Where am I...?

I opened my eyes, and was immediately blinded by light. I winced in pain at the sudden brightness.

Is... Is this... death?

As I slowly adjusted to the light, I  began to make out my surroundings. I first realized that I was on a bed; A black ceiling was the first thing to greet me. I slowly sat up, still unsure of what had just happened. To clear my thoughts, I continued to observe the room.

The walls were a carmine color, with black intersecting circles covering them. A small rectangular rug rested on the floor and was the same pinkish color as the walls surrounding it.

It was only then that I realized that I wasn't in the bed alone. A boy with bright red hair slept there soundly, the only evident signs of life being the quiet snores emitting from his open mouth. Letting out a yelp of surprise, I stumbled out of the bed dragging the black sheets down with me.

The flame haired boy snored on, not fazed but the loud noise. However, a voice could be heard after the ruckus died down. I couldn't make out who it was, since I had sheets on top of me.

The mysterious person sighed, "Kimber, what are you doing now?"

I struggled to escape the fabric that had ensnared me, and spun around from my spot of the dark wood paneled floor, slightly out of breath, to see another boy. This one had shaggy brown hair and was resting his head on his hand, seemingly asleep.

Of course, that was disproved once he spoke again, "And so early in the morning too. You should know by now that I do not like to be woken up." I stared wide eyed at him, like a deer in headlights.

He's speaking so casually... As if we know each other...

Letting out a small whimper of fear, I curled myself into ball, as if that could protect me. I didn't know what else to do.

The brunette sighed and cracked open a chocolate colored eye. Apparently he hadn't expected what he saw, because he immediately sprung up from the black leather sofa chair that he had been sleeping on a moment before with worry filling his eyes, "Kimber, are you okay?"

I didn't answer, and instead curled into the sheets, hoping that the floor would swallow me up.

The boy picked up a pillow that had fallen onto the floor with me and chucked it at the boy on the bed, who was sleeping and oblivious. "Phoenix," he hissed, "Wake up!"

Phoenix, as he seemed to be called, groaned, "Five more minutes, mom....." The snoring resumed. I glanced up and hoped that he wouldn't wake up.

Agitation could be felt lingering in the air, as another pillow was thrown, "Phoenix!"

With a groan, the ginger awakened. "What do you want, Kae?"

Kae said nothing, and instead gestured towards me in response. I began to tremble in fear, unable to control my current actions. My eyes darted around, desperately looking for an exit from the room.

As soon as Phoenix saw me, he shot up as Kae had done. "Kimmy! What's wrong?" He knelt down beside me, one hand on my back and the other trying to brush my hair out of my face. I leapt away from him with vehemence, taking residence in one of the corners of the room. I couldn't escape yet. They were standing between me and the door.

Phoenix looked around the room and his eyes widened in horror, "Crap! No wonder she's freaking out! Her dad'll kill us when he finds out we slept over!"

"It's not like anything happened."

"Try telling Mr. Overprotective of the Month that!"

What's going on... What's going on... The same thought whipped through my head over and over again at lightning speed as I began hyperventilating.

They both turned to me at the sound of me struggling to get air into my lungs. "Ah, shit!" Kae swore, as he rushed over to my side. Despite the fact that my vision was going black, I tried as hard as I could to push him away from me. Which obviously worked so well.

He just rolled his eyes at my pathetic flailing and muttered under his breath, "Cut it out, Kimberly." As he scooped me up into his arms - against my will, I might add - he sharply ordered Phoenix to wake someone up. I think I heard the word parents, which didn't make sense. My parents have been dead for years.

Despite Kae's orders, I continued to struggle intensely, "Let go off me!!"

His grip on me didn't falter once throughout my thrashing, "What the hell has gotten into you?" He didn't give me a chance to reply, and instead carried me through a door and down a flight of stairs. Finally we entered an ice colored kitchen. Phoenix and a couple in about their thirties ran down the stairs a moment later. Expressions of fear and worry were painted onto their faces.

The woman ran to me immediately. Tears were swelling in her eyes, "Kimberly! Honey, what's wrong? Are you alright?" Her hand moved to feel my forehead, but I slapped it away.

"I don't know you! Just let me go!

Everyone stopped at that. It gave me the perfect opportunity to smack Kae in the face. The sheer shock of the attack caught him off guard enough to loosen his grip momentarily. It was enough for me to wiggle out of his grip; Only to fall onto my butt immediately after.

I bolted towards a doorway, finding myself in a living room. I didn't pay any attention to what was inside; my eyes focused onto the door. I scrambled over to it, and yanked on the handle - it was locked. I began to turn the locks on it every which way, despairingly trying to get it open.

After what felt like an eternity, I heard the lock click: It was open! I tried once again to get it open, but before I could, someone pulled me away sharply. They threw me over their shoulder as if I were a ragdoll and began to walk back towards the kitchen. I didn't struggle - all I could do was watch as someone locked the door again.

The person who was carrying me set me down onto the kitchen floor. That's when I started crying. All the confusion... All the pain... The full brunt of the situation caught up to me in a tsunami of tears.

I felt four pairs of eyes watching me, too cautious to come near me. I felt like a caged animal and darted once again into a corner. As before, they were blocking the exit, but intentionally this time.

Phoenix sighed, "And we're back to stage one..."

The man whose name I didn't know stared at me equipped with a furrowed brow and a confused expression, "What do you think Kim meant when she said that she didn't know us?"

"Teenage angst?" The woman suggested as she shrugged her shoulders. Kae shot her a disbelieving look.

Phoenix stared at me as they silently quarrelled, "Um... Guys...?"

Kae and the couple turned to him. The man whose obsidian eyes were filled with befuddlement spoke, "Yes, Phoenix?"

"What if she actually... You know... Doesn't know us?"

Kae scoffed, "What are you talking about?"

Phoenix hesitated, "Well... Like, she maybe could have lost her memories or something... Like amnesia."

A low growl emanated from my throat, "I have my memories. You're just not a part of them." That shut them up. Alas, the silence didn't last as understanding finally seeped into their thick heads.

The woman looked as if she were close to tears, "You- You really don't know me?" She broke into a sob before I had the chance to reply.

My faced twitched. It felt like I knew her, but my memories can't be lying, right? As much as I wanted to bury myself into the strangers arms, I didn't. I couldn't. Instead, I glared at her, "Of course not."

Kae sighed, trying to get rid of the awkward tension, "Do any of you know, by any chance, how to treat an amnesiac? Or a schizophrenic while we're at it?"

My scorching glower focused in onto Kae, "I'm not crazy, you jerk."

It was only when a small 4 year old girl waddled into the room that the silence shattered. "Big sister? Why are you on the floor?"

I stared at the adorable child. 'What the fuck is happening? Why the fuck is this happening?' As I continued to gawk at the auburn haired girl, something strange happened.

Memories of this cherubic face drifted into my mind. It was unnerving. My voice tremored with the burden of each thought rushing through my head, "N-Nova...?"

They gasped, "Faker!" Phoenix accused with a pointing finger.

~~~

Author's Note: Ah! No sleep! Short chapter! Sorry!

I really just wanted to get this done. I know that right now, everything is super confusing. But all shall be better revealed/explained next chapter. I don't feel like writing notes, so hopefully I'll remember where I was going with this~!

Dedication goes to Roseykins Avalon Pippinlopsicopolis because she helped soooooo much in the making of this chapter.

Nighty night!

~Starrrrr