Why Can't I Remember?

Hope wrung her fingers together as nervousness flitted through her mind, how can she explain to Kellan what happened... the plain fact is she couldn’t even if she wanted to, she could not explain that which she herself did not know. She grabbed a black hoodie she pulled it on then reached for her grey skinny jeans. Hope massaged her head; she thankfully did not have any dreams, nightmares or memories? whatever they were last night she had settled into complete blissful oblivion, perhaps the eventful day had claimed all her strength, Hope did not know but a splitting headache had claimed her as she had greeted the morning...She was getting used to those nonsensical migraines by now...
“Hope breakfast!” Her aunt yelled from downstairs, Hope quickly pulled her hair into a messy ponytail; she really didn’t care about appearances.

As hope bounded downstairs she saw her aunt was quietly interrogating Bez, who looked annoyed and curious, but due to her lack of subtlety and her loud entrance the interrogation stopped and Hope could not know what all this was about.
“How did you sleep last night?” Her aunt said as Hope grabbed a plate of pancakes.
“Really well...” Hope said nonchalantly not knowing how her sleep could interest her aunt so.
“Any dreams?”
“Mum why would you care about what she dreams?” Bez said with his normal annoyed voice and bored gaze when it came to her topic.
“I just want to know if she’s alright because I care about her” Her aunt gave a smile but Eden felt a chill run down her spin.
“I’m out...” Bez stood up and went to out the door, Hope checked the clock and gasped, saying a hurried bye to her aunt,
“Wait Hope!” Her aunt yelled and Hope whirled around being quick to pull her leather jacket on.

“Promise to tell me if you dream something else okay?” Her aunt grabbed her arm rather forcefully making Hope yelp.
“Why, why am I of so interest to you all the sudden?”
“Hope...” Her aunt almost growled.
“Fine! but I’ve got to go!” Hope yanked her arm from her aunt’s grasp; Hope couldn’t get out of the Mason’s house fast enough. What is this all about?!

A slight drizzle started as she walked to school, Hope promised to herself to avoid Kellan like the plague all day which shouldn’t be too hard considering she didn’t have psychology today. As she neared the school she walked quickly past Bez and Kellan, Kellan took sight of her but she wove into the crowd way too much for him to catch up to her.
“Are we running from someone?” The out of breath southern accent she had grown accustomed to spoke next to her. Hope turned and stopped letting Faith draw a quick whiff of air.
“Um no, what would give you that impression?” Hope rubbed the back of her neck and Faith narrowed her eyes.
“The fact that when you saw Kellan you bolted away from him?” Faith raised a questioning brow.
“I did not bolt...” Hope said and Faith raised suspicious eyes towards Hope but then she shrugged.
“Whatever you say sweetheart...”

During class Hope glanced towards the window and caught sight of the same man wearing the same beanie, her breath stopped as he looked up at her. Hope stared back and the man indicated that he needed to talk to her, despite all the shudders of fear frolicking through her, Hope found the courage to nod therefore telling him she will talk to him to her surprise he smiled and again she felt a jolt of recognition. As the bell rand indicating the end of the period Hope scribbled on a loose leaf of paper;

Faith,
I know you may think me stupid but I went to meet the man in the beanie, he seems too familiar and I need to know what he wants. If I’m not back or you don’t see me for a while then look for me if you don’t find me....call the cops.
-Hope Rivendell

Hope signed the time she wrote the note and placed it in Faith’s locker; she walked quickly to the yard on the opposite was the school’s football team practice and of course you could guess who the quarterback was...Kellan of course. They were all were so engrossed in their game that they payed no mind to her nor did they even know she was there, but to be fair she was quiet a distance away. Hope stood waiting and the silence was killing her; the whole suspense of it all.
“Hope...” A gruff man’s voice said behind her, Hope whirled around and came face to face with this familiar stranger.

“Yes?” Her voice quivered a bit.
“You don’t remember me do you?” He asked, despite his gruff manner his hazel eyes held kindness and warmth most definitely not the eyes of a killer.
“Y-you’re familiar to me, I just don’t know your name...” She bit her lip.
“I’m Thomas Goodwin but you used to call me Uncle Tom” As Tom introduced himself, Hope suddenly had flashes after flashes of him as a younger man and of herself squealing and running into his arms while her parents laughed and greeted him, Hope had a tear escaped her eyes and she took a step backwards.

