A Lost Memory (2 page)

             
Images of a winged horse as white as snow entered her mind. It was the most beautiful animal she had ever seen. It pranced in a field of wild flowers. As Alley watched, a noise startled the majestic animal and it spread its wings wide flying off into the horizon. The scene struck her as familiar. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but she felt like she knew the place and the animal.
Angel. Yes that’s it, but why do I know the name of an imaginary animal?
Head injuries were very odd. Nothing made sense anymore.

             
A noise off in the distance woke Alley from her dreams. Rising from the rock, she scanned the open field. No winged horse to be found.
Did I really think there would be? That’s crazy. They don’t even exist. My mind is simply dreaming to help it heal.

             
It was getting late so Alley decided to walk back. As she approached the house she heard voices.

              “You have to face the facts. Her memory may never come back,” Catherine said.

             
“It may never come back as long as she is here. She has to come back to Majestic Falls.” A man’s voice said.

             
“That’s out of the question.”

             
“Catherine, you can’t keep her here under false pretenses. Her place is with me. I know you think you’re protecting her and in some ways you might be, but she has to come back home. Her people need her.”

             
Alley had no idea what they were talking about or who the man was. In her eagerness to see him, she clumsily knocked over a flower pot that went crashing down the steps.

             
Catherine came running out, but she was alone.

             
“Is somebody here, Mother?”

             
“No, Sweetie. I had the radio on in the other room. Nobody is here.”

             
Why would her mother lie? She’d heard two people having a conversation. People don’t have conversations with the radio, but she knew there must be a reason that her mother didn’t want to discuss it. Alley ran from room to room looking, but found nobody else in the house.

             
Alley needed to be alone. She went up to her room to escape into a nice hot bubble bath which she thought would help her relax. Maybe being alone with her thoughts would help her figure something out. She didn’t care what, but she wanted to at least remember one thing.

             
She sank down into the hot steaming water letting it warm her entire body. Alley laid back and closed her eyes hoping to see the man she kept dreaming about, but he didn’t appear. Sadness came over her. There was something about the guy of her dreams. She felt like she knew him. 

Chapter Two

             
Alley walked downstairs but didn’t hear anybody. She went into the kitchen but didn’t find her mother where she usually was. Fear crept up in her a little. She felt alone and panic threatened. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her blue jeans. Movement from outside the window caught her eye.

             
Alley stepped to the backdoor to look out. She saw her mother on the sidewalk talking to somebody she didn’t recognize...but then that was nothing new.

             
Alley walked out to find out who he was. “Hi, Mom.”

             
Hi, honey. I’ll be in to fix breakfast in just a few minutes. We were just enjoying the fresh air.”

             
Alley was confused.

             
“Oh Alley, I’m sorry. This is your father.”

             
“Dad? I’m glad you’re back. I have so many questions. I hope you can help me.”

             
“Slow down, honey. I know this has been hard for you.” He walked over and put his arm around her “Don’t overdo it. Let’s go inside for breakfast and we can talk.”

             
Alley joined her parents in the kitchen. She turned to her mother. “Mom, do I cook?”

             
Catherine smiled. “If you want to cook I can teach you a few things. It will be fun.”

             
Alley spent the next hour in the kitchen with her mother learning to chop bell peppers and onions, peel potatoes. She fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, made fresh squeezed orange juice. Alley smiled the entire time she worked. Everything was a new experience.

             
As she was setting the table she turned to her father. “Dad. What’s your name?”

             
“Mathew.”

             
“What do you do for a living? Mother said you were away on business.”

             
“Oh, well I…”

             
“That’s enough talk for now.” Catherine interrupted. “Let’s eat.”

             
The three of them ate their breakfast in silence as more of Alley’s questions were left unanswered.

             
After breakfast Alley helped clean up the dishes and the kitchen. When everything was back in order, she decided to take a walk to clear her mind. She strode down by the creek she had found before.

             
Alley slipped her shoes and socks off and sank her feet down into the cool water. The water flowing over her bare feet felt good. She glanced around her surroundings trying to force some small memory into her empty mind, but nothing came to her. She kicked at the water. How can I not know who I am?

             
Come back to me Alley.

             
Alley jumped up and looked around. Nobody was there. She knew she heard the voice, but couldn’t figure out who it was or where it came from.
It had to mean something. She ran around in circles looking for any sign of anyone, but nothing was there. Am I losing my mind?

