Empty Void

Chapter 3 - The Host Family

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My eyes fluttered open, confusion filling my mind. Where am I? I sat up slowly, placing my hands on the soft mattress for support. Wait...whose bed is this? I look around, and I realize that I am in a really cozy bedroom. It looked as if I was in a small cabin, but how did I get here? I tried remembering, hoping I could get an answer to my question. Nothing, no thoughts, just empty. My head started to pound, and I grabbed it with the palm of my hand.

I decided to get up, I needed to find out where I am and who brought me here. However, when I stood up, I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I instinctively sat back down, and I hissed in pain. I looked down and saw that my leg was bandaged, a little of what looked like blood seeping through. The pain went all the way up my leg but decreased after a few seconds.

When did I even get hurt? I don't remember that happening at all. . .

I was not ecstatic about the injury, much less the pain it made me feel. But I decided to suck it up, and I attempted to stand again. However, my injured leg made the rest of my body lose balance, and so I landed hard on the wooden floor. I groaned in pain, and I became frustrated at my incompetence.

I sat up, careful to not move my leg too much. I used the front of the bed frame to help myself up, and I lifted my right leg as I did. I hopped once, twice, but I wasn't making much progress. I hopped again, but I ended up tripping again and I fell down. I grabbed my leg, trying to ease the immense pain that was surging from it.

I heard a door slam. Then, I heard footsteps. I could hear them closer by the second. I started to panic, so I quickly but painfully, stood on my feet again. I limped back to one of the window walls of the room, on the side of the bed. I tried looking around, searching for anything that could be useful as a weapon. I grabbed a pillow. Yeah, right. Because a pillow is totally menacing.

I waited, anxious to know as to who was coming. Finally, the door swung open, and a chocolate color eyed woman came into the room. She looked at me with a surprised look, gently closing the door.

She had wavy black hair -with a few white streaks- pulled up into a small bun. She wore a simple, turquoise overdress, with a pair of embroidered pockets that were filled with what seemed like different kinds of herbs. She didn't seem like a threat, but I did not let my guard down.

She slowly walked towards me, "Hello, um, I see you have woken up. How are you feeling?"

I never separated my eyes from her, and she seemed to notice. She stopped in her tracks, "I know you must be confused, waking up in a stranger's home. But I assure you, corazón¹, the last thing we want to do is harm you."

We? Who is 'we'?

She noticed my hesitation and spoke again. "My name is Julieta," she placed her hand over her chest, "what's your name?"

I opened my mouth slightly, but no noise came out. That's strange, why can't I. . .?

Why can't I remember anything?! W-Why is my mind so blank?!

Tears started running all along my face. "W-why can't I remember?" I whispered.

"You don't remember?" The lady asked, concern showing over her features.

I stayed quiet, my lack of trust -and memory- influencing my every move. I still held the pillow against my chest, ready to throw if she tried anything funny. However, I didn't think I would have to. And even if I did, what good or harm would that do?

"Don't worry," she started," I won't hurt you. My one and only intention is to help you get better." She smiled softly and gestured to my injured leg.

I thought about it cautiously, "I don't know you."