"Honey are you okay?" I hear a voice slowly invade my dream. What was my dream? Everything hurts and aches as I try to blink open my eyes. My blurry eyesight slowly comes into focus. I'm staring at an obnoxiously bright white ceiling. I look at my attire. A blue hospital gown. My arms and legs are pale. I pick up a stand of my black hair that goes just past my shoulders and try to push my long bangs out of my eyes. I try to sit up but pain shoots through my head. "She's awake," the same voice that woke me up calls. I turn my gaze to the voice. A stout lady in scrubs is standing next to me. Everything about her is fake from her bleachblond hair to her long hot pink nails.
"Who am I?" My ridiculous question is met with a sad sigh.
"All we know is your name." I start to panic. Why don't I know my name? Why don't I know who I am? My breathing becomes unsteady as I grip the bottom of my hospital gown. "She's having an attack!" Another nurse rushes into the room and adjusts some dial next to me. I barely have time to notice the needle in my arm before I fall unconscious again.
~*~
When I wake up, I'm not as panicked. Just curious and scared. I look next to me to see a different lady next to me. She's. Wearing causal clothes and a small smile.
"Hello Lacey." So that's my name.
"Lacey." I try saying my name and it comes naturally. My voice sounds low.
"I'm from the local orphanage. Tomorrow I'll be taking you to your new home." I sit up immediately. As my mouth opens to ask a questions I'm interrupted mid thought.
"The only things we know about you is from your license, and that you have amnesia." My mouth hangs open. I let out a strangled breath. The lady hugs me and I realize there are tears streaming down my face. When the tears stop, the lady pulls away. "All of the stuff we found on you are on this chair." I glance at the chair she's talking about to see clothes and a wallet. For a minute I'm mad that they went through my wallet to find my wallet. Then I realize that they had to to find you information about me and the anger is replaced with gratefulness.
"Where was I found and brought to the hospital?" I ask assuming it's a hospital. The lady's cheeks are stained pink.
"Well umm a hunter found you lying unconscious in the woods and brought you here. The nearest hospital is almost half an hour away and he was scared you would die in the drive. This is... A nursing home." An incredulous look crosses my face and the lady's cheeks become pinker. Then I remember to be grateful and relax my expression "I'm Reyna Lidan. Feel free to contact me anytime, I put my number in your wallet."
"Okay. Thank you." I say softly. Reyna nods and leaves the room. I'm left with the sound of the machines around me. "Why?" I ask in barely a whisper. I notice that my arm isn't hooked up to anything anymore so I'm free to move around. I turn, letting my legs dangle off the bed. I wonder who will pay for my stay here as I open my wallet to see a single two dollar bill. I find my license and try to memorize the little information on it. I'm Lacy Iero. I repeat it aloud. My birth date is November 11, 2011. I repeat it aloud. Sadly I don't know what year it is so I don't know my age, but I must be at least sixteen to have a drivers license. I look at my picture. Then I rush to the open door of a personal bathroom, switching the light on and staring into the mirror. I look almost exactly the same as in the picture. I have hazel eyes, that lean more torwards a honey color. My eyes are big and my face looks a little small, but not abnormally small. One side of my mouth is a little higher than the other and I can't help but wonder why. Maybe I knew before I got amnesia. My lips are pretty pinkish but have a reddish tint and look normal sized too, if not a little plump. I don't have a big nose, but it's also a little crooked. Maybe I was in some kind of accident. My hair is straightish but a little wavy, and it looks greasy and unbrushed reminding me to take a shower before I go to my new "home". I go back to looking in my wallet on the bed not wanted to thing about or worry about it. I find a picture of someone else in my wallet. It's a girl who looks older than me. She has dark brown hair and her eyes look similar to mine, but more hazel, meaning containing various shades of green and brown, including my honey-ish color. Her facial features are a little smaller than mine, but smaller. Her brown hair is long and curly, in all making her look exactly like me, but yet very unalike to me. I find a silver charm bracelet, where there is a single charm. The charm is a rose gold key that is beautifully ingraved with designs and flowers. I put it on my left wrist, and it just feels right. I find Reyna's phone number and put it back in the pocket I found it. Lastly I find an article. It states:
3 CHILDREN HAVE GONE MISSING IN 1 WEEK
It's obviously a headline in a newspaper, but I can't find the rest of the article. On the back of the scrap I see messy handwriting scrawled over the typed words.
JULY 2028
The handwriting looks different than how Reyna's did, so it wasn't her who wrote it. But I can't fathom who. I guess that that's the month and year. So I'm still sixteen. I find nothing else in my green wallet that has a floral design. I first pick up a t-shirt. It says Pink Floyd on it and I recognize it. At the same time, I hear part of a song in my head. Welcome to the Machine. That's the title of the song. I start humming it as I put the shirt next to me, near my wallet. I pick up my pants next to see light grey ripped skinny jeans. I fold them on top of my shirt. The only things left on the chair are black combat boots and ankle socks. The boots are unzipped, which bothers me for some reason so I zip them up. When I start zipping the second boot, a small envelope falls out. There is no writing on the outside of the envelope but it's sealed. I turn my attention away from my boots as I open it. A four-leaf clover charm falls out. It's gold. I pull out a piece of paper. In the same handwriting as before it says:
GOOD LUCK. YOU'll NEED IT
I attach to charm next to the key. It also feels right. There are two other pieces of paper in the envelope. Both of them are pictures of children. One boy, one girl. There's no defining characteristic in them. They just look like normal kids. Except that all of their noses are crooked. Like mine. I shiver and put the papers back in the envelope. I also put the headline in it on a second thought. I put the envelope in my wallet. Some how I feel like they are both connected. And that they are both connected to me. I put everything away, suddenly very tired. I go to sleep, only woken up to eat and go to the bathroom. The day passes by very quickly.
