Page 51 of Amnesty

I’m not Sadie.Just like Widow West said.

He doesn’t love you.The vile echo cracked through my mind, and I flinched.

“Hey,” Eddie murmured, brushing at my hair. “It’s okay.”

It wasn’t okay. Nothing I thought I knew was right. Was anything?

“If I’m not her, then who am I?” I pulled back and looked up at Eddie.

He cupped my cheek, and I pushed my face into his palm. “Amnesia,” he answered. “My Amnesia.”

Across the room, Sadie made a sound. Eddie jerked away from me, going to her immediately. She started crying before he reached her, and I watched him wrap his arms around her.

I stared at them for long moments, trying to wrap my head around even just an ounce of this.

I heard her voice, tried to listen to what she said, but I was lost in my own head, in my own world.

Again, I looked around the room, seeing things that were familiar to me, and succumbed to a sudden entourage of emotion that drained me instantly.

This place was so vile.Sohorrible.

I’d prayed to die down here more than I prayed for escape. Pain echoed through my body, especially where my arm was snapped and on my back where I’d been whipped.

Suddenly, a loud cry broke out over the room. Someone started yelling,Stop, please stop! She’s going to die!

This is all your fault, Sadie.

All. Your. Fault.

The whistle of leather cutting through air and then the sharp slap it made against skin was distinct. I fell to my knees as pain unlike any other befell me.

Someone was screaming, writhing in pain, but the beating just went on.

You’re next, Sadie,he intoned.You’re next if you don’t shut up.

Vomit burned the back of my throat. I felt it hurl up through my body and eject from my mouth. My knees felt scraped and raw, but the pain was subdued compared to the pain in my back.

I heaved again, reality clashing with memory. I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t. I didn’t even know who I was.

“Who am I?” I asked and then heaved again, the vomit burning as it came up. It hurt so bad my lungs felt even they might collapse.

You’re mine,a deep voice intoned.You’re no one’s but mine.

“Amnesia!” Eddie pleaded. “Jesus, please.”

“Eddie?” I asked, lifting my head. It felt I was coming out of my coma all over again. Confusion and light warred within me. I coughed.

“Am, baby, it’s okay. You’re out now. You’re out of that twisted cave.”

“What?” I moaned.

“You’re here with me. No one’s going to hurt you. Cross my heart.”

“Hope to die,” I whispered. “You will be forever mine.” The words, though I spoke them, calmed me. Probably because those were Eddie’s original words.

I felt his hands in my hair. Everything seemed to come back, realign. I no longer felt I was on the world’s best (or worst) tilt-a-whirl. Opening my eyes, I saw Eddie above me, the sun at his back, black curls glistening and ruffled in the wind.

I felt myself smile up at him. “What happened?” I asked, sitting up.

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