autumnrayne92

Content Warning: Loss of Limbs

Waking Up

Today was just like any other day. I woke up, ate breakfast with my family before heading off to my factory job to make help contribute to our family’s income. We did not have much living in the lower end of the west side district of town and for the last 20 years of my life this was where I called home. At least this was the case before I lost all prior memories of my life. 

“Watch out”, yelled another factory worker. These were the only words I remember before a large chain slammed into me throwing me into my machine's work station. From there, only the feeling of intense pain and eventually passing out remains.

Black, everything around me was black… at least it was until a short message popped up in my mind.

[Finally I was able to reach out to you! Unfortunately I made a small mistake on your transfer and the soul you were supposed to replace has been overpowering yours until now. I guess you could say that the other soul has finally passed on now and I can have you take over now. Since the other soul is gone, I cannot share their memories with you, but I’m sure with your current state amnesia is a valid excuse. One again I’m sorry for the transfer issue and please come talk to me at a temple when you have a chance.

Sincerely,

Eril ]

And after the message faded from my thoughts, the darkness started to lighten around me until I started being able to see colors around me.

Eventually what I could only describe as a brown wooden roof became more apparent to me. I could see the rough grains in the wood which looked hand crafted. After a little while longer, I could start hearing a small wisping noise which repeated rhythmically and then a slight feeling started coming from my chest which seemed to match its pace. Eventually more sensation started coming back into my body and I could smell the dusty air around me and feel a pressure on my back. 

Then more feeling came back to me from my body and with it an incredible amount of pain on my left side which led me to scream. “Ahhhh”, I shouted in a pained higher pitch voice. The pain on my left then concentrated on my left shoulder and left thigh and with my weakening scream I passed back out. 

I’m not sure how many times this repeated, but eventually I was able to stay up longer and longer before passing out again. Through this entire process, I was still in the same room with what I found to be the same small bed. Sometimes figures would show up when I screamed and give me food and water. Eventually bread and a pitcher of water were left for me and I managed to start feeding myself. In this process, I realized that I was missing my left arm and left leg. I had to struggle to sit up to eat for even a small amount of time. The pain that was constantly berating me was what I could only think of as my body mending where my arm and leg were.

Meeting the family

After a few weeks of recovering, I was finally able to create more conscious thoughts about myself and where I was. Gaining a little bit more confidence in myself and my voice, I finally spoke up to the middle aged woman who has been bringing me food and water these past few weeks.

“Thank you”, I spoke to her softly after she set down the food and water on the side table which caused her to look at me a little startled. “Have you been bringing me food and water every day?”, I asked.

“Well yeah since I’m the only one home while everyone else is out, but I thought you would have guessed that I would be taking care of you since everyone else is usually at work during the day and I’m always taking care of the home”, she said. 

“I’m sorry, I honestly cannot even remember who you are or even where I am right now”, I said. “My last memory is of something flying towards me and then everything else is blank”.

The lady sits down on a stool nearby and sighs. “Ugh…, I guess the accident really did a number on you. So you say that you cannot remember anything except the chain flying towards you,” she asked? 

I reply with a nod. 

How do I explain this to you?”, she says while scratching the back of her head. “I guess for starters, you are in your family’s home and I’m your mother Cheryl. I guess the easiest way for us to start is for you to tell me anything you do remember besides the accident,” she says.

“Honestly, nothing...mom,” I say faintly. “The next moments after that memory have been very hazy and the most I remember is the pain and the realization of my missing limbs.”

“I guess that makes sense after that kind of accident,” she says. “So to explain your missing limbs, you were in a major accident at the factory you worked at about 3 months ago where a hoist chain slammed into you and threw you into your work station. To keep the accident details short, your arm and leg got caught in the moving parts and were ripped off. From there you work sent you off for emergency medical attention and got in touch with us and we brought you home when you were stable. Since then, I’ve been taking care of you during the day changing your bandages and feeding you while your sisters take care of you at night.”

I guess I looked taken back and a bit confused by everything since my mother makes a pained expression before continuing. 

“I don’t want to overload you today with too much information and I also need to get started on dinner for your father and sisters so I’ll keep the rest of this short,” she said. “As I said before I’m your mother Cheryl. Your father’s name is Krisstoff and our family’s name is Hopper. You are Lilly Hopper, my 20 year old middle daughter and you have an older sister Grace and a younger sister Rose. I’ll ask everyone to come to your room after dinner tonight to introduce themselves after I explain everything to them. For now, I’ll leave you alone to your thoughts and meal while I finish up dinner.” And with that she got up, patted me on the head and left the room.

I quickly finished my nearby meal and laid my head back down still reeling in thoughts. “I guess I really did die and Lilly’s soul also passed on,” I thought to myself. “So much to take in, but I guess my name is now Lilly Hopper, a 20 year old woman with missing limbs and no memories of myself…”.

With these final thoughts I fall back asleep exhausted.