A Whole New Life

Chapter 9

Adrien's insides knotted up when he saw the cloaked figure throw her hood back. It was the woman who had visited him in the hospital. Madame Gisela.

"You're not my mom," he said, a cutting edge to his tone.

"Oh, but I am, whether you like it or not. Does this mean you remember, son?"

Adrien searched his memories, trying to find anything new to no avail. He was sure he'd know if he got them back.

"No," he mumbled, "but I know that this isn't right. There's stuff I haven't been told, and I'm not your son!" The anger in his tone shocked him, and it was like someone deep inside him had said those words. The boy he used to be.

"I see you're as stubborn as ever, such a disappointment."

"So you're saying I was stubborn before all of this?"

"Oh yes. You were also obnoxious and painfully resistant to listening to me, which is what brought us into this situation in the first place."

He tried to not let her words get to him, but he could feel the truth radiating off of her. Could his stubborn nature be what got him in a coma in the first place?

"I need answers, real answers. There's something off about this whole place. There's something that's being hidden from me and I'm sick of it."

"Give me the swans and I'll bring you to her."

His memory darted to the two black pendants sitting in his nightstand, but he wasn't buying it. "What swans?" He questioned, trying to get her to slip some answers.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, they're in your nightstand. Give them to me and I'll bring you to her."

"How did you—"

"That's not important. What's important is that you bring them to me. Then, I'll give you answers."

The offer was tempting, he had to admit. Why did it seem like he was missing something? The pendants must be important, so he decided to keep his cards, even though he didn't know how the game worked.

"I'm not giving them to you! Bring me to her!"

"Ah, so you have seen her!"

"Just tell me—"

Madame Gisela swiftly made her way over to him, "There will be none of that, I'm done with arguing with your stubborn face." He grabbed his wrist tightly and held up some sort of crystal that cast a beam of light. Before he could even think to ask what was going on he was standing somewhere else entirely. They were in a moist, dark cave lit only by strange crystals that gave a blue hue. There was something ominous about it that gave him the creeps.

"WHAT THE HE—" Adrien's yell was cut off by Madame Gisela clamping his mouth with her hand.

"Shush! Do as I say, and no one gets hurt." Adrien's eyes went wide, now more fully understanding the circumstances. "I will not let go until you tell me you understand how serious I am."

Adrien tried to say "How can I speak if you're covering my mouth" but it came out more like "hocanispeakwifyourhanonmymouv?"

Madame Gisela reluctantly removed her hand. "Ah, that's better! It's pretty hard to talk when your mouth is being forcibly shut, you know. Also, where the heck are we? Because just a few seconds ago—" She signaled for him to be quiet and he reluctantly obeyed.

"I need you to wear this," she whispered, pulling out a hooded black robe identical to the one she was wearing.

"Why?"