Chapter 214: Creature from the Black Lagoon

"TRU!"

I heard Zander's worried voice and blinked open my eyes. He knelt in the dirt, cradling me in his arms. "Tru," he said with relief. "You're okay."

"No," I croaked, feeling like I'd never be all right again. I felt my chin wobble and tightened my lips to steady it. Zander's face blurred as tears welled up in my eyes. "I remember how Mom died," I said, burying my face in his chest.

After Mom's fatal accident, I'd awoken in a hospital with no memory of what had happened. The doctor told us that temporary amnesia was common after a traumatic event. But when the memory loss had continued for almost a year, he'd changed his tune, saying that it might be permanent. "Perhaps it's for the best," he'd said, trying to cushion the blow. I'd lost my temper and yelled at him. I'd behaved horribly, but Dad had simply hugged me, holding me through the sobbing until I'd quieted and we'd gone home. We hadn't talked about it again, even though I'd thought about it all the time, trying everythi