"Toss it over! Come on, hurry!" There was urgency in Rachel's voice.
"Don't you think we should check if she's still alive." "No one can survive such a beating. Didn't you see how they almost splattered her brain out? The guys did a good job. Her head and face is destroyed. Toss this trash into the river before someone sees us." Rachel urged. She darted her eyes back and forth the darkness of the overhead bridge on which they stood. Bruce grunted as he lifted the bag enclosing Lillian's body. "I don't know why you didn't pay them to dispose of the body too." He whined. "You want it to be traced back to us? Is that what you want?... Just hurry up and let's get out of here!" Lillian heard the voices in a haze. Her body felt numb and alienated. The physical pain she felt was like nothing in the world. Her breathing was so slow, she thought she would die the next minute. She held her breath when she was lifted. The pain heightened with the contact. She felt herself rise. Her pain increased with the height. There was silence, then a whooshing sound and splash! The liquid and then the shivers. She felt cold and sinking. Deeper and deeper, she sank. Liquid clogged her airways. She couldn't breathe. Was this it? Was this her life passing in front of her? Surprisingly, she was calm. She was too exhausted to panic. Her fight had seeped out of her. She again felt the darkness she was getting so accustomed to taking over. She didn't fight it. She welcomed it and gave it passage as she bid the world goodbye. ★★★★★★★★ A few miles away, seated in a small boat was the grieving Mr Knox. He had always loved the river. It gave him a sense of calm in his darkest moments. Moments such as this. He had just lost his daughter that morning. The pain of the news was still fresh in his mind. He couldn't face the world just yet. He couldn't come to terms with the loss. He had kept the news a secret. It made it easy and yet so difficult as they couldn't even find her body. He shook his head at the thought. It was a sickening disaster. As Knox let the current of the river direct his boat, drifting him along the coolness of the calm river. He caught sight of the figures up ahead the bridge. He focused his gaze on them, trying to make out their activity in the darkness. He had barely thought of the possible things they could be doing when he heard the splash. Curious, he stirred his boat to the direction of the drop. He saw it as soon as he neared there and he knew what it was. He couldn't be mistaken. It was a bag, the length of a human. His instinct kicked in. He dived into the river without thinking twice to retrieve the bag. "She's alive." He whispered in shock when he opened the bag. Quickly, he carried the almost lifeless body and headed back to the city where he could get to a hospital. ★★★★★★★★ "Where did you find her?" Dr Tony asked his friend, concern bathed his voice. "She was thrown over the bridge. I think they were trying to kill her." Mr Knox responded. "They were." Dr Tony confirmed. "She has multiple fractures, an indication that she must have taken a good beating. It is clear that the intention was to ensure she died. It's only by a thin line that her skull is still intact. But I fear the damage that has been done." Mr Knox could feel his heart race as his friend related the report to him. He was glad to have been there when the incident happened. "What damages are you referring to?" Knox's voice was clothed with anxiety. "I fear she may have suffered brain damage. It's possible she may not remember a thing. Who she is, her name or where she's from. Chances are that she would suffer a memory loss." "What are we looking at here?" Dr Tony looked at his friend, weighing his readiness for the information he was about to drop. He sighed resignedly before speaking. "We are looking at a 95% chance that she won't remember a thing…" He paused before adding. "It's a miracle she's still alive" Tony said that in an attempt to elevate the worry in his friend's eyes. "You brought her in at the right time." He praised Sam Knox. "Thank goodness I was there." Mr Knox said almost to himself. "But there is one slight problem. She needs to undergo surgery to restructure her cranium. Her face is badly disfigured. She would be needing plastic surgery." Sam Knox felt his heart constrict involuntarily at Tony's revelation. He couldn't explain why he felt so bad for the poor lady. It felt like he could feel every pain she felt and wanted to take it all away from her. "Go ahead then! Save the young woman's life immediately." Mr Knox urged quickly. He really felt drawn to the woman he had found. He could feel an inexplicable connection to her and it gingered him to ensure she survived this ordeal. "Of course we will. You'll have to make payments for the operation. The thing is we don't…" Mr Knox cuts his friend. "Tony, you know money is not a problem. Whatever the cost, I'll cover it. Just don't let anything happen to that girl." Tony smiled at the insistence of his friend. "I know money is not a problem. The problem is we don't have a face model for her. If we are going to fix her face, there should be something we'll work with." As Mr Knox listened to his friend