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I open my eyes; blinking
in the bright light. 'Where am I?'
I ask a tall, well-dressed woman who is standing by my bed.
'Relax Chris, you're in hospital. You had a road accident. It was a bad
one, but your condition
is stable.
You hit your head really hard. What
can you remember?'
I don't recognize
her. Then I realize
that she just called me Chris. 'Err...
I can't remember anything. Nothing at all. Who are you?' Strange. I
can't even remember my own name.
'I'm Jen, your wife! Don't you remember me?'
'No... I'm sorry. I don't know you.' I feel so confused.
My mind is so cloudy, so
unclear. The woman leaves my room. I hear her lock the door and the
sound of voices outside. I fall asleep.
Three days later, Jen drives me to a large house in the countryside. She tells me it is our home. There are many photographs of us, but something doesn't feel right. I ask her many questions and she tells me that I was an accountant for an audit firm in Manchester, but crashed our car on the drive home two weeks ago. I was unconscious for over a week. She says I might never regain my memory. I can read and write and other such skills, but she will have to tell me my entire life story.
Last night, when Jen thought I was asleep, I heard her talking on the phone. She said that everything was going to plan and that the operation was a complete success. She was laughing as she spoke. Then this morning, when she was taking a shower, I looked in her purse. Her credit cards have the name 'Anna Collins'. What's going on? There is no television, radio or computer here, and no newspapers. I feel completely isolated and feel I'm going crazy.
It is 3am and I am running across muddy fields. I can see a village in the distance. I slipped out of the house when she was sleeping because I think something is wrong. I don't know why she lied about her name. Also, I checked her purse again, and found a receipt that is dated May 8th, but she told me yesterday was only March 2nd. I need to know the truth. Behind me, the lights in the house go on. She must have discovered that I have gone.
I reach the village. I run up to the first house and bang on
the door. After a few seconds, a light comes on upstairs, and a man
opens the window and looks out. 'What do you want? Do you know what
time it is? It's the middle of the night!'
'Please. I need your help.' I shout up to him.
'It's you! I can't believe it! Hold on... hold on. I'll come down.'
He opens the door and stares
at me, 'Oh my God!' he gasps,
'It is you!
They said you were dead. Please come in sir.. come in.' He takes me
into his small living room. 'Please sit down.'
'Do you know who I am?' I ask, feeling very confused.
'Are you kidding? You're Jeremy Cox, the Prime
Minister! On the news,
they said you
had a heart attack. I watched your funeral
on television two months
ago, sir!'
'I think you'd better call the police,' I say, 'and quickly, as there
might be some very dangerous people looking for me.'
'Of course, sir. I'll call them right away.'
Adjectives
stable:
Not changing.
confused:
Unable to think clearly what is happening or being said.
unconscious:
Here meaning 'asleep because you are sick'..
isolated:
Far away from other people or places.
Verbs
blink:
To close and open your eyes quickly.
remember:
To bring information, facts, or images into your mind.
recognize:
To know who someone is because you saw/met them before.
realize:
To start to know something that you did not notice before.
regain:
To get something again that you lost.
go to plan:
Something happens in the way that you wanted.
slip out:
Here meaning 'to leave quietly so that no one sees you'.
stare:
To look at something for a long time.
gasp:
To breathe in suddenly and in a noisy way, because you are surprised.