"Amelia...Amelia..."
I slowly opened my eyes. I can see a white ceiling and smell a relaxing fragrant. I can also hear a faint deep voice calling out my name.
"Thank glad, you're awake." Alexander sighs with relief.
I tried to sit up, but he insist that I should remain laying on the bed.
"What happened earlier? You started falling on your knees and kept on blocking your ears. You also mumbling about something. Are you alright?" he asked.
"I feel a little bit lightweight, but I can handle it."
"You're awake?" the school doctor suddenly entered the room. "What are you feeling right now?" she added.
"She said she's feeling a little lightweight, but she can handle it," Alexander answered.
"Ms. Chandler, this is not the first time that you've experienced this right?"
"Yes. I felt it last night but today it felt a little bit different. By the way, aside from that, you're a psychiatrist, right? Is it possible for a human to alter their memories?"
The doctor does not answer my question instead, she looked at me attentively.
"I see. Is there something from the past that you do not want to remember or too painful for you?"
"There is, but since last night each time I have these flashbacks it is different from what I remember happened in the past."
"Then, it is because you might have altered your memories and this happened to you because you are slowly regaining your memories. The flashbacks that you've been seeing might be a fragment of the memory that you've been forced to forget or the memory itself. How does it differ from the memory that you're used to?"
"Well, there's nothing much. More than an altered situation, I feel I forgot someone. All the flashbacks that I've been seeing are not that different but there is this boy who was always there. I don't know if he hates me or he holds a grudge against me. At the same time, I feel sorry whenever I saw him."
The school bell rang, and the school doctor told us to go back to our classroom.
"If you don't have any plans, you can come with me after class to my clinic. Let's dig deeper with your curiosity."
"Okay, doc."
Alexander and I went back to our classroom.
There were some students but luckily my friends were not there yet. We sat in our respective seats. Alexander still seems to worry about me. He keeps staring at me.
"Will you please stop that, people might misunderstand."
"So? I don't care whatever they'll think, I am just worried about you," he said.
"Why in the world someone like you, Alexander Ross, will worry about me?"
"Does worrying for someone requires a label? Can it be that I was just sincerely concerned about you?" he asked.
"Why? What happened to you, Amelia?" Kei butted in.
"Kei, you're here." I was shocked when I turned around and saw Kei standing so serious behind us. "It's nothing, okay. I just saw a flashback again and fainted. I am okay, there is nothing to worry about," I added, and Kei started to look at me from head to toe still with his serious face.
"What? What do you mean there is nothing to worry about? There is, Amelia! Come on, let's go to the school clinic." Kei grabbed my hand but Alexander stopped him.
"We just came from there, Kei. You should relax." Kei let go of my hand and sat on the seat that is vacant in front of us.
"So, what does the doctor say?" Kei asked.
"She told me to come with her after class to her clinic and look into my case a little closer. Maybe if I go with her, I can remember whatever I have forgotten. Don't you think so, Kei?"
Kei tilted his head with a little bit unpleasant face.
"Why? What's wrong?" I asked him.
"I cannot go with you later. Father asked me to come to the company after class. Oh right! Why don't you tag along with Alexander later?" Kei said with a serious face. "What do you say, Alexander?" he looked at Alexander waiting for his response.
"Kei, enough. Don't bother Alex."
"No, it's okay. I wanted to ask you if I can come along. As I told you earlier, I am worried about you. I cannot just turn a blind eye, Amelia," Alexander answered.
Kei clasped both of his hands. "Then, there is nothing to worry about. Thank you, Alexander." Kei fist bomb with Alexander. "Oh! And don't worry about Jake, I'll help you out later so he will not find out. I have a feeling that if he found out, he will create a fuss again and be so loud," Kei added.
Right after Kei spoke, our friends arrived and they entered the classroom. I just bend my head on the top of the desk and sighed.
Our class continued as usual. We had our lessons and some activities but even though my body was occupied by school activities, my mind still lingers about what happened last night and earlier.
As our school doctor suggested, Alexander and I will tag along with her to her clinic after our class. Right after class, I saw the school doctor pass by the corridor. Both Alexander and me were packing our stuff. Kei looked at me and signed that he will distract Jake and the others.
"Let's go to the ice cream parlor!" Tiffany and Roxanne said.
"Let's go, Amelia," Jake offered.
Alexander passed me a piece of paper saying that he will wait for me at the main entrance of the school. I looked at him and nodded. After that, I created an excuse for my friends.
"I think I cannot go with you, I'm sorry."
"Why?" TIffany, Roxanne, and Jake asked.
"Because I have..." right before I finished my sentence Kei interrupted me and speak. "Do you guys want to visit our company? I cannot go with you as well but if you want, you can tag along with me. Our father gave Amelia an errand that she needs to attend and I need to go to the company as well. So, what do you think?"
