Hazy

Blossom: Looking for Answers

Crystal and I watch as Anthony rushes out of the room. The moment he is gone, I want to chase him and pull him back in here. What does he think he's doing, leaving me here with...

I glance up at Crystal, keenly aware of the tension that exists between us. Her previous question still lingers in my mind and I wonder what on earth made her ask it. Does she know Dad was the one who erased our memory? Does she know that Dad... is....?

"Hey, um... Crystal? How much do you remember?"

Her face continues to lack even any hint of emotion as she answers, "Gee, I don't know. What do you mean by that?"

The accusation is back in her voice, but I can sense the feeling of betrayal beneath her sharp tongue. It's enough to make me get teary eyed all over again. It was only a few hours ago that I remembered she existed... And even then, I only have memories of her from years ago. Seeing her now, a full grown women, I ache to think of how many times she must have wondered where she came from.

"Where have you been living all these years?"

She drops her arms to her side and swallows hard. "Bluewater Meadow," she sighs. "Barely five miles away from here. Where they send all the magic freaks."

"Crystal-" The shape of my mouth as I say her name is beautifully and nystically familiar- "I'd hardly call you a freak. I loved your power, and so did Mom and Dad. Remember? We had so much fun."

She peers up at me and breathes deeply through her nose. "A princess with magic is an easy target these days," she recites the words as if they were a memorized line for a play.

I feel my heart stop for a few seconds.

"What?" I respond dumbly after a few seconds of silence.

"That's the last thing that Da-Um, that your Dad ever said to me. The last thing I remember before he knocked me out, stole you out of my mind and plopped me in Bluewater Meadow. Can you explain that to me? Was there danger for me? Or was that a fun way of saying, 'we don't want you?'"

My mouth goes dry all the sudden as her bitter words pierce into me. "I don't... I don't know-"

"Yeah, well turns out he was kinda a jerk to the both of us. Where are him and mo-gosh-" she bites her lip as if the thought of calling Mom her mom disgusted her- "his wife? When are they getting back? Why aren't they here? "

Oh no...

"Um..."

I cross over to my bed to sit down and take a few deep breathes. As I plop down and look back up at Crystal, I notice her face has broken its mold and now holds deep concern and sorrow.

"Crystal... Why do you think we remembered?"

She doesn't answer. Her ranting mood is gone and she quietly stares me down, daring me to tell her the answer I can sense she already knows.

"Crystal... They're gone..." I swallow hard. "Dad couldn't hold our memories once he was gone..  He was going to try to figure out how to but... A freak accident happened, I don't even know... And Mom's gone too..."

Crystal doesn't even flinch, except for the slighest twitch in her eye. Her gaze doesn't move from me and I begin to squirm a little under it.

Then she blinks a couple of times and finally turns away.

"Oh."

At this point, I suddenly feel like I'm boiling with anger. She doesn't have to act all tough. She doesn't have to act like she doesn't care.

"Would it kill you to show a little emotion?" I say, the accusation coming out a lot more sad than angry as cold tears escape onto my cheeks once again.