Experiment Number One (Slow Updates)

Chapter Eight

"Baby, wake up." I opened my eyes but everything was blurry. I couldn't focus right. The soft voice above me belonged to a woman, but two people were there.

A deeper voice said, "What do you want to do today-" The name. He said it. My name. What did he say, though? What is it? What is my name and why can't I remember it? The man reached down and ran his rough hand over my smooth stomach, prompting me to get up.

"What did you call me?" I asked.

"I called you by your name, sweetheart. What else would I call you?" They giggled together, and the man, my father I think, grabbed the woman, my mother's, hand. They held hands and smiled at each other.

"What is today?" I asked quietly, in a young voice.

"Darling, today is your ninth birthday! Would you like to celebrate?" I thought for a moment. This must be a dream. How else could I not even know my name? That's silly. My little body sat up in bed, stretching. My vision cleared a little and I saw some details in my room. Certain things stood out, like the crazy-hair collector's barbie doll that I refused to leave in a box, or the outfit of jeans with iron-on flowers, a blue t-shit that said "Social butterfly" with the picture of a butterfly on it, and underwear.

"How about you change real quick and then come downstairs?" my mother said. I nodded my head and changed. Walking down the stairs, I passed the refrigerator. There was a paper held up by a magnet that said, "Emergency Contacts." My eyes looked over the paper, not really focusing on it but catching, "Home phone: 312-388-4483 Grandma's house: 312-098-32" I didn't catch the last part of grandma's number. Oh well.

Wait a minute. I looked away from the paper and tried to recite my home number in my head, knowing I knew it by heart at age nine. I couldn't think of it, so I turned back, but the paper was blurry again.

"What was it? 312-398-4483? No, something's wrong. It's, uh, 312-388-4483. Right? Yes, that must be it," I mumbled quietly under my breath. The paper was clear again and I saw that I did have the number right.

"Hun, you alright?" Ma asked. I jerked up and pushed off of whatever I was sleeping on. Make that whoever. I'd fallen asleep with my head in Jace's lap. The television was on, but Jace was looking at me instead.

"Uh yeah. Fine," I answered. I wasn't sure that I was fine, though. Something was bugging me in the back of my head, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"You were sleeping and then you started twitching around and mumbling numbers," Jace said, smiling at me.

"Numbers? What numbers?"

"Uh, 312...38 something," he said.

"Of course! 312-388-4483! Oh my gosh. I remembered it! I remembered it!!" I said enthusiastically. That's what was bugging me. "Ma, can I use your phone real quick?" She handed it to me.

"Take your time," she said with a smile. I dialed the numbers, hoping I didn't mess them up. The phone rang about five times, but I refused to give up.

"No, I told her I'd call her back later. Hello?" A woman answered the phone, and someone was talking in the background. A man, from the sound of it. She had a soft, deep voice, but she seemed tired.

"M-mom?" I asked. The other side was quiet.

"Carla?" she asked, stunned.

"Uhm, can I tell you something without you freaking out?" The woman on the other end seemed stunned, and trying to hold back from believing what she was hearing.

"Sure," she said, hesitantly.

"I don't know my name. I am seventeen years old, I think. I was kidnapped when I was fourteen, and my family didn't know where I'd gone. I think they believe I ran away, but it's been a long time. I'm not sure if this is the right number, but I had a...I remembered it and I think it's my old home phone number. Am I calling the right place?" I asked, hesitant as well but still wanting to find my family. It was worth it.