There were voices around her, two voices. In the dark, they were speaking. Brianne couldn't move. I'm on the boat, it's about the crash, I can't see where, she thought. She couldn't move anything, it was like she was in a cage and couldn't get out. Let me out! It's going to crash! she screamed, but nobody was listening to her. Suddenly, blood splattered everywhere, Brianne's eyes sprang open. She inhaled sharply.
"Brianne!"
"Sis!" Two faces looked down at her anxiously. Brianne looked back at them, recognition registering on her face.
"Chris! Brad!" Brianne cried as she tried to sit up. Her older brother Chris who was fifteen grabbed her bandaged hand.
"Brianne! You remember us!" Brad, who was only eight years old exclaimed throwing his arms around his big sister happily. Still a bit shocked, Brianne could only manage a nod, she sitting up on something solid, yet she felt like she was floating. Then it hit her.
"Oh! Owww!" she cried. Pain shot up her right leg, it was so intense she saw dots. The two boys jumped to her aid.
"Sssh, it's alright. Lie back down," Chris wrapped his arms around his sister as Brianne flopped back on the bed.
"Oh God, what happened?" the girl whispered.
"What do you remember?" Chris asked. Brianne thought hard, trying to push the pain away.
"In the beginning this guy called Garthur was there. He made everyone get in the boat, except Jason, they fought, then Garthur...... he drove the boat like a madman and it crashed.The.... the wind..... the air..... the fire..... the blood," she shook her head. "There was so much blood."
"And?" prompted Brad.
"Just the blood. Now, what happened?" asked Brianne. Chris sighed.
"Well, it's been five days since that happened. Garthur pushed you off the boat just before he lost control. You were really lucky, you could have.....," Chris swallowed hard. Brianne knew what he would have said.
Died, I could have died, she thought.
"You saved Derrick and gave him a lifejacket. You were holding onto a piece of wood, that was what saved the both of you. I think a few hours after the crash, someone found you guys on their front door step practically," Chris finished.
"Door step? Where were we?"
"Private area. It was just a maze of little islands with houses. Luckily you crashed into an island that had an abandoned house on it," replied Brad. Brianne held her hand up, what had happened to it? Then, she remembered. The glass, she grimaced.
"You probably passed out, and hit your head on something. You might not remember certain things," Chris said gently.
"Certain things... shit. Where's mom and dad?" asked Brianne.
"At work."
"What certain things?"
"Well, only you'll know that," Brad said frowning. Brianne touched her forehead, there was a bruise there, she moved her hand down to her face. It was unharmed.
"How's Derrick and Jason?" she asked.
"Derrick kinda got a bit..... drowned, Jason's perfectly fine now," Brad replied.
"Is he dead?"
"No. He's fine, just major concussion, he's in the next room I think. You're famous sis," Chris smiled. Brianne looked puzzled.
"The accident made all the headlines, the press is like waiting for you guys to pop up," Brad laughed. Brianne smiled.
"No wonder this room looks so nice. It's a VIP room," she mumered. Something flashed through her mind just then. Garthur, Derrick, Jason..... there was somebody else there. Brianne shook her head. She couldn't remember, she felt like a part of her was missing, and she couldn't remember it.
"Bri, what's the matter? You need a doctor?" Chris asked, alarmed.
"N-no. There was somebody else there, right?" asked Brianne. Her brothers exchanged glances. "Am I right?"
"Don't you remember?"
"Stop saying that cuz I don't," sighed Brianne in frustration, "Who was it?" There was a long silence. Then Chris said something.
"You might not want to hear it. Do you remember Shannon?"
"Shannon?" Brianne wracked the memory that she had left. She didn't remember someone named Shannon, but she felt a big empty void inside her. "Whose..... Shannon?" Brad drew back in horror. His sister didn't remember Shannon. That means she doesn't remember half of her life practically, he thought. Chris seemed shocked too, but he covered it up quickly. Brianne knew something was up in a flash.
"Tell me! Who is she?" demanded Brianne trying to sit up again, but winced in pain.
