...

Where am I? This road... where? The tall grass billowed in the ditch as a warm breeze bushed her cheek. Fields, familiar in kind but not specifically, of corn and soy and wheat spread over the surrounding hillsides. Sprigs of chickeree caught her eye, but now was not time for such pleasures. The road seemed to go on forever in both directions, desolate and unpromising. A stand of trees caught her eye, though, off toward the horizon.

I might as well. She grinned as she climbed the other side of the ditch and pressed her bare feet into the sun-baked earth, stepping lightly over the corn sprouts. Knowing my skin I'll be burned soon. Ugh... This farmer must use cow manure... Wind howled through distant trees, sounding like the ocean or some large truck throttling along in the distance. She looked back toward the road once more, sighing when she saw the rippling air over the pavement. Sweat was collecting on her neck already. Thank God for this breeze.

The trek to the stand of trees was short only in distance. Time flowed just like the lazy river it was, carrying her mundane body in its eddies while her soul flitted just ahea; ever ahead.

When she first moved into the shade she sighed. The cool shadow was nearly palpable; a soothing veil of green. Grass sprouted beneath her feet, saving them from the rocky soil. As her eyes adjusted to the sudden darkness she saw that there was a pool at the center of the stand of trees, surrounded by a broad span of the most luscious grass she had ever seen. Oh! This place is gorgeous! I wonder if I've-

She caught herself. Wait- who... The question only half- formed in her mind before disolving and filling her mind with a dull ache. I wonder why this place seems familiar...
A veil of shadow as slumberous as that which encased this forest cell wrapped itself about her mind with barely a breath of caress. 

Kneeling by the waterside, she could feel the soft kisses of the grass and reached out a hand to stir ripples along the pool's surface. A butterfly landed on a dandilion and winked for a few seconds before flitting off again. The bushes encompassing the ring of trees and serving as the lower walls of this personal sanctuary were alive with blossoms and the gentle buzzing of bees at work.

Screened, inspired and basking in the beauty of nature, she stripped herself of her veil- the last of the walls between herself and the world around her.

...

"What's wrong with her?"

"We're not sure."

Derek glared at the doctor across the desk. "Then who should I ask? Amelia's just sitting on that cot staring off into space- they found her completely naked in the middle of nowhere, for God's sake! Something's wrong with her! Normal people just don't do things like that! She's not like that...She needs to get her life back!"

"I'm not entirely sure she wants that at this point."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Mr. Sanders, I believe that it would be in Ms. Amelia's best interest if she were to stay here with us for some time. I'm not saying that she has to stay, or that this will always be the best place for her- but for now, I think that she'd be happier here."

"She would not want to stay here- you just don't know her!"

"Would is the key word in that. She has changed, Derek. She isn't the girl you used to know anymore- she's changed and I don't know if she will ever go back. She told you herself that she would rather stay here than go home." The doctor paused and let the words sink back into the man's mind.

"But it's just amnesia. Once she goes home she'll remember how happy she was...we were going to get married this spring..."

"Happy people don't do this kind of thing, and you know it's more than amnesia."
...

White walls, white floor, white ceiling. Black chair, green plant, brown wood, red pen. Click, Click. Yellow paper.

"So, Amelia; where did we leave off the other day?"

Red hair, pink nails, orange flesh, black dirt, gold ring, white scar. Rub, twist; rainbow.

"Don't you remember? Today you're going to get a visit from Derek. Remember Derek? He's the one that got you that pretty ring you like to play with."

White slat, black slat, white slat, black slat, white slat, black slat, white... Slam!

"Mr. Sanders, just in time. We were just talking about you, weren't we?"

"Doc.... Amelia."

"Amelia, won't you say hello to Derek?"

White, blue, green. Black -darkness-

"Amelia, calm down; everythings alright. You're fine. Calm down."

"Must she scream every time she sees me?"

"You're the one who perpetuates this. Calm down, honey. There, there. Get out!"

"Fine!"

Slam, sweet lavender, bristles, sleeping eyes.

"There, all better now the mean man is gone."

tic swipe toc swipe tic swipe toc swipe tic toc tic toc tic toc, circle, round, round, round, black, white, black, white, black, white, black, white....

"I'm going to leave you for a moment. I'll be back soon."

bang.

...

"Derek, calm down. It's plain that you don't love her anymore. You don't need to force yourself. You don't owe her anything and you really aren't doing her any good anyway. Just go home; forget her and move on."

...

Derek sat up in bed, propping himself up with his elbows. Turning his head back, he could see long dark hair spilling onto the pillow beside his. She wasn't asleep but he could tell she wanted him to think that she was. She might be the one with a PhD. in psychology, but he knew what made her tick.

She was still mad at him.

In the throes of passion he had let the name slip again. Pamela's forgiving words circled through his head:

"Amnesia, my love... I get it too sometimes; whenever you say her name, for instance."

and he only hated himself more.