Forget-me-not

Cynthia

The sudden sound of high-pitched screaming brought Flora up from her side of the couch. Her wide eyes went to Cynthia on the other side. Her face was scrunched up while a scream left her mouth. She shoved off the blanket she had on her body and hurried over to Cynthia to shake her. 

The pair had fallen asleep after spending the afternoon and evening indulging in the Twilight series. Flora dropped beside Cynthia and gently shook her shoulder. Cynthia's body twisted and her arm flew. Flora ducked before it had the chance to hit her. 

"Cynthia, wake up!" She raised her voice and shook her friend harder. "Wake up!" 

Large crocodile tears slipped beneath Cynthia's closed eyelids. Her arm flung again, but Flora wasn't fast enough this time. She yelped as the back of Cynthia's arm clobbered the side of her cheek. Unsteady on her knees, she slipped back and hit the ground. 

Cynthia squirmed beneath the comforter. Her feet kicked and her other arm began moving. A sheer line of sweat began forming along her hairline and a strangled sob left her throat. Her chest heaved up and down while she breathed rapidly. 

"Cynthia!" Flora tried again. She shoved the blanket off Cynthia's body and shook her harder. "Wake up!" Her voice was filled with desperation. 

Cynthia finally shoved herself straight up panting. Manically, she jerked her head around the room and took in her surroundings. Eyes wide with fear, tears continued dripping down her cheeks. 

"Hey, hey, hey," Flora shifted closer. She reached out and placed a hand on Cynthia's shoulder. "It's alright, you're okay, just try to breathe. You're safe and you're not in danger. It was just a nightmare." 

Cynthia sucked in a shaky breath and nodded. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to calm down. Flora gently squeezed her shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

"I think I remembered the car accident." 

Flora felt her heart drop. She forced herself to remain calm. "Do you want to talk about it?" 

"I was driving and then there was this huge force from behind. The car started to swerve, I jerked the wheel in a panic, and then it flipped. It flipped over and over and over and I didn't have my seat belt on."

She pawed at her eyes to wipe away the tears. "The windshield cracked and I went through it. There was glass and blood everywhere. I couldn't move after a while and I-" She sniffled. "I landed hard and I started screaming." 

"Are you okay now?" 

Cynthia nodded and swallowed. Her throat was sore from screaming in her sleep. "Is that really what happened to me?" 

"I don't know for sure. If I had to take a guess, probably. The police officer I talked to said you were hit from behind and went through the windshield window. They found your car in rough shape and he was positive you flipped it." 

"They found me?" 

"In a field, yeah." 

"How did they find me?" 

"You called the emergency number and reported a car accident." 

"I did?" 

Flora nodded. Cynthia frowned because she couldn't remember it. The pair sat in silence until Flora broke it. "If you remember this, maybe your memory is coming back." 

"That's good, right?" 

"Yeah, I think so." Flora forced a smile and hid her displeasure. "I'm going to go make you a cup of chamomile tea. That was always one of your favorite kinds of tea. Are you going to be okay?" 

"Yes." 

Flora pushed herself up and disappeared into the kitchen. Cynthia sucked in a deep breath and placed her head in her hands. She shoved her head back into the leather couch cushion. Her hands came up and began to rub her face. The sleep-induced haze still lingered. 

It could have been a nightmare, but it felt more like a repressed memory. She felt the bits of glass windshield bite into her skin. She remembered how her head stung after slamming through the shattered windshield. She could even recall the feeling of being unable to breathe when the air expelled from her lungs after landing. 

The main menu screen, from the movie the pair last watched, illuminated the room. The lighting was just enough to illuminate the couch. Every time Cynthia moved above the couch, her shadow danced along the back wall. 

She stretched her arms above her head and kept her eyes closed. In the kitchen, Flora shifted around while gathering cups for tea. A kettle was on the stove top beginning to warm. Cynthia let the movement calm her back down. 

She had a long day today. She woke up early for her doctor and occupational therapy appointment. She broke down crying on the way home and then went to the grocery store for the first time since the accident. After spending the afternoon making cookies, watching the Twilight series, and stuffing herself with cookies, she fell asleep and had a nightmare. 

It was getting harder and harder to cope with everything. The feeling of being worthless was starting to settle into her bones. In a few days, Flora mentioned something about going back to work which meant Cynthia would be all alone. 

Loneliness was never good for someone who just lost their entire identity.