The smell of leftover pizza hits flares into my nose and I groan. My eyes open slowly-everything's blurry and faded, almost like looking through a clouded glass. Taking a deep breath I try to sit up, ignoring the pain in my head. It feels like someone bashed the sides of my brain in. Pain shoots down my spine as I fall back onto the firm mattress. My head swimming and my vision clearing, I start to look around the small room I'm in. The ceiling and walls look like a dirty metal, but you can tell that they've been scrubbed due to the scratches and grooves in certain patches. Almost like someone took a metal scrubby and pushed a little too hard. Mismatched bookshelves line the the walls filled with all sorts of things. Schoolbooks, techy-looking scrap parts, vials of different colored mystery liquids-eve a handful of used-looking laptops and tables. A makeshift lab? Why am I here? My heart speeds up. I can't remember anything. Where am I?-Who am I!?I gasp quietly as my eyes settle on a desk in the opposite side of the room, just a few feet from the closed metal doors, with a figure passed out face first on the desk! But it's not a person...it looks kinda like...a turtle? I shake my head and observe the green skinned turtle person in disbelief, hoping he's just some delusion. My eyes snap shut, with the hope that he'll be gone when I open my eyes again. No such luck, he's definitely real. I spend a couple of minutes staring at the sleeping stranger before trying to sit up again. I'm successful and mentally high five myself. Until I'm hit with a pounding and throbbing pain in my head. It feels like my brain is actually throbbing. Bringing my right hand up I feel a slight tugging on my arm and my eyes jerk in the direction of the unexpected surprise. My eyes widen.
My hand is green! I observe the limb like a foreign object, breathing shakily, trying to keep as quiet as possible. My hand is a bunch of emerald-like shades of green, lined with tiny scales, and I have three fingers instead of the usual five...My eyes wander up my new green arm and I see the source of my original surprise. An IV-looking bag an tube poked into my arm, filled with a cloudy liquid. Okay, what the actual fuck? I might not remember my skin color, but it definitely wasn't green! With my vision clouding from the throbbing in my head, I fall back down onto the mattress, trying to calm myself. Alright, I'm in some lab with little memory of anything. Taking a deep breath, I try to focus my mind on anything-any memory at all. With the pain clouding my senses, I fail miserably and groan in frustration. I remember, not caring if the stranger wakes up. The only thing I can remember without uber-straining my senses is is the voices of a group of people...that could be good, right? I mean, why take the time to IV me if you just wanna kill me? While pondering all of the questions now popping up and echoing throughout my brain, a thought crosses my head that makes my heart jump. If my hand and arm look like it does, then what does the rest of me look like?
I shudder at the thought, glancing over to the still sleeping turtle on the desk. Man, he is out. Gulping, I slowly take a peek down at myself and mentally facepalm myself. During my freaking out, I didn't realize that I was covered in a large fleece blanket..
Steeling myself for what I might look like, toss the blanket aside like ripping a bandage off and start to shake at my new form. More green scales, a plastron-complete with a familiar looking hourglass shape and small breasts, covered by plastron. As I stared at myself I realized you could make out the nub of my breast-not, like, damn put on a bra, but more like oh, you have breasts and not tumors on your chest-area. My eyes continued their downwards trail to find a couple of long green legs, patched over with bandages, and some odd looking feet. Part of me smiles at the fact that I'm bandaged up, and I ease up a little-no way someone would patch someone up just to kill or hurt them. My mind is reeling at the new me, and my hand subconsciously runs through my hair, catching on the curls of my light-brown hair. Another smile-and least I'm not completely bald! After relishing feeling just a touch more normal than just a few minutes ago, I give my toes a quick test wiggle, noticing how similar mine look compared to the bits of the strangers feet that I can see. That thought in mind, my head snap around my shoulder and I frown slightly at the sight. A shell. Smaller looking than the sleeping figure's one, but still, a freaking shell. Great, I'm a giant turtle...thing! Well, I guess this could be worse-hell, I could already be dead by now. At least I'm breathing, right?