"Whoa! Take it easy," Chris coaxed, then he told her. "She, well she was your best friend." Brianne's brow furrowed, confused. She looked at Chris with such innocent it almost hurt him.
"Was? Why are you using the past tense? What happened to her?"
"She's dead."

There was a girl's voice screaming deep in the depths of Brianne's mind. She was screaming for help, Brianne didn't know the girl though. Both of them were falling down a deep hole, it seemed like they would fall forever down the bottomless pit. Fire surrounded them , burning the walls of the hole. The girl looked at Brianne.
"Do something! Just save me, please!" she pleaded in a terror-stricken voice. Brianne couldn't move, her limbs were as heavy as lead, she opened her mouth, but all that came out was a scream. The other girl kept on begging, but Brianne could do nothing.
I'm going to die too, how can I save you, she wondered. A flame shot out from the wall, straight at Brianne, ready to cremate her alive. Closing her eyes, Brianne screamed even louder, she couldn't bear to watch. The flame didn't touch her, it shot past her, so close Brianne could feel the waves of intense heat. Then, a scream flooded her ears. It was animal-like, a painful howl. It hurt Brianne's eardrums, playing games with her brain.
"No! Stop screaming! No! No! No!" shrieked Brianne, trying to bring her hands up to her ears, but they wouldn't move. They remained spread out, and so did her legs, like a starfish.
"Open your eyes," a crackling whisper commanded. As if hypnotised, Brianne did. What she saw made her recoil in terror. The girl was burning, her long hair was on fire and the skin of her plain faces was peeling off in crusts, revealing muscle tissue which was crumbling to ash. The fire blanketed her, the girl continued to scream, she was so close to Brianne.
"Save me! Do it now!" the girl croaked, she could not scream anymore, for her vocal chords were melting away. Brianne saw the details so clearly, the bone, the burning flesh dropping off in firey chunks, ashes flaking away.... it was horrible. Then, Brianne heard the girl's voice again, as she turned away from the gruesome sight before her. "You let me die! You could have saved me, but you let me die! Traitor!"
"No! That's not true! No!" cried Brianne, "I couldn't do anything."
"Yes you could! But you chose to let me die! Die! Die! Die.... die.... die...., Brianne, you let me die! Brianne........," the voice haunted her, it kept on calling her name.
"No! I didn't, I didn't, I didn't!" Brianne insisted, tears streaming down her face.
"Brianne!" the walls shook, and the voice calling her name deepened. It kept on saying her name.
"I didn't, I didn't.....," Brianne's screams turned into whimpers and sobs. The fire faded to darkness, the girl and gone.
"Ssssh, it's alright," she felt someone's arm around her, then heard a noise. A lamp snapped on, the light making her squint. She held up her hands, covering her face.
"Nooooo......," she moaned.
"OK, OK, sorry," the lamp went back off. "It's only me, Derrick," the voice said soothingly. Brianne bit her lower lip, trying to keep herself from crying. The tears still streamed freely down her face, soaking into Derrick's jersey.
"Where's Chris?"
"Gone home. I couldn't sleep so I came to see if you were awake. Then I heard you screaming, what's the matter?" Derrick asked as Brianne buried her head in his shoulder.
"I don't know."
"A bad dream?"
"There was someone in it. This girl, she..., she told me I let her die!" Brianne started crying again. "I didn't! I didn't even know who she was!" In the dark, Derrick rested his head on top of Brianne's, he knew she didn't remember. Shifting his left arm, which was in a cast, Derrick moved to a more comfortable position as he let Brianne cry. He had a feeling he was going to be there for a long time. It was a time of confusion and misery.
To move on, we have to know where we've been, he thought. And just finding out where they had been, was going to be a slow, painful process.

Jason turned the lawn mower off, groaning. For a summer job, it was hard work.
Man, nobody has to start working on the third day that school lets out, he thought. He was missing Brianne's race, and he had really wanted to see it. What the hell, she probably got first pirze anyways, he thought dumping the grass clippings in a disposable plastic bag. He heard the engine of a Rav 4 pull up into the driveway he had his back to. Then he heard a door slam.
