I pounded my fists at the doors, my knuckles aching at the blows. "What are you doing? Let me out!" I demanded, twisting the doorknob frantically. But my attempts were in vain; the entrances were locked. I didn't want to face the truth - something was here with me. My hands trembling and pale, I turned around slowly. My suspicions were confirmed; the creatures in the barn were not natural.

There were about twenty of them, staring blankly at me with a clueless expression on their gruesome faces. Their hair was tangled and filthy, and their skin was pale and flushed. Their eyes were glazed over, their mouths hung open, their clothing was tattered and ripped, and they walked with a slow, lagged shuffle. \

The creatures trudged closer, moaning with each step. I felt my palms start to sweat as I tried to process what was happening. What were these things? Another question to add onto my list. It was hard enough not knowing who you were, and now this? I looked around for an exit, anything - I needed a miracle. The creatures' mouths were gnashing, as if they wanted to eat me, and any exit offered was definitely appreciated.

A ladder led to a rim surrounding the creatures' domain, and it was directly to my right. I bolted for it, and I scrambled up the wooden pegs as fast as I could, throwing myself onto the rim. I panted heavily and pushed my bangs out of my sweaty forehead, glancing down at the monsters. They were gripping the ladder with their horrible, gnarled fingers, but they couldn't lift themselves up to climb it.

I sighed in relief and looked around for any other sign of escape, hoping I could find a window or another ladder. Luckily, there was a window around the rim big enough to climb out of. I carefully edged to the no-pane window, pushing myself over it to the other side. Sweat beaded at my forehead with concentration as I grasped the barn's loose planks and lowered myself to the grass.

Dawn had broken as I was in the barn, the sky streaked with pink and orange pastels. The sun had already begun to trickle over the world, its warmth tingling my body from head to toe. A white house was basking in the glow away from the barn, shimmering in its light. I figured there must be someone living there, because it was in perfect condition and someone had attacked me last night.

I started for the house, my feet crunching against the soft summer grass. Birdsongs echoed in the distance, announcing the morning to any who would listen. I wanted to relish it all, but there was so much left unanswered. I was tired, and hungry, and I still couldn't remember anything. I walked up the creaky, wooden steps and lifted my fist to knock on the door. I took a deep breath and hit the door, hoping for the best.

The door opened slowly, and a man's face peered cautiously through the small crack. "Who are you?" He asked, his face hard and cold. "I-I don't know." I stammered, and his face turned from unforgiving to perplexed. "Rick!" The man called, turning to look inside the house.

Another resident of the house appeared, a smile on his face. It quickly disappeared as he laid his eyes on me. "Daryl, who is this?" Rick asked, a suspicious tone in his voice. "I don't know. She says she doesn't know either." Daryl shrugged. Rick nodded at Daryl in dismissal, and Daryl left. "You don't know?" Rick raised an eyebrow. "No. I woke up here on the farm, and I had no clue where I was or who I was. Someone pushed me into the barn, and it was full of these weird things. I escaped in time though, but I'm really confused." I explained, trying not to cry as every word I said made me feel hopeless. "Please come inside." Rick said, formal but gentle at the same time.

I nodded, and stepped through the door. The house smelled delicious, like baking apple pie and cinnamon. I took a deep breath, trying to connect the smell with some of my memories. Unfortunately, it didn't work. It did smell pretty good though.

Suddenly, a pretty brunette woman poked her head into the room. "Rick, honey, what's happening ...?" She was cut short as she noticed me. Her face softened as she said gently, "Oh, hello." I was happy to see someone's kind face in this turmoil instead of the usual passive looks I'd been receiving. "Hi." I managed a weak smile. The woman looked at me with sympathy, and she introduced herself. "My name is Lori. I'm Rick's wife." I wished I could tell her who I was, but I didn't regain that information yet. Lori grabbed Rick's elbow and pulled him aside. They whispered in hushed tones for a few moments until they turned back to me.

"How would you like some dinner here tonight? We'll give you a chance to rest up." Lori asked, giving me a friendly smile. Her green eyes flickered with kindness, and I felt reassured immediately. "Thank you so much ... I can't even tell you how much this means to me ..." I tried to hold the tears back, but they came flooding out in a waterfall nonetheless. Lori laid a gentle hand on my shoulder, guiding me down a hallway. "You're very welcome. Here's the bedrooms, there's one at the end of the hall that's free. Tell me your name as soon as you remember, okay?" I nodded, and Lori left me with my bedroom. I opened the door and flung myself down on the bed. I hadn't laid down for more than a minute when I fell asleep.