             
Unable to solve the problem of the mysterious voice Alley sat back down on the warm rock.  Soon she relaxed and lay back staring at the sky. After a few hours of soaking up the sunlight, Alley decided to head back to the house to sit down with a good book. Maybe the relaxation would help her memory. As she walked back to the house the sun was setting and the air was starting to chill.

             
Entering her bedroom, she walked over to the full length mirror and stared at a reflection she didn’t recognize.
Who was this woman staring back at her?

             
As she stared at the mirror she watched it shimmer in the light. It was as if the mirror had moved, but that wasn’t possible. Her eyes must have played tricks on her. She knew that mirrors didn’t move. Not really knowing what she expected to happen, Alley walked over and touched the mirror. Nothing happened. Alley glanced around the room quickly as if checking to make sure nobody saw her making a fool of herself.

             
Alley went to the bathroom to draw her bath. She filled it to the rim with steamy hot water and poured in a capful of tropical shea butter bubble bath. She sank down into the water and let all her worries disappear.

             
She stayed in the water until it turned chilly cold forcing her to get out. She wrapped up in the fluffy blue and yellow bath sheet, and then ran a brush through her wet hair. After getting dressed in her nightgown, Alley went into her room and got comfy in her four poster bed with her purple and pink down comforter. She rolled up in the blanket until she felt safe and secure and then drifted off to sleep.

             
Alley., I love you. Come back to me. Please. I need you.

             
Alley’s dreams were filled with voices from her mystery man. She had to find out more about him. Maybe it meant something. How could he be a figment of her imagination? He seemed so real.             

             
Alley found herself in a field of wild flowers. A field of yellow, pinks, greens, purples. It was beautiful. As she strolled through the open land, she saw the white winged horse off in the distance.

             
“Angel.” She called out.

             
The animal swung its regal head to face Alley, and then trotted towards her.

             
Alley approached and put her hand out for Angel to come to her.

             
As the mythical creature came to her and nuzzled her hand, she rubbed its head. “Hi there.  How do I know you? I wish you could talk. I need answers. I know this is a dream, but I feel so at home in my dreams. I ‘m so lost when I’m awake.” Alley was talking to an imaginary creature. She didn’t understand why her dreams felt so real, but she found comfort with Angel.

             
She tossed and turned in her bed, restlessly falling in and out of her dreams. She tugged at the covers and tried to snuggle in deeper. She drifted back off to sleep after pounding her pillow hoping to get more comfortable.

             
Succumbing to slumber once again, Alley found herself at a waterfall in a green forest, the sun shining through the trees. Movement in the distance grabbed her attention. Her mystery man... She ran to him.  Solving his identity was critical to her recovery, she just knew it.  But the closer she got to him, the further he slipped away. He remained just out of reach. Alley knew that if she could only talk to him for a minute that things would get clear for her.

                                          ***

             
Days went by and still Alley experienced no return of her memory. Growing bored and restless, she knew that she couldn’t sit around and do nothing. She had to figure out her next step. She needed to find a job and make some kind of life for herself. She’d lost her memory and she had to accept that.

             
Maybe she could find something in the want ads in the paper.  Now that she had somewhat of a plan, Alley felt better.  She got dressed and walked down the stairs. She heard her parents talking in the kitchen. Alley sat down at the bottom of the stairs to listen.

             
“Catherine, she isn’t getting better. We have to take her back. Maybe seeing everything will jog her memory.”

             
“No! I told Evan no, and I’m telling you no. She’s not leaving. This is her only chance for a normal- mortal life.”

             
Alley’s head was spinning.
What was her mother talking about?

             
“Catherine, you’re being unreasonable. Majestic Falls is our home. None of this is real. Evan loves her and the people love her. She is their queen. We need to do everything we can to help her recovery her memory.”

             
Alley didn’t understand any of this. She jumped up and quickly ran back upstairs.
What is going on? What is he talking about? Am I still dreaming?
She pinched her arm to make sure.  “Ouch. No, I’m not dreaming.”

             
She had to get to the bottom of all this strangeness. She needed to know what her father was talking about. Alley had too many unanswered questions swirling around in her head.

             
Alley glanced at the mirror. Before her eyes the mirror shimmered as if made of water and instead of her reflection she saw herself walking with her dream man. He had his arm around her and they were walking down the path to the waterfall. Again that feeling of deja vu. Memory tugged at her but she was unable to grasp it.
This all meant something. But what?

             
The vision in the mirror faded and her reflection reappeared. The mirror went back to normal and Alley’s hand started to tremble. She tried to steady the shaking with her other hand but it wasn’t working very well.  Alley ran her hands through her hair and glanced around the room desperate for answers.

