by Darby Cupid
I swallow and it’s like rocks descending down my throat. What can I possibly say? I need to undo the damage I’ve already done and convince her I’m from this planet, but how do I do that when I have no idea where I am? My fingers clutch the itchy brown blanket at the end of the bed, and I paste a nervous smile on my face.
“I’m sorry about before,” I say. “I was just playing. The truth is, I don’t remember anything other than my name and I’m scared.”
The truth of the last few words causes my voice to falter and Dr. Saltzer’s face melts into one of compassion. She sits on the edge of my bed and places a hand on my knee.
“It’s perfectly normal to be scared, Crystal,” she says. “Loss of memory after a head injury is surprisingly common. There was no damage to your brain, so there’s a very good chance it will return quickly, so try not to worry.”
I nod, forcing myself to keep my eyes on the blanket. Inside, my heart is trying to leap out of my chest. It worked!
“Doctor Saltzer?”
A small brown-skinned woman with black hair tied high up on her head and eyes a different shape to the other two women, pokes her head around the door.
“Yes, Nurse Millen?”
“Do you have a moment?”
Dr. Saltzer nods before turning back to me. “Try to relax, Crystal, okay? I’m sure you’ll remember everything soon, and we can call your family to come and get you.”
As she leaves the room, I sink my teeth into my bottom lip, trying to stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. No one’s coming to get me. Almost everyone important to me was on our ship, the Galastasia. My parents, my friends. One minute we were on our way to peace talks on a nearby planet and the next… I can’t shake the fireball from my mind, and it knocks me sick again.
“Hi! Crystal, right?”
I blink back hot tears and nod as the small woman comes back into my room.
“My name is Nurse Millen. My son and daughter are two of the kids who found you in the field.”
I sit up a little straighter. “Please thank them for getting me medical attention. I owe them my life.”
Nurse Millen laughs, her dark eyes bright. “I’m not sure about that, but you’re welcome. Dr. Saltzer just told me you don’t remember what happened to you.”
“No,” I lie. “It’s all very hazy.”
“Don’t worry.” Nurse Millen smiles reassuringly. “It’s bound to be at first. I’m sure Dr. Saltzer told you it’s quite common with head injuries. The best thing to do is to get some fresh air and try and jog some memories.”
My heart leaps at the thought of getting out of this room.
“How would you feel about taking a little walk around town with my daughter, Linda, and her friends to see if you can find something that brings back your memory? I’ve pulled some strings and Doctor Saltzer says it’s okay.”
I honestly don’t understand half of what she’s just said, but I’d quite like to see who rescued me and they might just be the people to get me out of here. “That would be wonderful.” I smile. “Thank you.”
“Not at all, love.” She points to a small door I hadn’t noticed until now. “There’s a small bathroom in there. Here’s a towel and some clothes I’m sure Linda won’t mind you borrowing. Why don’t you get yourself freshened up?”
I gratefully accept the strange bundle of material and slide out of bed towards whatever a ‘bathroom’ is.
It takes a lot of time and patience to figure out how to make water appear using the metal lever. Nothing on this planet appears to be voice or motion activated. A small rectangular mirror hangs above the water bowl and I take the opportunity to inspect my face. My hair is caked with dried blood and a bruise marks my left cheek. On my forehead, a dressing of some sort has been applied to what must be the source of the dried blood.
There’s a way to speed healing using my amulet but I don’t feel quite strong enough to attempt it. To be honest, I was never particularly good at it. Guilt tickles my spine as I realise this wouldn’t be the case if I hadn’t skipped out on so many amulet lessons with my professor. I can practically hear my father’s ‘I told you so’. Swallowing the sad lump in my throat, I return to scrubbing the blood from my face.
After washing and attempting to tidy my hair as much as possible, I investigate the clothes. There are six items: a very, very short tunic with a strange pattern on the front, some dark blue leg coverings with a rip across one of the knees and two small white objects I can only assume are supposed to cover your feet, and a pair of hard-bottomed foot coverings similar to those the first nurse was wearing.
