Prologue – Problems Nobody Can Repair
I've always known I was different. However, I have yet to figure out why, exactly I'm like this. I didn't have a childhood – At least, not one I could remember anyway. I remember turning eighteen and that's it. I don't know where I came from, or how to got to be here. All I know is that the people around me remember everything. What happened to me? Why did I forget?
Jude looked around at the white walls of the small, cramped room she was in. The so-called cushioning beneath her did nothing to help support Jude's back. She opened her mouth to speak but not a sound came out. Where am I? She wondered, her heart beginning to race in an instant panic. The only sounds she heard were the buzzing of a few machines and the beep-beep-beeping of some monitor that had a squiggly green line going across it. Her entire body felt stiff, as if it had been run over by a train, and when she made a failed attempt to move, Jude couldn't help but to wonder what had happened. Through her mind and heart raced a variety of emotions ranging from wonder, to fear, to anger. Why her? Who picked her to have to try to figure this out?
"Jude." A voice emerged from the other side of the room. They sounded relieved but extremely worried at the same time. Jude hadn't noticed them sitting there, but a young looking blonde girl, who'd been sitting in a chair, was now rushing over to Jude's side. The girl grabbed Jude's hand and tears flowed from her eyes. "Jude, I was so worried..." She paused and looked down at their interlocking hands. "But, before you ask...Mom and Dad?" The blonde paused. Something was wrong. "Jude, they didn't make it."
Jude could feel the beating of the girls heart when she pulled Jude's own hand closer to her. "Who-" Jude began, her voice only coming out as a squeak.
"Here." The girl reached around and picked a notebook up off of the table next to them. "Write it down. They said it would be a while before you could speak clearly again."
Jude took the notepad and looked at the girl in confusion. Who are you? She wrote.
As soon as she read the note, the girl sobbed. "Jude, it's me. It's Sadie."
Jude shook her head. Sadie? Who was Sadie?
"Your sister." Sadie insisted. "You don't remember?" The second she said that, Sadie's heart fell to the floor, seeming to crash into a million unfixable pieces. Not only had they both lost their parents, but Jude didn't even know who she was. "Do you know who you are?"
Jude's heart raced as she thought about it. What had the girl called her? She was too confused to even notice. Who was she? Her eyes dampened and burned when she realized that she had no idea what her own name was.
Sadie shook her head. "Your name's Jude Harrison." She said between sobs. "Your eighteenth birthday was two days ago. Mom and Dad took you out for supper right after your party, and Kwest and I were in a car behind you guys..." Sadie stopped, defeated. Should she even go on? It was obvious that Jude had no idea what was going on. "You guys were in an accident." She said finally. "I saw the whole thing happen. Mom and Dad didn't make it."
There was a moment of silence as Jude took in the whole thing. She looked down at the notebook and scribbled out a message: Who's KwestAnd my mom and dad? What happened to me?
Sadie sighed, but jumped slightly at the sound of somebody knocking on the closed door. "We'll talk later, okay?" She said as she stood up.
Jude tried to speak; to yell for her to stay with her. She needed somebody. Anybody. Still, nothing came out.
Sadie opened the door and went out into the hall with the nurse. She shook her head. "She doesn't remember anything."
The woman shook her head. "We didn't she would. At least not for a while. Be patient, okay? We've seen people like this who've recovered within only weeks."
"But it could take longer than that for Jude?" Sadie asked her sadly.
"I'm afraid so. The wounds went pretty deep. She should remember everything. Someday. But the chances are fifty-fifty."
Sadie nodded her head. "Thanks."
The woman looked at Sadie, the deep sympathy in her heart showing through her eyes. "I'll let you know when you can come back in."
It took all she could for Sadie to thank the woman once more. Her heart ached in both pity and sadness as she went back to the waiting room where Kwest, Tommy, Jamie, SME, Karma, Darius and Mason were all waiting. At the same moment, everybody looked up at her. "She has no idea."