Mad Dreams

The Forgotten Friend

My hands shook as I turned around.

A dirty man with huge muscles stood holding a rake behind me. He looked to be about forty years old. I was preparing what to say in my head. "Um hello, m- my name is Maddie. Nice to meet you." He looked at me strangely. "I know who you are." My heart stopped and blood rushed to my head. What was he talking about? I had never seen this man before in my life!

"You do?" I asked, still shaking. "You're Madison Marshall, my daughter Miranda's best friend."

"Excuse me?" I asked. "Sir, I have no idea who Miranda is." My head spun. Maybe he was confusing me with someone else. "Really? Because Miranda sure knows you." I starred at him. I honestly had no idea who Miranda was. I never had a friend named Miranda my entire life.

"Hey, maybe if you see her you'll remember. Come on inside." I considered this. If I went inside this strange man's house, something bad might happen. What if he made up Miranda to get me to come inside? But once again, the strange tugging feeling took over my body. I walked into the house as if some kind of invisible force was pushing me in.

"Take a seat" he said, pulling out a kitchen chair and patting the seat twice. I sat down as he walked over to the counter and prepared coffee. "Miranda will be here shortly. She usually wakes up around this time." I looked at the clock. "Three p.m.?" I asked. He chuckled. "Uh yes. She always wakes up this late during the summer."

"Does she go to my school?"

"She's homeschooled. Been teaching her myself since 3rd grade."

"Sir, I'm sorry but I have no memories of anyone named Miranda. Did she ever go by another name or anything?"

Without a word, he walked into another room down the hallway. He came out a few minutes later with a picture frame in his hand. He held it out to me and I took it. I choked on air. Hundreds of memories started coming back to me all at once.

"Oh my God.." I spat out and nearly dropped the frame.