Looking back around the room for the umpteenth time, I decide that I should try to get up. I need to figure out where I am and what exactly is going on... Slowly sitting up, I realize that my head wasn't pounding as bad as before. In fact, I'm feeling less achy all over. Maybe the stuff in my arm is some sort of pain reliever. Can turtles take normal pain meds? Dragging my legs over the bed I feel myself grin-with how dead asleep the stranger is I should have no issues just sliding off of the bed and sneaking out of the room!
beep-beep-beep-beep!
Fuck! I fall forwards off of the bed at the sound of the incessant super-loud beeping. The turtle jumped up at the sound of the alarm and started slamming keys on the keyboard in front of him at an almost impossible speed, staring into the blinking computer screen. Within seconds that alarm died out. I carefully dragged myself into a sitting position, shell against the base of my bed and observed him with a small smirk. He didn't even seem to notice that I moved, he was so focused on whatever the glowing screen displayed. Now that he was upright I took note of the fact that he was kinda tall, definitely taller than me. He was also wearing a purple mask and matching belt. I stifled a giggle-he looked like some kinda ninja!
After another ten minutes of the clacking of keyboard keys I cleared my throat. He jumped and stared at me in surprise. I managed a quick wave to him.
"Sorry to bother you," I started as he continued staring me down. "but who exactly are you? And where am I?" He blinked a couple of times and started towards me, a slight blush starting on his cheeks.
"Oh! W-well, my name is Donatello-but my nickname s Don or Donnie." He stated, stopping just in front of me, now grinning. "And no need to worry! You're completely safe now!-this is our home, well not this room. This room is my lab. I would be silly if-"
"Don," I stopped his rant, trying to get up. He seemed pretty nice, but my head is killing me-between that alarm and the sound of others, I need an ibprofen.
"Here, let me help you." Don offered me a hand, which I graciously accepted with a smile. As I stood up, my guess was right-Don was most certainly taller than me. His head started halfway up my own head!
"How are you feeling?' He asked, sitting me down on the bed.
"Sore, tired, confused." I listed as he went back to his desk, grabbing something from a drawer.
"What's your name?" he questioned, sitting in front of me and producing a flashlight. I tried not to snap my eyes shut as he shone a light into my eyes, just like a doctor would at a checkup. well, okay then... I bit my lip and frowned at his query. My heart started pounding in panic. What is my name?
"Ummm..-" I stuttered and looked at the ground, ashamed. How did I forget my name?...What did I do for that to happen...?
"So you can't remember?" He asked quietly. I nodded, a wave of sadness and pang of guilt hitting me hard. What about my family? Do I even have a family? Or friends? What happened to me? A couple of tears fell, and I struggled to keep my breathing at a calm and normal pace.
"Well, what can you remember, miss?" He pushed, putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him and smiled graciously. Yet again, I pushed all thoughts and tried focusing on memories, any strong ones-closing my eyes to help shut all background distractions away. Gotta focus brain, now more than ever. A few images popped up. Looking at a birthday cake, the smell of vanilla hitting my nose.
"I'm 18...I think," I started, more images passing. The feeling of smiling, and bookshelves absolutely full of different books. My heart does a leap. "I like reading..." Corpses and demons pass over my eyes, but I don't jump or anything, instead I smile. "...Horror mostly..." Two images hop into view almost at once, one of a shiny remote controller and glowing screen and another of an old-looking stove. Both make me want to start moving my hands. "...I definitely liked playing videogames and...cooking, I think..."
"Any family?" Don asks. I frown and start to shake my head, that's what I've been trying to focus on...Friends, family loved ones-people who might be missing me. Before I can legitimately shake my head in response, I feel a wave of sadness...of anger...and betrayal? Failure, even. My arms instinctively cross, hands gripping the sides of my shoulders-upper arm area and my eyes snap open.
