MATT

I heard a crack in the air and I winced. A pain shot through my shoulder and I let out a gasp as I fell to my knees, clutching the area of burning pain tightly. I could feel the blood trickle from my arm, but paid little attention to that part. The pain is what got me.

"Matt! I can't believe it's you! Matt!" Who… was that? She embraced me for a moment, and then began to examine me. I could feel her eyes washing over me, studying me as if I were a lab rat.

When I looked up at her, a whirl of images flashed through my head. I felt dizzy. Although it could have also been caused by the loss of blood, who knows? I blinked and turned my gaze from her. Who was she? She was the one who haunted my dreams. But, how did I know her?

I could hear conversation, but ignored it. The pulsing pain in my head was giving me troubles. I knew this blonde from somewhere. It troubled me, and memories… Or were they dreams?.. Flashed through my head at a fast pace.

"Matt. It's going to be alright." I heard her whisper to me as she once again held me in her arms.

Somehow, I had the feeling I longed to be embraced by her. But at the same time, I was frightened. I felt strong hands, and hers, lift me to my feet as gently as possible. She took my arm, put it around her shoulder and hoisted me up, helping me walk. Odd, how such a little woman such as she could lift me and help me to the vehicle.

Once we were inside, me and the strange blonde woman in the far back seat, I glanced around at the strange faces. A black haired woman-(I knew her from somewhere too.)- a Hispanic male, an African American, and a young child. They all looked back at me, expecting something, or feeling very suspicious of me.

I looked over at the blonde as she wrapped a cloth tightly around my shoulder to stop the bleeding. Who was she, and why was she helping me?

"Give me that blanket." She commanded the little girl and a cotton blanket was handed back to her. "Here… You must be freezing." When she offered me the blanket, I jerked, trying to get away from her. "It's alright, Matt. Your safe now."

"Matt? Is… Is that my name?" I asked, looking at her in confusion.

She looked hurt as she stared into my eyes. "Do… Don't you remember anything? Do you remember me?"

I thought about it for a second, then shook my head. "I don't know anything before… before waking up." I looked out the window at the destroyed city. "What happened?"

"Don't worry about that right now. You'll find out. Later." She told me as she put the blanket around me. I didn't move, just stared out the window.

"Drive." The strange black haired woman commanded the driver and we were off moments later.

After about a half hour of silence, I began asking questions. I soon learned the names of the group in the car. The driver was who they called LJ, the Hispanic looking passenger was Carlos Olivera. The child who periodically looked back at me with an encouraging smile was Angela Ashford. And the angel sitting beside me, who held my hand in hers (I think more for herself than me), was Alice.

Me? I was Matthew Addison, Matt for short. Alice told me about the Umbrella corporation, and how I was once an environmentalist trying to bring them down for illegal research in a place called "the hive." I didn't remember any of this, but I was learning fast. Images ran through my head. I thought they were dreams at first, or something I'd read in a book. But no… I was learning they were flashes of memory. Chunks of my history that had eluded me and left me in confusion.

I was still confused, yes. But I spent time trying to sort out the pictures and voices. I still had no idea really who I was. Things were mixed and jumbled, even memories of Alice plagued me. I found that when I relaxed and the images began playing throughout my head, I had a tendency of giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

She merely smiled and squeezed mine in return. She so badly wanted me to remember things and she tried to help me the best she could. But in the end, I was left even more lost and confused than before. Sleep… I needed sleep… Maybe resting would calm my nerves and help me sort things out.

I leaned over and rested my pounding head on the cool glass window. Closing my eyes, I gave into my exhaustion and bathed in the warmth of the heater and blanket.

"Sleep well." I heard Angie's voice as she looked back at me. Such a sweet little girl. Too bad that ass hole had killed her father in order to get to Alice… Wait how did I-………. Sleep overtook me.