Fan Fiction ❯ Erin Cayuka: Lost in the Shadows of Time ❯ Awakened ( Chapter 1 )

Erin Cayuka: Lost in the Shadows of Time

Part 1

 

 

Authors note: Hello everyone! I hope that you enjoy this original story of mine and I hope that you will review my story so I can know what you think of it so far. I will do my best to update it as soon as I possibly can and now I will stop my jabbering and I'll let you read away! ^_^

 

 

Waking up in a hospital from being in a coma for weeks, Erin learns that she has no memory of her life. Taken home by who are supposedly her parents, she is told that she was in a car accident but finds out that it was a lie. Soon Erin finds herself running away from the Thompson's after she was told that she had her memory erased purposely and that the two adults she was currently with were not her parents, let alone blood related. Now, Erin is on a journey to discover her past and find out why they erased her memory and replaced her family… Authors Note: Although the first chapter or two may seem slow, the future chapters get really exciting and thrilling, so please don't let them throw you off!

 

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Chapter One

Awakened

 

 

Opening her eyes to take in her surroundings, all that could be seen was a blur. Looking directly above, the ceiling appeared to be a rough, white surface that seemed to extend its way throughout the whole room, covering each of the walls. To her left, was a small night stand made of red oak that stood parallel with the bed in height. On its surface was a clear plastic cup with a straw that was half filled with what appeared to be apple juice, a small box of tissues, and a lamp that was turned on, giving the room a glowing effect. Rolling her head over to the right, her view was quickly blocked by an unrecognizable face which belonged to an older woman whom looked to be in her mid forties. The lady before her mumbled some words, which could not be understood at first, as the woman then stepped back from the girl lying in the bed. Slowly, the patient's vision began to recover and focus on the room to realize that she was in a hospital, the machines and doctors giving that away. “Erin? Erin sweetie? Can you hear me?” A voice could be heard clearly now as Erin struggled to put together the facts in her head as she could not understand why she was in such a place. “Erin?” She heard her name be called again, discovering that the words had come from the woman that was standing over her moments ago. “Doctor, why isn't she responding? Why won't she answer me?” The woman asked repeatedly while facing a man dressed in pale green pants and a white lab coat, draped over a white shirt beneath.

 

 

“Don't worry Mrs. Thomson, your daughter is just fine. These are just common symptoms that are expected from coma patients… Since they've been asleep for so long, it'll take a while for theirs muscles to wake up, allowing her to function normally again,” the doctor explained to the woman known now as Mrs. Thomson to Erin. Another man looking the same age as Mrs. Thomson then stepped up beside her and wrapped an arm around her should and grasped her hand in his right.

 

“How long do you think it will take until Erin recovers completely?” The man asked.

 

“I honestly don't know Mr. Thomson. Erin is a strong girl. I wouldn't be surprised if she went home today. Although-“

 

“-W-what am I doing here?” Erin interrupted as she looked at the adults who were just staring at her, each of their mouths a gape.

 

“Well, speak of the devil,” the doctor murmured as he walked over beside Erin's cream colored bed and knelt down on both knees to be at her height. “Erin, my name's Dr. Shuka. Can you tell me what day it is?” He asked her.

 

Focusing her gaze back upon the ceiling, she paused for a long time before answering,” I don't know.” The doctor cupped his chin with one hand and turned his gaze to the tiled floor. He looked to be in a deep thought.

 

“Erin, Can you tell me when your birthday is?” He asked her. Erin just remained in the same position, not moving at all when he asked. Again, there was silence.

 

“No, I can't.”

 

“Why is that?”

 

“I can't remember,” she answered as she closed her eyes so that her emerald orbs could no longer be seen. The doctor to Erin's right then looked over at Mr. and Mrs. Thomson. His facial expression saddened for a slight second, then turned back to its usual serious image.

 

“I see… Can I talk to you two for a moment outside, please?” He asked the two adults as he waved his hand in the direction of the door that led to a long hallway. Following his request, the three adults walked into the hall and closed the door behind them. “It looks as though Erin's operation was a success. She doesn't seem to have any other symptoms then memory loss,” he explained as he walked towards the door and peered through the small window at the brown haired teen, turning his back toward the couple. “I'll give the department a call as soon as possible to let them know the good news.”

