Infinite: Power

Chapter 12: Blair and Brooke

The three girls were sitting on the guest room's beds, while Belle examined the ex-sleeping girl. Luckily, Brooke and Hayden hadn't been scolded for going out at night because Belle had focused more on the fact that the other girl was wide awake then. What was better, Brooke had been able to 'shift' before her mother found them, after the three of them screamed when a horse from the stable almost runs over the stranger girl.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Belle asked the girl while opening her eyes and examine them with a small lantern. To their surprise, the girl nodded briefly. She looked terrified. "Can you tell me your name?"

The girl spoke but her voice was too low.

"Again? Sorry, I didn't catch—"

"Blair."

"Blair?" Belle smiled. "Sounds like my name. I'm Belle. I'm pleased to meet you. This is my daughter, Brooke, and my niece, Hayden. Brooke is the one who found you and saved you."

The girl, Blair, turned to Brooke with curious eyes. Brooke was almost certain that she had seen—well, everything.

"Yes. I. Remember." She frowned to herself. "My. Head. Hurts."

She looked as if it cost her terrible effort to speak in English and process the information.

"Oh... well... I'm not sure if I should give you medicine, but maybe something natural will help you." Belle said and turned to Brooke. "Can you look after her while I—"

"Sure, mum. I've done it for weeks."

When the woman walked out of the room, Blair stared at the two girls with amazement. Especially, Brooke noticed, the hair.

"So... Blair, huh?" Hayden started. Brooke poked her. "What? Can't we talk to her?"

"Where. Am. I." Blair articulated with a raspy voice. It almost hurt to see or hear her speak.

"You're at my house." Brooke started carefully. "You're in California, United States of America."

"She probably knows where Cali is, silly." Hayden rolled her eyes. Brooke wasn't so sure. Blair looked confused.

"When. What... what... day..."

"It's one am. It's August twentieth of two thousand and ten."

"No, it's twenty-first..."

"Oh, right, that was yesterday..."

Blair looked lost and hopeless.

"DO YOU. REMEMBER. ANYTHING. BEFORE COMING. HERE?" Hayden spoke to her as though she had been a hearing impaired. Blair furrowed her brows hard for a while. Then, she seemed to remember something.

"Fran...cis."

"Francis?!" Brooke jumped. "You mean him?"

Blair turned to where Brooke had pointed. She stood up and dragged her feet to his bed.

"DO YOU. KNOW. HIM?" Hayden asked. Blair, still frowning, shook her head.

"You don't?" Brooke was surprised and less disappointed than she thought she'd be.

"DO YOU KNOW—"

"Stop doing that, Hade!"

"Ugh. Okay. Blair, do you know Stawen?"

Blair turned her head to them and shook it again.

"I give up." Hayden said. "This girl knows less than any of us."