Page 127 of Amnesty

“You’re helping him.” I gasped, reaching toward the door handle, wrapping my slick hand around it. “You’re helping him drag me back.”

She smiled. “I’m taking my life back, Lily. Your time as Sadie is over.”

“I’m not Sadie!” I yelled. “I’m Amnesia.”

“No,” she intoned, taking a step forward. “You’rehis.”

If I flung open the door and ran outside, what would be waiting for me? Was I running right into a trap?

What about Eddie? I couldn’t just leave him out there.

Tears flooded my face; blood ran down my hip, saturating my pants. “You can’t really think he’ll only take just me,” I said, trying to get through to her. “He won’t just force me back with him, but you, too.”

She shook her head adamantly, taking a step back. “No. They said… They said if I helped them get you back, then I could stay here. I could have Eddie.”

“They lied,” I cried, a sob bursting from me.

Sadie hesitated, and I launched open the door. “Eddie, help me!” I screamed.

It slipped out of my slick grasp, and Sadie banged it shut again, shoving me sideways into the end of the counter.

With a strangled cry, she lifted the knife again and brought it barreling down. I screamed hysterically and dodged the blade, falling back onto the ground.

Scrambling up, I deflected Sadie as she tried to stab me again.

Outside, I heard Eddie shout my name.

I screamed back.

Suddenly, Sadie stopped attacking me, backed off completely, threw the knife at my feet, and then she bolted out the door.

How long did it take to drown?

How long until all the oxygen was burned up inside your cells? How long until your lungs shriveled and screamed, deflated and died?

It wasn’t quiet down here beneath the surface. Death by Lake Loch was not peaceful. It wasn’t at all how Amnesia explained the way she felt that night, how she floated peacefully, almost blissfully through a dark, quiet universe of tranquility.

Amnesia.

Reality rushed back like a ten-inch needle driven into my spine. Clarity returned, and my lungs hurt so bad I thought even if I got some air, they would still never be the same.

It didn’t matter.

Half dead wasn’t dead. There was still life in me.

There was still fight.

I was the only thing standing between Amnesia and this monster.

He might be strong, but I was stronger.

Using every last bit of energy I had, I twisted my entire body and bucked. His grip loosened just a fraction, and my hand shot up out of the water and claimed a handful of his balls.

I wasn’t above fighting dirty. There was nothing clean about this psycho.

His hold completely dislodged, and I surged up, gasping for breath as I twisted his balls so forcefully my knuckles ached. He screamed and punched at me. I took the blows and held on. His knees buckled, but I twisted harder.

The splash he made was huge. I let him fall, releasing his nads. I took advantage of his pain to deliver a few swift punches to the side of his head, then delivered another against his cheek, the same spot I’d cracked the bone earlier.

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