You are my rose... You are my lily...

The car steadily drives off. Elsie places her chin on her palm while watching the outside view, the trees moving by in a blur due to the speed of the car. She sighs. She is in the car but she is also not. She is in a place, so dark- nothing to think about since she cannot remember anything. Wrecking her mind so hard, Elsie tries to remember something but to her dismay.

"Dear," her mother's voice jolts Elsie back to earth. Elsie looks at her mother. "Are you okay?"

Elsie nods. Her mother smiles before turning to face the road.

How can I tell her that my mind is just pitch black and I cannot remember anything or anyone? Elsie resumes her viewing. They mentioned Kristy, I do not have any clue who that is! Fuck amnesia. She curses.

Agatha sighs sadly. Alex stretches his hand and holds Agatha's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Agatha looks at Alex, whose eyes are on the road as he drives. He murmurs a silent, "She will be okay-all this will end, " making Agatha smile, a new born hope blazing in her. She nods and grins.

~~~

"Kristy, we are home." Alex shouts as he opens the door.

Agatha and Elsie walk in the house as Elsie glances around at the interiors of the room-the gray colored walls, a chandelier hanging at the middle of the room, black couches with gray pillows and a gray arm chair all standing on a white fluffy carpet, there is a dining area with white chairs and a white table and opposite it, is the kitchen. She gasps as she spins on her spot, taking in the view.

So this is my humble abode? she asks herself. It is beautiful.

"You guys are back!" Elsie stops spinning to see a girl- brown wavy hair, brown complexion, black eyes, with a curvy figure- run down the stairs. She runs to hug Elsie who gasps as her eyes widen. Elsie then softens and hugs the girl while chuckling nervously.

"Elsie's home- my sis is home" the girl says while giggling.

"Mum," Elsie calls looking at her mother. "Who is this?" she asks and her question makes the girl push away and look at her confused.

"W-what d-do you mean, Els?" The girl asks, her face darkening. "You are fooling around, right?" she sniffs.

Elsie steps forward but the girl steps back. "I don't mean to upset you but-"

The girl shakes her head. "Just leave me alone." the girl runs up the stairs, while crying.

"Kristy!" Agatha runs after her.

Elsie looks at her father, shock stricken. Alex hugs her after reading her sad expression.

"Did I do something wrong, dad?" Elsie asks, tightening her grip gently.

Alex sighs. "She is just in denial, that's all." he gently rubs her back.

~~~

Agatha knocks at the door. "Kristy." she walks in while calling out her daughter's name.

She sighs at the sight of her daughter on her bed, hugging her knees and crying.

Kristy looks up and sobs. "Tell me this is all a joke." she says almost as a whisper as a lump is stuck in her throat. Agatha sighs, making her cry out. She places her head on her arms and shakes her head. She cannot believe that her big sister does not remember her, the memories they had together... Nothing! Kristy bites her lips as the memories she shared with Elsie plays in her mind. She does not remember anything! Kristy says to herself.

She feels a hand touch her and she does not hesitate to jump into her mother's arms and weep.

"I get it sweetie," Agatha says, trying to push back the tears welling up in her eyes. She sniffs and blinks them back. "You feel bad and sad. We just need to be strong for her. She will regain her memories Kristy."

Kristy moves away and looks at her mother. "How did this happen? She was so fine that day-happy that she got a new stock of books and I," she chuckles, "and I was happy cause I was going to steal them."

Both chuckle. Kristy bites her lips and shakes her head. "Will she?" she asks.

"She will my dear. Her memory will be regained." Agatha cups Kristy's face and wipes her tears. "Elsie will remember herself, those around her and the memories they shared, Okay?" Kristy nods repeatedly. Agatha smiles. "Okay." she whispers.

Kristy exhales deeply and nods. "I'm okay, now. Thanks mum." she smiles.

Agatha nods then leans in to kiss her forehead. Before she stands to leave the room, Agatha gently rubs Kristy's hand.

~~~

Elsie sits on her bed, legs crossed. She flips through a novel she had found on her bed when she walked in. She sighs and drops the book on the bed, her eyes glancing on the ceiling.

Is this how one feels, she asks herself, emptiness? Does my state really upset people that much? Is this all a dream?

She pinches herself and winces as her response. She sighs. No, she is not dreaming-although she wishes she was, then she would eventually open her eyes and things would go back to how they were, if she even remembers how things were.

The door opens, jerking Elsie back to reality. Kristy walks in, her eyes downcast.

"You must be Kristy?" Elsie asks.

Kristy nods. Elsie tilts her head slightly to the side and smirks.

"You are pretty. I would say, you look like mum."

"Thank you." Kristy says, her eyes still downcast and her cheeks flushing red.

Elsie taps the bed- just in front of her- and Kristy walks to the bed and sits before her. Elsie watches Kristy as she plays with her fingers, shyly.

"I am sorry, Kristy." Elsie says, making Kristy look up. "You must feel-"

"Don't." Kristy whispers. "Don't apologise for something you did not do." Kristy looks away and swallow the lump in her throat. It's hard, she thinks, to sit next to her sister who does not remember all the memories they had together. She blinks and blinks and blinks until her tears are back in their bags. She does not want to cry, not in front of Elsie. Inhaling deeply, she glances at Elsie, her head-the bandage wrapped on it-and her lips tremble. Whoever did this to her, Kristy swears, they will face my wrath.

"Hey," Kristy speaks up, she jumps from Elsie's bed and rushes to her clothes cabinet. Her eyes wander around her cabinet until she snaps her fingers and picks a gray beanie. Kristy walks back to the bed and puts the beanie carefully and slowly on Elsie's head. "You liked them. Plus it would avoid question from the neighbors."

Elsie smiles then frowns. "But I'm not going out."

Kristy huffs a smirk. "You are, right now." She takes Elsie's hand and picks up her novel with the free hand then leads Elsie out of the room.

