Lost Memory (The Hidden Identity)

Chapter 1: Who Am I?

“IT’S BETTER TO BE HATED BEING WHO YOU ARE THAN TO BE LOVED PRETENDING WHO YOU ARE NOT”

“Vhane! Saira! Where are you?!”

Blood splatters on every corner. Lifeless bodies sprawled everywhere. The sky above reflecting the hue of the battlefield that was once filled with peace and harmony.

“Can anyone hear me?!”

Her voice echoed throughout the place but no one seems to answer until a whistling sound with a familiar tone filled her ears.

Clutching her wounded shoulder, she limped towards the origin of the sound as memories came rushing in her mind.

“That’s so lame. I mean, we can just shout, right? And besides, we won’t lose each other,” the red-head girl whined as she sulks on the couch.

“We won’t know what will happen in the future. What if we lost our voice and can’t shout for help?” the blonde countered. After all, she was the one who suggested the ‘whistle thingy’.

As the two were bickering with each other, the brunette – arms crossed while showing a poker face – remained silent and just continued to observe but one thing’s in her mind. That idea would be useful.

The whistling came to a halt as she saw who’s producing the sound. It was indeed one of the girls she was searching for, now bloody and badly injured. She held her as tears started rolling down her face.

“Vhane, stay awake, alright? We still have to find Sai. We won’t die here, understand?” her voice came out shakily as she helped the latter on her feet. She was only answered by a silent nod.

They searched everywhere calling out the other girl’s name but to no avail, no moving body can be seen. Both girls continued walking towards the forest thinking there’s a way out somewhere behind the trees.

Upon reaching the entrance of the forest, they felt a movement behind the bushes. She held her sword tightly ready to s***h the enemy but suddenly stopped halfway after seeing who it was.

“Saira! Thank goodness you’re alright.”

“Of course. I’m too pretty to die,” the girl who was recently found answered jokingly while clutching her bloody stomach.

The three girls hugged each other not wanting to let go. They are too happy to even care about their current situation. They are celebrating for surviving the war.

In the middle of their mini-reunion, a silhouette appeared from the forest. Raising their defenses, they held their own weapons – even though two of them are struggling to do so – waiting for an attack but when the silhouette showed itself, it appeared to be an old woman.

“Precious goodness! What happened to the three of you? Why are you all bloody?” the old woman exclaimed when she saw the situation of the three girls, but they weren’t able to answer her when ‘Vhane’ lost her consciousness.

The two others freaked out, not knowing what to do then, the old woman told them to carry their acquaintance and follow her. Helpless, they just agreed to go since they badly need to be patched up.

After walking for some time, they reached the shack of the old woman. They were told to rest for a while on the moth-eaten couch. A dreading silence engulfed the whole shack. She looked at the surroundings and saw that there was a total of three rooms in the shack including the room they were in.

Their heavy breathing was all that’s heard until the sound of the door creaking broke the silence. The old woman came back holding a… ‘ball? How will that help the wounded girls?’ But it wasn’t a normal ball. It was a crystal-shaped into a marble.

The two girls who are wide awake were left with curiosity while staring at the crystal held by the old woman. They were surprised when it broke into three and flew right above their chests. They felt an intense heat as the fragments glowed. The shack that was once silent, now filled with screams coming from the girls who felt excruciating pain throughout their bodies.

Her POV

*blag*

I groaned while rubbing my eyes as I woke up after falling off. ‘D**n that hurts.’

As I stand up, I heard footsteps heading to my room and the next thing I knew, the door flew open showing a woman panting. She looks like me but older and more mature.

“Zach you’re awake! Do you remember what happened? Did you recognize who hit you?” the woman continuously blabbered while I took my time looking around the room. I saw some things that I’ve never seen before. While I stayed silent, the woman shook me breaking the trance that I am in. I stared at her and my next words made her fall on her knees.

“W-who are you? Where am I?”

All I can hear is her cries so I did what I always do whenever one of the ‘girls’ cries. I knelt down beside her and patted her back while humming my favorite song. I don’t know if I’m doing it right but her sobs died down as she looked at me with puffy eyes.

