Amnesia

chapter 13

Since when do I listen?" Rachael held her wrists down so she couldn't move.

"Never." Dawn admitted. Her eyes never broke contact from Rachael's. Silence was an answer and their eyes spoke every word. This feels nice, natural. She broke the silence with a hushed whisper. "It's good to have you back." Dawn softly smiled at her.

What happened next she couldn't fully process, she just knew she had warmth pressed against her lips. What's more is she liked this warmth. It filled her with an electricity that made her tingle. The warmth pulled away, and she felt herself yearning for it. "Open your eyes." She didn't even know she had her eyes closed.

She did as she was told. "Still feels the same after all these years, doesn't it?" Rachael was grinning at her.

"It was certainly," she searched for the right word. "Exhilarating." Someone cleared their throat. She looked left and her eyes widened. This looks bad. "Your home early," she smiled weakly.

Dean stood there a second longer, staring at the two with a look of dejection before walking into the house. Nadia shook her head slightly before following him. "Rachael, get off of me." She did as she was told before reaching out to Dawn.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think-" Dawn interrupted her.

"It's fine. Let's just catch this guy." She stood.

"Alright." She sighed.

Before she went inside, Rachael grabbed her sleeve. "I think I'm going to go, I've caused enough trouble already." She released her sleeve and placed something in her hand.

"What about catching the creep?" She refused to turn around. Turning around means saying goodbye.

"If you get any leads, call me." The leaves crackled, and there was a soft click.

Dawn didn't need to see what she gave her, she just shook her head. So much for trusting her; the vile voice piped up. Do you blame her for leaving? Opening the door, she stepped inside, closing the door behind her. Just me, myself, and I.

She searched through one of the cabinets and found an open bag of pretzels. Popping a pretzel into her mouth, she grabbed her purse and went upstairs. Pulling out her cell phone, she bit her lip and turned it on. The light flashed back at her as she sighed in relief. Least somethings going right today.

She entered in the phone number that was on the piece of paper and then started searching through her pictures. Dawn stopped and selected one. The picture was nostalgic even without remembering. A younger version of her and Rachael were dangling upside down from a limb of a tree. Smiling, she selected that as her caller ID. Turning her phone off she then placed it back into her purse.

Her attention then focused on the bag of pretzels. Can't do a stake out on a empty stomach. She pulled out a handful of pretzels and sat down on her bed. Tilting her head back, she popped the handful into her mouth and looked at her reflection. She almost choked from laughing.

Swallowing, she reached for more and paused. She squinted, trying to peer out the window. Is someone here? Setting the bag down, she stood and approached the window. Maybe it was just my imagination. Outside, everything was still.

Nothing. She stayed glued to spot, pressing her temple and hand up against the glass. Everything's so quiet. Dawn closed her eyes for a second, taking in the peace. When she opened her eyes, she noticed a shadow making its way into the trees. What was that?

She lifted her head off of the glass. Didn't have to wait that long. Grabbing her purse, she ran downstairs and out the back door.
There was no one out there. Instead, she found a paper tacked to the tree. Dawn glanced around once more, making sure the area was secure before taking step towards the tree. Her eyes widened. A diary page. Reaching forward, she touched the paper.

Dear Diary,

I'm excited to say that tomorrow's the day. The adoption agency is thrilled. I've already seen the child, a young infant, and have fallen for her. She's a bubbly little girl even with her minor medical needs. Either way, she will be my daughter to love and to cherish... I wish Rachael was here right now, she would of loved this.

Dawn had to read over the page again, the words not processing in her head. This makes no sense. If this paper's correct then where is my child? Something told her this was left for her on purpose. Ripping down the piece of paper, she skimmed over it once more. Did something happen?

She crumpled up the paper and stuffed it into her pocket. No. someone would have told me That's not something you keep a secret from someone. That was a truth she was able to pull from the midst of the fog. It was the only truth she was able to pull at the moment, despite the paper still being crumpled in her pocket.

What should I do now? Her head was slowly drooping. I'm even more lost than I was before. She pulled out the crumpled piece of paper and straightened it. I wonder, she flipped the paper over. Nothing, the other side was completely blank.

Is this the last entry? Her eyes skimmed over the writing. Or is this all fake? She wanted to believe that this wasn't fake, but something seemed off about the whole thing. Her eyes moved up towards the handle that was sticking out of the trunk.

Grabbing the handle, she started pulling. She tugged once. Twice. Three times before the blade popped out. She tilted the handle, examining the blade. Old blood was splattered in random patterns, rust giving away the knifes age. The memory of the figure last night froze in her mind. Is this the same blade from before?

She held out the handle as far as she could as she walked back into the house and disposed of the knife. Dawn immediately ran to the sink and repeatedly washed her hands. It's like the blood still there. She held out her hands and examined them. They were bright red and soaking wet. That's the best I'm going to get, I guess.