Reminiscing Memories

*Hazel’s POV*

“I can’t believe it!” Pandora screamed as we hurried to make our way through the crowd to check in. “We got front row tickets and backstage passes!”

I smiled, holding a huge white envelope in hand. Pandora had a sign made, holding a witty comment for the guys to read. I was excited to meet them, just as I was excited to watch the concert. In the envelope held my first impressions of them. They were drawings of what I found to be them winning me over. I wanted to give it to them. I hoped they like it.

This concert was a little different from the last. They had their countdown and came out, but they talked for a moment before starting their concert. My screams fell into everyone else’s. I wanted to reach out, just to be touched by them, but I didn’t want to lose my envelope. I was fine with that though, because I knew I’d get to meet them later.

Pandora and I stayed very close together as we walked passed security to get backstage. “I have to be home soon.” I said, checking my phone. “Mom will be worried.”

“It sucks having a ten o’clock curfew. It’s a good thing your apartment is close from here. You can just run back.”

I nodded as we walked backstage, being led by some staff.

And there they were, standing next to fans, signing autographs and taking pictures. We waited in line, waiting for our turns. We were the last to be in line too, so we had a while to wait. When it came though, they offered us the biggest smiles.

Not many people knew, but I had a photographic memory. With my memory the way it was, I could catch the smallest details most people would otherwise dismiss. The boys honestly looked tired, but even so, they held the smiles and shared their enthusiasm with their fans. They checked out Pandora’s sign, laughing as they read.

It was Liam who took note of my envelope. “What’s that?” He asked, pointing at it.

“Um…” I started. “They’re drawings I’ve made of each of you guys.”

“Seriously?” Niall perked up. “Can we see?”

“She’s really good.” Pandora said, standing next to me as I opened the envelope and handed the drawings to Niall.

Liam was looking over his shoulder, Niall passing down a drawing to each of the boys. “This…” Zayn started.

“Wow, they’re so realistic. Did you copy from a photo?” Harry asked, curious.

“You could say that.” I said.

“She has a photographic memory.” Pandora explained. “Whenever she sees something that makes an imprint to her mind, she absolutely has to draw it.”

The guys all looked at me, slightly amazed. “Can we keep these?” Louis asked. “I love it.”

I nodded. “I want a picture with you girls.” Niall said, grabbing my arm and putting me between him and Liam. He brought out his phone, something I haven’t seen him do with the other fans. He called out a few staff members, asking them to take the photos.

I brought out my phone, along with Pandora for them to take the picture of us with them. The guys held up their according pictures to the camera, smiling. Pandora and I did the same. After a few moments of picture taking, we broke apart. Zayn was looking at his picture. “Your name’s Hazel Anna Morgan? And you drew this last year?”

“Ah! That was the date of our last concert here!” Niall said excitedly.

“So you saw us in concert then?” Harry asked.

Pandora and I nodded, smiling. “Well, thank you for coming!” Louis said, smiling at the two of us as he turned the picture around again to stare at it.

I saw as he and Zayn began to look at each other’s drawings. I felt my phone starting to buzz in my pocket. I checked it. “Shoot.” I said, looking at Pandora. “I gotta be home in ten.”

Pandora’s eyes widened. “There’s no way you’ll make it in time.”

“Guess I’m grounded.” I sighed, I looked up at the guys. “Sorry guys, but I gotta go. It was so great to meet you finally.”

“Wait!” Liam called out as I started to walk away. I looked back. The guys were looking at him as he stared at me, searching for something. I really didn’t have the time to waste. I waved a hand at the five of them and Pandora and I, as fast as we could, booked it out of there.

What sucked was that we had to get past the crowded fans outside. Everyone was trying to capture one last glimpse of the boys. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t. I had to get home as fast as I could, before curfew. Pandora gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “See you tomorrow?”

“You know it!” I smiled before running down the street.

I hated to be late. I was never the type to push my curfew, but this night was one of those nights. It was the time of night where there weren’t many cars out, so I barely checked the roads before crossing the streets. I was so close to home, almost two blocks away before I would be back at the apartment. I ran so hard that my side was hurting and head pounding.

That was probably why I didn’t hear the slamming of brakes as I ran off the street. I could stop nor move out of the way in time. I stared in shock, only seeing the bright lights of headlights before my body made contact with the front of a van.

My mind blacked out for that second because it happened so fast. Pain shot through my body as I felt the shock of the blow settling in. My vision came in and out, but I couldn’t find anything to focus on to keep me awake. Memories of the past came into my mind. No, I thought, I didn’t want to remember that. Anything but that.

“Is she okay!?”

“Call an ambulance!”

