Mia was awake, when a nurse said to her, “How are you feeling, dear? Can you tell me your name?”
She was confused, and said, “I’m Mia…but that’s all I know,”
Nurse smiled to her, “It’s OK,” she continued, “You’ve been in a coma for a few days. Your brain is still trying to wake up fully.”
As Mia was fine, the nurse said that she needs to stay for a few more days. “Just a little longer, and you’ll be discharged. I’m going to tell your parents you are awake,” Nurse said, and continued, “They’ve been distraught, but they’ll be so happy to see you.”
As she was alone, she started to think about her identity. As she was lost in her thoughts, a woman rushed towards her, “Oh, darling! Thank God you’re alive!”
As she was shocked she said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t remember anyone. I woke up from a coma,”
The woman responded, “I know, sweetie. The doctors filled me in. I’m Laura, your mother,”
“What happened to me? Why don’t I remember you?” Mia asked.
Laura answered, “There was an accident. But let’s not focus on the bad things, yes? I’m here to take you home. If familiar things surround you, your memory might return soon.”
“When can we leave?” Mia asked to her mother.
Laura said, “Now, I’ll pack your things.”
Mia was asking “But the nurse said I needed to stay here—”, when her mother cut her, “Well, did she say you’re well?”
“She did,”
Laura said, “Then it’s settled, they want to keep you here longer for the bills to swell.”
Then she started to walk with her mother, “We’ll have to be quick, Mia. Follow me.” Laura said, as she led her to fire escape.
“Why are we going this way?” Mia asked.
“We need to get one floor down,” Laura responded. As Laura stopped holding her hand, she said, “Wait here; I’ll be back in two minutes.”
Laura came back with papers, then they went in to the parking lot. “Why are we hiding?” Mia asked, when Laure pulled her behind a car when they saw a doctor.
“I’m sorry, honey,” Laura was scared, “I know you might be worried about why we’re leaving like this…It breaks my heart, but I can’t afford another day here. I can’t pay your bills.”
“It’s OK,” Mia said. Even though she couldn’t recognize the mother, she felt the pain in her voice.
They entered the Laura’s car later. As Laura drove, she noticed that the buildings changed with trees, and they arrived at a home, where it was surrounded by forest.
As they walked into the house, Laura led Mia to her room. There were baby picures, and many toys. Baby toys. She felt like it was not a room for 14-year-old girl.
“Is this really my room?” Mia asked. “These photos on the wall…they’re all of a baby,”
Laura was smiling. “We lived here when you were very young, honey,” she added, “Then we moved to the city. Our house there…it caught fire recently. We lost everything. So we came back here to your old room.”
Mia couldn’t remember anything. Then she listened Laura, as she started to talk about Mia, and her hobbies, her likings, her character.
It was weird for Mia to listen Laura, as she had no memory of anything.
Then one morning, they went to the grocery store. On the grocery store, she saw her missing poster, on a milk.
Laura’s words made her jump, “Remember something?” Mia tried to hide the milk from Laura as she said, “I was…I was just looking,”
Laura said, “Alright.” Then she started to move towards the checkout. Mia tried to memorize the phone number on the milk cartoon, as she moved towards Laura.
On the drive back, she was only thinking of the number she memorized. When they arrived back, Mia expected a moment where she could be alone, and call the number.
When she found the moment she was searching for, she called the number. A woman said, “Hello? Who is this?”
“Hello,” Mia said and continued, “I saw my photo and this number on a milk carton. Can you tell me what’s going on?”
The woman responded as she was panicked, “Mia, is that you?”
“Yes, my name is Mia. But that’s all I remember.”
“Oh, Mia! Your father and I—we’ve been looking for you! We didn’t know what happened, where you were—You were kidnapped, sweetie! Do you know where you are? Can you recall anything, any landmarks?” The woman said.
Then the door was opened, as Laure stepped in, “Who were you talking to?”
“No one, just a wrong number,”
“I see you’re lying to me, girl!” Laura shouted, “It’s not nice to lie to your MOTHER!”
Then Laura dragged her down to the basement.
Laura shouted, “You’re my daughter, and I won’t give you to anyone!” And shut the door of the basement.
Mia was locked in the basement. As she knocked the door, and begged Laura to open the door, she had received no response.
She then started to search the basement, as she found some notes about Laura from various dates.
“Patient Laura — First Visit. Presenting with acute delusional episodes. Believes in seeing her deceased daughter in various locations. Struggling with acceptance and grief.”
“Progress is slow. Laura continues to report sightings of her daughter. Recommended increased dosage and continued therapy to aid in acceptance and processing of her daughter’s passing.”
“Notable progress in today’s session. Laura displayed moments of clarity, expressing guilt and grief without the compulsion to see her daughter. It’s a fragile but significant step towards acceptance. Encouraged her to maintain medication and therapy.”
“18.02 – A distressing regression today. Laura accused me of deceit, claiming that her daughter was, in fact, alive and that she had seen her in the hospital. She became agitated, her anger escalating quickly. She threw a paperweight across the room, barely missing me, and shouted that she wouldn’t be fooled by my ‘lies.’ The session ended with her storming out, leaving chaos in her wake.”
Mia was shocked, as she confirmed that Laura wasn’t her mother. She learned that Laura was mentally struggling. As she was thinking a way to leave the basement, the next morning came.
As she heard footsteps near the basement, she shouted, “Please, let me out,”
Then, she decided to play tricks on Laura’s mind, as she shouted, “Mom! It’s scary down here!”
“Mom, remember how we planted the garden together? We were a team…I want those moments back. Please, Mom.”
“Mom, I love you, I really do. I want to be with you, not locked away. Please!”
Then Laura opened the basement, as she said, “I’m sorry I did this to you, honey,” she continued, “I was scared you would leave. I can’t lose you again.”
“I’m here now; don’t worry,” Mia hugged her.
Then Laura took her to the table, to give her some food. Mia continued to her role to pretend that she was Laura’s daughter. She helped Laura to clean the kitchen as Laura said, “Honey, can you fetch me the rest of the dishes?”
Mia said, “Sure, Mommy!”
The opportunity to escape had came for Mia, as she took a plate, and approached to Laura and swing it with all her strenght.
Laura fell to the ground, and Mia rushed to take the keys, unlocked the door and ran. But Laura managed to catch her, and dropped her to the ground. She started to choke Mia.
Mia said, “Please, let me go!”
“I can’t…breathe!”
Then a voice was heard, “Release the girl now, or I’ll shoot!”
An officer came from the woods, as he said, “Need backup. Female and a young girl near the river,”
When he noticed that Laura was still choking Mia, he shoot her, not with a bullet but with a shocker. As Laura fell to the ground, Mia could breathe again.
Don’t worry, you’re OK now. She’s been subdued.” The officer said.
As her parents came to the police station, her father hugged her and said, “We contacted the police immediately after you called us. You’ll finally be home, honey,”
“Finally.” Said her mother.
What do you think? Let us know.
