Those Lost Memories

4. In for a Surprise

 Chapter 4

In for a Surprise

4 years later

She was driving the car. Her family was happily chatting and laughing about their trip. Anna looked at her sister on the front passenger seat of the car. Five year old Sarah was sleeping soundly. Anna chuckled and looked at her parents through the rear-view mirror. They were happily smiling at their daughters. Anna was so happy.

Everything that happened after that was just one big blur.

Anna turned her attention back to the road just in time to see a pickup truck ram into them. Anna shouted and everything turned black. When her eyes opened all she saw was darkness. Then there was a blinding flash of light. When Anna turned to look at the source of the light, she saw a man suddenly appear and he ran towards her pulling her into a tight embrace. Anna felt very safe in his arms. Then he started to disappear. And Anna tried to stand up and reach out to him. She jumped forward to catch hold of his hand when the floor opened beneath her and she started falling. She was once again succumbed into darkness.

Anna was thrashing around wildly and crying in her sleep. She felt someone shake her violently.

“Annie, wake up now!” cried 9 year old Sarah, trying desperately to wake her elder sister. “Oh! Annie, wake up. You’re dreaming.”

Anna jerked up and started breathing heavily. She looked around to discover she was in her room lying on her bed. Anna was covered from top to toe in sweat. . She groaned slowly, rubbing her eyes and looking around. Her eyes landed on her little sister whom she had loved more than anyone in the world since the accident. She jumped out of the bed and pulled Sarah into a tight hug.

“Oh Sarah! I had that nightmare again. It was the same as before. We were riding the car and suddenly that truck rammed into us. And then that same man appeared!” Anna exclaimed holding her sister tightly afraid that if she let go, then Sarah would disappear as well. Anna had been having the same nightmare almost every night since the night of the accident.

“That’s okay dear sis. You’re safe now. It was just a stupid nightmare. Now forget it. Go shower and get ready. I will set the table."

Sarah is growing into a beautiful young and hard-working lady, thought Annabelle. Anna knew that Sarah was all she had left after the accident in which she had lost her memory and suffered temporary amnesia.

When she came to know that she had lost her memory, she was practically hysterical. She had been told by the doctors that if she tried to put too much strain on her brain then instead of the memories coming back, there were chances that she could end up getting a severe migraine giving way to the gates of an asylum, which she was just not ready to go. She knew that if she were to be admitted to a mental asylum then she would lose custody of her sister who would have to be sent under foster care.

“Okay darling. Give Annie a few minutes to get ready and we will be on our way. What time is it anyway?” Anna asked her sister.

“It’s 9:30 at noon. There is just half an hour before school starts Annie.” Sarah replied getting off the bed and heading into the kitchen of their little two-bedroom apartment.

It took some time for her sister’s words to eventually process in her mind before they finally made sense to Anna. And when she finally understood, she sprang from the bed and started shouting, “Holy shit! I am late. Work begins at 10 and I m still in my night suit. Oh my God! My boss is so gonna sack me! I am dead!” so saying she ran into the bathroom.