IN ANOTHER LIFE , josie saltzman ✔️

- 14. Blocked mind

"Amaya!? Amaya!?" I awoke from someone's screams and immediately sat up from the muddy ground. I looked around. Rafael and I were at the gates, and Hope and Alaric crouched down to us. "Oh, thank god." Alaric said and Hope looked around before looking at me and Rafael. Rafael was a mess and had blood on his mouth. "Landon. MG." I whispered and then looked up to my sister. "Hey, what's going on? Where is Landon?" Hope asked and I looked to Rafael. "I can't remember." We both spoke at the same time. Our voices were trembling. Alaric and Hope shared a concerned look.

-

Alaric, Emma, Hope, Rafael and I were in Landon and Rafael's room. Rafael and I were sitting next to eachother as we tried to remember what happened. "I can't get through to her. It's like a massive wall that's blocking me." Emma said and looked down to me. She tried to help us remember. I got up and walked past Emma and began to walk around until Hope pushed me to sit on Rafael's bed. "Hey, you've got to tell us what happened. Now. Please." Hope begged and I tried so hard to remember. "I can't. I can't remember." I began to sob and brushed my hands through my hair. "You were supposed to stay on school grounds. Why did you leave?" Hope asked and Emma turned around to her.

"I- I don't know." I exclaimed and when Rafael got up angrilly Emma put him down on his seat with a spell. I didn't listen anymore until Hope spoke up. "So something caused your body to shift before the full moon was over, leaving you like this." She said and I looked back to Rafael. "What kind of something?" He asked. "Usually trauma. Something bad happened." She answered. Emma then turned her head to her. "We don't know that." She voiced.

"But that doesn't explain why Amaya can't remember." Alaric said and I sighed. I got up and looked at the people in the room. "If a revilas has experienced some kind of trauma it's mind can shut down. Normally it's bound with being unconscious until another revilas accesses it's mind and unlocks it. Which is a very painful process. It- It happened to my mother when my dad died." I explained and Hope and I shared a look. "Then we'll get Olivia." Alaric said and I shook my head. "I wouldn't recommend it. Last time I saw her she said it was code red. Which means Ruby is free and my mother has to fight her and lock her back in Nemea." Hope's eyes widened. "Ruby's free? How did that happen? I thought Nemea was secured." I simply shrugged. "Well, Ruby found a loophole as it appears. Opening a portal to Meridial now could mean that she could come through here. And unless you want to battle a literal darkness driven revilas I suggest we find another way." Emma and Alaric sighed. "Could Josie access your mind?" Alaric carefully asked and I thought about it. "Theoretically, yeah. But she's an earthwalker. I don't know how long it would take for her to go through a hundred years of memories and to unlock my mind in the first place." I said and then nodded. "I... I'll go ask her." I whispered and then left the room and then walked carefully into the twins room.

I looked over to Lizzie who was still asleep and then went to Josie's bed. I smiled when I looked at her. She looked so peaceful. I honestly didn't want to wake her. Then I put my hand down on her shoulder and shook it softly. "Jo?" I whispered. "Josie?" I repeated. She groaned and blinked a few times before she opened her eyes fully. I smiled at her and she rubbed her eyes. "Are you okay?" She whispered worriedly. "I need you." I whispered and she sat up. "Hmm?" She hummed and I chuckled softly. "I need your help. I wouldn't ask if it wouldn't be so important." She yawned and then nodded. "Okay." She then got up and we left her room quietly to make sure Lizzie would continue to sleep. We walked into the Landon and Rafael's room and I sat down on Landon's bed. "Dad?" Josie asked. "Hey, sweetheart. I'm so sorry that we had to wake you up." Alaric said and smiled apologetic at her. "What am I supposed to do?" Josie asked. "You are the only one right now that can break through the walls in my head. My mind is locked and I can't get access to certain memories."

Josie frowned. "How did that happen?" She asked, worried again. "Seems like I went through an event that caused me to have a trauma. Look, all you need to do is get inside my head and find my earliest memory. From there it's a simple chain reaction to my most recent memory. It won't hurt you a bit, I promise." I whispered and Josie sighed. "So, it will hurt you?" She asked and I quickly took her hands. "I need you to this for me. Please." I begged and her fingers went to the sides of my head. Josie nodded and closed her eyes. I also did that and breathed calmly.

Then it felt like I was electrocuted as Josie tried to break the walls down that were build up in my head and I began to scream out. After what felt like an eternity the walls broke and my other half got access to my earliest memory.

A girl, not older than four, played around in a clearing. Her parents were behind her, sitting at a tree, watching the young girl. The mother never knew to this day that this little, happy girl could bring hell to the world if she was ever upset enough. The girl took the grass in her hands, and when she let it go, flowers rose from the grass and made the girl smile. Then she got up from the ground and chuckled happily as flowers continued to rise from the grass around her. Then the little girl spread her arms to touch the flowers around her again and they immediately withered at her touch. "Mommy? Daddy? What is this?" She asked and tears began to glisten in her eyes. Her parents immediately got up when they saw what was happening and her father picked her up. Hissing at the immediate pain the girl unintentionally brought him, he spoke, "It's okay, Amaya. It's-" He was cut off by his wife as she took the little girl in her arms. "My little princess. Even a flower has to wither eventually. But you know what will stay forever on this earth?" The mother asked and calmed down the girl, ignoring the pain that was caused by the little girls touch. "What?" The little girl asked and looked up into the brown eyes of her mother. "Your family." The mother smiled and the girl calmed down. "Because we are very special and nothing can hurt us as long as we stay together." The little girl spoke softly and her smile grew bigger. "Always and forever, my love." Her father whispered and the girl nodded. "Will you stay with me forever?" The girl asked and her parents nodded. "Of course. And so will your aunt Rebekah and your uncles Elijah and Kol. We love you so much, Amaya. Never forget that." With that her mother kissed her forehead and let the girl down. She immediately took off and began to play again as her parents shared a very concerned look after they looked at the healing marks where the girl touched them.

I stopped screaming at one time and was now crying at the memory. When I opened my eyes again and looked up to Josie she had tears rolling down her cheeks. Then I gasped when I remembered what happened. "We- we were in the woods. We didn't make it back in time. MG was with his dad and Rafael, Landon and I were in the woods. Landon and I were chaining Rafael at trees. And we heard some kind of noise and it seemed like it was a monster. Rafael told us to run but we didn't..." I explained and Hope crouched down infront of me. "There is a monster out there with Landon and MG?" She asked and I slowly nodded. "You need to portal us." Hope said and stepped away from me. Josie instantly stepped in a protective stance infront of me. "Amaya is not going anywhere and she is not going to use any portals." She said with a hard voice. "They could be in danger!" Hope said and Josie stepped forward. "She is exhausted. Look at her, she's a mess!" Hope wanted to step forward and I never heard Josie speak with such sharp voice. "Don't you dare!" She spoke and Alaric took Hope out of the room. Rafael quickly followed them. Emma then left with no word.

Josie turned around to me and I slightly smirked at her. "Are you okay?" My smirk fell and I nodded, getting up from the bed. "I am, now. I'm sorry I robbed you from your sleep." I whispered and Josie intertwined our fingers. "You can make it up to me someday." Then Josie leaned forward and kissed me softly. I quickly kissed her back and smiled into the kiss.