“Baby, don’t you really remember anything? I’ll just bring you to the doctor to see if you had brain damage,” she said while holding my cheeks. I shook my head as an answer.

“I clearly remember who I am. I’m Zachrean Velton Lockheart. Born on the fir- fifth day of Alioth, year of the dragons. 16. The firstborn of Que- I mean, Rea Antonette Heather and Zachary Velmon Lockheart,” I said stuttering. I decided to change some information about myself. Who knows if she’s one of the enemies.

I saw how her mouth formed into an ‘o’ shape as she stares at me unbelievingly. It was as if everything she heard was a complete b**s**t. She stayed silent that’s why I decided to ask her the question that I’ve been aching to ask since a while ago.

“Have you seen my friends? Vhane Lumina and Saira Lucifianne? They need me specially Vhane. She’s unconscious and they both lost a lot of blood.”

And there, the woman looked at me as if I’m already out of my mind.

“Baby, calm down. Wait, let me make it clear to you,” she trailed off pulling me to sit on the bed beside her, “You are Zachrean Parker, not Lockheart. Born on the first day of January, the year 2004. That makes you 16. I’m your mom. Realyn Hussein and your dad’s Zachary Parker. And you’re not our firstborn baby, you’re the last one.”

I grew more confused at the things that she told me. I was about to say something when she cut me.

“You said you have friends, right? But how come? We just moved here the first day of the month, you said you’ll just jog around yet came back with blood all over you. If your dad wasn’t a doctor, oh good Lord, I wouldn’t know what I should do.”

My so-called ‘mom’ continued blabbering about things and the next thing I know, everything went black.

Vhane’s POV

I woke up as the sun hit my face. Another day living without any memory of my past. By the way, I’m Vhane Cortez. My parents told me that I’m turning 18 next week which means, I’ll be moving to the city to continue my studies. I might have lost my memories, but I still have to finish my studies and help my parents after I had my job.

I’m living with mom and dad in a small hut located in the middle of a field – our field. I woke up two days ago not remembering anything from my past. Dad said he found me last Saturday, August 1, almost lifeless on the road – I was hit by a car but I can’t remember anything. I can’t even imagine myself playing with the chickens nor running around the muddy fields. It doesn’t felt right when mom and dad told me my childhood story. When I asked them if I have any picture, they just looked away and said, we don’t have enough money to buy a camera.

“Vhane, wake up now. Breakfast is ready,” I heard mom’s voice and that’s my cue to stand up. I went outside to wash and do my morning routine which I find weird because I feel like, there’s something missing.

I went back inside our house as I smelled the boiled corn and sweet potatoes.

“Come and sit here honey. Let’s eat now,” mom said while patting the seat next to her.

“Let’s give thanks for the food first, shall we?” dad reminded before I even get to reach for the corn. I just grinned sheepishly and retreat my hand. We had a short silence while giving thanks for the food.

“Now, it’s chow time,” I jokingly said while eyeing the food hungrily. I heard them chuckle at my statement then we began eating.

“By the way, I’ve had a dream. I was in a war and I’m one of the survivors,” I trailed off while eating. They looked at me as I continue my story. “When I heard another survivor, I went in the middle of some dead corpse and pretended to be dead. Who knows I she’s an enemy,” we chuckled at my weirdness.

“But then I heard her calling my name and I can’t find my voice that’s why I whistled my favorite song and then she found me. I saw her face and she’s so gorgeous, gosh,” I squealed, clearly remembering my dream, “And then we headed to the forest. There, we saw another gorgeous woman. I thought it was a harem. My harem.” And with that, I heard both of them choke.

“Because of too much giddiness plus shock when we saw an old woman appearing from nowhere, I passed out. End of the story. I blacked out,” I pouted, “But I felt one of the gorgeous carried me that’s why I’m lucky to be unconscious,” I laughed boisterously while daydreaming.

Breakfast was usually a silent one but now, it’s been so noisy and full of laughter because of me.

