There are many moments in our lifetimes that we wish we could take back, moments that we wish we could go back and redo, and moments that we regret more than anything else. Then there are the moments that we don't even remember happening.
"Who are you?" The voice started out in a calm manner, his green eyes watching the red haired woman like a hawk.
"Why are you doing this?" The voice asked as he was tied to a chair by the same woman. He started to show fear when the woman walked toward a child.
"No, please don't! He's just a child!" The woman leaned down and placed her gloved hand against the child's face, rubbing her leather clad thumb along the boy's jaw. She moved her lips near the boy's ear and whispered something to him.
"Take me instead!" Hearing the man's plea, the woman nodded to the boy and started across the room to the man.
"My intentions were never to take the boy." Her harsh voice cracked as she lifted her mask from her face and revealed a pair of dark brown eyes. The red ponytail remained in place as she dropped the mask and pulled a dagger out of her pocket.
"Scarlet Vixen? I thought you went into retirement over 20 years ago!" The woman merely smiled at his surprised statement and shook her head.
"No, but close." She stabbed the blade into his leg, right above the kneecap. When the man screamed out in pain, her smile broadened and she laughed. "I'm her daughter."
Amelia shot up from her spot on the couch, mentally cursing at herself for falling asleep while watching a horror movie. The living room of her two bedroom apartment had felt empty, which frightened her, so she chose to watch whatever movie was currently playing on the Fright channel. The lights were off, as they always were during the day, and a bit of sunlight continued to peek through the peach colored window curtains. A shadow cast over the white wall causing Amelia to start seeing what looked like blood. Afraid of what was to come; Amelia threw her arm out and turned the light on.
When she realized that there was no blood on the wall, Amelia sighed in relief and left the living room – starting for the bathroom instead. Once seeing her reflection in the mirror, Amelia winced. Her unnatural looking red hair looked dull and lifeless, an occurrence that was happening more often than normal. Amelia opened the mirror cabinet and pulled out her bottle of Xanax, popping two pills on the spot.
Not bothering to grab a cup, Amelia leaned down and drank from the tap. The iron filled water splashed against her tongue and she felt the pills start to slide down the back of her throat as she swallowed. Amelia turned the sink off and wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve. Looking back up at her reflection, she finally noticed that her brown eyes were even darker and sunken in. Her pale skin looked near translucent in the bright lighting of the bathroom, causing her dark circles to look worse.
"Why does this keep happening to me?" Amelia whispered to herself before running her flattened hand down her face.
"I don't know, Rose. Why does it?" Asked the face in the mirror, the woman's matching red hair cascading down in waves.
"What do you want?" Amelia retorted, placing both of her hands on the sides of the sink and leaning forward. "You're the reason I'm like this. Why can't you go bother mom instead?"
"I'm afraid dear Amazon wants me here with you. Olivia is moving in with you tomorrow; so I'm supposed to keep an eye on the two of you."
Amelia was staring at herself, in a sense, seeing as this second 'personality' was truly a figment of her imagination. The woman she was speaking with was a woman who lived many centuries ago, under the same first name as Amelia. In order to prevent confusion, the 'mind' Amelia referred to the physical Amelia as Rose, being it was her middle name. The physical Amelia, or Rose, referred to this figment as Amy. To anyone else it would've seemed like Amelia had multiple personalities, but her family knew the truth.
"You're losing sleep over this, Rose. If you let me, I can bring back all of the memories…" Amelia's eyes widened at the thought of knowing what she did in her past life.
"I'd rather not, Amy." Amelia spoke in a quiet voice while she itched the back of her head. "I've murdered innocent people…"
"Against your own will," Amy told Amelia in a strong voice, not backing down. "Go get some sleep; I'll keep the nightmares at bay."
Amelia nodded and left the bathroom, flicking the light off as she did so. One night, that's all she was asking for. One night away from the horrifying memories of a life that doesn't exist but once did. One night of not thinking about what she's done to people. To think for just one night that she, Amelia Rooney, was an innocent woman without bloodshed on her hands. It wasn't too much to ask for, was it?