~*~
The next day I shower and get dressed in my clothes, sticking my wallet in my backpocket. My shirt is much too big for me. Soon enough I start worrying about my amnesia and my new home. One of the nurses told me I was taking my situation well. I wanted to smack them. Suddenly there's a knock on the door.
"The doors open." I say gruffly. A young girl walks in. She looks like a hippy. She's wearing a long tyedye tank top and short, loose shorts. Her flip flops making loud noises as she squeals and hugs me.
"I'm Addison! Call me Addie! I'm your new sister." I stand frozen as I try to process this excited girl in front of me. "Oh sorry you must be overwhelmed. I'll just tell you about our family." I cringe but she doesn't notice. "I'm Addison Hart, eighteen years old. Our mom is Veronica Hart, thirty-nine years old. Our dad is Matt Hart, also thirty-nine years old. And finally or brother is Sam Hart, he's just turned seventeen." Addison, or Addie talks really quickly but I manage to absorb everything she says. "You will meet everyone else at dinner. Until then, we are going to shop for some new clothes for you!"
~*~
After my futile argument that I didn't have any money for clothes, I ended up in a dressing room with already four bags from different stores. Apparently family sticks together, and that also entails buying each other expensive clothes. One of the bags is completely full of band t-shirts, another full of underwear, a third full of jeans and shorts, and the fourth bag is stuffed to the brim with accessories. And apparently we are still going. Currently I'm trying on a dress. It's black and fairly simple. Addie is already holding a pretty red dress and a sparkly Galaxy dress. I walk out of the dressing room.
"Yup we are buying that. Next it's show time!" I grown and change back into my clothes. Addie pays for the dresses and we go. At the shoe shop, we get knee high combat boots, black pumps, multiple pairs of flip flops, black and white converse, and black vans. Before we drive home in Addie's neon green truck, we manage to get a balle skirt, leggings, and multiple outfits similar to Addie's.
"I've given up arguing." I admit to Addie as we load the truck with now nine bags. Addie and I both giggle. I think we can become good friends.
"Hey nice charm bracelet. What do the charms mean?" Addie asks. I've learned that she is oddly observant.
"Well I know the clover means luck. I don't know what the key means."
"It could mean mystery."
"That makes a lot of since." Addie nods. I don't think she understands why I think it makes since, but she seems to know not to ask. I'm not sure if I want to reveal the envelope yet.
"I love solving mysteries." Addie sighs as a farway look crosses her eyes.
"Maybe we should start a mystery solving crew." I meant for it to be funny, but Addie seems to take it seriously.
"Yes, we should." She turns on the radio to a rock station. I instantly recognize the song as we both start belting the lyrics.
"Maybe we should start a band too." I say sarcastically.
"Yup." I'm not exactly sure if she's joking or not.
When we get home I change into the sparkly dress, I put on dark grey socks that go just above my knees, and black pumps. Addie brings in a bag of makeup. She puts black eyeliner on me, smudging it a bit, and clear lipgloss. Then she finishes my look with a white flower crown. I love it. Of course, I keep my bracelet on. Addie wears a first green dress that is light and flowy. She's also wearing brown ankle boots. She's only wearing a sliver charm necklace as jewelry. She has pink lip stick on, and brown eyeliner. The whole look complements her long wavy light brown hair and short side bands along with her chocolate eyes. She's wearing a flower crown identical to mine. We walk into the dining hall of her family's mansion. It's humorous and elegant. The rest of the family is already sitting at the table. Her mom and dad look practically identical to her, except older. They are wearing business causal. Sam has green eyes and his hair is a shade lighter than his sisters. He looks very boyish... And I have a nagging feeling I've seen him before. He's wearing black skinny jeans and a blue and black flannel. He has black vans on that match mine. I'm grateful Addie made me dress up or I would probably be wearing them. Awkward.
"My darlings are so beautiful!" Veronica hugs us.
"Nice to meet you, Veronica." I say, smiling.
"Please! Call my Mom!" I nod, laughing a little.
"It's nice to meet our second daughter." Matt says, his voice deep as he hugs me too.
"It's nice to meet my new... Family." I say with hesitation. Matt smiles at me. Addie leads me to my seat. Sam ignores every attempt at conversation with him from his parents. "Hiya Sam." I say as friendly as I can. Sam looks up, seeming startled.
"Hi Lace." I grin and he grins back. If their was a spectator, they would be saying "instant friendship" where the hell is my train of thought. "You look very nice." He says.
"As do you." Veronica and Matt are exchanging knowing smiles. "In your emo clothes." I mutter. Says the one who bought a full bag of band shirts. Stop arguing with yourself. Addie starts laughing and Sam merely smirks. Soon the table laps into silence as we start eating. My newly painted grey nails tap on my leg nervously. I don't like silence. It gives me a bad feeling. As a butler- yes a butler, takes my plate away, a piece of paper falls out from under my plate. I slip it into my sock already knowing who it's from. The mysterious writer. I tell my family that I'm tired after a long day and after some more talking, I'm able to escape to my new room alone. It's gigantic. I skip the piece of paper out. It has a rhyme on it in the now familiar messy handwriting.
YOU WILL FIND A CLUE
IN THE BOY WHO WEARS ALL BLUE
Da heck. Where am I suppose to find a boy who wears all blue. Suddenly I feel someone breathing on my neck. I whip my head around to see Sam.
"I saw you slip that in your socks." He whispers.
"Invasion of privacy!" I scoff and cross my arms.
"I know what the note means. Do you want help or not?" I reluctantly nod. "Well we are going to need some help from a few people." I slip the note into my pocket and follow Sam out of my room. I'm curious, but still frustrated. Part of my secret had already been revealed.