Help Me Remember (COMPLETED)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Consciousness

"Mommy!"

I opened my eyes and just like that... I was standing in the middle of a very familiar yet unfamiliar room. This wasn't the penthouse.

I looked out of the window into a wide grassy backyard.

A house?

I glanced around the room, I realized it was a large bedroom similarly decorated to the one in the penthouse. A king-size against the wall. A vanity in the corner, a sofa by the window with richly decorative curtains...

There were three doors. I was sure the open one led out of this room and into the hallway. The other was the bath and the last one... was where the child's voice came from. I could hear the rustling of clothes hangers and the thumping of shoes.

I smiled, knowing fully well, who was inside. I approached the door and silently pushed it open. The small shadow in the corner was so absorbed in his mischief that he didn't notice me.

I flicked the light switch and light flooded the closet. That shock of blonde hair floppily bounced on top of that small head. A pair of startlingly big blue eyes lifted to mine in surprise.

"Mommy!" the little rascal actually beamed at me proudly. He knew he was in trouble but was smart enough to use his charms on me. Those two deep dimples on both cheeks could melt even his strict father's resolve. To think it was infamous in the boardroom.

Instead of scolding the five-year old, I couldn't help but laugh at how cute he looked. On one foot, he was wearing his father's too-large shoe. The pair of that shoe sat on his lap and around him, paper was haphazardly scattered. I picked up one and eyed the header. The company name.

Hannah, Zachary's secretary, was going to have an apoplectic fit when she sees this mess.

But all I wanted to do was take a picture for the photo album.

I approached the child who was still grinning and stooped to his level.

"What are we doing?" I whispered conspiratorially.

He was drenched in his sweat, his chubby cheeks red but he was smiling at me with pure joy. "I'm helping Daddy with work."

I'm sure Zachary would disagree. But he wouldn't say. He was weaker to this child than I was.

When he was born, we were surprised by his blonde hair—something that he inherited from my dad. He got the pale coloring from my side of the family. The nose was mine, the thin red lips were mine too. Mara said the only thing he got from Zach were the blue eyes.

But I begged to disagree.

As he grew up, he was starting to look more and more like his father. A mini-Zach like I predicted.

He was the most amazing little thing. Watching the changes in him from infancy. He was too energetic that Susan had trouble keeping up. He displayed an intelligence and curiosity beyond his age. He had the sharpest memory and his interest in numbers was definitely from his father.

And as I levelled my eyes to his bright eyes...

"Good job," I whispered warmly. And following my instinct, I wrapped him in my arms tightly around his little body.

The protests were quick to come. "Mommy!" he squirmed in my arms, "I can't breathe!"

He was using that whiny voice and I laughed, "Sorry, baby."

He pouted at that, looking offended. "I'm not a baby! I'm five!" and as if to prove his point, he lifted his hand to show me five fingers.

"Is that so?" I widened my eyes at him and he glared at me. If that cute expression could ever pass for a glare anyway.

Adorable. He was simply too adorable.

But suddenly, he looked down at my clothes and frowned, "Mommy, what's that on your shirt?"

I glanced down at myself. The sight that greeted me gave me a pause. The front of my shirt was covered in red...

Blood?

Where I hugged my son, my arms were covered in warm wet blood. And then I smelled it too, that distinct metallic odor that was unique to blood. It was getting stronger and stronger...

"Scarlett!"

My heartrate quickly spiked. Unbelieving, I looked to my child. But the space in front of me was already empty. There were no paperwork scattered on the floor, there were no shoes, and there was no living breathing child.

I was no longer inside the closet.

I was sitting on the floor of Zachary's office on the fortieth floor of the company building.

But unlike everything else, the blood stayed on me. My arms and clothes were a mess... and on top of that, I was feeling cold.

Too cold.

This wasn't real, I told myself.

But quickly with that thought, my body started to feel twinges of pain. Something that grew more and more painful by the minute.

"Scarlett, don't do this to me! Wake up!"

Zach?

My eyelids flung open. Bright white light instantly burning my eyes. I fought to keep them open and gradually the bright white light subsided. The sight that greeted me was still confusing though. Small orbs of light were passing overhead in quick successions.

What is this?

"She opened her eyes!" Zachary? Where..?

It was then that I heard a multitude of footsteps and the turning wheels. I heard someone dimly shouting orders in the background.

I tried to move my head in the direction I heard.

"Hey hey, I'm here." A hand touched my cheek and I flinched. The palm was hot against my chilled skin.

I knew who this was.

Zachary, I wanted to say, I think I saw our baby in a dream... and he looks just like you.

But I felt my eyelids start drooping close.

"Red, stay with me!"

"Zachary," I heard a shaky voice call. Mara? "She's losing too much blood. At this rate—"

"Don't say it!" Zachary's voice was too harsh, "Damn it all! Just don't..."

Blood? What blood were they talking about?

Mara's distress was obvious. She was rambling. "B-but Scarlett... she's... the baby—"

"Can you shut up for one second?!" Zachary raised his voice, starting to curse, "Damn it! Damn it, Scarlett! You're not doing this to me!"

Zachary was angry. Why? What was I doing to him?

Those were my last thoughts before I drifted out of consciousness.

If I want to finish this before I go to review school, I better start uploading every night. But who am I kidding? Concentration is my room for improvement.