For the third time, I gained awareness. This time I was cautious. My eyes remained closed tightly as I listened closely to my surroundings. A slow, cool breeze rustled the leaves on the trees off to my right. My body still felt like it was on fire, but the ground beneath me was cool and moist against my cheek. I shivered, but not for the cold. I opened my eyes to a dark night on the pavement of a deserted road.
My throat was dry and I felt like a train wreck, but the atmosphere felt more… stable than it had before. Swallowing, I looked at my hand splayed by my face and moved the fingers. They responded. A sigh of relief escaped my lungs at the small accomplishment. Using my shaky strength, I pushed myself away from the ground and stood. The world tilted and lurched around me as I swayed on my feet, limbs outstretched as if I were a foal attempting its first wobbly steps on uncertain legs.
Strands of silvery blonde hair fell in my face, tickling my skin. I breathed in the scent of rain, making the woods to my left smell earthy and rich. Pure joy rose in my chest and I couldn't quite stifle the urge to laugh. Everything felt so real.
Once the initial euphoria of the situation faded, I realized that I still remembered nothing. With that revelation, the world came crashing down on me. Where did I live? Where was my family? Where was I? My blood ran cold. What had happened to me? My first words escaped my mouth.
“What’s my name?” Utter despair welled up in me. “Oh god,” I moaned wretchedly, running chilled, moist hands through my hair.
I had a vague memory of white lights, darkness and panic but I couldn’t even remember what had happened prior to waking up here. I searched further into my surroundings, trying to jog my scant memory. As I turned, my foot collided with an object on the ground. When had that gotten there? Uncertainly, I looked around for the owner of the bag before coming to the conclusion that it must have been mine. Suspicion ran rampant through me as I stared at the offending object. Sighing in resignation, I sat down next to it and opened it up. Inside was a wallet, a flashlight, a set of keys, a cell phone and a note. The note immediately set off alarm bells in my head, starting to feel like I was the victim in a well-crafted horror movie.
Finally, and with a frown, I took the slip of paper from the bag and flipped it open.
Your apartment is No. 54; floor five in the Taurus Building. Call a cab with the number listed below and the keys I left should gain you access. Your garage number is 6 and everything should have been taken care of. In the morning you will attend the local High School, directions are on the counter. I’m sorry I can’t help you anymore than I have.
Nothing but a local cab service phone number and an address was included at the foot of the note. Trepidation soured my stomach. There was no mention of who had written the note or, more importantly, why. None of this was in the least of ways making me feel any better about my situation. I could be walking to my death, but what did that prove? While I had so few facts, I couldn't judge where I stood or what made sense. The whole thing sounded pretty shady, but what else did I have? While I knew nothing of the world around me, I'd have to trust the anonymous writer. The thought didn't exactly inspire me with confidence and warm feelings.
Saving my despairing thoughts for another time, I snatched the wallet out of the bag. The leather sheen wasn't as worn as I thought it should have been if it was really mine. I felt like I was holding someone else's belongings and not my own. Prying the wallet open, I first searched for photos- real evidence that these things were meant for me would have been nice. Instead, I counted about two thousand dollars in cash and a visa card. Surprise nearly stopped my heart, and I had to count again to make sure.
Who was I, if I could confidently carry such a sum of money around? Two thousand dollars. That number felt so alien to me, so strange. It didn't take me long to wonder why. I quickly closed that part of the purse with shaking hans and searched through the documents in there instead, a rising sense of panic blocking out the thought of money.
I searched for ID. In a clear plastic compartment was my driver’s license. Printed in type was the fact that I was sixteen and my name was… I fished for the flashlight and shone it on the small card. My name was Blaise Anthony. In vain I waited in the darkness, anticipating something that would never come. I had hoped for a flashback or something, anything, but still my memories remained mercilessly blank.
Blaise Anthony was a bizarrely beautiful girl. Her silvery blonde hair didn’t strike me as normal, nor did the perfection of her skin- or the bright violet of her eyes. Even so, I couldn't tear my eyes off of her. While it was obvious that she was breathtaking, I couldn't help but feel wary of her. There was something shut off about the girl, as though she only allowed people to take her at face value. It made me feel like she was trouble, and no amount of beauty could hide that fact.
But she's you, I reminded myself, taken aback by my assessment. Maybe I was just looking too far into it. My stomach was doing acrobatics, twisting hard enough that I wanted to puke. What did I have to hide, anyway? My head spun as I realized that I might have more to hide than even I knew.
Frustrated, I stuffed the contents of the wallet back in and took out the cell phone. There were no contacts but it was fully charged. I dropped the hand that held it back into my lap. It was as if I had literally just appeared here, on earth, for the first time. That couldn't be true. I gritted my teeth and tossed the phone back in the bag.
Against my better judgment, I decided to call a taxi. While I waited I counted cars, if only to stop my head from spinning off my shoulders, and got to a total of two.
To my utter delight, it started to rain. Within fifteen minutes, I was dragging extra weight and my teeth chattered. The earlier burning sensation had long left my body, leaving me more chilled than ever. I sighed, feeling drained and weary as the taxi finally pulled up. Silently, I climbed into the back seat, keeping my bag clutched tightly in my hands.
“Taurus Building, please.”
Not for the first time, I wondered what I was doing, abiding by blind faith and following the instructions of the letter.