I pull the clothes on, pleasantly surprised at how well they fit and how comfortable they are. Tucking my amulet under the patterned tunic top, I step back into my room.
Two girls are standing near my bed, whispering to one another.
“Hi!” The one with short black hair grins a huge grin at me, excitement sparkling in her dark eyes.
I decide from her features, she must be Nurse Millen’s daughter. “Hello,” I respond. “I believe I owe you my gratitude for saving my life?”
Her eyes almost pop out of her head. “Uh, sure! You’re welcome.”
“I’m Sera,” the other girl smiles. “And this is Linda.”
I smile back. Her eyes are the colour of the sea and her blonde hair is so long and silky, I have to fight the urge to reach out and touch it. “A pleasure to meet you,” I say instead. “My name is Crystal.”
“You look a lot better than the last time we saw you,” Linda says, looking me up and down.
Sera elbows her in the side. “Very tactful.”
“I believe we’re going to leave and see if my memory comes back?” I ask carefully. Even as the words leave my mouth, I worry that I’ve misunderstood the situation.
“Yes!” Linda grins and I sag with relief. “It’s going to be fun! There’s more of us downstairs, but Mum figured it would be better for just us girls to come in first.”
I nod because I’m not sure what to say. More of them? How many? Downstairs?
“So, you don’t remember anything at all?” Sera asks gently. “Just your name?”
I push away any guilt I feel at the lie. “Yes. Hopefully I’ll remember more soon.”
“Are you ready girls?” Nurse Millen steps back into the room and smiles at me. “Oh, Crystal! You look great!”
My cheeks grow warm at the compliment. “Thank you.”
“Are you ready?”
No. “I think so.”
Stepping out of the room, I follow Nurse Millen down a noisy corridor filled with pictures, messages and paintings of strange animals. Linda and Sera follow behind, their excitement palpable. As we reach a pair of metallic doors, Nurse Millen reaches forward and presses a button. We stand in silence, but I’m itching to ask questions. I force myself to chew the inside of my cheek instead.
After an eternity, the doors open and Nurse Millen ushers me inside. As the doors hiss shut, she presses another button and I almost squeak at the familiar downward movement. It’s like a travel disc, but a box! A travel box? Sera spots the delight on my face and I attempt to arrange my features in, what I hope is, a nonplussed expression.
When the doors open again, I shrink backwards at the sudden change in atmosphere. There are people everywhere, some sitting, some standing, some shouting and some just talking. Constant repetitive noise comes at me from every direction. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Telepathy is clearly not something this race has mastered.
Trying not to grimace, I follow Linda and Sera out of the travel box and toward a small crowd. As we approach, three boys turn to face us.
A boy with dark brown skin and short tightly curled hair lifts his hand in a wave, his smile warm. “Hey. I’m Jordan. Hope your head doesn’t hurt too much. It looked really sore.”
“Thank you. It’s not too painful, really.” His features remind me of my father, which makes me both comforted and sad. I push my grief aside and forc
e a smile.
A taller male version of Linda steps forward. “Hi, I’m Eddie.”
“I’m sure it’s all a bit overwhelming, huh?”
I turn in the direction of the next voice and find myself staring up into the most beautiful golden-brown eyes I’ve ever seen.
“I’m Dylan,” he says, his lips parting to reveal a warm, friendly smile. “We were really worried about you.”
Suddenly, I find myself unable to speak. Maybe the head injury is more serious than they thought.
“Are you okay?”
Dylan is watching me, his beautiful face creased with concern. I drag myself to the surface and respond. “Yes, sorry. I’m fine.”
“Right, kids,” Nurse Millen announces, eyeing everyone in turn. “Like we discussed. Don’t go too far. If Crystal gets overwhelmed, or you notice anything unusual, come straight back here. Immediately. She’s being signed temporarily out under my name, but her legal guardian will need to sign her out permanently. I’m counting on you all to be responsible. Don’t do anything daft. If she remembers anything – anything at all – call me right away, so we can let the police know and they can find her family. Understand?”
“Yes, Mum!” Eddie and Linda reply in unison.
