Disclaimer: Original characters belong to Stephanie Meyer. Other characters are mine.

Book I: Echoes of Infinity

Chapter 2: Figuring Myself Out

I hit the ground with my… fist?

Unknown Date, Unknown Place (continued…)

I had hit the ground with my fist—something which should have been an entirely impossible feat for me till last night. What did that imply?

I tried a little experimenting. I lifted my arm and tried to turn my wrist. It felt stiff, as if it hadn't moved in ages, but did not give much trouble. It turned 180 degrees without a hitch. I then flexed my fingers and discovered full mobility there, too.

The stiffness faded as I flexed my wrist—something I'd only dreamed of doing. Freedom tingled up my arm, and for a moment, I sat there, stunned by my own movement and savoured the victory coursing through my veins.

I'd had pronation contracture in my wrists ever since I could remember. I couldn't turn either of my them even 90 degrees before they started hurting. But… if I could now flex it like a normal healthy person and my hypothesis was accurate, I theorised that it could mean my other muscular weakness should also be more or less absent.

Okay… time to be strong. I was ninety-seven per cent sure I was alone within a hundred metre radius, so I'd have to rely on myself.

I took a few minutes to focus myself. Breathing deeply to keep myself calm, I pressed my palms into the soil, one after the other, until they sank a good three inches, anchoring me. I applied pressure to lift my torso and found I could arch my spine with ease.

Pushing the implications aside for the moment, I drew my right knee toward my chest and pushed back with my hands until I was up in a side-sitting position.

I can do it. I will do it. I have to do it. I kept repeating my old childhood mantra in my head, one that I'd used to push myself while exercising.

Finally, after sitting up fully, I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the theories piece together. Three things became clear.

First, I had regained complete muscle control and nearly full flexibility—things I had lost long ago. I could move all my limbs with relative ease, though some stiffness and strain lingered from lack of use.

Second, my spine had regained full mobility. I could now bend, twist and turn with no restrictions. Why mention this? Because I'd had severe scoliosis before, which had required spinal surgery. Most of my vertebral column had been fused into a single bone with metal rods on either side of it for support and stability, severely limiting my flexibility. It was normal procedure for any spinal surgery of that type. Now, I relished in the newfound freedom from that limitation.

And third, somehow, I had ended up in some kind of forest, with no signs of people around. So... what should I do to find my way back to civilization?

I looked around and took a full inventory of my surroundings. Though my knowledge of botany was limited, I could easily recognise the fir and pine trees from previous encounters. Most of the trees were in shades of emerald, pine, and basil green. That suggested either a high-altitude or high-latitude region, in the late spring or summer season.

The ground was carpeted in moss and undergrowth. The smell of wet earth permeated the air. I could hear birds chirping and insects trilling in the background.

And then, I spotted a bag leaning against a tree, a few feet away from me.

Brimming with anticipation, I crawled toward it, still not trusting my legs to support me, and examined it closely.

The bag, though dirty, looked relatively new. It was dark with shades of black and blue, which might be why I hadn't noticed it earlier.

I wiped my mud-stained hands on my pants and unzipped the bag. Inside were a couple of documents and a pair of clothes. Nothing else. I checked the other pockets and found them empty.

I had no idea whose bag it was, but it was possible that the documents could give me some idea of where I was.

I pulled out one of the documents—a birth certificate of a woman registered in Pennsylvania.

Name: Daniella Callista Greenwood
Date of birth: 09/15/1988
Place of birth: Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania
Date filed: 09/16/1988
Mother's maiden name: Madhulata Biswas
Father's name: Christopher Denver Greenwood

Hmm… Indian-American. And she shares my birthday, though not my birth year.

The next document was a California Emancipation Certificate.

STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES

Declaration of Emancipation of Minor

I skimmed over the document. It confirmed the emancipation of the same Daniella Greenwood, who apparently had lived in LA at the time.

Date of Emancipation Order: 10/03/2002
Court Issuing Order: Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles

I guess "Superior Court" must be similar to a district court back in India, I thought.

The court hereby grants the petition for emancipation of Daniella Callista Greenwood as filed under California Family Code Section 7122. This Declaration of Emancipation certifies that Daniella Callista Greenwood is emancipated and is, for legal purposes, treated as an adult under California law, with the rights and responsibilities that accompany adult status, effective immediately as of the date of this order.

Seriously? Emancipated at fourteen? I shook my head. Maybe she was exceptionally smart and independent, or maybe there was a personal reason. But who was I to judge? Whatever you've been through, Daniella Greenwood, it must've been intense.

The last item inside the bag was a US passport. It belonged to Daniella Greenwood as well. I looked over the details, which matched the previous documents.

Surname: Greenwood
Given Name: Daniella Callista
Nationality: United States of America
Date of Birth: 09 September 1988
Place of Birth: Scranton, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Sex: F

I looked over to the photograph on the left side, expecting a stranger's face. But when my eyes settled on it, my throat went dry.

The person in the photograph… was me.

A/N: Hello, everybody! I'm back with the 2nd chapter. So... How was it? Did it live up to your expectations? Do you want more? Please review and let me know, because I will only be able to improve my writing and satisfy you all if I get feedback.

But... if you don't review, I might just kidnap Emmett this time. So, if you don't want that for goofy Emmett, please review! Mwa ha ha ha ;)

Love y'all! Buh-bye!
~Supernatural159