Chapter 1
An accident happened. I’m not sure when, how or what happened, but something did. I woke up in a hospital bed with stitches in my side and no memory of what happened before I arrived there.
2 days later, I was let out of the Oxford children’s hospital. I tried to ask my parents what had happened but they just ignored the question or changed the subject. That was puzzling. Something must of happened but just what that was, I have no clue. My whole world is different, I have lost all sense of reality. I have no idea what is true or false, right or wrong, real or fantasy.
My mind was racing, from the time I left the hospital, with all the possible outcomes of my life. The thought that kept coming back was that these were not my real parents. That they kidnapped me from the hospital, like many other people I have heard of. But that can’t be true, can it?
I started school again, 1 week after my “accident”, that was all I was told. My “best friend”, as she put, showed me around the school as if I was the new kid. I felt lost, alone. Like no-one cared enough to just tell me what was going on, why everyone was acting so strange.
The first 2 lessons went by in a blur. They were so boring and I didn't get any of what the teachers were saying, I had forgotten everything I had previously learnt. Mrs Waltcaster, my math teacher, was explaining some complicated algebraic formula and picked on me to answer one of the questions.
"Sorry, Miss, I don't understand what you are saying. If someone else could answer then maybe I could learn?" I asked her
"Absolutely not! If you are not going to pay attention in class then you will get a lunch time detention!" Mrs Waltcaster screeched.
Everyone was laughing as I went up to the front to collect my detention slip. I was so embarrassed, I wanted a hole to open up in the floor and swallow me up. That couldn't happen though, right?
I went to my lunch time detention, the room was dusty and damp. It was filled with all the children who get at least 5 detentions a day. I walked in and handed my detention slip to the teacher, as I turned around I slipped on something on the floor. I was falling fast, as soon as I hit the floor I knew my stitches had come undone. I was screaming at the top of my voice, using all the energy I had, to get someones attention. That's when the people who played the joke on me realized what a bad idea it was. They rushed over to check if I was okay, when they looked around they saw the pile of blood on the floor.
I must of passed out because the next time I woke up I was in the hospital. I could've sworn that my parents faces were different, then I blinked and they went back to who they were before. It was just a trick of the light, as I was still sleepy from the anesthesia they gave to re-stitch my wound, right?
Once I got home, my parents said they needed to tell me something. I got excited, they were finally going to tell me the truth, after putting me through hell. My brother, Adrian, was holding a box, something was moving inside it but I dismissed it.
"We got you a support dog." My mum said handing me the box.
My dad saw the disappointed look on my face, "We can take it back if you don't want it. The doctor recommended it to help you settle back in. "
"No, keep it. I just thought you were going to tell me something else."
"What else, darling?" My mum asked.
"Oh just some things about my accident. It doesn't matter though." The relieved look on their faces when I said 'it doesn't matter' was enough to tell me to shut up and to not mention it again.
I went up to my room, leaving the dog with my parents. I shut the door behind me and locked it. Once I was sat on my bed, I opened up Facebook on my phone. The newest post was put up yesterday, it was about a girl about my age, who went missing just over a week ago. Her name was August World, my name is Patricia Filange, for everyone that didn't know. It couldn't be me, she looked an awful lot like me, though. I said I would volunteer to help find the missing girl.
I couldn't sleep that night. There was too much going on in my head. Too many unanswered questions. I needed the answers so badly that I decided to go and look through my parents secret drawer in the kitchen. It was drilled into me that I could not, under any circumstances, open that drawer. But I thought now was an exception. As I got downstairs I looked at my watch to see the time. I realized too late that my parents weren't asleep, it was only 10:30pm.
"Patricia, what the hell are you doing up at this time of night!" My mother screeched so loud that I was sure the whole street could hear her.
My dad gave me a glare, if his eyes had lasers I would be chopped up 10,000 times by now. I had to make up an excuse fast. But what would be convincing enough? Would they believe me? I had to try.
"I was just getting a drink." I said clearly and confidently
They looked relieved. It had worked.
"Oh, good. Hurry up to bed and I will bring you a glass of water in a minute." My mum said softer and gentler.
I ran up to my room and slammed the door shut. I had to get into that drawer, but how?
