Fatal Red Lips

Chapter 1

Cara's POV

All around me is a fuzzy blur. Like white noise that irritates the mind. I can't see anything but I can hear. There's also a beeping noise around me, like a hospital monitor. 

My eyelids flutter and finally open. Wherever I am is white everywhere, bright white, too bright to keep my eyes open. My lids shut quickly and I regret opening them in the first place.

But I want to know where I am.

Once again my eyelids flutter open and this time I blink a few times, trying to adjust to the brightness around me.

There are people walking around in scrubs and long white coats.

Where am I?

Then it hits me, I'm in the hospital. There's a needle in my arm, I'm in a bed with a polka-dotted gown covering me.

How did I get here?

I hear shuffling around me and look up to find a woman standing over me in blue scrubs.

She outstretches her hand and places it to my forehead and smiles genuinely at me before muttering, "Cara you're awake."

Who's Cara?

I try to respond but my throat is too dry. The woman picks up a cup of water and places it to my mouth, allowing me to sip. 

"Who's Cara?" I croak out.

"Oh sweetheart, Dr. Perkins was right, you poor thing woke up with amnesia. You don't even know your own name."

My mind goes fussy. I'm in the hospital and I'm completely unaware of how or why or who I am.

'How can this be possible?'

"The amnesia-"

"Darling you're awake!" A woman boats cheerfully as she enters the room. Her read hair likes about as bright as the sun and her lips are statement red.

I stare dazed at her, questioning who she is?

The nurse seemingly reads my mind and says, "due to the amnesia, she doesn't remember who you are ma'am".

"Excuse me?" The redhead snaps at the nurse.

"Honey, I'm so sorry. It's your mother. I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried!" My mother exasperates.

"Mom?" I rasp out through my insanely dry throat.

"Yes, honey?" She rests her icy hand to my warm cheek.

"What happened? How did I get here? Why do I have amnesia?"

"Darling, Cara, breath. You can ask as many questions as you like later." Mother says with softness but also a hint of authority in her voice.

"I feel like I've been asleep for like years," I whine quietly, hoping to not get lectured by this 40-something-year-old woman, claiming to be my mom.

"That's because you have been." My attention is drawn to a manly voice across the room. The figure walks closer to me and pulls over a chair.

"What" I inquire, scrunching my eyes at the young guy. He looks to be about eighteen his dark hair is long on top and shaved on the sides, giving him a sense of masculinity that caught my attention. His brown eyes are real pools of chocolate, that look like something you could stare into all day comfortably without wanting to look away. His right nostril has a silver metal ring in it. I stare at him and we make eye contact. His tongue trails across his bottom lip, as his teeth graze it defiantly.

I'm so lost in his perfect aura that I don't pay attention to what's going on around me.

"Jake, let the girl rest."

"Meredith, she's been sleeping for a year. She probably doesn't need any more rest at the moment, she wants to know what's going on." Jake snaps a little.

"Jake, calm down. She's tired and she's suffering from amnesia, we can discuss this later." Mother urges at Jake.

There's a moment of silence before Meredith announces that she will be waiting outside. As she shuts the door behind her, Jake clears his throat.

"Since you have amnesia, you probably don't remember anything, so I'll tell you a little about your life." He looks down and scratches his neck before continuing.

"Your name is Cara Arden. You're now 17, you've been in a coma since you were 16 after an accident. Your mom didn't want to pull the plug so you've been unconsciously asleep for a year in a hospital bed."

My eyes bore into him as I listen. That seems absurd... how can someone sleep that long. And who is he?

"Who are you?" I ask, having no idea who this stranger is, he's attractive but for all, I know he could be an undercover serial killer coming to put me in another year-long coma.

He looks at me making lingering eye contact, before answering, "your boyfriend."