Young Writers Society

Prologue:

Aeons ago…

I couldn’t feel my body. I didn't remember who I was, what I was or who my loved ones were. I felt like something squeezed all of my energy and ability to move and talk out of me.

Leaving me only with the ability to think and to torment myself. 

I felt numb. What happened? Where was I? My name.. I have to remember my name! Please!! My name is L-L-Lyssa! Before I could organise my thoughts into something coherent, I saw an ethereal light in front of my eyes. A bright, blinding beam of light dragging my consciousness towards something-no not dragging hurtling and fast.

I braced myself for pain or any impact as I couldn’t move, wince or scream. Nothing came. What was happening? 

Was I dead?

Just as I started panicking, I heard faint, hushed whispers, unrecognisable voices and even more unrecognisable words. My messed up brain scrambled to decipher the words in a hurry. I failed, miserably in fact, but still concentrated every fibre of my being into focusing on the voices fading by the minute and quickly.

“Has she passed?” 

There was a grunt and some more jumbled words. “We need to get out of here, quickly and calmly-who knows she could hear us and everything will be ruined!” This sentence was followed by a few foreign-sounding whispery shouts and annoyed words thrown back and forth.

After a few minutes and a moment of silence,which was nerve wracking, someone spoke and my heartbeat increased. “Be safe,” the same voice at the start whispered and I felt a slight brush of warmth on my forehead. 

I tried moving-to no avail.

I wanted to shout as loud as I could-I had so many questions! Although the voices stirred no loose memories, I felt an aching heartbreak deep inside of me. I knew these people were important to me. They had to be.

Present time

When I was finally able to open my eyes, the blinding light that was surrounding me was unbearable and I immediately closed my eyes again. “Open your eyes kiddo,” a strong, stern but comforting voice spoke. I struggled to but eventually opened my eyes and proceeded to blink a good few times. “Where am I?” I asked.

“You’re safe. You were found in a car crash. Your parents are safe and sound as well.”

It took me a while to process that.

A car crash? 

My parents?

What? 

All I managed to do was a simple nod. I stared up at the man in front of me with my huge, glossy eyes. He saw me staring and smiled a tight but reassuring smile. I blinked. Suddenly out of nowhere, two people, a man and woman, burst into the room.

“LYSSA!!”

The voices both yelled at the top of their lungs. I flinched a bit and focused on the people clearly. One was a woman who had auburn hair and clear glasses with a flower in hair and she was wearing a floral purple lilac dress which flowed with her as she moved gracefully yet nervously. The other was a man who had a brown beard, kind wrinkly eyes and pitch black hair styled carefully with gel. He was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and hot pink shorts.

“How have you been?” the woman asked, emotion thick in her soft voice. I just blinked, unsure of how to respond to this woman who was supposed to be my mother but it felt like I had never met her in my entire life. Her eyes immediately teared up at my obvious obliviousness and she looked away, in vain trying to clear her thoughts.

The man-my ‘father’ cleared his throat and proceeded to speak, “How are you feeling, dear? I understand you might not remember us and that’s totally alright but please tell us anything you remember?”

I paused at this statement. I was definitely sure something was wrong-I couldn’t have been through such an accident that I forgot my own parents, surely. I pondered, thinking of the correct thing to say which would sound plausible and put their worries to ease.

“I don’t remember much at all to be honest I just remember waking up and being here,” The people in the room all glanced at each other, unsure whether to believe me or not. 

“Alright, she seems sure of her answer and she’s old enough to understand the gravity of this situation, her injuries are not fatal and the ones requiring treatment have been treated.” The doctor stated. The woman and man glanced at each other and the man cleared his throat, both of their actions made it clear that they weren’t looking forward to this. “Do you remember us?” The man asked, hesitant to ask. The woman stared at me, her gaze was warm and reassuring but fleeting as her smile.

“No-o, I don’t think I do,” replied. 

My parents seemed as if they were expecting that statement but it obviously was still like a dagger to the heart. My mother smiled. “I’m Thea Violet,” The woman spoke softly, offering me a small, brave smile. All I could do was smile a little bit and continue biting my nails. Thea nudged her husband willing him to talk. The man gulped and spoke, “My name is Arthur Violet, your father,” He smiled reassuringly.

The people all glanced at each other-hoping I was probably alright. I decided I should speak. “Umm, why do I look different then?” I asked. I mean they wouldn’t lie but I could see my hair was pitch black and my skin was pale as snow compared to theirs. 

It seemed odd.

My parents smiled nervously. “That’s the catch, we were never able to have children but when you were a small baby-barely 1 year old-we found you at the foot of the largest oak tree in our town. We set our eyes on you and as if it were fate we were obliged to take you home as ours, the fact that you aren’t ours never made us love you less,” He spoke carefully as if trending in thin glass wearing no shoes.

I looked between them and saw genuine love. I felt slightly worried about why I didn’t remember my own parents. But, I couldn’t shake the shiver I felt when I heard that woman’s voice filled with heartbreak. I pushed the memory back, I wasn’t convinced everything was perfectly fine but I decided not to dwell on it too much. My parents gleamed, their eyes were practically sparkling. Let’s go home, Lyssa.