's a silence.

"Hello?"

I'm surprised to hear her voice.

I pause as I process the fact that I'm speaking to her, but then I reply, "Scarlett... s- something happened."

"What happened?" She asks me, and I can't help but smile as I listen to the soft tone of her voice and how beautiful she sounds.

"Michelle... she was taken. We were in the car on the way to the hospital when this girl showed up, and the next thing I know, I'm waking up alone, and Michelle is nowhere to be seen."

I continue, "She's about to give birth, and I remember what she said about someone wanting to take her baby. I don't know; I'm starting to think that it's true. Maybe I should have taken things more seriously."

Scarlett asks me, "Michelle's gone?"

"Yeah..." I reply while tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes. "Look, the sun was out before I blacked out, and now it's dark out there. I- I don't know how long I've been out for. I don't know how long she's been gone."

My voice cracks. "Please... Scarlett, j- just- just help her."

There's a silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments, so I say, "Scarlett, are you still there?"

I'm relieved when I hear her say, "Yeah, I'm still here."

"You have to do something!" I tell her. "She told me that I should tell you if something were to happen. She told me that you're the only one that would know what to do."

She pauses once again before relying with, "I- I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you." I thank her, gratefully. "Just- just let me know what I can do to help. After all, I feel like I'm responsible for this. I mean, she didn't even want to go to the hospital, but I was stubborn, and I didn't listen to her!"

I begin to ramble. "I was stupid. I- I should have believed what she was telling me, and now she's gone, and it's all my fault, and–."

Suddenly, I hear a beep as the call ends.

I take the phone away from my ear and I realise that Scarlett is gone— I must've scared her off with my rambling. I then rest my head in my hands as I realise that I probably ruined our first actual conversation, not one where we're hiding behind a screen.

I think about Scarlett's voice, and although her accent shows that she isn't from around here, I can't help but feel the familiarity in her voice. I can't pinpoint what it is, though.

Suddenly, I'm brought back to how I begged Michelle to reveal Scarlett's identity to me, and how she walked over to me and handed over something. I never got to take a look at it.

I rummage through my pockets, trying to find what I was given. It doesn't take me long before I find it— a small folded-up piece of paper resting on my palm.

I unfold it and squint as I read the words on the back.

Emily & baby.

"What?" I whisper.

Then I turn over the paper, and I see a sonogram. There's an image of two babies that I'm able to make out as I investigate the photo. At the top, it's dated March 5th, 1990, which matches up to the year Emily was born.

I've memorised her date of birth.

But there are two babies, and that doesn't make sense to me. If this is a sonogram of Emily, then why would there be another baby? And how does this relate to Scarlett?

"What is this?"

I find myself becoming even more confused. I thought that this would give me an answer, yet I'm now filled with so many more questions. But I have a gut feeling of what this could mean, but I don't know I'm ready to accept the truth.

"I know who you are now..."

Suddenly, my phone vibrates.

Immediately, when picking it up, I see a notification from Scarlett; it's a link to a location. And when I click on the link, I furrow my brows when I recognise what she's showing me.

"Jones's place?" I quietly say. "Why would they have taken her there?"

Another text from Scarlett appears on my screen.

Be there.

After reading her text, I immediately start up the car, making my way over to his house.