Nurse Millen places her hands on her hips and surveys the rest of the group, her eyebrows raised, staring at them expectantly.
Dylan coughs and they quickly chorus, “Yes, Mrs. Millen.”
Seeming satisfied, she gives a nod. “My shift is over at 11. I’ve left some pizza money on the kitchen table. Have fun and remember to take it easy. Especially you, Crystal.”
As Nurse Millen disappears into the travel box, I survey the sea of unfamiliar faces hoping I don’t look as terrified as I feel. “So, what now?”
“We were thinking we’d head into town and see if anything looks familiar,” Linda says, looking to the others for confirmation.
Dylan nods before shrugging his broad shoulders. “Bus stop then?”
Before I can even begin to imagine what a ‘bus stop’ is, I’m swept away through the large transparent doors into the outside world.
CHAPTER FIVE
Dylan
To my frustration, the bus is surprisingly full and we’re forced to spread out amongst the seats. Eddie and Sera are three rows in front on the left. Jordan and I are squashed near the back behind a woman talking loudly on her phone while her two small children pull faces and gnaw the seat. I shudder with disgust and focus my attention five rows in front, where Crystal is sitting beside Linda.
Perhaps it’s the amnesia, but she seems in awe of just about everything around her. When the bus pulled up at the bus stop, she jumped a foot in the air and didn’t seem to ever remember using one before. She looks at everything with the same wide-eyed wonder I remember Katie having when she was a toddler. I smile at the memory. My little sister was cute before the sass and the eye rolls.
I can’t tell what they’re talking about, but Crystal is listening intently as Linda points out the window. When she laughs, her smile spreads across her face lighting her dark brown eyes.
“Come in! Earth to Dylan! Are you listening?”
I turn to see Jordan staring at me expectantly. “Sorry, what?”
He grins and nods in Crystal’s direction. “Don’t get too attached, mate. She most definitely has a boyfriend. Even if she can’t remember him.”
“Don’t be daft,” I scoff, folding my arms. “I’m just spaced out from the early start this morning.”
Jordan winces. “How’re things going with the bakery?”
How do I even begin to respond to such a loaded question? I inhale slowly and sigh. “It’s okay. Sales seem to be pretty steady.”
We don’t really talk about this stuff. I mean, when Dad left, my friends let me shout and punch things and they did a good job of distracting me. Now, eight months later, there’s not much more to say. It still sucks. It still hurts. They ask, to be polite, but I know they’re not really interested in the answer.
Jordan nods before looking back at the girls. “What do you reckon about this Crystal girl then?”
“Not sure, mate,” I say truthfully. “Not sure.”
We arrive at the bottom of the high street and step down off the bus onto the bustling pavement. Crystal seems to shrink a few inches, cowering in our midst.
Before I can ask if she’s okay, Jordan steps forward, sweeping his arms out like some sort of game show host. People in the crowd duck out of the way.
“Welcome to the high street, Crystal! Recognise anything?”
Crystal looks up at the shop fronts and the large metal statue in the middle of the square, her eyes enormous. “Nothing,” she breathes.
“Nothing? At all?” Sera repeats with a frown.
“You know, she might not be from around here,” Eddie says.
“Yes!” Crystal exclaims in a way that makes me think she’s grateful for the suggestion. “Perhaps that’s it.”
“You’d still have passed through,” Linda presses. “I mean, how else would you have ended up in that field?”
Crystal looks between them, bewildered. I watch as she folds her arms across her body, withdrawing into herself.
“Linda, we don’t know what she’s been through,” I say, stepping to Crystal’s side. “She might have been kidnapped and dumped there for all we know. She certainly doesn’t need you interrogating her.”
“Sorry,” Linda mumbles. “It’s just odd, that’s all.”
Crystal reaches out and touches Linda’s arm. “It’s okay. I’m sure I’ll start remembering soon. Why don’t you pretend I’m a visitor from another place and show me around?”
“Ooh! That sounds fun!” Sera grins.
