Anamnesis

eight

820

        I attempted to stand, biting down on my arm to keep from crying out into the night. I could barely move, sliding back down until my back was against the cool siding. I positioned my body as close to the building as I could, the damp soil slipping through my fingers. My heart was pounding in my chest, the beats matching the dull throb in my ankle.

        I was preparing for the officers any second now. My mind running at Mach-speed attempting to calculate my escape. The front door was to the right of me, nothing more than a turned corner to my inevitable capture. Behind me was a fence, five feet high, I couldn't scale it like this.

        I clutched tight to Maddie's blanket, the dull throb of my ankle bringing tears to my eyes. I removed my shoe, the simplest of actions causing a spasm of pain to shoot up my calf.
        Grabbing the blanket in between my teeth, I began pulling apart the fabric. The thin material tore easily, the sound making my heart ache in my chest.

I pulled my knee towards my chest, grabbing one of the strips. I started at the arch of my foot, folding the layers up around my ankle. Grimacing, I pulled tight on the ends of my makeshift wrap. My teeth digging into my bottom lip to distract me.

The front door clicked out of position, my ragged lungs clutching onto whatever breath I still held. Light washed over the front of the yard, the shadows of the two agents distorted.

"Ma'am, Sir. Believe me when I say nothing is wrong. Just a routine check to make sure our technology is operating adequately. Mr, and Mrs. Lynnwood, thank you for your cooperation. You will be compensated presently." Evelyn's calm voice brought chills down my spine, it was louder, more rehearsed.

She knew I was here.

I cursed under my breath, the window. She knew where I was. Did Charles? I pressed the palms of my hands over my mouth, muffling my breathing. A few moments of silence passed, the pair exchanging handshakes and business cards; my utterly baffled mother closing the door behind her with a click.

"You think he's like McCloud?"

Charles. I strained my ears further, Tyler's name the singular cause to my current situation. Tyler had been forgotten, but now, I knew the truth. He was like me.

He had remembered.
He had escaped.
But he had failed.
I wasn't alone.

"It's hard to tell. He'd have to be taken back for testing."

Evelyn flipped through a thin pad of paperwork. The manilla-colored folder assumed to hold all the information of my life.
My age and family history; my allergies, medications, height, and weight. Every doctor's appointment and broken bone on record. Every specialist, and school nurse, telling me that I was totally, entirely fine.

They continued walking to their vehicle, their voices fading from my audible range. The back of the garage was in front of me, a mere meter or two from the front door. If I ended up too close to their car, I would be spotted; too far away, it would've been useless. Peeking around the corner, I noted the darkened windows and drawn shades. The cost was clear.

I placed my weight back on my knees. The wrap strained against my movement, but it held tight. I mentally thanked Maddie, blowing a kiss up to her bedroom window.

'I'll be back for you princess. Please don't forget me.'

I pushed myself up onto my uninjured foot, fingers spread as I tried to keep my balance. I jumped forward, my right leg bent at the knee.

I jumped forward, relying solely on adrenaline and my one working foot for transportation. I reached out my hand, grabbing the siding of the garage. I held myself up, moving faster. All the time listening, intently, for the pair of agents. I saw the headlights first, reflecting brightly on the aluminum doors.

"You know," Charles paused, his voice deep.

I slid back onto the grass, shuffling behind the centuries-old oak on the property. My spine was pressed against the back of the tree, praying that I could hide behind the rough, dew covered bark. I held my breath, the deep throb in my calf matching the pounding of my heart.

"He would be a suitable addition to our team. Good grades, impressive athletic stature, and with a photographic memory. He's a perfect fit."

"As of now? I'm not sure. The company will have to look into the video footage captured at the school."

From my hiding spot, I saw Evelyn, reaching to open the driver's side door. The pair entered their vehicle, headlights passing over my hiding spot as they pulled out of my driveway. The heavily tinted windows hid their identities, the vehicle nothing more than a dark shape, traveling in the night.