Ivy

The shop was turned out to be a bar, and Ivy was quickly kicked out. Yet something told her that this place, or something in that place was calling her. The same invisible hook continued to drag her forward, and it physically hurt to resist it. The need was so strong at this point that she had to sit down on the sidewalk. Her head was still aching and she felt hot all over, and the loss of her memories was tugging at her sanity. What had happened? And why on earth did they have numbers? Clearly, the numbers weren't defining them as separate people from some crazy experiment. They had the same number. So what did it mean then? Where they matching tattoos? That idea seemed silly. Why would they have matching tattoos?

"Ivy Charlotte Fox," a raspy voice said above. Ivy's eyes shot up. A haggard old woman was kneeling over her. Her eyes were coal black and her nose was misshapen, like it had been broken at least once. Her outrageously long hair shone silver in the moonlight.

"Who are you?" Ivy demanded. Ivy Charlotte Fox. So Charlotte was her middle name. As much as it pleased her to know something, finally, it didn't help their situation much. But if this woman knew her...

"I am a fortune teller. Come with me," the fortune teller started to walk away. Although something told Ivy not to follow strangers into the dark, a stronger pull reminded her that she needed information, and the thing - or rather person - she had been waiting for was here now. The invisible hook seemed to be attached to this strange woman, and Ivy obediently followed her down the street.

To her surprise, the fortune teller brought her straight back to the alleyway she had woken up in just a few hours earlier. Then she whirled around and faced her. Something about the fortune teller seemed off, like there was a certain look in her eyes that didn't make her quite... human.

"Who are you?" Ivy asked again. "And how do you know me?" she added. The fortune teller smiled, almost in a sad way.

"I can't tell you anything, or I'll be caught and I won't be able to give any information to you anymore. I already contacted Ben earlier today. When you see him again, tell him to write something in the notebook he found. It's an easier way for me to communicate with you," the woman explained. Something about her was familiar.

"Why did you find me? What do you want?" Ivy continued to pester. The fortune teller laughed this time.

"Always with the questions. Okay, listen. I already told Ben this, but you need to level up. I know that doesn't mean anything to you, but I managed to find something for you that might help," the lady explained. She pulled a deck of cards out of her coat pocket, placing it in Ivy's outstretched hand. The woman's hand squeezed Ivy's momentarily, who quickly jerked away. She didn't know this lady.

"These cards will help you level up. Ben knows what to do. Ivy, I don't have a lot of time, and I can't give much information. This alleyway is the only place hidden from Their eyes, but it won't take long for Them to notice you're missing. When you tell Ben about the fortune teller and the cards, do it here. The notebook and cards must always be kept hidden. The agency may seem secretive, but that's where you're going to be most exposed. Only trust each other. And for the love of god, level up," the lady explained hastily. Then she looked over her shoulder. "I need to go now. Good luck."

Ivy stood there dumbfounded as the fortune teller started to walk away. The cards felt cold and foreboding in her hand, and the weight of her words were sinking in. She needed to confer with Ben, and soon.

"Who are you?" Ivy tried one more time. The woman stopped once, looking at Ivy in a weary and sad way. Glancing around and dropping her voice as if taking a huge risk, she whisper-shouted across the space between them.

"I'm Lily." And then she ran away.

Lily.

The name repeated in her mind and her vision started to blur and throb. It was so familiar, why was it so familiar? Who was Lily? Ivy dropped onto her knees, gasping and clutching the cards harder than ever. This was so wrong... she fully collapsed on the ground and felt her eyes close and her head explode in pain.

Blackness surrounded her, and she was paralyzed. She couldn't move at all. Some blinding stabbing light was up ahead. What was that? It kept moving closer. Was that... was that girl? Yes, that was! Strawberry blonde waves, freckles, hazel eyes - it was herself! No, that couldn't be right. This girl had longer hair. And a rounder face. And she had a proper smile, not a sarcastic smirk like Ivy herself.

"Stop it, Ben!" The girl laughed. Ben? There were shrieks of laughter, then it was gone. What had she just seen?

The light changed into a giant projector screen as a new person emerged. She was different. An angular face, grey eyes, brown hair with colourful streaks and a sharp nose. She wasn't saying anything, just staring ahead. She had a shiny metal lip piercing and black lipstick. In an instant, she morphed into someone new. Again, she was different. Wait no - there were two people. A young woman of thirty holding a young girl. The older one had shiny straight blonde hair and doe brown eyes, along with a round face and soft smile. The young girl had a shockwave of bleach-blonde curls that made her look like a dandelion puff. her eyes were comically big and bright blue. Her smile was bright. Were any of these people Lily?

Who were these people? Was this her family? She couldn't recall them one bit. Although that girl, in the beginning, she was familiar. Was she... Ivy's sister? Her twin? Another version of herself? As if thinking of her had triggered more memories, the same girl appeared. This time she was smirking at Ivy.

"That was epic," she said.

"Totally!" Someone agreed with her. When this person spoke, it echoed around in the black chamber.

A few noiseless memories followed, all with the same girl. Dark nights, tears, running, scrapes, bruises, fear, fights, laughter - it was like a slideshow. But none of them sparked any memory in her. What was this? Were these even her own thoughts? Her own things?

If this is my mind. Ivy thought. Maybe I can find some more memories, to get some answers.

Concentrating hard, she focused on the blinding white light. It went blank. There had to be something...

Show me answers. She willed.

The screen changed. Now it was blurry. like someone had put a piece of tape over a camera and taken a video. There was a bright light inside the bright light. It didn't make sense. A humanoid figure leaned over whoever was laying there. The person - who must have been Ivy herself - started shouting, but no words made sense. Her head whipped to the left. Was that Ben? Ivy suddenly felt uncomfortable. What was she watching? The figure placed it's fingers on her cheek, moving her head so that she was looking at the light again.

"STOP!" The words were clear. And it was obviously Ivy's own voice, which echoed around the dark chamber once more.

Clicks and chatters followed, along with some sort of smooth tongue she didn't understand. The video was flickering. Ivy must have been blinking hard here, trying to keep her eyes open. Then it went blank. It was over.

As if being rebuked out of something, Ivy felt her body being slammed backwards, and when her eyes snapped open she was back in the alleyway. The last memory was still fresh in her mind, and she fought hard to keep everything in place.

The last one made her shake in fear. It felt so real, as if she could still feel the cold metal against her back of the table.

That was my last memory. She realized in shock.

The last thing she had seen before being landed in the alleyway. Whoever those people were, had they taken her memories? Why? And why could she see the slideshow of that girl, whoever she was. Had that girl been Ivy herself? It certainly had seemed so. The only real difference was that the other girl had a rounder face. But that was all still possible, right? She had just watched herself through a slideshow of her old life. So why had the last one been in first person? Were the other ones fake? Ivy couldn't be sure.

The one she focused on most was the last one she had seen. Her screams, Ben was there. She was certain that one had been her last memory. She could still taste the steel as she got up and ran back to find Ben.