 

“Doctor, is there a chance that her memory will return?” Mrs. Thomson asked while `shifting closer to her husband for comfort. The man before them turned around.

 

“Yes, there is. But let us pray that that will never happen,” he answered as he place a hand on the other mans shoulder,” I'll give you two some time alone with her while I call the department.” After Mr. Thomson nodded his head, the doctor walked down the hallway and disappeared from sight into a separate room. The Thomson's then took deep breaths and walked into the room where their daughter lye, waiting for someone to tell her what was going on and why she can't remember anything. Stepping through the entrance and closing the door behind them, they cautiously walked to the side of the bed and they started off by introducing themselves to Erin.

 

“Erin, we're Mr. and Mrs. Thomson… We're your parents,” Mr. Thomson said hesitantly, not sure on how Erin would react at first.

 

“My parents? Then how come I don't remember you? What's going on?” She asked sitting up in bed. Her parents looked at each other with great sadness present in the room.

 

“You were in a car accident about three months ago. You've been in a come ever since. You didn't break any bones or anything, but you head suffered great damage. You've lost your memory…” Her mother explained, beginning to cry. Her father then gave her mom a hug to try to comfort her some more. Erin right now had no clue what to think or feel at the time. The only thing she was confused, very confused. Turning her attention to her apparent mother who continued to cry, Erin decided that it'd be best if she was to try to comfort the woman.

 

“Don't cry, please? It's not your fault that my memories gone… As long as we have the future to look forward to, there is no reason to grieve,” Erin tried to reason, pushing herself to the edge of the bed, she struggled to stand up but found it useless, her legs giving out beneath her, causing her to fall back down on the bed behind her. “Looks like my legs are pretty weak-“

 

“- and you shouldn't do that again,” said the doctor as he entered through the doorway, pushing a wheel chair inside with him. “I gave the department of health a call and they said that if you feel well enough Erin, you can go home today if you liked.” Smiling at the girl as the mood became more pleasant, he continued, “How are you feeling?” He walked closer to Erin and knelt down in front of her.

 

“I feel a little light headed, but fine none-the-less. Thank you Dr.-“

 

“Dr. Shuka. My name is Dr. Shuka, but you can call me Al if you want.”

 

“It's nice to meet you Dr. Shuka,” Erin smiled at the young man. He was about in his early thirties or late twenties with black hair and brown eyes, but for some reason, he seemed to carry a certain degree of sadness in his brown orbs, just like all the others. True, the fact that Erin lost her memory is sad, but something deep down in Erin's heart told her otherwise that there was something more to it than she knew. What it was, she couldn't figure it out. “Dr. Shuka, if it's alright, I'd like to go home,” she said and then thought to herself, `Where ever home is…' The doctor looked at her and nodded his head once to acknowledge that it was alright with him and then he stood up and pulled the wheel chair up beside the bed.

 

“I had a feeling you'd say that so I brought you a wheel chair. Your legs will take a few days to wake up and stretch for having been still for so long… Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, if you'd like to pack up her things, I could go to the front desk and check her out of the hospital,” he suggested,” and that way, Erin can get a quick start on a new life and you two can fill her in on what's happened in the last fifteen years of her life… You three have a lot of catching up to do.” Erin's parents nodded as her Mom had just finished wiping the last of her tears from her blue eyes. As the doctor excited the room to fulfill his final duties involving Miss. Erin Thomson, his patient, Erin's Dad picked up a bag which was lying on the floor beside her bed and began to place what little belongings Erin had present in the bag. While her father did so, he mom was helping her out of bed and into her wheel chair which was padded with black leather. She thanked her mom as her doctor reappeared at the entrance holding a few papers, some white, pink and yellow. “Here's the paperwork on Erin's stay here at the hospital. All you need to do id go to the counter on the ground floor, sign them, and then Erin's free to go home,” he explained as he handed the few papers to her dad who took them gratefully. After shaking Dr. Shuka's hand, Erin's dad then picked up the thin plastic bag and placed it on Erin's lap as her mom then began to push the wheel chair through the doorway and down the hall.

