I looked around me. I was freezing cold. My insides felt like they were about to burst. I had to get out. I had to get away. I saw a flashlight beam sweeping across the trees. I stood and ran, not knowing why. I ran for a long time, until I collapsed on the ground. I had ran so far, that I was no longer in the woods. I was in a huge lot, but not the same one that was down the road from my house.
It was night, and it was dark. I didn't have a journal, I didn't have a jacket, I didn't have any money. I didn't have a clue as to where I was going. All I knew was that I didn't want to go home. So, I stood up, and dusted myself off, and began to walk. I looked around, and saw that to the East, the sky had an orange tinge. It was obvious that a town or city or something huge was this way. I walked for it.
I walked until I finally hit a highway. The sky was just beginning to take on a lavender hew. I sat on the edge of the road, and counted cars going by. I watched until I felt another memory sweeping in.
I didn't dare pull away. It was light, and hazy. I saw the little boy vaguely, and another dark-haired boy. Not the one from my other dream, another one. My mind produced the thought 'Adam.' We were sitting on a curb. Blond hair dangled in front of my face, and I could smell perfume.
Then I came out of it, when I felt a finger poking my shoulder.
"Miss, what're you doin' out here all by your lonesome."
It was an older man, in a beige suit. I looked over at the car he was in. Another older woman (I supposed she was his wife) was peering over the dash. She was shoving her glasses up on her nose. I looked back at the man.
"I-I don't really know," I said. My only thought was that I was thirsty. Not to mention hungry and tired.
"Well, then," the man said, and lifted me gently by the shoulder. I found myself following him to his car, while he chattered about the dangers of highways, and questioning my parents whereabouts.
"My parents are dead," I said in monotone, not lying at all. He pulled open the back door for me, and I sat down in the seat. In the back of my mind, little bells of alarm were going off telling me that I wasn't supposed to take rides from strangers. I pointedly ignored them.
"Oh," he said, then pushed the car door shut. He went around front, and sat. He buckled in, and pressed the gas.
"Wilbur, who is she?" I heard the lady ask.
"I don't rightly know, Norma."
"Oh, Wil. What's your name, dear?" the lady asked, turning to face me.
"Jessie," I said, and tucked a strand of hair behind my ears. I wasn't lying. Looking back, I don't suppose I was fully out of my daze. I think I knew that I had parents to care for me, and nobody called me Jessie anymore, but I didn't want them to know. I supposed I still wanted to be the little girl I had been years before.
"Jessie. Is that short for Jessica?" the man asked.
"No," I said. "Jessalyn." I tugged at a strand of hair, and looked at them.
"What were you doing out there?" the lady asked. My heart clutched in my throat, and everything came back. I shook my head furiously.
"Who are you?" I asked. The lady smiled.
"I'm Norma and this is Wilbur. We're the Watkins." The lady fluffed her white hair in the back. I peered nervously at them. I hoped they weren't serial killers, or armed robbers or anything like that. I clutched nervously at the seat.
"Where are you going?" the lady asked.
"I-I don't know." The lady chuckled. The man joined her.
"You don't seem to know much of anything, do you?" the man said.
I knew he was teasing, but deep down I knew every bit of the truth I had within me was in those words. I smiled sheepishly.
"Where are you going?" I asked. I hope they didn't say home. Anyplace but home.
"Home," the lady said. I groaned a bit.
"No matter," the man said. "Home is far from here. We were traveling."
I nodded, and suddenly felt 10 times better. I didn't know how I was going to do it, but I was going to find those kids, the ones that I'd known from my memories. I really wanted to find my mom and dad, though I knew that was an impossibility. I wanted so badly to hug my mom, and for her to tell me I was okay. For some reason, I couldn't remember my dad. I just wanted to know who he was point blank.
The man pulled us into a gas station. He got out, and I stayed in the car with the lady, Mrs. Watkins. She turned to me, and looked me dead straight in the eye. She extended an old, wrinkled hand. It wasn't like Gramma Hattie's hand. Mrs. Watkins's hand was covered in jewelry; brilliant stones reflected the pale December sun light. I remembered suddenly that it had only been 2 days ago-or was it yesterday-that I had been at home, eating a huge turkey with my family. It was good, and I remembered opening gifts afterward.
"Jessie, I know you are hiding something from me. What is it? I won't take you back. We'll only go forward. Ol' Wilbur won't mind much of anything. He'll go anywhere you want to, sweetheart. You just say the word."
I looked up into her brown eyes, and I was overwhelmed. I felt tears threatening to fall. I knew I was going to tell her. I told her about the fire, how my family had died except my brother and me, how I we were adopted into different families. I told her about the flash-backs I'd been having. I told her how badly I needed to find these people.
She looked at me, her eyes were motherly and tender. I felt like she was my grandmother, and I could tell her absolutely anything. I knew she understood.
"Well, then," she said. "I'm going to call that family of yours, and tell them you're okay. I'll say that I found you, and you are going to find something that you have lost. I'll tell them you are safe, and that as long as you're able to look, you'll be okay."
I would have thrown a tantrum with anyone else, but I knew I would be okay, and she wouldn't let me go back 'til I had what I wanted. I wanted a lot.
I wanted my old life back. That wasn't going to happen, so I didn't say a thing.
She got up, and asked me my number. I told her, and she went right out to the pay phone. I watched her, and saw her talking. After a long while, she waved me over. She knew I was watching her.
I got out, and she handed me the phone.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Sweetie, are you okay?" I heard my mother ask.
"Of course," I said.
"Are the Watkins taking good care of you?"
"Mm-hmm."
"Do you really want to do this?"
"I have to Julia. I just have to."
"Okay," she said, reluctantly. "I love you. Bye."
"Bye, Julia. Tell Joe I say hi."
"Okay. Bye."
"Bye."
I heard the receiver click, and suddenly she was gone. I'd done it. I wasn't sure of how, or what Mrs. Watkins had said to convince Julia to let me do it, but I had done it. Now we were off. I grinned at Mrs. Watkins.
"Well, looks like we'll be spending lots of time together. So, I guess we better start looking for you a jacket, and some clothes." She smiled at me, and put her arm around me. "We women have to stick together you know."
I smiled. We walked back to the car, where Mr. Watkins was waiting.
"Now you call us Norma and Wilbur, ya hear. I don't like the whole Mr. and Mrs. Watkins bit. Makes me feel older than I already am," Norma said. She had to be at least 70 years old. But I didn't argue. We got in the car, and left the gas station. I wondered where we would go first.