Hidden Depths
"Run!" I turned to face him, I frowned knowing I should know them somehow, but I don't recognise the curly haired short kid. "They've found us!" I felt myself responding "How, I thought we were safe here?" "I don't know! But we need to move!" "We could fight." "There's too many!" "You go, I'll hold them off!" "But Tia you'll be killed!" "But at least you'll be safe." He turned back and hugged me, "Stay alive." "Yes ma'am" He saluted, and then he ran off.
I woke up tossing and turning, it was that dream again, the one from before. I frowned, if only I could remember. I checked my watch, yup it was that time again, time to move on. I had to keep on the move constantly, avoiding anyone and everyone. I headed out into the rural countryside, I wasn't sure where I was, but that was ok, if I didn't know, they shouldn't know either. Suddenly, I saw one, I called them dogs for lack of a better name for them, they were huge, and black, with these evil red eyes. They looked like they came from the depths of hell. And they were after me. I ran pulling out my sword, I've got no idea where it came from, just like everything else these days, but it's this weird bronzey colour and the only thing that can kill these things, sadly I say this from experience.
I turn to fight them, I'm actually pretty good at sword fighting, I swing my sword through one then the other. I frown, I was sure there was another, I start to turn. "Look out" I hear as I get tackled, the dog just misses my neck and tears into my shoulder instead, the man, where did he come from? Grabs my sword and swings, the dog thing turns into that yellow dust these things always seem too. "You ok kid?" The guy looks at me in concern, my shoulder must be bleeding pretty bad. "I..I..think so.." I'm getting dizzy, my vision is filled with black dots, suddenly the world turns sideways, and I feel myself falling. "Whoa, I've got you kid." Is the last thing I hear.
I blink slowly as I wake up, I had another of those dreams, about before. That kid was in it again, we were talking about why we were homeless, he was telling me about why he ran away this time. "This time?" I had teased. I ached for those times of easy companionship and trust, with a kid I barely remember now. Suddenly I hear someone come in, "You awake now kid?" I nod "So kid, what's your name, looking at you now, I can't just keep calling you kid, how old are you anyway?" I sit up slightly and say "My name's Portia, but I prefer Tia, and I'm 16, I think." "You think?" He seemed puzzled "Yeah, I can't remember anything before about a year ago." "Oh, wow, ok then Tia, it's nice to meet you, my name's Clint."
This guy, Clint, seemed nice enough, but I wasn't going to trust anyone too easily, even if he did save me, speaking of "Where's my sword?" "Oh this, it's over here, what's it made of?" "i can't remember." "Hey kid Laura's made lunch if you're hungry?" I got up and followed him to the living room, this woman I presume was Laura was just setting up some lunch stuff. "Hi," she said "I'm Laura" I took her hand "I'm Tia", it was only then that I noticed my shoulder had been cleaned and bandaged while I slept. "Thanks for that, after lunch, I'll move on my way and get out of your hair." I noticed Laura exchanging a worried look with Clint, with forced casualness he asked "Where ya heading?" I thought for a moment, then I remembered something that kid had said in my dream "New York" I decided on. Clint said "What a coincidence, I'm heading back up to work there myself after lunch. I can take you." caught on the spot I said "Thanks." and let it go.
Later as we traveled Clint took it into his head to quiz me. "So you don't remember anything before the last year?' "No" I frown "I have fragments, like a guy I used to travel with, and that I don't like my full name, and I love swimming, but that's about it." "So why are you heading to New York?" "I don't know, it just felt right. I think that guy, who was my best friend, was going there or something." "You know" he said, and I could've sworn I saw doubt in his face "I know some people...they might be willing to help you." I didn't know why, but I felt that I could trust this guy, he didn't even question me randomly turning up with no memories, almost as if that wasn't the weirdest thing to happen to him. I hesitated, "We'll see" I replied before changing the subject "So Clint, where do you work anyway?" He seemed to hesitate, just slightly before saying, "Just in an office building, boring stuff." "Oh.." he didn't seem the type to do that sort of work, and there was the fact that he seemed to be lying.
Our conversation kind of teetered off at that point, so I sat and wondered why Clint would feel the need to lie to me about his job. Unless he worked for the government...If that was so I needed to get out of here quick, unaccompanied minor with no memories, yup definitely someone the social workers are looking for. As he drove into New York, I asked him to let me off in Manhattan, and told him I'd be fine. He didn't want to, but I eventually convinced him I'd be fine. And I was fine until several snake ladies slithered out of nowhere. I grabbed for my sword, but remembered that Clint had made me put it in the backpack he had given me. I dumped it down and scrabbled desperately inside, giving up I turned and faced the snake things with my bare hands. I dashed towards the fountain at the corner to put something at my back. I felt this tugging in my gut and to my amazement the water rose up from the fountain and form a sword! I didn't have time to admire it as the snake ladies charged immediately, I reached up and grabbed it. I found that the sword was actually made of ice, the water must've frozen after forming it. I used it and managed to defeat the snake things. After I just stopped and admired this sword, it was just like my usual one, with a two or one hand grip, perfectly balanced, and like an extension of my arm. I wondered did I create it? And if so how?