I stay by Crystal’s side as we make our way down the street. There’s something about her that makes me feel overprotective. Perhaps it’s the way we found her. Perhaps it’s the bruises and dressing on her head making her look so vulnerable.
Jordan is in his element as tour guide, describing every detail. To be fair, Crystal seems to be loving it. It’s hard to tell whether she’s playing along or genuinely asking.
“So, people go into these ‘shops’ and use ‘money’ to get things they need?” she asks, eyes wide as we pass a shoe shop.
I laugh in disbelief and nudge her gently. “You said to pretend you’re from another town, not another planet.”
She blushes and looks away.
“If you turn to your left,” Jordan continues. “You’ll see the train station.”
I lean down and whisper in her ear. “Trains are large metal carriages linked together. They’re a bit like buses, but with no wheels.”
“Oh!” She looks up at me. “Do they hover?”
That’s it. I stop in my tracks and she slows to a halt half a step infront of me. “I honestly can’t tell if you’re joking or not,” I say, my eyes searching her face.
A steady pink rises on her cheeks, but she holds my stare, before laughing and pushing my arm gently. “Of course, I’m joking.”
I attempt a laugh in return, but it sounds hollow. Something is very off. I make a mental note to research amnesia when I get home tonight.
“Crystal? Can you please tell Jordan you’ve had enough of this tour guide routine?”
I tense at the tone of Eddie’s voice, turning to see him and Jordan stood facing each other, shoulders squared. What on earth have I missed? “What’s going on?” I ask.
“Nothing, mate,” Jordan says, his chin jutting out defiantly. “Eddie just can’t handle not being the centre of attention.”
“Crystal’s just being polite.” Eddie scoffs. “She’s as bored as the rest of us.”
Awkwardness swells around the group and I’m both embarrassed and annoyed at my friends. I turn to Crystal apologetically. “Sorry. These two get a bit carried away sometimes.”
“Testosterone,” Linda sighs.
Before I’ve even turned back to them, Eddie and Jordan lunge at each other
and begin wrestling, right in the middle of the high street. My mouth drops open as I watch them scramble and circle around on the busy pavement. Passers-by slow down to watch, frowning, pointing and sometimes laughing. At one point, someone gets out their phone.
“This is so stupid!” Sera pleads. “Stop being such… such… boys!”
There’s no way this is going to end well, so I step forward to try and separate them. Before I can get a grip on either, the wrestling turns into a full-scale scuffle as someone throws a punch.
Jumping back in surprise, I glance at the girls who are standing, mouths open in shock. Meeting Linda’s eyes briefly, I launch myself at Jordan at the same time she throws herself on Eddie’s back. It takes a lot of effort, but they finally pull apart, breathing heavily. Jordan shrugs me off, pulling at his dishevelled t-shirt.
“What the hell is wrong with you two?” I demand, pushing my hair out of my eyes and straightening my own clothes.
“He hit me in the neck!” Eddie snarls.
Jordan snorts in response. “I did not!”
I’m about to interject when Eddie throws his hands in the air. “You know what? You guys enjoy your ‘tour’. I’m going home.”
Linda reaches for him, but he sidesteps her, raising a hand in mock salute to Crystal. “See you, Crystal. Hope you get your memory back.”
I open my mouth to shout him back. What is going on? Why is he being so weird? I watch, frozen, as Eddie steps backwards towards the road.
All at once, the sound of screeching tyres fills my ears. Someone screams and I’m not sure if it’s me. A dark blue Range Rover heads straight for Eddie. It swerves, but it’s too late.
Without warning, as if in slow motion, Eddie shoots high up into the air above the car. I think for a second he’s jumped, but it’s too high. He floats, legs dangling, as if carried by an invisible wave as the car continues underneath him, screeching to a halt a few meters down the road. When I look back, Eddie is standing with his feet on the road once more.
What the hell? My mouth is dry, and I think I might have lost my mind. What did I just see? Linda rushes forward and pulls Eddie out of the road. He staggers onto the pavement, his skin a deathly shade of grey and his eyes vacant. Around us, everyone’s moving; excitement and wonder sparking in the air.