A blinding light is shining through my eyelids, making them red. An annoying beeping sound keeps tempo with my heart beat. I try to tell whoever is making that sound to stop, but all I can do is moan. My throat hurts so much. A new sound joins the beeping. It's a voice.
"Dakota! Dakota, can you hear me? I think she's awake doctor!"
Another unrecognizable voice rings out, much more calm than the last. "Dakota. Dakota? Are you awake?"
In response, I groan again. With difficulty, I slowly open my unwilling eyes to see two people leaning over me. One is dressed in a white lab coat, the other in a blue and green horizontal striped polo shirt. "Wh- Wh-who are y-you?" I choke out of my raw throat.
A look of confusion crosses the young-man-in-the-polo-shirt's face. "What are you talking about? I'm Jace. Remember? Your best friend since kindergarten!"
Now that my eyes were more focused, I could see the young man's, whose name was apparently Jace, face better. He had dark sapphire eyes, long black lashes, a straight nose, thick eyebrows, a perfect pink mouth and a mop of coal black hair. "I'm serious!" I wheeze, "I don't have a clue what you're talking about!"
A look of bewilderment replaces his confusion, but before he can say anything else, a couple bursts through the doors.
"Dakota! You're awake!" The woman exclaims. Giving her a look of bewilderment, I look to Jace for help.
"Your parents," he whispers so they can't hear.
I look back at them, noticing the doctor is gone as I do so, and try to smile. Unobservant because of their giddiness, they don't notice that my smile is forced. "Ummm...Hello." I managed to get out.
"Oh, honey! You don't know how worried we were! Never ever ever do that again!" My mother exclaims, getting emotional somewhere in the middle.
I try to a happy face on, but that's of hard to do when people you don't remember are gushing over you with tears streaming down their cheeks. Unfortunately, my father notices.
"Baby, are you okay? You look a little...strained," he comments while studying my face.
"Well, um, Dad, I, uh, I, I'm kind of confused," I stammer.
Suddenly Jace speaks up from a corner of the room, startling me. I had forgotten he was there. "Mr. and Mrs. Challenger, May I speak to you out in the hall," he inquires.
My parents don't want to leave my side, but with lots of tears and backwards glances they walk out into the hall with Jace. I hear muffled mumbles and then my hysterical mother rushes back into my sterile hospital room.
"Oh, honey, tell me it's not true! Quick, when we're you born?!" She practically screams at me. I stare back with a blank face. "How old are you?!" Still no response. "Your grandmother's name? Your brother's hair color? Your first kiss?" The questions come rapid fire, but I don't have an answer for any of them. I don't remember a thing about my family or personal life. I don't know who I am.