"Jase! Yo man! How's my lawn?" An energetic female voice, full of mischief called as the girl threw an arm around his neck, ruffling his hair. He turned around, looking into her blue eyes which sometimes turned green, she casually flipped her highlighted brown hair back.
Well, an advantage of mowing Brianne's lawn is that I get to hear news on the race, even if I don't get to see it, he thought.
"Well gorgeous, you're Romeo's dropping by soon and you're lawn's just fine," teased Jason. Brianne just laughed and headed inside.
"I'll grab you a soda, just hold on a sec," she called behind her shoulder. Walking into the spanish styled kitchen, Brianne stopped. An image flashed briefly through her mind, it was blurry and unclear. Shaking her head, Brianne blinked. It often happened to her, flashbacks. Towards the last year or so, they had grown more sparse, before, Brianne had always had them. They confused her, she couldn't see them clearly and they scared her.
People, places, just get it out of your head, she thought opening the fridge. She had never fully remembered what had happened that night. She did not remember Shannon either, didn't remember what she looked like, who she was and who they were together. I wish I did remember though, some people think if I don't remember, I don't feel the pain, Brianne told herself as she looked around for a can of Pepsi. Well, they were wrong. Brianne did feel pain, almost as much as she felt confusion. She remembered the accident, snitches of it, but the parts that she wanted to remember most would always dim and fade. Just get over it, get on with your life, she often had to repeat to herself. Well, I am, she thought confidently as she found the can of Pepsi.

A girl, with delicate features and ivory white skin stood in the small room she had rented in a small dirty inner suburb apartment block. She was very pretty, her face a picture of innocence. Her eyes were deep pools of color, sometimes made purple from contact lenses. Her hair, was dyed a diry blonde with streaks of red. The red streaks were like wild streaks in her tame, lovely look. Running a hand through it, the girl looked at her reflection through a dirt stained mirror in the rusty bathroom. She looked so innocent nobody could imagine her even hurting a fly. She was small, sweet looking, able to charm anyone with her smile. Her nickname was 'ShyGirl', the first immpression people had of her matched her nickname. Then again, nobody ever really knew 'ShyGirl', a girl who rarely spoke, a girl who did not tell anyone her secrets. 'ShyGirl' was really a mystery, somewhat of a legacy, she was always there, in the shadows. She could disappear so quickly that you wouldn't even be sure she had been there, and nobody ever knew her. They would be able to give a physical description of her, but nobody could ever give a personal one. Nobody ever knew 'ShyGirl' personally. Looking deeper, the girl focused on her eyes, a shade of violet purple. They were viods of color, containing to emotion or feelings. Still looking into the mirror, 'ShyGirl' slipped a switchblade into the pocket of her jacket. In a flash, she was zipping up her boots and walking out the door. She had no past, she had no future.

Derrick stopped at a red light, tapping his fingers on the wheel of his dad's truck. In the back was all his snowboarding equipment. A weekend in the moutains all by himself had been great. Alone with nothing but his gear and his mind, Derrick was happy. Not one hundred percent happy though, he grinned. One time after another, he had tried to persuade Brianne to come join him, but she always refused. Either it was too cold, too boring or there was no playstation. She was sixteen, but still had a childish quality in her. Derrick thought it was cute. He flicked on the radio, as the light turned green.
"I dedicate this song to this girl I saw today. If you're listening, you're so beautiful and I know I'll never find anyone else like you," a guy's voice said. Derrick, who was rolling the windows down burst out laughing.
"I can't believe this guy!" he said aloud as he listened.
"So, meet me back at that bus stop and be mind babe," the guy finished, Derrick was laughing so hard his stomach started to hurt. The ring of his startac interuppted him, he picked it up and unfolded it, laughing into it.
"What the hell is so funny?" a playful mischevious voice said.
"Bri, hey you listening to the radio?"
