Memory Wipe

Chapter 2

Alice

Normally, I wouldn't have freaked out over the newest girl to show up at the orphanage. I was there the longest. From the day they found me, wrapped in newspapers as a baby, to my most recent birthday, which was when I turned fifteen, I'd seen girls come and go. But when one shows up at the door step, unconscious and writhing in her sleep, you tend to notice. Plus, there was something special about her. She looked ordinary enough, even though she was pale, with golden hair and piercing sapphire-blue eyes. She looked normal, but there was something about her that stuck out, and it wasn't her amnesia.

Like always, I was assigned orientation duty. Apparently, I was the most "qualified". I always took that as "overly familiar with the surroundings", or (for the slower ones out there) stuck here for life. Unfortunately, this time orientation included watching the newbie 24/7 while she was unconscious. She seriously freaked me out. She mumbled in her sleep, and I'd had to untangle her from her sheets more than once.

Then she woke up.

When I had gone to wake her up, I was seriously NOT expecting her to open the door on me. I'm pretty sure I literally jumped out of my skin, but she was oddly cool about it. Okay, okay, I get it. You already know this part. Fine. I'll skip ahead.

After... Melody... named herself, I had to take her to the showers. She was walking right beside me, and I couldn't help myself. I stared.

She glanced at me. "What?" She asked. "Great," I thought. "Now I'M the freak."

"Well," I said, "I've had to take care of you while you were, you know, out. Do you have any idea what you did while you slept?"

She glared at me, an annoyed look on her face. "Of course I don't know, I was asleep!"

We walked along for a minute, completely silent. Melody suddenly stopped me.

"Alice," she said, "I can't help but notice how familiar you are with this place. How long have you been here?"

I looked down at the floor and kept walking. "Why do you care? It'll affect you no more than the walls are bothered by us walking on the floor. Now, do you want a shower or not?"

"Seriously. How long?" she pleaded, grabbing my arm.

I shook her off and looked her in the eye. "My entire life. No one wants to adopt a freak."

~~~~~~~~~~~

I have three rules in life:

•don't get attached to the newbies

•don't open up to ANYONE

•and never, EVER, cry in front of anyone

I broke all three of them.

I couldn't help it. I just... snapped. I guess it was the stress. I'd been holding my secret in for too long. Not even Ms. Flora knew.

But I wasn't about to tell this complete stranger.

I led her the rest of the way to the showers without crying. But the second she stepped in the curtain, I crumpled. I leaned against the wall, sobbing. I'm not a fragile person. I'm tough as steel. It's just that Melody pushed too hard.

Why had I opened up? It's not like I knew her long. And how could I be sure to trust her? She had amnesia!

I hadn't noticed that she was out of the shower, already fully dressed in the clean jeans and gray t-shirt I had set out for her.

"What's wrong?" she shrieked. "Did I do something?"

I shook my head, not able to speak.

"Oh good," she sighed. "But seriously, what's wrong?" At this point I had gotten my voice back. I glared at her.

"Like I would tell a complete stranger." I snapped. She stared at me with a confused look for a few seconds. Then she doubled over, gasping for breath. Her eyes... it seemed like they were looking... inside my mind.

She straightened slowly, closing her eyes. "Your mind is so filled with fear. You're constantly watching your back. You don't feel wanted. And..." her eyes flew open. "You can see the future?"