"Bullying...or...something.." I trail off, catching my breath. Don frowns. Releasing my death grip I look down to my lower inner arms. Scars... So I cut myself, for some reason. I wonder why I would do that? My head snaps back up to Donnie, who's now staring at me, eyes filled with concern.
"...I also remember a voice-wanting to save me?" He smiled at me half-question.
"That was Mikey, my brother. I have three brothers," He held up all three fingers on his left hand. "He found you in a lab that we broke into." My eyebrows raised at that and he coughed. "To save a friend!...anyway we took you back here, to help you heal. You were kinda cut up." He explained, producing a small needle from a table nearby-kinda like a dentist's tray. I eyeballed it.
"Pain relievers." He stated, leaning in. I pulled back, shook my head, suppressing a shiver.
"I don't like needles-I'll deal." That seemed to be enough, because he put the needle back down almost immediately with a nod.
"Sooo, is their any way I can find out how I got like this," I motioned over my body with my hands. "-because I definitely don't remember being a turtle...No offense~!" Don chuckled in response, leaning back in his chair.
"Non taken, miss!...Actually I was able to download some files from the lab you were in, but they're heavily encrypted. I'm currently trying to crack it, but it'll take some time."
"So you have nothing? At all?" I groaned, not wanting to be stuck like this forever. If he gets into those files, we could figure out how to turn me back-and why I was even turned!...maybe even give me more of a clue of who I am...
"So far I've only got a project name-Mona Lisa. Ring any bells?" He asked hopefully. I could tell he was just as curious about this whole thing as I was. But then, I guess you hafta be curious if you have serious brains-Something I must have watched echoed through my skull, mentioning that geniuses tended to be curious.. I frowned and shook my head.
"Other than the famous painting, no." I sighed.
"It's okay." He reassured. "We'll work at it. From what you've told me I'm almost certain that it's a matter of time before you remember everything." He smiled. "Now, wanna get some food?"
"No that's okay." I responded with a gloomy undertone, feeling upset by my lack of memory. Just how long could it take to remember everything? A growl erupted from my stomach, interrupting my thoughts, and my face heated up. Don laughed.
"You know what, on second thought..." I trailed off, partially wondering what turtles eat. He nodded and helped me out of the room. I managed to stand, but I couldn't walk without some help-whatever pain meds I was on earlier must've died down. Exiting the lab, we passed some closed rooms and walked into an open area. Divided into different areas, almost like a house. A living room area, a kitchen area, and some empty area where you could just stretch out or draw or read. As we continued along I realized we were in the sewer. No mistake, pipes, old cement, and dripping sounds galore. I can't say I'm surprised, they are turtles. Where else could they hide?
"Dudette, you're awake!" I heard a familiar voice from behind me. Turning, I saw another turtle standing there. This one was shorter than me, had a more childish facial features and orange bands. I sat down at their kitchen table and smiled back at him.
"Mikey, don't crowd her okay?" Don asked, pulling some plates down from a cabinet.
"Yeah, yeah," Mikey answered, waving his brother off. Within seconds he was sitting across the table from me, well a chair off from directly across me. Don slid a plate in front of me with a piece of pizza and I relaxed a little more. Thank god I don't have to eat something gross, like algae!
"Where's Raph and Leo?" Don asked, taking a seat next to me.
"Still on patrol." Mikey muttered, then turned his attention to me. "Sooo," He started. "What's your name?" He asked me. I frowned and looked down at my plate. The familiar feelings of sadness settling in my stomach. I couldn't blame Mikey though, it is a fair question-and I definitely don't want them calling me miss or it the whole time I'm here.
"Mikey!" Don scolded. I smiled, the gears in my brain turning, if I can't remember a name I'll just hafta make one up. Lightbulb!
"Actually," I started, looking back up to Mikey with a smile. "you can call me Lisa."
