Tiger Princess

Chapter Four

A week passed and I still hadn't remembered anything. Something inside me almost didn't want to. From what I could figure out, something dreadful must have happened. Did I really want to remember that?

One day, Alex came up to me and said, "Tora, I have a question for you.You don't have to say yes, but I think it would be a good idea."

I nodded, curious.

"Would you be willing to go back to the place that Madusa found you and show us how you got there? It might trigger some memories."

I hesitated. What if I remembered something horrible?

"You don't have to answer right away..." Alex started.

"I'll go."

Alex blinked, then his lips stretched into his goofy smile. "Great! I'll go let Allana know."

I watched him leave then brought my hand up to feel the scar on my neck. As usual, a cold chill ran through my body as my fingers touched it. Even if I remembered something horrible, it couldn't be worse than what my parents were feeling. I longed to know them again.

*~*~*~*~*~

I was jerked awake as the car suddenly bounced, hitting a pot hole. I looked out the window from where I sat in the back seat of Alex'scar. The trees sped by in a blur with the sun shining over top of them. My eyes narrowing from the glare, I turned my attention to the front of the car. Alex was driving and Allana sat in the passenger seat with her head turned toward her husband as they chatted.

Allana twisted in her seat to look at me. She smiled. "We are almost there."

I nodded, taking a deep breath. Everything will turn out okay. I reassured myself.

I looked outside again as the car slowed. I recognized the spot where Madusa had found me. It looked different in the daylight. It seemed more...real, less dreamlike. Alex carefully guided the car off the road and parked it under one of the pine trees.

Pine needles crunched beneath my feet as I got out of the car. I turned around in circles, looking all round me. All the trees looked the same. How was I supposed to lead them, when I didn't even know were I was going?

"Madusa said that she found you around here." Allana's voice sounded beside me. "Does anything look familiar?"

In response, I walked over to the pavement. I stood in the same spot as before. Where I once only saw stars and blackness, I gazed upon a view of trees and cliffs.

Allana came and stood behind me. I glanced back at her, helplessly. She leaned in and asked, "How did you get here?" Her voice riding on the wind.

I turned again to face the trees. Suddenly one tree stood out from all the rest. I wasn't sure why it stood out. It wasn't much different than the others. Nonetheless, I headed towards it. From there I followed a path deeper into the forest. It was not a clear path. The ground was covered with brambles and other vegetation. We had to step over some and trample on others.

I couldn't explain why I followed that path. It was almost like it was highlighted for me. The trees and brambles and leaves just sort of stood out. After a while of struggling through the brush, I finally stopped beneath one of the many Ash trees and looked down at the shallow hole where I had woken up to find myself buried. It was little more than a dip in the ground now, as it had rained since then and washed some of the dirt back into the hole.

"Where are we?" Alex asked, nearly tripping into the dip.

Allana managed to pull him out of the way just in time. "Watch where you're going, you oaf." Alex gave her one of his goofy grins,causing her to roll her eyes. She then turned her attention back tome. "What is that?" She asked, indicating the dip.

"My grave."

A/N:

Sorry it took so long. With the holidays and everything that came after, I had zero time. But now I'm back in business! Yay! :D 

Also, does anyone else have this problem?

When ever I first publish something, it will delete the spaces from several of my words, combining them. Like this: Isaw. So I have to go back and put all the spaces back in.