~~~

Elsie watches the trees in a blur as the car moves. She sighs-exhausted from the view-then looks at Kristy, her hands on the wheel.

Feeling Elsie's stare, Kristy points at the radio. "Play some music if you are bored."

Elsie puts on the radio and music fills the car. She smiles. "This song is dope!" she says as she laughs.

Kristy manages to catch her sister swaying to the music. She looks away immediately. Shit! She thinks, painfully. Elsie does not remember her favorite song. Is it that bad?

"Y-you used to love this song." Kristy whispers.

"Huh?" Elsie stops swaying and looks at Kristy. "Did you say something?" Kristy shakes her head, avoiding Elsie's gaze upon her.

~~~

The two girls walk in the park. Elsie's eyes wander around as she takes sight of the beautiful place. She spins, her hands in the air as she chuckles. Kristy smiles pitifully, a painful stab in her heart as she realizes that this too, Elsie does not remember. She shakes her head, chasing away the painful thought. She inhales a new breath, one that brings hope-hope that her sister will remember something today, even if a small fragment.

It is silly, Kristy scoffs, but I am hopeful. Elsie may remember something, she will. Kristy swallows the pain. I know it's early but I am hopeful.

Kristy leads Elsie towards the trees and to a specific spot- a lone tree near a silent stream, with its pink flowers that hang low from the branches that also hang towards the ground, making it look like a bush. Kristy lies the mat on the ground and the two sit, facing the sky.

Her breathing fastening, Elsie exhales deeply.

Kristy turns to her, worry written on her face. "Are you okay, Els?"

Elsie shakes her head. "I mean yes." she says quickly. "It's just... this view is perfect." she says, looking at the sky.

Instinctively, her hand reaches to a flower and she plucks out a petal from it. She almost cries out.

Kristy lies back, her back against the tree. "We used to come here when we were young. We dangle our feet in the stream and giggle recklessly for no reason. No one knew where we would go-not even our parents. The first time you brought me here, I remember, I had cried-said that you were kidnapping me." Kristy chuckles. "When we finally got here, my mouth was shut and I got mesmerized by the sight. I forgot I was crying and yelling and you would laugh at me. Then we would play by the stream, splash water on each other and run round this tree. From that day, every time we got a chance, we would run here when we came from school."

Elsie listens quietly, she closes her eyes as she tries to imagine what Kristy is saying. Suddenly, pictures form in her mind. All too quickly, they fly in her mind until they slow and form motion, showing her Kristy and all the things they did and said to one another. The hugs, the laughs, the little mischief they had up on their sleeves, she remembered them all. She opens her eyes, her cheeks wet and hot from the hot streaming tears.

"I remember this one time," Kristy continues, unaware of the incident happening next to her, "we had sat here and you told me something, something I carry with me all through- even when you are sad, lonely, heartbroken and in tears, smile-"

"That is what life wants from us." Elsie completes the sentence.

Kristy turns to Elsie, in shock. Her eyes are wide and her mouth agape as she looks at her sister.

"Oh Kristy, I missed you." Elsie cries out. She hugs Kristy who is still in question. "I-I remember, I remember you and all we did."

Kristy gasps, and cries out as she hears this. Her grips tightens around Elsie as she buries her face in Elsie's hair and weeps.

"I knew that you were connected to me somehow, I felt it," Elsie says, her voice breaking as the tears carelessly flow from her eyes. "It broke me to see you cry but I did not know why-that broke me even more. But now, now I remember you. I really missed you small Kristy." she pushes away and cups her sister's face. "You are my rose, I remember." she whispers.

Kristy closes her eyes and cries. "And you are my lily." she says. The two hug again and cry. "I missed you so much Els." Kristy says.

Elsie strokes her sister's hair and exhales. "I missed you too little sis." she laughs. "I missed you too."

~~~

The two girls walk in the house and find their parents sat on the couch. Alex has his hand round Agatha who seems to be in worry. They look up and see their daughters and they stand.

Kristy and Elsie run to their parents and hug them. Alex and Agatha look at each other, in confusion.

"She remembers me." Kristy muffedly says. "Elsie remembers me." She repeats.

Agatha cries out while Alex gasps. They hug back their children-all of them in tears.

"Thanks be to God!" Alex whispers as he kisses the three ladies on their heads.