Chapter Three

             
The next morning Alley exited the back door for the morning walk that was becoming her daily routine. She’d become extremely restless with her lack of ability to recover her memory, and she knew she couldn’t stay at the farm house day after day doing nothing with her life. She knew in her heart that something important about whom she’d been was missing, but she was going to have to figure out a way to live without it.

             
Alley stepped to the edge of the creek, took her shoes and socks off and dangled her feet in the cool water. As she sat there with water flowing over her feet and the warm breeze blowing through her hair, an eeriness crept down her spine. She wasn’t alone.

             
Alley glanced around in all directions but didn’t see anything or anybody. The trees were full of birds and squirrels that could have given her the sensation of being watched, but it was unlikely. After a few seconds she dismissed her worries and told herself that it was nothing.

             
She let her head fall back and enjoyed the feel of the warm sun on her face. Her mind wandered and was soon consumed with thoughts of the man in her dreams.

             
He rode up to her on a shiny horse with hair as black as coal. He jumped down from the animal with a dozen pink roses in hand.

             
Alley observed him as he approached and leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips, pressing the flowers into her hands.

             
A noise in the distance woke Alley from her thoughts
.
Determination filled her. She would find out who he was.

             
Alley strolled the acreage for a few more hours. It was an odd place. As she followed the fence line butterflies seemed to be attracted to her. Yellow and blue butterflies with black spots followed her as she walked. They seemed to be accompanying her, but she knew that was impossible. The logical reason would be that they were attracted to the scent of her soap, shampoo or deodorant.
Butterflies couldn’t know a person or follow a person. Could they?
Alley held her finger out to watch what would happen. Before her very eyes one of them landed on her finger. She stared at it in awe. After a few seconds the creature flew away, followed by its companions.

             
She observed them until the last one disappeared. More confused than ever, she returned to the house.

* * *

              Frustration filled Alley after spending days with no memory gain. Her mind was now full of her dreams which weren’t real, yet she suspected they must be clues to some part of her life. Nothing made sense. Her world was upside down and she didn’t know how to set it right.              

             
Alone she strolled back to her favorite spot by the creek. It reminded her of the waterfall of her dreams. As she got closer she saw somebody standing there.

             
The man of her dreams turned to face her. Recognition was instantaneous. The flash of memory returning staggered her. “Evan? It’s you. It’s really you.”

             
Evan ran to her and put his arms around her. “Oh Alley, you came back to me.”

             
“I can’t believe this. I remember. I remember you. I remember us. I remember Majestic Falls. Oh my God. Majestic Falls. We have to get back there. Esmeralda….”

             
Evan leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips. His hands traced her face then threaded through her hair. He pressed her against him. “I missed you so much Alley. You are my whole world.”

             
“I missed you too Evan. I was lost without you, but we must get back to Majestic Falls at once.” She stepped back abruptly. “We can’t let Esmeralda take over our land. We must fight her.”

             
“Slow down, Alley. Slow down a minute. Don’t overdo it.”

             
“I’m fine. Really. My memory is back, and I want to get home.”

             
Evan raked a hand through his hair. He felt a little uneasy about Alley wanting to go fight a battle so quickly. He agreed that she needed to come home. He needed her with him, but he didn’t want her to get hurt. “Alley,what happened? Nobody saw anything or knew anything. You were found in the meadow unconscious with a cut on your head. What happened?”

             
“Esmeralda happened. She came to the meadow and we had words. Then it escalated into a full blown argument. She said she would have our land and she would be the new Queen of Majestic Falls. I said over my dead body. Before I knew it she had twenty of her men right in front of me.”  Alley paced the grassy meadow her fingers pressed to her temples. 

             
“All I remember is one of them swinging their sword and it hitting me in the head. Before they could do anything else, I fell to the ground hitting my head on a big rock. Something must have scared them off. I found the bandage on my head when I woke up at the farm house. How I got there is still a little fuzzy.”

             
“Alley, I’m sorry about all of this. Esmeralda wouldn’t have this vengeance against you and Majestic Falls if I hadn’t hurt her the way I did. She is hurting you to get back at me.”

             
“Evan this isn’t your fault. You and I fell in love. It was destiny. You weren’t meant to be with her. All you did was be honest with her and she is the one that couldn’t handle it.”

             
Evan pulled Alley in close to him. “Alley I’m so sorry I wasn’t with you. I should have been with you.”
              “Evan you can’t be with me all the time. I should have used my powers to stop the attack, but I was caught off guard and didn’t have the time to react. Esmeralda will get what she deserves. We must get back to Majestic Falls at once.”