Posted September 4th, 2020

i woke up very disoriented in a white room.

When I first opened my heavy eyelids, I didn't see anybody. But one by one, they all appeared in eye field when I looked around. Nurses, nurses, nurses, a too friendly nurse, a cold nurse- where are my parents.

I was clearly in a hospital. Where are my parents? Or friends? Or families? No one was dressed in normal attire.

I heard a lot of talking around me. It made me very dizzy. Feeling exhausted, I rested my head on the pillow, and took deep breaths.

A deep sense of hopelessness was settling inside my heart. It was like a tree's seed that was growing with each second no one of my family came in. had I been that horrible that no one wanted to see me?

After a few minutes- or hours-, this green-eyed man with a cold stare held my arm and made me stand up. His touch revolted me. His eyes scared the hell out of me. They were a promise- of gloom, and destruction.

He didn't have my best interest at heart. And I knew. He didn't know that I knew though. He made himself look like a fool in my eyes when he and his minions wanted to introduce me to my real life- me.

"don't be scared." He said, making me walk around the room, and a bit in a hallway outside of my room. It was white, with dozens of white doors. I bet they belonged to his minions.

I was scared. But I held my façade together. I hadn't forgotten everything that happened before I passed out. Was the purpose of that that I lose my meory again? I must have been remembering too much.

Ca- what was his name again?- told me that I was to be kept with them until their boss, which was with me to succeed.

He also promised before I passed out that he had a plan to get me out. That I had family anxiously waiting outside for me to be brought back.

I wanted to ask him about it- maybe he was coming later?

"okay." I answered Scary Man.

At the end of the hallway, he turned around and we walked back to my room. I tried to remember as much as possible, in case I happened to escape. There was a ramp that looked on a common area on the botton. There were also signs that pointed to the exit. Could they be a trap? They wouldn't want me to find the exit easily if I escaped, right?

He opened my doo with a card. Would I be locked inside when I am inside?

When I came back, everyone was out. The first thing I saw was a desk, with a computer looking over a park outside. We were very high. Our building was so high I could see the sunset. A perfect view.

It didn't hype me up. If only, it saddened me. Shoulders slumped, sad droppy eyelids, I contemplated the only beautiful thing I could spot where I was. I couldn't keep the sadness bottled in.

"you lost your memory because of an unfortunate incident. But here's what you need to know. You're Lina. Thirty-five years old. Married, but works from home on a coding business. "

"I know." I said, without looking at him.

"you know?" he echoed, he said, stepping closer to me. I didn't want hi to see my sadness. I tried to pull my features into a confident, but very vulnerable patient. Wasn't it what was expected?

"yes. Coding. It's my thing. Isn't it?"

He laughed out loud. It was a booming laughter. One of triumph, and pride. One that would give you chills if you understood the meaning behind it. He thought he won. That I wouldn't cause trouble now that I am convinced of what he wants me to know.

Again. I didn't completely forget the five days that happened before I ate the apple. He must have known i had been playing, and wanted to reset, with him making sure I was convinced.

Was my ally coming back, though? He said I had a husband. Would it be him again?

I hoped.

"coding is your thing."

Without saying bye, or giving me any warning, I heard the door close behind. I looked behind me. A camera was fixated on my figure.

I turned around, and with crosses arms, contemplated the sunset until I was too tired to stay awake. And my eyes closed without my consent.

Later, I was awakened by a door being opened, and a man leading me to a room upstairs.

We didn't talk. But his name came back to me when I saw him. Calumn.

"sleep tight. I will make sure no one hurts you. I'm on your side remember?"

I wanted to answer. But I remembered the cameras, and the man behind them. I didn't want to risk being brainwashed again.

So I made a sign. One I knew came from very deep in my memory. One made up by my father.

I put two fingers on my temple, and slowly directed them to the side of my air.

Be smart.

For a few seconds, he looked at me. But I knew he understood. Or should. I remembered before I passed out having memories back of him being with father multiple times.

His teeth caught the reflection of moonlight. His eyes were shining with pride, and... hope.

I knew why it was hope. And not joy, or melancholy.

One, it meant I remembered. Therefore, he could get to saving me faster, instead of wasting time convincing me of his good will again.

Second, my mind was more resilient than Scary Man thought. It meant I was beating the odds.

Me beating the odds meant I could take care of myself better. I knew the danger, and stakes I was in.

Confined in that home, I only had the possibly of escaping. And having no one who I could be blackmailed with made it so much easier.

I had nothing to lose. The entity in the sky only knew how far those are willing to go for what they want.

Tomorrow would be a better day. For sure.