1000 Memories

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I get into my room and make sure to lock the door behind me. The modern-style windows slide open really easily and so I grab my bag and get out through the window. There’s a tree right next to the window which I use to climb down to the ground. It is so dark outside by now so it wont be easy for anyone to see me running.

I try to make as little noise as possible as I go around the house to the front and onto the street. There is barely anyone outside and so I decide to run a few blocks down before taking out my phone to call an Uber. Hopefully they won’t realise that I have run away until in the morning. It takes about two minutes for the driver to get here. I get in and he asks where am going.

“Take me to the nearest bus station from here as fast as you can.” I say and he immediately drives off. We drive out of the neighbourhood onto the main road and the adrenaline rush in my veins starts to go back down. After turning off  my phone and tossing it inside the bag,I look out the window to watch as the lights go by, and I admit that it is quite beautiful, but France is still my home and I have to get there somehow even though I only have three hundred dollars at the moment.

I had not heard anybody say which city this is and I only realise that I am in Los Angeles when we pull into the bus station and I see the name on the board at the entrance. L.A? How am I so far away from home? I’d only ever seen this city in movies or on the internet.

I get out of the car holding my bag after paying the driver who immediately drives away. It is almost 10.30 and there are few people at the station some sitting on the benches waiting for their bus to arrive and others are standing in the line waiting to buy their tickets. I walk over to the huge board with destination and prices written on them to see where I can go since I had no idea.

There are so many places listed and I have no idea which one to choose.

“Hey, you look familiar...” someone says from behind me and I panic. They can not have found me this fast. I slowly turn with a guilty face  to see who it is but I don’t recognize the woman who’s staring back at me.

“Sorry, wrong person.” I say before turning back to face the board letting out a huge breath of relief.

“No, I think I know you. You auditioned for a role in a play about a few weeks ago, right? I was one of the judges, in fact, I actually wrote the whole play. I wouldn’t forget you because your performance was extraordinary. “She goes on and on and I wonder what she’s talking about.

“We called to hear if you’ll be available for the call back auditions but was informed that you were in an accident. I am so sorry for that. How are you feeling now?” she asks.

I stare at her wide-eyed and in shock. How can she possibly know me and know that I was in hospital? Is this a trap?

“Are you ok? You look pale?” She says again tapping my shoulder and I snap out of my thoughts.

“Good...” I say nodding my head.

“Well it’s sad to not have you in the play but I hope you get to your destination safely.” She says and turns to walk away.

Why is she talking about a play? What play is that and why would I even audition for one? This gets all confusing for me and I start to get a little light-headed so I go and sit on the bench.

Maggie had also mentioned about a play that I auditioned for, some few weeks ago. There is no way these two people knew each other so could it really be true that I have just lost my memory? I get the phone out of my bag and hold it in my hand still very confused. I go through the contact list but I still do not recognize any of the names there. I look through the photos in my phone gallery and there are so many recent pictures of Maggie and I in places I don’t recognize. As I scroll further down, there are pictures of my ‘parents’ and I, and there is another man in other pictures I guess that is the brother.

I try logging into i********: and it instantly goes through, which is weird because I don’t even know how I know the username and password. In one of the most recent pictures, I see the woman who just talked to me a few minutes ago. It’s a selfie that Maggie and I had taken with her in a large theatre room and captioned #auditions with smiling emoji.

I vividly stare at the seats in the theatre and then I start to remember standing on an x-spot playing out a role as five people sat across me watching my every move. I remember being so nervous and feeling the shaking of my hands but I continue to soldier on as the bright light shines upon me, before it suddenly goes off and the rest of the lights in the theatre are switched on.

“Wait Maggie! The auditions! I remember!” I shout out excitedly jumping off the bench only to get weird looks from the people seating next to me. Every memory suddenly washes over me and it’s like I am waking up from a dream. The last thing I remember is feeling numb while swimming in the ocean, shouting Maggie’s name and then everything went dark, and now I find myself in a bus station.

What am I doing here? I quickly take my phone and dial Maggie’s number and call her to come pick me up. She is beyond shocked that I even know her name.