Ok, so I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and once I got into Wattpad, I decided to write it out and see how it would work out as a one-shot. I don't think it turned out that bad, but I'll let you guys be the judge of that. So without further ado, here it is.

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"Oohhhh, my head." I rubbed it as I sat up and looked around. I was in the middle of a treeless plain of prairie. Nothing seemed familiar. I was lost. My legs felt like gelatin as I tried to stand. What had happened? Why did I feel so...strange? It felt as if I wasn't fully myself, as if a part of me had disappeared.

I noticed a barn in the distance, and since it was beginning to get dark, I decided to spend the night there. As I trudged across the field, I tried to remember how I got there. But by the time I made it to the barn, I hadn't remembered a thing. I looked around, and seeing that there was a house nearby, I decided to see if anyone was home, because I was beginning to feel hungry.

There was an older woman there, and she invited me inside after I mentioned that I hadn't eaten for a while. As I ate, she asked how I got in the middle of nowhere, and I told her what I knew and what I didn't know. She suggested that I get a good night's sleep, and in the morning, see if I remembered any more.

After dinner, I sat in the dining area while the woman got a room ready for me. I had asked if I could stay in the barn, but she insisted that I sleep inside that night, where it would be more comfortable. I finally agreed, not wanting to upset her, and also grateful that she was so generous.

When she came back, she showed me to the room that I would stay in. It was fairly large, with a canopy bed, dresser, and vanity. There was even an adjoining bathroom, complete with a soaking tub and shower. The woman had some old nightclothes stored away, some of which she brought out and set out for me to use. I took a quick bath, slipped into the clean clothing, and quickly fell asleep.

~~~

"Where are we?"

"Uh oh. It looks like a solid metal box!"

"It's stuck!"

"The portal is still open?!?"

"Should I punch it?"

"Guys, the machine, it's about to blow!"

"NOOO!!!" I woke up to find myself screaming and my face dripping with sweat. I sat up and glanced at the clock. 4:47 am. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash my face. It had just been a nightmare. But it seemed so familiar, like it had really happened. As I dried my wet hands, I tried to recall what had happened in the nightmare, but it was quickly fading. The only thing I could faintly remember was that the people involved worked as a team.

Team. That one word made something in my mind click, as if a hidden memory was being released from some kind of vault. I had been with a team of people. Who were they, and where? And how did I get in the middle of a field, all by myself? I climbed back in bed, but I couldn't go back to sleep. There was just too much to think about.

After a few more minutes of sleeplessness, I finally got up and dressed, and then decided to look around the area in the field where I had found myself the day before. The sun was just beginning to rise, so I didn't need a flashlight. As I headed out of the house, I saw a poster on the wall with a picture of a dog and a cat. The cat reminded me of something, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Why couldn't I remember things?

I stopped just outside the door as I saw two vehicles in the gravel driveway. One was an older-looking light grey sedan, but the other was a bright red sports car with a black roof. The sports car also seemed familiar, and for a moment, I thought I remembered that a friend of mine had a car similar to that.

I walked past the cars and out towards the barn. Once I reached it, I turned to face the field, and began retracing my steps. It was fairly easy because of the path of trampled grass, and once I reached the end of the path, I began searching the area. Within 30 minutes, I had found a smartphone, a small button, a tiny blue crystal, and a strange yet familiar-looking emblem.

The smartphone had no password, so I was able to get in and see what was on it. There were no texts, but there were quite a few calls. I looked at the numbers to see if any of them were familiar, but I didn't recognize any of them. I also looked at the contacts information, but there were no names to go with the numbers. Out of desperation, I randomly chose a phone number and called it to see if that person could help me remember anything.

The line rang a couple times, and then a male voice spoke. "I'm sorry, the number twenty, five, one, thirteen, two, is unavailable at the moment. I will return your call as soon as possible. Please leave a messa..." I hung up and turned off the phone. The way the voice had said the number was strange. I turned the phone back on and looked at the number that I had called. 205-1132. Hmm.

I put the phone, along with the other items, in my pocket and headed back towards the house. But as I pulled my hand out of my pocket, a wallet fell out and landed in the grass. I quickly picked it up, and as I continued walking, I flipped it open, immediately noticing my driver's license. And as luck would have it, just at that moment the two cars came into view, which gave me an idea. It was a good thing that I had gotten my license the week before.

I suddenly stopped. I had just gotten my license the week before! I remembered something! Then I reached into my pocket and pulled out the red emblem. It was the symbol of my team! The lost memories started coming back, slowly at first, but soon in torrents. I began reciting my team members' names, nicknames, positions, and anything else I could think of aloud, to make sure I remembered them all.

In doing so, I recalled the nightmare I had that night. It had really happened. That was most likely the reason I couldn't remember things for a while, and how we became separated. All except our team leader, who had left a couple days before. They didn't know as much as I did about surviving out on their own, and I needed to find them before something serious happened to any of them.

I finished my trek up to the house and asked the old lady if I could borrow the sports car. She said that was fine, because it had been her husband's, who passed away, and she never used it. She gave me the keys and wished me luck on my search. I thanked her and went to the car. I definitely needed some luck.

As I headed out, I began searching for any sign of them. Even just finding one of them would make me feel better. My team needed me, and who knows what they've gotten themselves into? I shuddered to think what might happen to them, or even worse, could have already happened to them.

~~~

I had been driving around for most of the day, and it was already almost sunset.

As I drove down the country road, I saw a young man walking on the side of the road who appeared to be lost. What caught my attention about him was his spiked red hair and a sheathed sword on his back. I began to wonder, so I pulled up alongside him.

As he turned to look at me, I noticed his blue eyes, which also helped confirm my suspicions. I quickly scanned him over. He was wearing a light grey t-shirt with a red and white design on the front, an open red vest with blue and gold designs down the sides, and dark grey jeans. From a tear in one of the sleeves, I saw what looked like a tattoo on his shoulder. Then I rolled down the window, and, as I leaned out, decided against revealing my identity at that time. "Hey, are you lost?"

The man looked at me, then glanced around him, then looked at his feet. "Yeah, I guess I am a little lost." That was definitely a familiar voice. He looked confused, frightened even. Understandable. I even felt a little sorry for him. I took a longer, closer look at him. He appeared to be about the same age as I. Maybe a little older.

As he looked up, I asked, "Do you need a ride somewhere? I have enough room," and I patted the seat next to me. He started to say something, then apparently changed his mind. "Nah, I'm good. I just need a...um..." He got stuck on the word, and tried motioning what he wanted. "You mean a map?" As he nodded, I smiled slightly and reached for the glovebox. Before I got a map out, though, I asked again. Are you sure you just need a map? Because like I said, I have room for you."

I glanced at the design on his shirt again and smiled. "Nice shirt. I have some friends with something like that." He gave me a strange look and seemed to get tense. I smirked and patted the passenger seat again. "So, whaddya say, slick?" His eyes widened and he just stood there for a few moments. I continued smirking and revved the engine a couple times. He glanced at the car a few times, then relaxed and shrugged a bit, put his sword in the backseat, and hopped in, and we drove off into the sunset.

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If you can't tell what gender the speaker is, then I have successfully done my job. The style was inspired by a writing prompt that I saw once: Write about a character without making it clear whether the character is male or female.

If you picked up on some of the certain details about certain things, kudos to you.

And if you're wondering, yes, the speaker already knows the guy. He isn't just a random guy on the side of the road that the speaker decided to give a ride to.

I also might turn this into a full-fledged story.

Well, anyways, till next time!

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11/23/16