“I remember you...” She whispered wide eyed, her hand in front of her mouth.
“I knew you didn’t lose all you memory!” He smiled.
“You saved me from that man, that night...” Hope could only say Uncle Tom nodded grimly.
“What happened to my parents Tom, did they really abandon me at 8 years old?” As she asked Tom looked stricken and taken aback.
“Oh Hope you don’t remember?” He said having a tear in his eyes, Hope shook her head.
“Hope your parents would never have willingly abandoned you”
“What are you saying Tom?”
“Hope they were murdered...” As he said that a sharp shriek pierced the air, it was only seconds before she realised that it was her who shrieked as her eyes closed a painful memory assaulted her;

“Mommy, there’s a man looking at us through the window” Hope whispered as she looked out the window towards the tree in the front yard.
“You and your imagination Hope, come on let’s get ready for bed, then daddy will tuck you in” her mother kissed her forehead lovingly.
“But mommy-”
“What are you doing here!?” Hope and her mother jumped at the booming outburst from downstairs.
“Stay here Hope!” Her mother urged and got up to see what was happening; Hope snuck behind and heard a mother’s terrified scream, as she craned her neck she saw her father and mother.

“You have no right I won-” her father almost finished the sentence a gunshot found her father’s chest, sending him tumbling down.
“NO!” Her mother yelled and made to run upstairs, but the man with the scarred face grabbed her blonde hair, the man took a knife and held it to her mother’s throat Hope whimpered, she saw the man whispering something to her mother and whatever he said made her mother thrash.

“I won’t tell you where she is, I won’t!” Her mother yelled and the man pressed the knife closer to her mother’s throat and blood seeped from the wound it created. Her mother punch him and tried to run upstairs to where Hope was hiding but ‘BANG’ her mother’s body dropped to the floor,
“Hope run...run” Her mother breathed raggedly for the bullet had hit her on her back, her mother’s usually lively green eyes became unseeing.
“Mommy!” Hope yelled and the man with the scarred face grinned.
“Hello sweetheart, aren’t you a pretty thing come down here will you” He started approaching the staircase on which her dead mother’s body was sprawled, as he recklessly threw her body down but Tom burst through the door,

“Hope hide!” Tom yelled and little hope crying hysterically ran away in full speed, stumbling as she heard curses as two men fought, Hope sprinted towards the parent’s wardrobe and she whimpered and closed the doors putting both her hands on her mouth to muffle her sobs;
“AHHH!!!” a man yelled and little 8 years old Hope jumped in fright moving further in the closet, her green eyes scanning the space of the wardrobe as though she thought something would attack her. Silence echoed then she heard footsteps coming towards the wardrobe...the door opened;

“Come on hope we don’t have much time” Tom said and Hope jumped into his arms, Tom grabbed Hope’s teddy bear that her father had given her early, Tom ran downstairs where the murderer was regaining his consciousness, Tom bolted to the door his arms carrying eight year old hope, a gunshot sounded and Tom yelped of pain but his step did not falter as he threw Hope in his car and he jumped into the driver’s seat, Hope looked at his bleeding shoulder and winced clutching her teddy bear in her arms as tears streamed down her little face.

Kellan’s P.O.V

“Hey man” Bez his best friend greeted him.
“Hey” Kellan replied sullenly, why was hope avoiding him? And why did he care so much?
“What’s wrong Kellan?” Bez said throwing a football at him; Kellan rolled the ball in his hand before throwing it back.
“Nothing Bez...”
“Ahh girl troubles” He chuckled and Kellan rolled his eyes.
“Who is she?” Bez asked amused, a sharp shriek pierced the air and Kellan’s eyes darted to the place, his eyes were greeted with the sight of hope and even from the distance he recognised the guy that had scared her yesterday, her body collapsed and the man caught her.
“HOPE!” Kellan yelled and didn’t know when he had started running.