Fractured Memory - Book One

Chapter 1

A blinding light shocked his eyes as they slowly opened up on the plastic lawn of the elementary playground. He saw three figures kneeling down by him, as he forced himself to sit up.

"Todrick what happened?" asked a girl. She had hazel brown hair and warm ivory skin, accompanied by brown eyes.

"Who- who are you?" he asked.

"Bro! What do you mean who are we?" asked a boy with curly, black hair and brown skin color. His eyes were a darker brown from the girl.

"He's probably knocked out. Punched probably. His nose is bleeding." said the third person. She was pretty much a female version of the boy, based on looks. Only after she had said that, he noticed the warm liquid trickling down from his nose, ever so slowly. The boy pulled out a tissue from a small packet and handed it to him. He let the tissue soak the blood for a short time, while they pretty much answered what rushed through his head.

"I'm Maia. Wallis." said the first girl. "Don't you... recognise me?" she asked.

He could feel the pain in her voice. He didn't want to hurt her. Would he tell the truth and shake his head, causing her more pain? Or would he lie, and say he remembered her, even though he didn't? Was she his sister? Girlfriend?

"I- I'm sorry, I don't... remember you." he said, shaking his head slowly.

"Todrick. I'm Maia.

Again, he shook his head. "You're name is Todrick Bale. You're 15 years old. You're birthday is November 6th, 2015. That's pretty much what you need to know about yourself."

The boy shook his head and laughed.

"You've got to be kidding'. We've known each other since we were in preschool. Charlie? Charlie Kambet? You at one point called me Calvin Klein?" he asked.

Nothing he said rang a bell. He now knew who he was, but he didn't remember him. He'd forgotten his best friend.

"And... my sister? Zayma? Come on, bro! You can't..." Charlie stopped himself there. Trodrick mustered up the strength to stand up, and from where is left thigh was, was now a blood stained message.

1 memory, 6 shards

"Who was the last person you saw?" asked Zayma.

Todrick shook his head lightly. "I... don't know. Nothing, except my memory was probably... taken and broken." he guessed.

"Broken?" asked Maia.

"Into six pieces." finished Todrick with a nod.

"Let's take you home." said Charlie, shaking his head rapidly as if trying to forget something. With what was supposed to be his school bag, they walked in every direction required in order to get home. Not even for a second had he wondered why he had stuck his complete trust into their hands. He just took every step they asked him to, took every turn he was told to take. Nobody seemed to answer the door. Charlie allowed himself to ring it one more time, then stepped back and began a new conversation.

"So, you think whoever took your memory... broke it?" he asked.

"Memories aren't like glass. They aren't a solid or a liquid, or a gas. Like fire." argued Zayma.

"Actually... they are. Like glass, I mean. They're fragile. Strong but fragile." said Maia, adding on to the minor debate.

Todrick was about to speak, but the opening of a door interrupted him.

"Yes?" asked a woman. She had dark brown hair, almost black, and skin that one could tell was naturally rough, even through the layers of makeup she wore. Her lipstick was slightly off, doing a horrible job hiding the blood that peeked out from a cut on the bottom lip. She had a hooked nose, above which were two almond brown eyes. Overhead the eyes hovered eyelashes completely covered in smudged mascara. To describe her eyebrows would be hard, for they were slightly bleached. She had obviously done her best to colour them in, but now they were coated in a dark purple powder.She wore a coffee stained blouse which originally had the colour of a bleached lime, and jeans that were tattered and torn.

"Hi." said Charlie

"We're lookin' for Mrs. Bale?" he asked with a voice that was layered with discomfort.

"Oh. That would be me!" she confirmed.

Charlie cleared his throat and said "We're here with your son... if-" he hadn't been given the chance to finish.

"Son?" asked Mrs. Bale. "I ain't got no son." she chuckled. "Jokesters today." she said as she closed the door. A wave of confidence and anger washed over Charlie, as he forced his right foot into the small, remaining crack between the arch and the door that filled it.

"Your son is with us. He's your responsibility." he argued. Todrick took him by the shoulder and forced him to step back a little.

"She probably can't remember me." he suggested.

"Yes, but she knows everything about herself. All she forgot was who you are and..." Charlie looked back at the mess that was Mrs. Bale. "and what her hobbies are."

"Let me spare you the suspense and drama." said Zayma. "Your memory is gone. Her's was tampered with." she said matter of factly.

"Allow me." breathed Todrick, as he rushed into the house. Following him were Alia, Zayma, Charlie, and shrieks from what was apparently his mom. He raced into the room he thought was his. Apparently, his room had just enough information about him. From the opposite was the bed. It wasn't very extraordinary. To his right were shelves of books which he apparently practically worshipped. On the neighbouring shelf, was a set of trophies he had won over the years from Go-Karting, Football, Basketball, and Softball. Charlie walked in slowly.

"I remember the time you were completely obsessed with the One War series. You could go on forever and ever with how brilliant it was." he said in a nostalgic tone.

"Yet now, I can't remember a thing." replied Todrick.

"Shame." began Charlie. "And here, wasn't it the time where we went to that LA Go Karting race? I remember that. Cleanly swept the others off their wheels. And here! How could I forget. The time you brought us home the championship trophy for softball." he went on.

"Remember the plans we had? Go to college, become professional actors?" he said. In the background, Todrick thought he could he two violins playing sad music. Must have been his crazy mind. But it was real.

"Such a sweet, touching story." said Zayma in a sarcastic tone. "Hate to interrupt your nostalgic 'moment', but we have to go somewhere." she said sharply.

"Where's his mom?" asked Charlie.

"Oh. You know." she said. She demonstrated knocking someone out with Maia. Charlie nodded once slowly, eyes wide open.

"Pack your stuff. We're going on a memory hunt." joked Maia.

"Seriously though." added Zayma, with a stern look on her face. Todrick wasn't sure about how he thought about her.