ramble the medical jargons. His mind lit bright with an idea. Maybe this was it! Maybe this was why he felt connected to the girl. Maybe this was how life thought to repay him after his devastating loss. Sam Knox dipped his hand into his pocket and fished out his phone. "You need a model, use this." He held up the bright screen to Tony's face. Tony's face turned pale as he stared at the picture. "This is your dead daughter Ashley!" Tony exclaimed in shock. He was the only person Knox told about Ashley's death that morning. "She's dead Tony." Knox said in a throaty voice. His eyes watered up. "You and I are the only ones that know about that. And you say this girl won't remember a thing. So why not give her an identity? It would make her life easier instead of waking up to figure out who she was." Knox's eyes pleaded with his friend. "And I can have my daughter back… No one has to ever know." Tony looked at his friend, pain and desperation evident in his eyes. Knox was finding it hard to accept the death and Tony felt sympathy for his friend. "I'm not so sure about…" "Please, Tony. Please. She was the only thing I had. You know everything. Help me heal. Help me ease this pain I feel. Please." Knox entreated. "Are you sure about this?" Tony asked, his mind deeply considering Knox's appeal. "YES." Tony inhaled deeply. His eyes shone with resolution and his voice was very determined when he spoke. "The surgery will last 16 hours. Be ready for whatever happens after this."Dr Tony was taking off the bandages wrapped around Lillian's face. He worked with dexterity as he pulled on the bandage. It's been five weeks of waiting since after the surgery."You will feel numb around your face when the bandages come off, but it shouldn't alarm you. It's normal and the feeling will wear off in a moment." Tony explained as he unwrapped the bandage. Sam Knox stood by the corner of the room, his heart racing and his eyes shone with fear. He was eager to see the result of the surgery and yet, uncertain how Lillian would react to her new face.Lillian had only been able to communicate by nodding whenever she was spoken to. The bandages had prevented her from speaking. So they had not been able to have a real conversation with her.Tony had said that the chances of Lillian remembering anything about her past was very slim. But Knox couldn't shake off the fear that she would remember her past life. It would be a disaster if that happened.Tony finally removed the last o
"Yes." Knox nodded at her. "Yes. You are Ashley Knox." He reiterated with tear filled eyes. "You are my Ashley.""You are my daughter." He announced with tearful glee. She watched him move near her. Uncertainty flooded her gaze. She looked up at Dr Tony whom she inexplicably had a measure of trust in. Tony sensed her insecurities and he understood them. He had seen it a thousand times, patients waking up to memories of their life snatched away from. Knowing nothing. Remembering nothing. The feeling was depressing. He nodded silently at her, consenting to the information she had just received.She turned her gaze away from Tony to regard Knox who had stopped in his tracks. Her countenance had not been welcoming causing him to pause."You are my father?" She inquired.Her innocence burst open the flood gates of Knox tears. He shook violently, collapsing on the bed on which she sat. She suddenly felt guilty. He was her father and she didn't know him. She imagined how that must hurt. S
"Don't worry, you'll meet him soon." DJ assured. He couldn't remind her that he hadn't spoken to or seen his brother in a very long time. He didn't have a good relationship with his family. He thought he would tell her, but later.Ashley peeled her eyes on him, watching him intently. She wanted to read his reaction to the question she was going to ask next."Was I good girlfriend to you?"DJ grinned. Contentment brightened his gaze. "You are the very absolute best girlfriend ever! In all my dating years, I've never met someone like you." There was pride in his voice. Pride and love. So much love."I'm the happiest to have you back." He stood up from the settee and moved to the bed. He knelt before her and took her hand in his. Staring into her eyes, he poured out his heart. "I love you Ashley."She stilled. His confession a huge surprise. "I don't know what to say."He smiled, his eyes never left hers. "It's fine. Take your time. Take all the time you need. I don't mind courting you a
The room zoomed in dangerously and everything blurred from Lillian's standing spot at the entrance to her room.Her room, her matrimonial room. Laid atop her matrimonial bed was her husband vigorously and pleasurably thrusting deeper and deeper into the honeycomb of her sister. Their moans, the only deafening sound that filtered through the hazy cloud in her mind.She refused to believe her vision. The two most important people in her life could never think to do this to her. The only people that cared about her would never do this. Her heart said differently. Her eyes saw reality. Reality she vehemently refused to believe. She moved closer to the bed. She wanted a closer look at them. She wanted to confirm their faces, even though she already knew. She wanted it to be a mistake.Just as she reached the foot of the bed, she saw her husband shake violently, emptying his release into the depths of her sister. Their sigh of deep satisfaction caused her eyes to water.As Bruce finished o