It soon hit me how small this town was, if the taxi driver knew the building by name. The ride was silent and long. Few street lamps lit the roads and were only slightly more common than houses. I was left alone in my mind, so I closed my eyes and listened to the darkness.
“All of this hassle, and for what?”
“You have to realize that your actions have consequences.”
“It's a little much, don't you think?”
“You tell me. Does the punishment fit the crime?”
Staring at the back of the taxi drivers head, I quelled the nausea that racked my body.
“I’m sorry?” I asked, hesitantly.
“I didn’t say anything,” He answered gruffly.
My mouth clicked shut audibly. Would it have killed him to at least be a little friendlier? My eyes stung with exhaustion, offense and fear. I just wanted to be somewhere that I knew, with people I was close to. Honestly, just huddling up in a quilt and feeling the reassuring warmth pressed around me while I slept would do wonders for my mentality.
For the rest of the ride, I concentrated on keeping my eyes open.
***
The Taurus Building was among a ton of other grey, uniform apartment blocks. I paid the taxi driver and slid out onto the sidewalk, my backpack slung over my shoulder. Apprehension had me standing in the rain for a little longer than I had planned. What was I walking into? I fished the note out of my bag once more and smoothed it out between my hands. It was my silent assurance, though I didn't know what of, as well as the source of the sense of foreboding I felt.
I didn't detect anything menacing about the wording, nor a foreshadow of things to come. It was to the point and clear, which made me question it even more. Finally, I tucked the note back into my jeans and decided to go in. Unless I wanted to stand outside all night, I had to do something, even if I wasn't totally at ease with it.
I stepped into the entrance hall and gaped at the lavishly furnished interior. Everything screamed expensive in here.
Despite my nightmare of a night so far, I actually smiled, albeit with a certain edge of anxiety. There was no one in the entrance way as I stepped into the elevator. I felt like each step that I took was determining what route my future would take. My heart rate would not come back down. The fifth floor was quiet and there were few doors along the hallway. I passed each one with caution, my grip outlining my knuckles with white on my bag.
I came to apartment number fifty-four and listened carefully. There was movement inside, and a faint jingling. The key was cool in my hand, but I wasn't sure if I had the guts to actually open the door. I touched the note again and took solace in the fact that someone may have been looking out for me.
With just enough courage summoned, I inserted the key and twisted it. Hearing the resounding click inside of the door I turned the knob and let it swing open.
It was dark inside, but before I could even step over the threshold to make out the rest of the apartment, something furry shot toward me, tackling me to the ground. I panicked, a breathless yell was knocked out of my chest as I landed with a thud against the ground. The sheer weight of the dog had me pinned under it and I waited for the tear of teeth, or something equally as horrifying.
Instead, a rough pink tongue lapped at my face as I fought to push the dog away. The warm moisture against my skin brought feeling back into my frozen skin. Shaking with relief and residual terror. I managed to get it an arm's length away long enough to see that it was a huge German shepherd. His furry muzzle smiled back at me as his over-sized body wriggled with joy. I couldn't help but give him a shaky smile. That type of innocent happiness was so difficult to deny.
Still wrought with the remains of my worry, I reached over and stroked his velvet ears. Comfort spread through my fingers and warmed my body.
"You're a beautiful baby," I told him.
A flash of white had me reaching for his neck until I took a hold of his collar. I pushed away the fur from the note and pulled it out and unrolled it, letting the dog flop down on the floor with his head in my lap. As he gazed at me adoringly, I let my hand rest on his huge head, and read the next piece to my puzzle.
This is yours. Take care of him, you must take him everywhere with you. He has papers and a service dog harness that he has to wear when you go out. You have to take him to school with you, too.
There was still no sign of who was writing the letters. I looked down at the dog again, letting my head tilt to one side. "Can you tell me who's writing these?" I asked, showing him the small slip of paper.
The dog lifted his head from my lap, seemingly contemplating his answer as he looked curiously down at the note. He pressed his nose against it and sniffed. I had to pry his jaw back open to get the ravaged piece of paper once he deemed that it must be something to chew.
"No, silly boy," I laughed and pocketed what was left of the note.
Alright, then. I thought as I got to my feet, the dog watching my every movement with his soft eyes. I shook my head and scratched behind his ears with a smile as he wagged his tail. Reopening the door, I flicked on the lights and stared at the interior of my apartment.
A gasp of astonishment accompanied the light change as I looked at the clean, expensive and modern apartment. The design was simple and elegant, in tones of black and white. It was like my dream apartment. Was this a dream? It sure felt like one. I took one look down at my new companion and he looked back up at me. His muzzle widened in a white-toothed yawn.
“I’m with you on that one buddy.”
I stepped inside and took one look at my phone. It was three in the morning and I groaned at the prospect of school. Whatever, if I was too tired, I wouldn’t go, simple as that. With a wide yawn, I located my room and changed into pajamas- my size, exactly in the way I would fold them and organize them- and climbed into bed. It was warm and so, so comfortable.
One thought reminded me of how strange this all was. Whoever was writing the notes and setting up my life must have known me well, unless I'd lived here before. How else could everything be in what I thought was perfect order?
The dog leaped up onto the bed and stretched out alongside me. It was comforting to have someone else with me, even if it was a nameless canine. I laid a hand on his flank, taking relief in the way it rose and fell.