Song: Proper Dose - The Story So Far

I wake up to a thud beside me. I sit up immediately, alarmed, but I relax when I realize it's just Michelangelo. I'm puzzled at first. Then I recall that I am staying- more like trapped- in the lair of mutant turtles.

   "Good evening, Lizzy!" Michelangelo says cheerfully. His blue eyes shine brightly as he kneels down beside me. "I made you dinner!"

   I look at the platter on the floor. It's a pile of yellow mush with green and red specks throughout it. The top of it is sprinkled with something that looks very similar to cheese. It's not appetizing.

   "Oh, thanks, Mikey," I reply as I try to hide my disgust. Not wanting to disappoint Michelangelo, but also not wanting to eat it, I quickly search out a way to stall. I pick up the chopsticks and study them. "I'm not really sure how to use these," I confess.

   "That's easy! Let me show you." Michelangelo sits down beside me. He takes the chopsticks and makes a tweezer-like motion with his fingers. "You have to hold it like this." He hands me the chopsticks back.

   I try to repeat his movements and fail. "Oops, wait. I'll get it," I say, suddenly determined to overpower the silly wooden strips.

   I attempt again and again. We both laugh every time I mess up until I finally got a bit of the food into my mouth. And to my complete astonishment, it actually tastes good!

   "This is amazing!" I clumsily eat some more, slowly getting used to the feel of the chopsticks between my fingers. "What is it?"

   "It's my world-famous omelet!" Michelangelo exclaims proudly. "Well, it will be world-famous once people on the surface try it."

   "You have my recommendation," I mumble around the food, smiling. After I finish, I look over at him. "Wait, did you say that was dinner?" I ask, recalling what he said a few minutes before.

   "Yeah!" Michelangelo takes the platter from me and stands up. "You slept all day long. Donnie kept bugging me to wake you up so he could question you. So I did in the nicest way I could think of; with food!"

   I blink. I guess that's what I get for being a heavy sleeper. And a teenager.

   "Come on, then," I say. I'm too thrilled to force my brain into remembering whatever happened to me, but I have to attempt it. Besides, it would be nice to know what the 'Kraang' did, whoever that is. Finding the truth is also one step closer to escaping the sewers.

   Michelangelo leads me through the main room and to a very secluded area. He lifts up a garage-like door that reveals another room full of scientific stuff. I step past the door and discover beakers full of different colored liquids. There are also a few tubes with an eerie green liquid.

   Over to the right is a huge... Van? It's spray-painted all over and has different-sized wheels in the front and back. It also has weird gadgets hooked to it; I'm not sure I want to find out what they can do.

   "DONNIE!" Michelangelo yells, causing me to jump out of my skin. "I BROUGHT LIZZY!"

   There's a loud thump from underneath the vehicle and out pops Donatello. He rubs his head and wears an irritated expression on his face. "Mikey! You nearly scared the shell off me! Be more careful."

   "Sorry," Michelangelo says with no regret at all. He's too distracted by the different liquids decorating the beakers. "Dude, what are these?"

   "What is this?" I butt in, staring at the vehicle-like thing.

   Donatello looks at Michelangelo first. "Those are chemicals that we- meaning you- do not touch." Then he turns to me with a proud look on his face. "And that is my own blood, sweat, and tears. It's a motorized vehicle. I call it the Shellraiser."

   "I came up with the name!" Michelangelo accommodates loudly, to which Donatello doesn't seem pleased with.

   I study the Shellraiser for a couple more seconds. "It's actually pretty cool," I comment.

   Donatello grins, showing off the gap in his teeth. "Thank you." Before our conversation can continue, Michelangelo speaks up from the lab table.

   "Hey, D! What happens if I mix the blue and yellow chemicals together?"

   Donatello races over and snatches the beakers from the turtle's hands. "Let's not find out. Don't touch anything!" he snaps.

   Michelangelo gives him a wounded puppy look.

   "Hey, Donnie!" A new voice suddenly speaks.

   I glance over and see a girl about my age. She has auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail. She is clothed in a yellow shirt and jean shorts with leggings. Our gazes meet, and they are both filled with surprise.

   "Hey, guys, I got my-" A teenage guy follows her in, his words trailing into nothingness when we catch each other's eye. He has dark hair and dark eyes. His clothing is strange; a mixture of winter and summer styles. A sleeveless jacket over a t-shirt along with jeans cover him. He looks more confused than surprised.

   "Donnie, Mikey, don't move," the guy says. He defensively holds up a hockey stick in front of himself. "There's a creepy chick behind you. She looks like she's been possessed."

   "Ha, ha, very funny." I roll my eyes at him. What a great way to introduce himself. "You wouldn't look great, either, if you had been unconscious for several hours," I add, though my confident reply doesn't stop me from trying to flatten my hair. I must look really bad.

   The guy doesn't seem interested in my reply. By his posture and inferior personality, I know he's one of those cocky guys. Great. Like I need more problems to deal with at the moment.

   The redheaded girl takes a few steps toward me. "Ignore Casey. He's always like that. I'm April, who are you?" At least she's friendly.

   I hesitate, but I can't give a good reason why. I should be grateful to be around humans rather than ninja turtles. "I'm Elizabetta," I finally answer.

   April gives me a kind smile, though I see a shadow of suspicion behind it. "How did you end up here?" she questions.

   "We saved her from the Kraang!" Michelangelo breaks in. How many people is he going to tell about that? I don't even know what the 'Kraang' are, so why do they want anything to do with me? I am certain I arrived in Crazy Town overnight.

   But April's expression changes to one of alarm. "What? What happened?" she demands immediately.

   "We don't know yet. She doesn't remember," Donatello says. I can't help but notice that his eyes seem to brighten when he looks at the redhead.

   "Well, I was going to tell you guys that I got my hockey stick fixed!" Casey interrupts, twirling the stick around his fingers. "Now I'm ready to fight those ugly, good-for-nothing Kraangdroids!"

   About that time, Leonardo lifts the garage door and walks in. "Mikey, Donnie, we're going to check out the area we were in yesterday."

   "You mean the Kraang and Footbot hotspot?" Michelangelo asks. "That place was blown to smithereens! Why are we going back?"

   "'Blown to smithereens?'" I echo. Suddenly, I gasp as select memories come flooding back. They are blurry and vague, but I know they are real.

   I had just gotten home from school. There were men in dark clothes in my house. Their eyes didn't look real; they were almost mechanical. I remember them taking away my mom, my brother, and I. I also recall being trapped in a weird laboratory room with them before we were separated. If I was there, then my family must have been inside that building as well. But if they were inside there, and what Michelangelo is saying is true...

   I snap out of my dreadful thoughts and realize I have my back against a wall. My heart is beating so fast that I assume it will burst. I dig my nails into the smooth foundation of the structure and cling on for dear life. The same thought keeps swirling around my head like a pesky fly, refusing my denials.

   My mom and brother are dead.