Scarlett

Chapter 2: Girl in the mirror

I opened my eyes slowly as I woke up once again on the hospital bed. The room looked just as I remembered with its dull yellow walls. From the corner of my eyes, I noticed that Mum sat on a chair on my right, while her head rested on both of her hands. She was asleep. I watched the ceiling fan spin for the longest time as I remained still on the bed. My mind was filled with innumerable questions.

Why am I in a hospital? Am I sick? When did I ger sick? Why can't I remember anything?

After spending a long time on creating theories of my own, I decided to call Mum. I carefully tilted my head towards her, took a deep breath and called for her. Mum woke up startled and quickly made her way towards me.

"How are you feeling, darling?" She asked before I noticed her press a switch that was kept on the bed side table.

"I don't know." was my only reply. I truly did not know how I felt. I did not even know what I was supposed to feel. I remembered everything that had happened to me previously, all the faces of the paramedics, the surprise and pity on their faces and the injection that was pushed into me. I was in search for answers. I was eager to fill in the missing pieces. The puzzle needed to be solved.

"I know that you are confused. I know that you have lots of questions. Doctor Francis will be here soon. Don't worry, everything will be alright, sweetheart." She told me while she gently caressed my cheek. Her voice was soft and steady as if she had practiced to say those words.

I remained quiet. The awkward silence did not last for more than a minute as a woman in a white coat entered the room. I remembered her to be the same person I had previously met. She walked up to my bed with a warm smile and a nurse followed her.

I noticed that Mum had suddenly clutched our hands together as if she was scared that I would leave her any minute. I felt a little anxious but tried to keep a straight face.

"Hello Scarlett, I am Dr. Rita Francis. Do you remember me?" Doctor Francis started.

"Yes." I mumbled, recalling the horrific incident. I remembered the events in detail although I wanted to forget every bit of it. I hoped that I would not have to experience all of that again.

"Unfortunately we didn't get to talk then. Listen to me Scarlett, I'm here to help you. I believe you are curious about whatever is happening. I'll tell you everything. But first, tell me how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay but my head hurts a little bit." I informed her.

"Alright, I will prescribe painkillers and you will be fine very soon." She reassured. Then she scribbled something on a notepad and gave a torn sheet to Mum.

She looked at me again and had my complete attention. I watched her intently and waited for her to talk.

"Scarlett, do you remember what happened to you before you came to the hospital? Do you know why you are here?"

I tried hard to recollect bits and pieces of memory to bring out a complete picture. I was a little confused at first but slowly, I remembered the day.

It was an autumn noon. We were home. By we, I meant Mum, Dad and I. We lived in the most beautiful town by the countryside called Palm Fields. It was a small town with serene meadows, large farms and the beautiful Cheshire Lake. One could sit there all day engrossed in its charm, and watch the leaves rustle, the ripples that formed on the water surface and the cranes quenching their thirst in the lake. An entire day could be spent there in a blink of an eye.

Our home was after a two minute walk from the lake. It was a large stone house and looked beautiful amidst the greenery. There were only four other similar houses in the area. For the longest distance, we were surrounded by trees and uneven roads. Little brown birds chirped, so melodious that one could not help but gently shut their eyes to listen more carefully. I played in the garden with our cat, Mini. There was a large mango tree on the left side of the house. I recalled Dad telling me how we had planted the sapling three years ago. The healthy tree with fresh green leaves stood tall under the scorching sun. Light blue sky with white clouds hovered above me. Within a few minutes, there was a noticable change in the atmosphere. The white clouds were entirely replaced by dangerous grey ones. The pure serene sky with cotton like clouds suddenly looked like a battlefield for the Gods. I felt a few drops of rain over my face and quickly made my way to the covered balcony of the house, on the second floor. Mini followed me. I wiped my face with a light pink handkerchief and noticed a baby squirrel as it played on a branch of the mango tree. The branch was only a few inches away from the railing of the balcony. My instinct was to ask Dad for help as I hurried to my parent's room. But I decided against it when I heard both Mum and Dad scream at each other with their bedroom door locked. They always fought. I did not know why. They never fought in front of me, so I never asked them.