After breakfast, I decided to roam around. My parents agreed saying that it may help me cope up. As I was mindlessly walking around, my feet unconsciously brought me to a stream just near the field. I looked around and my eyes spotted a tombstone in the middle of two dead trees. My curiosity got the best of me that’s why I decided to look who’s buried in there.

Staring at the name carved on the tombstone, I fell on my knees as question after question bombarded my head. I read twice, thrice… I read it a couple of times more until I got convinced that I was reading it right.

RIP

Vhane Cortez

August 14, 2002 – August 1, 2020

‘She died seven days ago… The day they found me’

I stood up and decided to go home, but I’m not planning to ask my parents about this. I don’t want to hear more lies.

I started to pack my things and I shall take my leave tomorrow early. I wouldn’t wait for my birthday anymore. I’ll just tell my parents that I need to leave early so that I won’t run out of slots.

After packing everything, I decided to call it a day. I laid the sleeping mat down and let myself be consumed by darkness.

Saira’s POV

*ring* *ring*

I groaned as I heard the annoying alarm, clumsily picking it up and throwing it across the room. Too lazy to get up, I pulled my blanket above my head and tried to sleep again.

Take note, tried.

Series of knocking echoed in my room. Seriously, whoever that person is, he/she’s trying to break the door.

“Annoying. I’ll kill you, whoever you are,” I muttered through my breath as I lazily stood up and made my way to the door. As the door flung open, the person behind it sheepishly grinned and looked inside my room.

“What do you need dada?” I asked while glaring at him.

“Ah. Did my daughter wake up on the wrong side of the bed? I see that you broke another alarm clock. That’s the third one you broke ever since you came back,” he jokingly said pretending that he’s disappointed.

I just glared at him and he chuckled. “Come on young lady. Do your thing now. Breakfast is ready. You don’t want your mom shouting, do you?”

I didn’t answer him and just closed the door. I heard him muttered about me being a brat but I don’t care. It’s a fact anyway.

After doing my morning routine which I’m doing for three days now, I went down to have my breakfast. As I walk to the dining table, I saw mom and dada flirting with each other like some sort of teenagers. I heard dada threw a lame punchline that made mom blush. I cringed.

“Ehem,” I cleared my throat and that made them flinch. They slowly turned their heads toward me while blushing as if they were caught red-handed. They chuckled nervously and told me to sit down. Dada’s sitting in the middle while mom and I sat across each other.

“So, honey, remembered anything yet?” mom asked breaking the tension between us while we’re eating.

I shook my head and I heard them sigh. “I dreamt of something weird though. It felt surreal. Like, the wounds and bruises I’ve got there were on the actual places that my scars are found now,” I said after swallowing my food.

They looked at each other with pale faces and once again, the breakfast was filled with nothing but silence. An awkward one.

After we ate, I went back to my room, sat on the bed, and stared outside through the window. I thought about everything my parents told me. I tried to remember anything through it but to no avail, I just kept on getting head and chest pains whenever I do try.

They said, seven days ago, I was abducted, which, according to them, happens all the time because we’re rich. But then, later that day, they found me on the doorstep, all bloody and badly wounded. They took me to the hospital and was treated but they decided to bring me home after four days thinking that I might get abducted again. And the story goes on.

But one thing’s been bugging me ever since I woke up. I felt so weird. It felt like, I wasn’t doing what I was used to. I didn’t even know how to use what they called a smartphone. Yet, I am too convinced that this is the real me. My parents showed me my pictures ever since I was a kid. They showed me my birth certificate showing that I’m Saira Trevors. Currently 17 years old. Born on the 27th day of February year 2003. Everything about me was clearly shown there including my parents.

I got my photo album in one of the drawers of the nightstand and browsed through the photos for the second time. I stared at the photos intently then I hurriedly looked at the mirror beside my study table. I kept on looking back and forth until I felt my head aching.

Before I lost consciousness, I mumbled, “My eyes… they’re different…”

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Hi! It's me BlackRaeven, presenting you my newest (and first) story.

I'm still a novice potato and a lazy ass student whose first language is not English so I still have soooo much to learn so please bear with me and correct me if I do commit mistakes. I'll appreciate it.

That's all! Thank you! Have a great day ahead