Resistance

Chapter One

One

          My head feels like someone poured hot water in through my ear, added a packet of cherry flavour and turned my brain into Jell-O.

            Besides the fact of the pain in my skull and the throbbing in the rest of my body, I start to notice that my face feels like I’m lying in water. I can’t remember what happened; can’t remember anything. Am I drowning? Did I fall into water?

            Only one way to find out.

            Slowly, I pry open my eyes. It takes a minute and as soon as I can see, I groan. My head pounds worse and I feel like I’m going to throw up. The light is blinding, as if I’ve been living underground my entire life.

            There’s a small sound, like a whine. Instantly, I flinch away from it and moan at the pain it causes every part of my body. My back feels like it’s pressed against something flat and when my eyes begin to adjust, I realize that I’m in a house. Before I can wonder if it’s my house or where I am, I zero in on the culprit of my wet face.

            There’s a German Shepard standing a few feet away from me. He watches me, panting, whimpering occasionally when I don’t move. He doesn’t look like a puppy, but he’s not yet full grown.

             “Yuck,” I mumble, using my hand to remove all the dog saliva. “I appreciate you waking me up and all, but maybe you could have nudged me instead?” The dog whimpers, as if to tell me he tried that. “Well, thanks then,” I mutter.

            He sits down and cocks his head to the side, waiting for me to move. Clenching my teeth, I slowly start to sit up. My whole body aches and I gnash my teeth together until I’m leaning against the rainforest-green wall. Looking around, I wait for my brain to give me a memory from this room. I don’t receive one.

            At first, I expect myself to panic considering that I have no memories of anything before waking up two minutes ago. However, I don’t freak out, not in the slightest. How you can freak out over forgetting something when you have no idea what it is?

            When I feel okay enough to get up, I wander around the house. There are no pictures on the walls, no explanations as to who I am or where I stand. The dog follows me everywhere through the house until I pause in the kitchen. On the island counter, sits a small, ripped piece of paper. The words on it are written messily, like they were written in a rush.

            Sloane,

            Went to the 7/11 to get some things for breakfast. Didn’t want to wake you. Be home by nine.

            With love,

            Mom

            Sloane? Who’s Sloane? Am I her? If so, where’s my mom? More confused than before, I automatically give into the familiar urge to check the oven clock. Looking over, the small, red numbers don’t show up. In fact, the small rectangle where the time is supposed to be is completely black.

            Behind me, the German Shepard whimpers.

            “You know, if you could talk, you would actually be useful.” He whines again. “I offended you, a dog?” I exhale loudly and grab the note off the counter. Shoving it into the pocket of the unfamiliar white dress I’m wearing, I make my way around the house again, the dog on my heels.

            The next time I stop is upstairs in a bedroom. I find a wall clock there and check the time. It’s nearly nine in the morning. I look at the note again and decide that whoever’s mom left the note is clearly not home. I’m sure if she was, by now she would have called an ambulance for the girl lying unconscious on her hardwood.