 

The hallway on the sixth floor was not much different in appearance compared to Erin's room. All of the walls were the same shade of whit and the only things that were different were the people. Some of the patients were in the hallways with IV needles stuck in their arms, the bags being held up by a tall metal pole. Each of their faces displayed clearly their feelings of remorse, pain, and sadness. Their skin was discolored and their eyes had dark rings beneath them, showing the obvious fact that barely many people had sleep. Besides from the people that occupied the halls, screams and cries echoed between the walls. This was truly a disturbing place. Erin tried her best to keep her eyes upon the grey tiled floor, but the aura of sorrow that filled the air was too depressing and distracting. She wondered how she could have ever slept in such a place for so long, but her thoughts drifted away as she was now engulfed in the safety of the elevator as the doors closed in front of her, the button labeled “G”, indicating the ground floor, was illuminated. Within seconds, the doors reopened to reveal a floor with very little life shown and very little sounds could be heard, except the squeaking of the wheel chair beginning to move and the gentle taping of feet upon the ground.

 

As they approached what seemed to be a small booth, Erin was stopped in front of a poster that was framed on the wall, as her mom and dad took the papers and began to talk to a lady that stood inside the booth labeled `EMERGENCY' as they then were handed a pen. As they signed the papers, Erin turned her head and looked at the poster that hung before her. “From the studies of David Takami, The Wonders of Her Sights: The Past and Future.” Erin read the words slowly from the poster, “If one has seen the future, what lessons are left to learn? If one remembers their past, what memories are more to earn? If memories are something, that have already been, then what is a vision? The answers what you've seen. She will keep on searching, till her answer's found. A life time full of misery, a curse she has been bound.” As Erin read the words they echoed through her mind. “What a strange poem,” she thought aloud to herself to be startled by her mother talking over her shoulder.

 

“What's strange, Erin?” she asked suspiciously.

 

“Hmm? Oh, it's nothing,” she smiled at the woman, “Are you and Dad done with the paperwork?”

 

“Yes, we are… And now the three of us can finally return home together,' her father said, appearing on the other side of her, holding a door open that led outside. Her mother then resumed her job of pushing the wheel chair and soon Erin's vision was blinded by the rays from the sun. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see tall fields of grass that stretched as far as the yes could see. The long blades of emerald green grass not only seemed to go as far as the edge of the horizon, but in all directions that were possible. They appeared to be in the middle of no where. “Erin, you need to get up from the wheel chair so we can put you in the car.” Her father stood beside a red car as her mom stopped beside the seat behind the drivers. Struggling a bit, Erin managed to stand long enough to move from the wheel chair to the beige leather seats in the car.

 

After folding up the wheel chair and putting it in the trunk, Erin was on her way home, for the first time in her mind. Every now and then their vehicle would drive over a bump or hole in the gray stone road, causing the three in the vehicle to be bumped around, but other than that it was a pleasant drive as they drove up and down the sloping hills of green. “If one has seen the future…” Erin stared out the window as she whispered the words to herself, quiet enough so that no one else could here her. The poem that she read at the hospital was quite neat to her, but she was having a hard time remembering it. All she could repeat was the first line, over and over. After a few more minutes of uncomfortable silence, Erin began a conversation that would hopefully make her feel more acquainted with her parents who were more like strangers to her. “Umm… Mom, Dad, do you think you could tell me about my life before the accident? Just so I could get a rough idea about what I used to like or do?” And after asking such a question, it was like the atmosphere turned back into its original depressing state.

 

“Well, where would you like us to start?” her mother asked.

 

“How about things I like to do?” Erin suggested. It was going to be weird to her to hear about her own life like it was a story and to be told the things that you like to do instead of discovering them for yourself.

 

“All right then… Let's see… Well, you like to play basketball, you liked to read, listen to music a lot, play videogames…” and the list continued on. Next, her dad and mom told her about her favorite colors, food, movies, etc. But after a while Erin stopped paying attention and decided that it'd be best if she tried to make her own favorite hobbies now, on her own. The rest of the drive home was taken up mostly by hearing her parents laughing about old memories they had, but they stopped after a while when they clued in that Erin wasn't laughing at all because she couldn't enjoy those past memories with them, and once again, the aura of the car turned into something as depressing as ever.

