"The only reasssssson I'm about to do this," the figure hissed, "isss becaussssse I hate you."
The last image I saw was the snake's venomous fangs smirking down at me, and then –
My entire life was gone.
x:x:x:x:x:x:x
"Hello, Zzzzane."
I open my eyes to see a purple figure standing over me. I hazard a guess . . . "Father?"
My dad smiles down at me. "Don't worry. It'll be okay. That was some knock on the head you took."
"Knock on the head?"
He looks down at me, concerned. "You mean you don't remember? Do you remember me?"
I look at him carefully. "N-no." I can't believe it. I don't remember my own father. I can feel myself start to cry.
"Shhhhhhhhh. It's okay, Zzzzane. Don't cry. We'll get those nasssssty ninja."
"Ninja?"
"Yesssss, sssson. The four ninja who attacked you and did thisss to you have been lifelong enemiessss of our family."
I sit up. "But why would anyone be your enemy?"
Father sighed, his purple scales glittering in the lamplight. "I don't know, sssson. There are sssssssome people out there who are jussst evil. Yearssssss ago, the ninja banished our people here, imprisoning ussss in thisss lonely desssssssert."
This does sound familiar. But somehow, I feel like I remember something more . . . another side to the story . . . but Father has told me all I need to know. "I will get revenge on these evil ninja. I will begin training at once."
I swear I see a smile flash across Father's face, and I know I remember him, but I just can't bring the memory to mind. But the smile is soon replaced with a look of concern.
"You sssshould ressssst now," he says, worried.
"I feel fine. Honestly, I cannot even tell where they hit me."
"Good," he responds, "good . . ."