I needed something to focus on. Something, no, somebody came before my eyes. Brown eyes filled my vision, the eyes reflecting the headlights. Even though I tried my best to keep my eyes open, the pain wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t even feel the streams of tears falling on my face. “It’ll be okay.” I heard his words over shouts of multiple voices. “We’re getting help. Keep your eyes on me. Ignore the pain…”

I let my head rest against the asphalt, each breath I took mustering pain. I kept my eyes on the pair of brown. My head hurt so badly. I could feel myself slipping. “No! Stay awake… Don’t…”

I couldn’t hold on. If this was the moment I was to see the white light, I wished for it to come. It didn’t though, but I knew the pain won its way. I don’t recall ever hearing sirens ever, only the voice of the boy who was begging for me to stay awake.

I couldn’t thought. The darkness took its toll.

“Mommy! Daddy! Look! Look!” I shouted, running toward two very tall figures that were standing next to each other in a brightly painted yellow kitchen.

They looked down, my father reaching down to pick me up and holding me against his hip as my mother took the drawn picture from my hand. “It’s beautiful, sweetie! Carl, look at this!”

My dad positioned himself where he was standing side by side with my mom. He looked down at the colored picture I’ve drawn. It showed three family members, hand in hand. With the handwriting that was hard to read, they managed to read out ‘Mom, Dad, and Me’ written on top. “Put it on the fridge, along with all of the other collections.”

My mother smiled at the two of us, her green eyes bright against the sunlight that spilt through the windows. “My little girl is so good at drawing, better than her old man.”

“Honey, you’re not that old.” Mommy replied, coming to the two of us.

She kissed me on the forehead, pulling back and the two of us exchanged smiles. But the light behind her seemed to get brighter, so bright that the image of her face completely disappeared, being replace by nothing but pure whiteness.

My eyes slowly opened, a throbbing in my head apparent. I looked around, seeing a window to my right covered with blinds. I looked over, feeling the sensation of touch on my hand. I brought my hands up to see them. There was something covering my forefinger and I could hear a beeping monitor. Where was I? What was going on?

There was a figure laying her head down on the bed I was laying on. I reached out, touching her shoulder. “Mom?” I asked.

She jumped awake, sitting up as she stared wide-eyed at me. What was this? Mom was still Mom, but… why did she look so much older? She looked like she gained about ten years in age. Her face wasn’t young and she didn’t hold that smile that I remembered. Her brown hair held specks of gray and there were small wrinkles by her eyes and lips. “Oh, my God! Hazel!” She called out, worried. She took a hold of my hands, squeezing them tightly. “Honey, I was so worried. A nurse! I need to call a nurse!”

I looked around, lost and confused. I looked around the dark room, the only light coming from the lamp beside me. “Mom…?” I started, trying to find another figure.

She was standing now, reaching over to press the nurse’s button. “Yes, honey, I’m here.” She said, pulling her chair close to be beside me.

I opened my mouth, jumbled. “Where…?”

“Where’s what? What is it, sweetie?” She asked, taking my hand into her own.

“Where’s Dad…?”

The relief on her face seemed to go up in shock. “Honey, I…”

Another light filled the room as a few people in scrubs came walking in. They asked my mother to step back as they began to do some kind of check-ups on me. One nurse stayed by her side, speaking to her. A doctor came running in as soon as the nurses checked my status.

He spoke to my mother and whatever she said to him, he nodded. He came over to my side. He took a seat in the chair Mom was sitting in before. “My name is Doctor William Brookes. I’m going to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer to the best of your ability, okay?”

I nodded some. I looked up at my mom. She had a hand up to her lips, nervously biting on them. “What’s your name?”

Easy. “Hazel.”

“Full name please.”

“Hazel Anna Morgan.”

The doctor nodded as he continued on. “Birthday?”

“January 21st.”

“How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

He brought his clipboard down, looking at me as he spoke the next question gently. “Do you know where you are?”

I looked around, trying to decipher exactly where I was at. “Um, a hospital?”

He nodded, accepting the answer. “Do you know why you’re here?”

I tried to think, but I couldn’t seem to recall anything. “No.”

“Nothing? Anything?” He asked.

I sat on the bed, staring down at my hands as I tried to recall anything that has happened recently. I couldn’t think of anything.

“It’ll be okay…”

“Actually…” I started, my face scrunching up. “I think… I remember eyes.”

“Eyes?”

I nodded, looking up at the doctor. “They were brown. And words…”

A shot of pain shot through my head and I flinched, reaching up to touch a bandaged head. The doctor reached out, slightly worried. “Is that it? Can you recall anything else at the moment?”

“No… nothing.” I said as the doctor brought my hand away from my head.

Dr. Brookes stood on his feet, looking down at his clipboard. “Since she’s just woken up from the accident, I’ll have to let her rest. Make sure she doesn’t move around much unless otherwise necessary. I’ll come check on her progress in a few hours. Make sure she stays awake until then.”

He nodded at the nurses as he made his way out of the room. My mother came back to sit on the chair next to me. I wondered what it was that was keeping her from telling me where Dad was. Wasn’t he here? Wouldn’t he be here?

I guess I shouldn’t think about it too much, my head was throbbing.