Perfect Mind

6

"It was really strange but then he told me why," I explained.

I was telling Sarah and Bailey about what had happened to me while officer Dawson was interviewing me and telling me about my mom. They were interested as they knew if I found my mom there was hope for them too.

"He was getting really touchy when I couldn't remember things,"

"That's just rude! He doesn't know what we've been through, if only he'd been through the pain we suffered for the past god knows how long!" Bailey said. She was clearly getting angered by how officer Dawson had treated me.

"But then he told me why, it's ok Bailey he had a reason," I sighed.

"Better be a good one," Sarah muttered.

"His daughter was kidnapped a few years ago, they gave up hope on her just as my family did."

"No," Sarah gasped. Bailey just shrugged.

"Fair enough he's got it tough, doesn't mean he should treat you unfairly," Bailey snapped.

"What was her name?" Sarah asked.

"I can't remember," I sighed. I deeply hunted into the back of my brain to remember it.

Surely if I could remember something from many years ago even with all the brainwashing and other drugs and things I was given, I could remember something I was told two hours ago.

"It began with an L," I spoke as I thought hard trying to remember her name.

"And her surname was Dawson right?" Sarah asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Was her name Lola?"

"Yes," I paused, shocked and confused. "How do you know?"

"She was down there," Sarah sighed.

"What," I was so shocked I could barely speak. I needed all the details I could get out of Sarah.

"Lola was one of the first girls down there with me, there were three of us, including Abi who didn't speak. Me and Lola got really close, we were like sisters. For years there were just the three of us, we looked after Abi for years but we couldn't make her speak. Me and Lola were inseparable because we were both suffering together and helping each other be strong,"

I listened intently as Sarah told the story, the whole time I was shocked that officer Dawson's daughter was one of us. And he didn't know he was investigating a case his daughter was involved in.

"After about three years, I think, we couldn't keep good track of the time, Lola began remembering things. I couldn't remember anything at all but Lola's memory was over running her. Soon her memory was vivid and she could remember almost everything about her past life. She used to- oh erm, Kim, she used to be Craig's."

My breath hitched.

Firstly at the thought someone else suffered what I did with Craig and someone else was unfortunate enough to go through the pain with Craig. Then I remembered Craig's words to me, almost perfectly I heard what he said to me.

"Now I don't pay good money for you to go around earning yourself strikes do you hear me?" He shouted. I gently nodded my head.

"I said do you hear me?"

"Yes," I cried.

"Now, I don't feel a small tattoo is enough of a punishment, I've lost a purchase before because she got too many strikes. I didn't teach her what happens if she gets strikes so she didn't learn. You on the other hand will learn, and you will know not to go and get yourself any strikes!"

He lost someone to getting too many strikes. And that someone was more than likely Lola. I knew where this story was going and as much as I needed to hear the story, i didn't want to hear it.

"Lola told Craig everything she remembered. He didn't like it obviously. She tried to escape so many times because she knew what was waiting for her on the outside world. She tried so many times and got a strike multiple times. You know the rule, five strikes and you're out. Lola was out." Sarah spoke as her eyes welled up with tears. This time it was my turn to comfort her. She needed it.

I put my arm around her and hugged her as tightly as I could. She needed me there for her because me and the other girls were all she had.

"I remember," she spoke through the sobs. "That Lola told me her dad was a policeman, an officer even. Officer Dawson was her dad."

Almost as if he heard his name, officer Dawson appeared at the door.

"Is everything ok?" He asked motioning to a crying Sarah and a comforting me. Bailey was still pretty emotionless except for the dirty look she shot towards officer dawson still annoyed by his actions.

"We need to talk to you," I said as he came over and sat down on a seat opposite us.

Sarah explained the whole story, whilst crying. Knowing his daughter was gone officer Dawson began to cry too. The words he said to me before I left the room are words I will never forget. He spoke through his tears and I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"You told me not to give up, you told me there was a chance she was out there. I believed you! I knew I shouldn't have got my hopes up."