My first level of consciousness, of awareness came to me with a spasm, unnoticed by the voices of this lab, with its stale air, my eyes felt welded shut, a fact that I struggled with. Fought against, in a battle of the mind versus the body, I was determined to win.
"Her signals are stabilizing-" 'this voice sounded nervous, afraid.' I thought, silently listening to the conversation, forming my own opinions and thoughts with each word.
"Will she remember anything?" 'The man who the second voice spoke calmly, but even in my semi-conscious state, sounded intimidating.'
"She shouldn't, but- we'll never know for sure until-" 'This man's voice was so unmanly, it was funny.'
"Okay. I'm going to ask you one last time. Will she remember anything?" 'There was a short pause between each word, a vain attempt to control his temper I figured.
"No. No! Sorry-miscalculation" 'Are they talking about me? What's this about not remembering anything?' my thoughts were getting more serious as this conversation continued on.
"That's what I wanted to hear. Now, if you're correct, your payment will be delivered tomorrow. If not…" The voices blended all together in an uncomfortable mess. A raw animalistic scream erupted from my burning throat. Then the pain suddenly cleared, and I could finally examine my surroundings in clarity.
A grin within the white, seemingly bleached, bare room was all my now less cloudy eyes could focus on. A pale grey dressed man stood, watching, staring, waiting, just meters from me.
Briefly, I wondered if a steamroller had run over my head, the throbbing pain in my temples, acting as a poison.
A shrill ringing sound blocked out the words that were trying to form in my brain.
"Alice? Can you hear me?" 'He was the man who had sounded so intimidating' I realised with dissatisfaction. The noise however made me snap out of my haze, my jaw clenched shut, my nails ripping into the… the leather, a word formed in my brain, as if it were given to me, the leather handle of my chair- was also white.
It seemed I wasn't the only one that recognized the slow clearing of my brain, as if a mass of cobwebs were slowly being swept away. Surprisingly his smile grew wider, I hadn't thought that would be possible. "Alice." 'The man's voice portrayed the demand of an answer. It was not so much of a question this time. Something in this man's voice… I couldn't find the exact words.
"Welcome home, Alice" The man beamed greatly, as if he had been anticipating something- and that something has finally arrived. With his arms opening wide, and his mouth showing as much teeth as humanly possible, he pulled me into a hug. In which in my state of shock, sent my body slipping from the chair, smashing my head into the cold, stone floor.
Some time later, I woke up confused. Again. This time, however the confusion only lasted a few seconds. My awakening ran through my battered mind, stuck on instant replay, as if my mind was a scratched record.
Attempting to access my memories, I found out they were frighteningly, beyond my reach. It felt wrong. Like someone had broken into my mind, and wiped out my entire collection of memories. My memories, taken from me against my will. I hadn't even remembered my own name, until the man told me. It felt like my identity as a person had been taken from me. Someone had taken it away from me. Like everything else. Everything that made me… me.
With tears leaking from my eyes, I desperately squeezed them shut, trying in vain to remember anything. My mum and dad, if I had siblings. My best friend, even a pet. I was desperate to remember something. Sighing, I tried again. My fear intensifying with every failed attempt.
Nothing. An empty vault stared back, its contents scribbled out, out from of existence. I had the urge to scream at that second, a secret wish, I almost carried out.
Almost.
Hours turned into days, days turned into weeks, and I had finally found my memories. Well. Not quite, told, more like it, but either way I was ecstatic to be told anything about my former life at that point.
I'm still not exactly sure of the details from my accident, but what I do know is, that Oroku saki- the one who first met me on the wakening, saved my life. That was enough motivation for me to be doing what I am today. First, I had to sharpen up my skills-this included training in the art of ninjitsu, something I had already partially learned- and by 'sharpening' I mean it took three months of brutal, white knuckling, agonising pain.
Thank god it was actually worth something.
Then it was my time to be the teacher.
Life isn't so bad- sometimes I get a few jokesters in my class that I get the pleasure to shut up. Other times, on the other hand the only sounds that come out of their mouths are screams of the pain of my training. I think I prefer the jokesters honestly. Apart from my pupils, there are always those two weirdoes, some kind of experiment gone wrong most likely. Xever and Chris Bradford. I'd probably be terrified if they didn't look so ridiculously lame.
Sure they stomp around like they own the bloody place and sure I sit miles underground-without a minute of sunlight, but one thing I can hold over their heads is the knowing that this can't go on forever. And one day, I'll be the ones stomping over their heads.
And then, well then there's Karai. Words do not even begin to describe how much I despise of that girl, all churned up with a nice slab of jealousy. It's a little harder to ignore her like I do with the whatshisname dog and the tuna. Mainly it's her freedom that she waves over my head, but then I suppose theirs the other fact that her words to me make me want to smack that stupid smirk right of her face. Which, of course I would do in a heartbeat, if it weren't the fact that she is regrettably Shredders daughter. The one person in this whole dammed building I actually do respect.
But one thing I can be sure of-something is changing. Something is in the breeze that I've never felt before, something fishy in the air-and I'm not talking about that stupid fish either. Something's going to change-and I've got a feeling I'll be the one there to witness it.