The three of them clump at each other while Michael was just watching but Jake also grabbed him to join them.
Jake clears his throat. "Okay, we've made a decision."
"We will..." Tiffany looked at Roxanne. "...go with..." Roxanne looked at Michael. Michael looked at Kei without saying any word while Kei just smiled and realized what Michael's look meant. "Michael, don't be such a bummer. Say it!" the three of them complained to Michael. Michael sighed. "Okay. Okay. We will go with Kei. Are you three happy?" Michael said.
"It's sad that you cannot go with us, Amelia," Roxanne and Tiffany said with down faces. "By the way, what is your errand, Amelia?" Jake asked. Both Kei and I looked at each other. "Look at the time! You'll be late, Amelia. Hurry!" Kei said while he hurriedly pushes me towards the door.
I received a text right after that from Kei. It says that he wants me to tell him about my errand later at home. I hurriedly went to the main entrance of the school, and I saw there Alexander waiting for me.
"Let's go. Ms. Bonsworth is waiting for us."
"Okay." I followed Alexander and a car suddenly stopped in front of us right after we arrived at the school gate.
After a couple of minutes, we arrived at Ms. Bonsworth's clinic. She handed me some questionnaires to answer. After answering the questionnaires, Ms. Bonsworth prepared her camera.
"What is that camera for?" I asked. "I record every session of my patients. It helps me to know my patient more. Do not bother, just talk to me as if the camera's not here, okay."
"So, Amelia Chandler, can you tell me the story that you wanted to avoid? Be direct as much as possible."
"It happened 10 years ago. My father wanted to kill me. Both my mother and my brother died protecting me. My uncle, my father's elder brother, was also killed by my father because he stopped my father from killing his whole family. But my father died along with my uncle. I witnessed that horrid scene and I just wanted to forget everything but there is more than that. I feel that there is someone missing from the scenario may be that little boy who used to play with us."
"Do you know this little boy's name?"
I looked at Alexander for a while and nodded to Ms. Bonsworth. "His name is..." Right before I finished my sentence, I hear a sudden ear ringing again and I felt a massive headache as if my head was about to burst.
I can hear Ms. Bensworth's voice faintly and I can feel her warm hands touching me.
"Amelia, breathe in, breathe out. Listen to me attentively and relax. Close your eyes but keep your mind focused on my voice. Continue to breathe carefully. Now, you'll be in a place surrounded by trees that dances from the cool breeze of the wind, sunlight that pierces from the tree's leaves, and you'll hear the birds humming gracefully. Are you in that place now?"
What in world is this? I am in a place that Ms. Bonsworth described and I can hear her voice.
"Amelia, are you in that place now?"
"Yes."
"Now, look around you. Is there anyone with you? Or any animal around you?"
"I was there alone but I have a stuffed rabbit with me."
"Then, I wanted you to walk forward, Amelia, and tell me if you pass by something or someone."
I walk forward as Ms. Bonsworth's voice orders. I walk for a couple of minutes but there's nothing new, it is just trees and nothing but trees. I took a rest in one of the trees and a lovely white butterfly appeared in front of me. I followed the butterfly and reached a tall willow tree.
"Amelia, what's happening? What are you doing?"
"I followed a white butterfly and we ended in a willow tree but the butterfly is not here now."
"Is there something in the willow tree? How about its surroundings?"
"There was just green grasses. It was only a willow tree here and a picnic mat with a tea set. Looks like someone is having a tea party here."
"Okay, now, can you touch any of those. The mat, teacup, or kettle."
I took the teacup and was about to take a sip when someone snatch the stuffed rabbit in my hand.
"This is mine!" I was shocked and dropped the teacup. I turned around and saw the little boy pouting at me.
"You're bad Cassandra! You promised me and gave this to me but now you are playing with it alone. I hate you!" the little boy said.
"He appeared! The little boy appeared again, Ms. Bonsworth! Ms. Bonsworth?" I cannot hear Ms. Bonsworth's voice.
"Who's Ms. Bonsworth, Cassandra?" the little boy asked.
"It's no one. My friend."
"Wow! Can I meet her? I think she's a good person since she is your friend."
"Y-Yeah, she is. Uhmm... can I ask you something?"
"Sure!"
"How do you know my name? Who are you?"
"Really? Are you out of your mind? I won't tell you. You hide my bunny and now you're asking me weird questions!"
"I'm sorry, okay. I'll let the bunny with you all day. Just answer my question, please?"
"Really? I can keep this bunny all day?"
"Of course, it's all yours!"
"Okay, since you also say the magic word but remember that a promise is a promise, okay?"
"Promise!"
He smiled at me and signed to get closer to him. I do as he say and he whispered to my ear.
"You told me your name was Cassandra Canterbury and my name is Alexander Ross."