 

“What lesson's arte left to learn,” Erin mumbled to herself quietly, just remembering the second line in the poem. From time to time she would get frustrated because she couldn't remember the awkward poem, but what more could you expect from someone who recently lost their memory? Sighing and looking out the window she began to feel her eyes become heavy and after a minute or two, Erin was asleep in the back of the car, her elbow propped up on the armrest attached to the door with her right cheek cupped in her palm…

 

* * * * *

Looking outside her window from her yellow room, a young Erin sighed as she heard the heavy drops of rain pelt against the black roof of her home. Resting her chin on the ledge of the window, the five year old pressed the tip of her nose against the glass. “Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day…” she mumbled as her breath fogged the once clear window. She really didn't want it to rain today. Her mother was supposed to take her on a picnic today to celebrate her sixth birthday that was coming soon, but with it pouring outside, their food would only get soggy and their knees, little Erin walked away from the law window and jumped on her bed, burying her face into the fluffy pink pillow. From a distance, soft tapping could be heard, followed by the door to her bedroom opening.

“Erin… I'm sorry dear, but it seems as though we can't go for our picnic today,” the woman said as she sat down on the side of the bed and placed her hand on Erin's left shoulder.

 

“I know… stupid rain…” she said while lifting her pouted face to look at the green eyed woman.

 

“Yes… Although it's a shame that we can't go for our picnic like we planned, I was thinking that we could go for a walk in the rain and maybe jump in some puddles?” The woman spoke softly to Erin as Erin's frown began to dispel.

 

“Puddles?” She smiled, “and… mud maybe? Although Erin was a very tidy, polite little girl, she still enjoyed watching both mud and water spray outwards in a circle whenever she stomped in it. Her mother looked at the small girl holding her hands in fists in front of her chest as if praying.

 

“Alright… but we have to make sure your father doesn't catch us,” she winked as Erin threw her hands in the air and around her mother's neck.

 

“Thank you mommy!” she cheered as she walked to her closet and pulled out her yellow rain jacket and boots. Quickly pulling on the left boot, soon followed by the right, and then throwing on her jacket, Erin smiled at her mom more as she pulled out her yellow, ducky umbrella. “I'm ready!” She squealed and then trotted out of her room and down the carpeted stairs to the front door, her mother trailing behind. Once her mother had finished putting on her red rain jacket and had taken out her black umbrella, the two stepped out of the house and put their umbrella's up beneath the balcony. With one step, the tops of both umbrella's had been soaked with drops and as they continued to walk, so did the rain. Stepping closer to her mother, Erin gripped her mothers hand as they both began to skip happily while continuing down the sidewalk avoiding cracks. “Don't step on a crack, or you'll break your mother's back!” Erin sand happily. “I like the rain.”

 

“Me too… the rain is my favorite weather you know-,” he mother said as Erin jumped in a puddle, splashing the bottom of her mothers pants a bit with mud.

 

“-How come?” Erin asked as she jumped into another puddle just ahead.

“Well, I first met your father in the rain… And on the day of our wedding it poured and poured, just like this,” she explained while tilting the umbrella to the side so her face could feel the cool drops of rain that came from the clouds up high. “Erin… Can you promise me something?” her mother asked, looking down at the little brunette who resembled herself.

 

“What is it Mommy?”

 

“Promise me that no matter what happens in life, to never give up hope. Never give up on your dreams,” she said to her,” Never give up… no matter what.” The little girl smiled at her and gave her a wet hug.

 

“I promise. You know I'm great with promises,” she stated as she began to shiver a bit under the rain.

 

“I know you are. We should be heading back to the house now… You're starting to shiver and I don't think you'd want to be sick for your birthday, right?”

 

“Right!” Erin said as she gripped her mothers hand again and turned around, ready for the walk home. They hadn't really gone that far, but that's all Erin needed to cheer up and seeing Erin happy was all her mother needed. Once they reached their street, her mom looked down the few houses to see a black car parked on their driveway. “Hey! Daddy's home!” Erin clapped as she ran ahead and up the driveway to the front door. Her mom stopped for a second and began to frown before she continued to walk.

 

Opening up the front door, Erin was greeted by her father with a hug and when he picked her up, he felt the small child shiver under his muscular arms. “Hello, Angel. You look really cold… Why don't you go upstairs and have a bath while mommy and I talk, okay?” He smiled coldly at her, but Erin failed to notice.

 

“Okay Daddy,” she smiled as she pecked him on the cheek. As she trotted up the stairs, her mother cam in the door and took off her rain coat and placed her umbrella against the wall in the corner, avoiding her husbands eyes as she felt his gaze upon her.

