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Nick's hand flattened on my back as he rubbed it tenderly, his touch caring and fatherly. “That's alright, we'll figure this out. Don't cry little one, I'll help you. Do you remember where you live or how old you are? What about your family, can you remember them?”

Plucking at my lip, I peered blankly at the ground. I couldn't find the words, I couldn't see any faces or hear any voices from a mother or a father, siblings, friends—Nothing.

This is crazy! I can't remember anything about who I am!

“No, I don't remember anything at all.” Hanging my head, I wiped my face, as my chest began to ache with every breath, and tears drenched my cheeks.

Yesterday didn't exist, who I was and where I came from was gone. It was as if I had just been reborn, taking in my first breath, my first view of the world, my first smell of the air. Because before that moment, there was nothing but vast darkness.

“What happened to me?” Picking at my fingers, I tugged at the nail beds, keeping my eyes in my lap. I felt exhausted and drained, every inch of my body screamed with pain.

But it wasn't a pain from an injury or falling down. I didn't have any open wounds or large scrapes. There were no bruises or bumps that indicated I had been in some sort of fight.

Everything I felt, it was emotional torment. It was all the hurt of not knowing.

My head was pounding with the worst headache I had ever experienced, my stomach cramped and knotted with tight spasms I couldn't control. I wanted to throw up, I wanted to scream, I wanted to jump up and run until everything came back, crashing into my head like a grenade went off.

But I couldn't move, I was frozen in place, unable to connect my thoughts to my muscles and make them work.

It was all too much for my young brain to process. My mind was a tornado of questions, unable to stay trained on one single thought.

Where is my family? Do I even have a family?

Who am I? Where did I come from?

How in the world did I get here?

My breathing became erratic and labored as the air seemed to thicken, attempting to drown me where I sat. Heaping mouthfuls of oxygen tore up my insides, burning my lungs like hot coals.

“I can't breathe, I can't breathe—” Holding my chest, I dropped forward, trying to slow everything down. But I couldn't. My mouth was open wide, but my throat had closed. My lungs clenched tight, jerking with painful leaps to taste the air.

Cocking my head up, my eyes met the man's, and they begged him for help. I didn't blink, openly gawking with nothing but hurt and confusion on my face. I didn't know what to do or how to stop my body from reacting the way it was.

Pulling me into his chest, Nick hugged me. “It's alright, calm down. I don't know what happened, but everything will be fine. I promise, everything will be alright.” His arms wrapped around me like a blanket, holding me tight.

I could smell his cologne and there was something about it that made my breathing slow down and my muscles stop shaking. It was soothing, musky with a hint of mint, the scent calmed my nerves, giving me a sliver of peace in the chaos that had gobbled me up.

Tears continued to fall effortlessly as I let my body snuggle into his, allowing him to hold me like a father would hold his daughter.

“Dad, is she alright?” A young boy's voice crept in from behind us, his tone wary and unsure.

“Yeah, she's okay. Come on over here.” With a firm arm around my shoulder, Nick held out his hand to the foreign voice, and waved him in. “This is my son Birch, he's the one who found you.”

“Hey,” he said, stealing a quick glance at my face then looking to the ground. “Are you sure she's alright?”

“She will be, Birch, she's going to be just fine. Come on, let's get you in the house and get you some water.” Helping me to my feet, Nick guided me through the trees while his son trailed a little behind us.

I could feel Birch watching me as I stumbled over fallen branches and staggered across the uneven ground. His eyes were like weights, pulling on every piece of my body they touched.

When they hit my shoulders my spine pressed down. When they sunk into my neck, the hair stood up and prickled my skin.

But when I looked at him, his eyes flicked away. I didn't understand why he wouldn't look me in the eyes. There was a hint of fear in his gaze, a sheen of fright that coated his pupils. It didn't make sense. Why would he be afraid of me?

Caught in a daze, his father pulled me back, his voice cutting through the sounds of breaking branches. “Our house is right through here, only a little bit further. How you doing? You alright?”

“Yeah, I'm okay.” I could see the shape of a house forming as the forest thinned, and we stepped out into the clearing of a backyard.

A huge house created the backdrop, with brick siding and a stone patio. A kidney- shaped, in-ground pool sparkled like crystal to my left, while full flower beds colored the lower half of the house in pops of purple and red.