"Don't worry, you'll meet him soon." DJ assured. He couldn't remind her that he hadn't spoken to or seen his brother in a very long time. He didn't have a good relationship with his family. He thought he would tell her, but later.Ashley peeled her eyes on him, watching him intently. She wanted to read his reaction to the question she was going to ask next."Was I good girlfriend to you?"DJ grinned. Contentment brightened his gaze. "You are the very absolute best girlfriend ever! In all my dating years, I've never met someone like you." There was pride in his voice. Pride and love. So much love."I'm the happiest to have you back." He stood up from the settee and moved to the bed. He knelt before her and took her hand in his. Staring into her eyes, he poured out his heart. "I love you Ashley."She stilled. His confession a huge surprise. "I don't know what to say."He smiled, his eyes never left hers. "It's fine. Take your time. Take all the time you need. I don't mind courting you a
"Yes." Knox nodded at her. "Yes. You are Ashley Knox." He reiterated with tear filled eyes. "You are my Ashley.""You are my daughter." He announced with tearful glee. She watched him move near her. Uncertainty flooded her gaze. She looked up at Dr Tony whom she inexplicably had a measure of trust in. Tony sensed her insecurities and he understood them. He had seen it a thousand times, patients waking up to memories of their life snatched away from. Knowing nothing. Remembering nothing. The feeling was depressing. He nodded silently at her, consenting to the information she had just received.She turned her gaze away from Tony to regard Knox who had stopped in his tracks. Her countenance had not been welcoming causing him to pause."You are my father?" She inquired.Her innocence burst open the flood gates of Knox tears. He shook violently, collapsing on the bed on which she sat. She suddenly felt guilty. He was her father and she didn't know him. She imagined how that must hurt. S
Dr Tony was taking off the bandages wrapped around Lillian's face. He worked with dexterity as he pulled on the bandage. It's been five weeks of waiting since after the surgery."You will feel numb around your face when the bandages come off, but it shouldn't alarm you. It's normal and the feeling will wear off in a moment." Tony explained as he unwrapped the bandage. Sam Knox stood by the corner of the room, his heart racing and his eyes shone with fear. He was eager to see the result of the surgery and yet, uncertain how Lillian would react to her new face.Lillian had only been able to communicate by nodding whenever she was spoken to. The bandages had prevented her from speaking. So they had not been able to have a real conversation with her.Tony had said that the chances of Lillian remembering anything about her past was very slim. But Knox couldn't shake off the fear that she would remember her past life. It would be a disaster if that happened.Tony finally removed the last o
"Toss it over! Come on, hurry!" There was urgency in Rachel's voice."Don't you think we should check if she's still alive.""No one can survive such a beating. Didn't you see how they almost splattered her brain out? The guys did a good job. Her head and face is destroyed. Toss this trash into the river before someone sees us." Rachel urged. She darted her eyes back and forth the darkness of the overhead bridge on which they stood.Bruce grunted as he lifted the bag enclosing Lillian's body. "I don't know why you didn't pay them to dispose of the body too." He whined."You want it to be traced back to us? Is that what you want?... Just hurry up and let's get out of here!"Lillian heard the voices in a haze. Her body felt numb and alienated. The physical pain she felt was like nothing in the world. Her breathing was so slow, she thought she would die the next minute. She held her breath when she was lifted. The pain heightened with the contact. She felt herself rise. Her pain increas
The room zoomed in dangerously and everything blurred from Lillian's standing spot at the entrance to her room.Her room, her matrimonial room. Laid atop her matrimonial bed was her husband vigorously and pleasurably thrusting deeper and deeper into the honeycomb of her sister. Their moans, the only deafening sound that filtered through the hazy cloud in her mind.She refused to believe her vision. The two most important people in her life could never think to do this to her. The only people that cared about her would never do this. Her heart said differently. Her eyes saw reality. Reality she vehemently refused to believe. She moved closer to the bed. She wanted a closer look at them. She wanted to confirm their faces, even though she already knew. She wanted it to be a mistake.Just as she reached the foot of the bed, she saw her husband shake violently, emptying his release into the depths of her sister. Their sigh of deep satisfaction caused her eyes to water.As Bruce finished o