Falling Apart

When Adelaide woke up, she had no memory at all of where she was. In fact, she didn't have memory of much of anything. She knew who she was and other basic things about her life, but it felt like a good chunk of her memory had been blacked out or something. She was attached to an IV and ripped it out of her arm at once, standing on shaky legs and walking across the small room she was in. She opened the door and peeked out into a dark and quiet hallway. Suddenly as if out of nowhere, her sister Adrianna appeared in front of her and smiled at her.

"Hey, Addy. How are you feeling?" Adrianna asked her, taking her hand and guiding her back into the room.

"I... fuzzy. Confused. Where the hell am I?" Adelaide asked her sister, staring at her with wide eyes.

"You're in a facility for people like you, people that are... different. I bought the facility a year ago with my fiancee. We've made it our mission to help people like you, people who can't always function healthily and safely on their own. You were in an accident. It's not totally surprising that your memory is spotty. Can I ask you a few questions, just to establish what you do remember?" Adrianna asked, and it took everything Adelaide had to keep her jaw from dropping open. Her sister ran a hospital for people with abilities? Her sister was engaged? She'd been in an accident? Her sister's explanation had left her with far more questions than answers.

"I... guess?" Adelaide said cautiously.

"Where do you live, Addy?"

"Where do I..? My apartment on Fifth Street. You've been there." Adrianna smiled at this answer and Adelaide quietly wondered why.

"Where do you work?"

"That pretentious clothing boutique downtown that both of us always made fun of. I got the job as a joke and then ended up really liking the people. You know all of this, Adri. I don't get why you're asking."

"Just checking your memory, that's all. Are you romantically involved with anyone?"

"Not since Jake a few years ago, no."

"Last question. What do you think about the Joker?"

"The... Joker? He's evil, right? Scary clown that robs banks and has a bunch of strip clubs? Disappeared after his girl, Harley Quinn, died?"

"Perfect. I'm going to send a nurse in to check your vitals. You're gonna be just fine, Addy," Adrianna said, and something about her tone made Adelaide uncomfortable. 

She looked around the room frantically when her sister left, suddenly extremely anxious to get out of this place. She walked to the door and grabbed the handle to find that her sister seemed to have locked it from the outside. She looked out the thin strip of window and couldn't see anything other than the other side of the hallway. She sat back down on the bed, officially frustrated.

Adrianna was back a moment later, a nurse tagging along behind her. The nurse took Adelaide's vitals and checked a few other things and then exited the room quietly.

"When can I leave, Adri?" Adelaide asked, suddenly not in the mood for small talk.

"You can leave whenever you want to!" Adrianna told her, and her voice was suspiciously excited.

"Right now, I think," Adelaide told her, and Adrianna smiled.

She got dressed in an outfit that her sister handed her, an outfit that she was almost positive wasn't hers. Her sister led her out of the building, calling a cab for her as they walked. Adelaide was surprised that she'd let her go so easily. Maybe she'd misjudged her. The cab was waiting on the street a moment later and her sister hugged her goodbye.

"I'm so glad you're back, Addy," Adrianna said as she closed the cab door and waved goodbye through the glass.

"Back?" Adelaide whispered to herself as the cabbie asked where she was going. She gave him her address and they began the ride across the city.

As they pulled up in front of her apartment building, she couldn't help but notice the matte black SUV that pulled in behind them, the two men inside watching her as she paid the cabbie with money her sister had given her.

Ignoring them the best she could, she made her way up to her apartment and was surprised when the door was unlocked. She walked in and was instantly confused. The apartment was empty. It looked like it had been completely wiped clean. She walked through every room and found nothing, none of her belongings, no trace at all that she'd even existed. Her bedroom that she'd painted a pale purple color was now stark white. All of her artwork and paintings were gone from the walls.

She walked back into the entryway and almost screamed when she saw the two men from the SUV standing there, patiently watching her.

"Miss Adelaide?" one of them asked her, and she took a few steps back.

"How... How do you know my name?" she asked, and the two men exchanged a look.

"She doesn't remember us?" the second one said quietly to the one that had spoken to her.

"Miss Adelaide, what is this place?" the first one asked, taking a step closer to her, holding his hands up in surrender.

"It's... my apartment," she told him, something in her brain telling her she could trust him. She wasn't sure what the urge was, but it was strong. It was like a voice screaming at her, telling her they were friends, not enemies. She looked up at them and realized that the one that had spoken was shaking his head.

"No, ma'am. You live in the mansion with Mister J," he said, and she gave him a confused look.

"Mister... J?" she asked, and that same voice in her head was telling her she should know who that was, but she just couldn't get there.

"Miss A, I think you should come with us," the second man told her, and she shook her head.

"I don't even know you," she said, and they looked at her with wide eyes.

"You really don't remember?" the first man asked, and she shook her head.

"I guess not."

"Well, I'm Anthony. This is Rory. You do know us, ma'am. We work for Mister J," the first one said, introducing himself and then pointing to his companion.

"I don't know any Mister J," she told Anthony, looking at him inquisitively.

"You're his girl, ma'am," Rory spoke up.

"His... girl?" she asked, looking between them.

"It's a really long story. If you come with us, we may be able to refresh your memory," Anthony told her, motioning her through the door. She knew she probably shouldn't go with them, but that voice in her head just kept telling her that they meant her no harm. She didn't know if the voice was right, but at least part of what they were saying had to be correct; obviously she didn't live in this apartment anymore.

They led her out to their SUV and Rory opened the passenger door for her to climb in before getting in the back himself.

"What happened to me?" she asked out loud, not to either of them in particular.

"That's what we're going to try and find out, ma'am," Anthony told her from beside her, doing his best to give her an encouraging look.