 

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop bringing Erin outside in the rain!” Do you want her to get sick again?!” He yelled at her as she winced. Little Erin in her room heard her father's loud voice and let her curiosity get the best of her. Sneaking down the hall to the top stair, she lied down and listened.

 

“I'm sorry Jack, but she looked so sad when I told her that we couldn't go on our picnic because of the rain and I-I just couldn't stand to see her sad… I don't want her to get sick again-” Her mother apologized to the tall man.

 

“-You always say the same thing-“

 

“-But it's true!”

 

“I don't care if it is Caroline! I've had enough with you and you're kindness!”

 

“But Jack-”, she began when her husband grabbed her wrist in front of her and was about to slap her.

 

“-Shut up!-”

 

“-No! Stop it!” Erin cried as she ran down the stairs, right before Jack hit Caroline, stealing his attention. “Stop it Daddy!” She pleaded while grabbing her mother's free hand when she reached the bottom. `It was my fault, not Mommy's. I-I wanted to go in the rain, not her,” she wept. “Don't blame her.” Her dad looked from his wife to his five year-old daughter.

 

“I thought I told you to go get a bath.” He gritted his teeth.

 

“I-” She began to be cut off by Jack.

 

“-Go. Now.” Giving up, Erin crawled back up the stairs and turned on the bath, pouring in soap as she did so. She could hear her parents yell more to each other, causing her to get into the bath once it was full and plug her ears, just in time before a loud `slap' sounded throughout the house echoing…

 

* * * * *

 

“Erin… Erin…” Erin opened her eyes to see her brown haired, green eyed mother, shaking her shoulder gently. “We're home,” she said as she stepped out of the way for her to see. In front of her was a grey, brick house surrounded by, surprise, more fields of tall green grass. Erin could only assume that they were in the middle of the country with no other houses in sight, only a few odd roads. Stepping out of the car and making her way up to the driveway with support from her mom, Erin found that she had gained some strength in her legs so that she didn't need the wheel chair as she did before. Looking inside the house, Erin found beautiful tiled floors that lead to several rooms with beige coloring. The color on the walls was a deep burgundy with wall paper ending half way up the wall. In the first room were a piano and an old fashioned couch with a small coffee table along with a lamp to provide some light. In the second room was a large wooden table with six chairs spread around it. A dining cabinet stood to the left of the table with a large window at the back of the room. The next room to see was the kitchen, which was fairly large with another table and four chairs an at least thirteen feet of counter space was provided, including a fridge and stove. Next, was what Erin would call the entertainment room because it contained a large widescreen TV and an entertainment system, including a DVD player, a CD player, a VHS player… almost every player you could name was there. After, Erin was showed where the locations of the bathrooms were on that floor and then she was led upstairs and was given a tour of her parents' room, the bathroom, the spare room and finally her room. The walls were pink and the bed sheets were green with orange pillows.

 

“Very colorful,” Erin stated as she sat on the bed,” But not bad. Not bad at all.” Smiling, Erin looked at her dressers and her desk. On the middle sized dresser stood a large mirror that reflected the door of her room.

 

“We'll leave you to look through your things for a while,' her father said as he and his wife left her room and descended down the stairs. Standing up, Erin began to look through some of her drawers while sitting on a wheeled chair from her desk. Some of the clothes she went through seemed like they had never been warn before. “I guess I should change into some clothes from these hospital ones,” she thought, just realizing that she was still wearing the baggy yellow shirt and pants. Picking up a black vest, white shirt and green shorts, Erin closed her bedroom door and changed into her clothes. “Not bad,” she thought aloud as she looked at herself in the mirror. Picking up a hairbrush and hair elastics, she began to brush the knots out of her long brown locks that ended at her waist. Splitting her hair into three even sections, Erin took each one and braided her hair until it was a long ponytail that hung over her left shoulder. Pleased with her work, she turned around and exited the room, after throwing the old hospital clothes in a laundry hamper, and carefully went down the stairs in search of her parents. When she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Erin turned right and began to head towards the entertainment room when she heard her parents whispering over something, her curiosity getting the best of her again, just like in the dream she had. Staying just out of sight, she kept close to the wall, listening to the secretive discussion going on.

 

“Dave… I don't know if I can do this,” her mother sighed, sounding very depressed.

 

“You have to Susan. If not for Erin's sake, then for Caroline's,” he said, trying to calm her.

