The Golden Rose

Chapter Twenty-Five: Lost Memories

My eyes opened to find myself in a field of flowers. My shoulder length crimson hair danced to the tune of the gentle and familiar breeze. I looked down to see my hands which were smaller than I remembered. Yet oddly, it didn't feel out of place. The view in front of me was bedazzling and breathtaking. The warm sun rays fell upon the vibrant flowers all around me.

"Eli," a soothing voice whispered.

My gaze fell upon the source of the voice to see a little boy. I saw his small frame getting further and further away the more I approached him. He kept on calling my name and I kept on reaching for him. My eyes were fixated on his black figure as I unknowingly stepped into complete darkness, leaving the field behind. After what felt like an eternity, my knees, exhausted, fell to the ground. My gaze shifted downwards to see a reflection. The reflection had crimson hair and amber eyes filled with love and affection.

"Eli..." the same soothing voice spoke, this time a bit more roughly.

The voice kept on calling for me, each time a bit louder and harsher than before.

The voice, now, completely devoid of the warmth and comfort it once held, growled lowly "Eli...Why did you abandon me..."

A throbbing pain pierced through my head as my gaze fell upon the reflection again. The eyes no longer held that kind look but rather glistened with fiery hate and resentment.

"That day, instead of me you should have been abandoned...so how dare you forget everything and live a life of comfort?" the voice continued.

My body trembled at the words even though I didn't know the meaning that they held. The acrimony in those pair of amber eyes grew by the second.

The voice screeched, "Eliza Arielle Rosario! You must remember what you have forgotten, for that is the price you must pay!"

I was paralysed, unable to look away. A whirlpool had opened up in those amber eyes that stared intently at me. Without the time to spare a thought about those eerie words aimed at me, I was sucked into the whirlpool.

I awoke, my cheeks wet and my pillow damp. My hands trembled as I wiped off the remaining tears from my eyes.

What was that...? Who was that young boy calling for me? The reflection I saw, although it had crimson hair and amber eyes, it was not me. And what did those words mean? Abandon? Forget? The price I must pay? It is true that I don't have much recollection of the years before I turned eight years of age. However, I had assumed it was because I was young and not many people retain the memories of their childhood. Wait...the hooded man I had met at the Royal Ball! He told me to remember. If not all, he definitely knows something about this. I could simply pass this off as a mere nightmare but it just doesn't feel right to do that.

Mariah had walked into the room while I was trying to decipher my strange dream, "Miss! Your complexion! What happened?!"

I took a deep breath, "Ah...I'm fine. Just a nightmare."

As Mariah patted my back to calm me down, I asked, "Mariah you have been working here since a long time ago, right?"

"Yes, Miss. I have been working for the Rosarios even before your birth. I was your mother's personal maid before I became yours," Mariah replied.

My curiosity was piqued, "Then Mariah...what kind of childhood did I have?"

Mariah laughed as nostalgia washed over her, "Well, you certainly weren't the brightest but definitely the naughtiest kid I have ever seen."

I gave Mariah a slight nudge in response, "You really don't fear speaking your mind, do you? Also, did I know or was friends with a young boy when I was younger?"