"Nah, the love corner or something is on, ick. It's way to slushy," there was the sound of squealing tires, then a swear word from Brianne. "Damn, stupid car," her voice sounded further away, but clear. "Hey! Watch where you're going man! You ran a red light!" Derrick shook his head, Brianne with her new lisence equalled disaster.
"It's really funny, tune in," said Derrick as Brianne came back on again.
"Ugh, no thanks. I don't know how you can balance that phone," she replied.
"One hand, who's phone are you using? I called your little blue Ericsson today and got Brad,"
"Oh yeah, he said he was goin' somewhere and didn't know where he'd be, so I gave him my phone. I'm using Chris's little teeny Sony thing and it isn't very good to cradle between my face and my shoulder," on the other end, Brianne shifted the phone between her shoulder, trying to get the mouthpiece in front of her lips.
"Why don't you just give him your pager or something?" calling Brianne was a wild goose chase, she rarely carried her own celluar phone, it was always with someone else.
"A pager's no good when you need to call someone and shout for help," laughed Brianne. "Besides, I gave it to him last month as a present."
"How did the race go?"
"I got first runner up. Super, isn't it?"
"Gee, you should have gotten first. Who did?"
"Shirley McCoy, she's real good," sighed Brianne on the other end in defeat.
"The judges must be blind," said Derrick in attempt to make her feel better but Brianne only laughed.
"Honestly, she was really good."
"Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow or something, alright?"
"Yeah, sure."

'ShyGirl' stepped into the dinky little convenience store. It was almost midnight and she was hungry. Unfortunately, half the food in the store was probably expired. She knew she needed money, she never had a lot on her. Rounding the corner, she bumped into a man. Stepping back, her face flushed, she muttered an aplogy and flashed a shy smile. The man smiled back at her.
"No problem beautiful," he said, leaving. Her smile faded back into her monotone expression.
What a stupid man, she thought, her hand in her pocket, wrapped around a bulging wallet. It was bound to be packed full of cash, she added, slipping two packets of gum into her pocket. She grabbed a cup of instant noodles and paid for them, with the man's money. Heading out into the cool night air, 'ShyGirl' counted the bills. There wasn't very much, a little over one hundred dollars and a about a dozen different credit cards. Disgusted, she pocketed the money and dumped the leather wallet into the nearest trash can. There was not much to do, the inner suburb streets were crawling with muggers and pick-pockets at this time. 'ShyGirl' wasn't the least bit afraid as she turned into a dark alley shortcut. Kicking a can away, she heard it bounce, then suddenly stop. She kept on walking and a brisk speed, but listened very carefully. Her suspicions were correct, someone was following her. What a dumb idea, a smile spread on her lips as she slid a switchblade down her sleeve. The handle felt cold againest her soft palm. A hand clamped itself down on her shoulder, spinning around, 'ShyGirl' used her other hand, grabbing the attacker's hand, she yanked him forward, he stumbled and tripped, landing at her feet. Seeing that she did not know him, 'ShyGirl' gave him a hard kick before turning around and walking away. Behind her, she heard the attacker swear and drag himself to his feet, probably to attack her again. Turning back to him, 'ShyGirl' stared at him calmly.
"You want a fight?" she asked, "You have one sugar." With that, she kicked him in the face and knocked him down. Pressing her knee painfully on his chest, 'ShyGirl' showed her switchblade to him.
"Christ! What the hell are you? Catwoman?" the guy yelled, he looked about nineteen. 'ShyGirl' put more weight on her knee, making the guy wince.
"Catwoman? Catwoman's a bitchy coward. My name's 'ShyGirl', don't ever mess with me, you got that?" she whispered in his ear. The guy nodded frantically.
"Alright! Alright, just let me go," he pleaded. 'ShyGirl' slowly stood up, the guy started pathetically scrambling to his feet, she slammed the heel of her boot right down on his stomach. Letting out a huge moan, the guy crumpled up.
"Be sure you got that," she said, her voice soft and low.

More coming soon!