 

“I know Dave, but I can't help but see Caroline every time I look at Erin… It just brings back the pain… This is so wrong to do… I can't keep on lying to her Dave. She has to find out sometime.” His wife looked up at him with teary eyes. “If not on her own, then from me.” After that finishing statement, the conversation had ended and then Erin, taking a deep breath, stepped into the room and acted as though she hadn't heard a thing.

 

“Hello,” she said casually as she entered the room and sat down on one of the couches, folding her hands on top of her lap. “Mom, Dad, I was wondering something,” she began, shifting uncomfortably,” why did they let me go so quickly from the hospital? I mean, if I had just waken up from being in a coma, shouldn't I have stayed for a couple days? It seemed as though they didn't want me there.” Erin looked at the beige rug and twiddled her thumbs, waiting for an answer from either or both parents. Mrs. Thomson looked at Erin through glazed eyes, fresh with tears ready to fall, but when she was going to begin, she was stopped by her husband.

 

“Dr. Shuka had given us a call earlier today, telling us your heart beat had begun to rise for the first time since you had been in a coma. He told us that you might wake up later and so he preformed some blood tests while you were still asleep so you could be ready to take home later today,” he explained while he held his wife's hand tightly and looked into her eyes, but instead of seeing sadness in her green orbs, he saw madness and hatred. Standing up, she let go of her husbands hand as he placed his elbows on his knees and began to message his temples, feeling a headache coming on.

 

“No… I refuse to go on with this,” she said, “Erin, we need to tell you something.” Walking over a few steps, she sat down beside Erin and placed her hand on her shoulder. “Erin, Dave and I aren't your parents,” she began to reveal the painful truth to Erin as she sat there helplessly, listening to the words of truth revealing all the hurtful lies. “It is true that we are David and Susan Thomson, but your real name is Erin Cayuka.” Erin now stood up quickly from the couch and stepped away from Mr. and Mrs. Thomson. Any person who had just seen Erin for the first time would tell that she was going to break down. Her eyes were glistened with fresh tears on the verge of streaming down her pale face. Her facial features clearly displayed anguish, pain, and confusion.

 

“What else have you hidden from me? What more do you have for me to learn?” She asked as a single tear came down her face.

 

“When in the hospital you were told that you were in a car accident and that you've been in a come for three months. That was also a lie. You weren't in a car accident. You had your memory erased, but not by an accident,” Mr. Thomson continued for his wife,” It was on purpose.”

 

“Why? Why would they do that to me? W-why would they erase my memory?”

 

“That we cannot tell you,” Susan continued, “We can only tell you so much Erin, but please sit down so we can tell you as much as we can,” Susan pleaded, standing up and taking a step towards Erin Cayuka who only took a step backwards.

 

“I'm fine standing. Please, continue,” she said sarcastically, “Tell me all you can about me, the real me.”

 

“Your name is Erin Cayuka, Born on April 17, 1990. You're turning 16 in thirteen days.”

 

“Who are my real parents? Where are they?”

 

“You're from Seneca. That's all we can tell you,” Mrs. Thomson said sadly. “We were friends with your parents but when `it' happened, we took you in as our own. We agreed to take you in because we've never been able to have a child on our own and we were your legal guardians… Please don't hate us Erin. We did this for your mother. It's what she wished.”

 

“Caroline,” Erin said quietly.

 

“W-what did you just say?” Both Dave and Susan asked at the same time.

 

“Caroline… She was my mother, wasn't she?” Erin stated more than asked.

 

“Yes… How did you know that, Erin?” Susan asked half afraid and surprised.

 

“Caroline. I had a dream and she was in it… so was a man named Jack, my father.”

 

“When did you have this dream?” Dave asked, worried as well.

 

“On the way home in the car. Why is that important?” Erin had no clue why it was so important to the Thomson's for when she had the dream and who was in it. It was just a dream right? That's what she thought anyways, but what she was beginning to get into was more than she had bargained for.

 

“What happened in your dream, Erin?”

 

“I was young… right before my sixth birthday… I went for a walk in the rain with my mother and when I came home… h-he hit her. Jack hit my mother,” Erin said, gazing at the floor. This time, Mr. Thomson stood and made his way towards Erin whom appeared to be in some kind of trance, her eyes showing no emotion or movement. They didn't even blink.

 

“It's happening…” he said quietly to himself, placing a hand on Erin's shoulder, bringing her out of her trance,” Erin, please go to your room. I need to speak with Susan alone.”

 

“Why? So you can keep more secrets from me?” she remarked looking away from Dave's eyes. She could tell he wasn't happy with her and so she left the room and wandered through the empty hall and walked up the stairs, but stopped at the top and lied down so she could not be seen. Here she remained as she then listened in to the conversation that would change her already and `soon to be' life. As Erin slowly inched closer and closer to the railings to hear better, she closed her eyes for a moment and when she reopened them, she did not see her potential home, but the house that belonged to the young Erin. Just as Erin was crawling for a better place to hear when she was five, she was doing the same now. Closing her eyes once more, she opened them to have her surroundings return to the present house that she lived in. “If one can remember their past…” Erin muttered just as she came into hearing distance, remembering the third line of the poem that hung in the hospital.

 

“Susan… We have to call Dr. Shuka. You know we need to,” Dave said, picking up the black portable phone with silver buttons, beginning to dial ten digits as they all gave out a different tone.

 

“But, Dave… What will they do to us? Now that Erin knows… We're to blame for what is to come,” Susan began to choke on her words as silent tears fell down her pale face, tinting the skin that now glistened a darker shade.

 

“It's alright Susan… They will not do anything to us. They know about how much pressure was being put on us. We'll just have to allow Erin to be adopted by another family to live a long and happy life,” her husband tried to soothe her as the dial tone n the phone began to ring which was then changed into a familiar voice to Mr. Thomson, Erin could only try to piece together the tiny pieces of information she was given as Dave spoke since she could not hear what Dr. Shuka was saying on the other end of the phone. “Dr. Shuka? It's me, Dave… I'm fine… there's a big problem… yeah… s-she knows… everything… sorry, almost everything… where she's from… t-that's all… and she's started…yes… no… alright… s-see you soon… bye.”

 

“So, what's the plan? Susan asked, looking from the carpet to Dave as he placed the phone on the table next to the couch.

 

“We have to bring her in. They have to perform the operation again,” he said to her and that's all Erin listened to before she quickly ran into her room, locking the door behind her. Quickly, she searched through all her drawers for something but she was so far unsuccessful. All that she found was more and more clothes as she just began to hear footsteps coming up the stairs slowly, step by step. To Erin's ears, it felt as though she was in slow motion with the way each stair creaked and moaned as another foot was pressed upon its soft surface. “I'm not going to let them erase my memory again,” Erin said as she walked to the other side of her bed and pulled the drapes out of the way so the dark sky could be viewed, the sun setting far in the distance. Just then, a knock was heard at the door, followed by Susan's voice.

 

“Erin? Are you alright?” Thinking quickly, she responded with a low sleepy like reply.

 

“I'm fine… Can I just have sometime alone, to myself right now? What happened downstairs… It's just a little much for me to handle right now,” she said as she opened the window slowly and quietly.

 

“Alright… Come down when you feel like it,” Susan finished and then retreated back down the stairs to Dave who looked disapprovingly at her. “It's best that we leave her alone for a while. You know that she'd never just willingly come with us to have her memory erased, right?” We better act like nothings going on.” As Dave was nodding his head once in agreement, Erin upstairs had the window open all the way and as quickly as she possibly could, she put on her shoes and pulled her desk chair beside the window, stepping onto the roof. After she made her way successfully outside, she pulled the window closed behind her and turned to face the edge of the roof. Carefully creeping to the edge, she peered over the edge to see what apparently appeared to be a rose bush and immediately she knew that she wasn't going to jump there. Continuing along the edge, she eventually came to a tall fence that bordered around their overly sized backyard and deciding that this was the place, she sat on her bottom and inched closer and closer, over the edge of the fence. Once her feet were clear of the roof, she found descent footing on top of the two inch wide boards of would and then she bravely stood up straight and did her best to keep her balance on the seven foot high wooden fence. Shortly after she mounted the fence though did she begin to sway back and forth and soon, she met the cold, wet, hard ground on her hands and knees. Luckily, she managed to get away with a scraped arm and that's all. Quickly standing up, Erin made her way to the road and began to walk down the stone path that lead towards the hospital after taking one last look at the Thomson's residence, whispering a soft, “Good bye…”