chapter9：New memory

Exhausted from the long - time rummaging, Amy unknowingly drifted into a slumber. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back at her home in New York without realizing when it had happened. She had no impression at all of what had occurred during this period. Hastily, she grabbed her phone to check the time, and was shocked to find that a whole month had passed since she went back to the orphanage to visit the head nurse. Immediately, she felt a sharp pain in her head, as if countless needles were pricking it, and her whole body was aching unbearably, as if she had just gone through a fierce fight.

The phone on the bedside began to vibrate continuously. Weakly, Amy answered the call, and her boss's anxious voice came from the other end: "Amy, what on earth is the matter with you? You've been missing for a whole month! Do you have any idea how chaotic the company has become because of you?"

Biting back the pain in her head, Amy replied feebly, "Boss, I... I don't know what happened either. My mind is in a mess right now. It's like I had a very long dream, but I can't remember anything."

The boss heaved a heavy sigh on the other end, with obvious dissatisfaction in his tone: "Amy, this is not acceptable. Your sudden disappearance has held up a lot of projects in the company. How are you feeling physically? Can you come back to work as soon as possible?"

Amy frowned and said helplessly, "Boss, I'm feeling extremely unwell right now. I have a terrible headache and my whole body is sore. I want to go back to work as soon as possible too, but I need to adjust my state first. I know I've caused a great deal of trouble for the company. I'm truly sorry."

The boss paused for a moment as if thinking about something, and then said, "Amy, you should have a good rest first. But you need to give me an approximate time so that I can arrange the work. I can't keep waiting for you like this all the time."

After thinking for a while, Amy said weakly, "Boss, I'll try my best to adjust myself within three days and then go back to work. Is that okay?"

The boss replied, "All right. Do it as soon as possible. I hope you can regain your form soon. The company really needs you right now."

After hanging up on her boss, Amy wearily leaned against the bed. Before she could recover, suddenly, a noisy sound came from the radio, and then a familiar voice emerged. It was Tom's voice, but he didn't sound quite right. He seemed to be drunk. Just as Amy was wondering, her phone rang. She took a look and saw that it was an unknown number. When she picked it up, it was indeed Tom.

Seventeen - year - old Tom asked drunkenly, "Hello? Who is it? Where am I?"

Amy frowned, and said with a tinge of worry in her voice, "Tom, it's me, Amy. Why are you so drunk?"

Little Tom, with his drunken, bleary eyes, shook his head dazedly, his tongue a bit tied: "Amy? Who is Amy? I don't know you."

Amy was shocked in her heart. Just as she was about to further explain, suddenly, it was as if something exploded in her mind. One by one, terrifying new images flooded into her mind like a raging tide. She clearly saw that on this very night, little Tom would be quietly approached by a man with extremely strange behavior. There was a chilling gloom in the man's eyes. He would take out a handkerchief that reeked of a pungent smell and suddenly cover little Tom's nose and mouth. Before little Tom could struggle, he would be knocked out. Then, like a lifeless rag doll, little Tom would be taken by this man to a boss's bed.

Immediately after that, an even more horrifying scene emerged in her mind. A boss was lying on the bed defenselessly. Suddenly, a dark figure flashed like a ghost. The murderer, holding a gleaming sharp blade, stabbed at the boss frantically. The boss's eyes widened in horror as he tried to resist but was powerless. The sharp blade stabbed into the boss's body again and again. In the blink of an eye, the boss had been stabbed more than a dozen times, and blood gushed out like a spring, dyeing the bed bright red. However, the murderer didn't stop. His eyes were full of cruelty and madness as he raised the knife again and hacked at the boss's legs. The legs were instantly cut off, and the scene was truly appalling.

Amy's eyes widened in horror, full of disbelief, and her body trembled slightly involuntarily. She knew clearly that the original case of the legless victim shouldn't have developed like this. There had been such a huge change in the first victim of this case.

Suppressing the fear in her heart, Amy grabbed little Tom's arm and shook him vigorously, saying urgently, "Tom, listen to me. You must go home right away. This place is very dangerous. You can't stay here any longer."

Drunkenly, little Tom tried to shake off Amy's hand, muttering, "Who are you? Why are you minding my business? I haven't had enough to drink yet. This bar is so much fun."

Amy was extremely worried and raised her voice, "Tom, I'm Amy. Don't you really recognize me? You are in great danger right now. Believe me, okay? If you don't go home tonight, something terrible will happen."

Tom, with his eyes half - closed, sneered disdainfully, "What nonsense are you talking about? What danger? I think you're trying to trick me into leaving so that you can have fun here by yourself."

Amy's eyes were a little red. Almost pleadingly, she said to Tom, "Tom, I'm not lying to you. Just think about it. Why would I tell you all this for no reason? Look at how drunk you are. It's easy for bad people to target you. I just saw some very bad images. In those images, you will be in great danger, and it will be tonight. Will you go home?"

Seeing how serious Amy was, Tom sobered up a little and asked doubtfully, "You... you really saw that I would be in danger? But I still think you're joking."

Amy nodded vigorously, "Tom, I'm serious. Very serious. Go home right away, lock yourself in your room, and don't go anywhere, okay? This is related to your life safety."

Finally realizing the seriousness of the matter, Tom slowly stood up, still a bit unsteady on his feet: "Well... then I'll go home right away. But what you said is really strange. When I'm sober tomorrow, you have to explain it to me properly."

Amy quickly said, "Okay, okay. As long as you go home safely now."

Watching Tom stagger out of the bar, Amy finally breathed a sigh of relief, but her heart was full of doubts and worries. She didn't know why these strange memories had suddenly appeared in her mind, nor how to stop the impending tragedy.

Just as Amy was immersed in these astonishing new memories, her phone screen suddenly lit up, and a message popped up. Amy looked down and saw that it was an invitation from her best friend, Lucy. Lucy invited her to participate in the detective novelist feast at the Winter Villa.

Amy hesitated when she saw this invitation. Her current state was really not suitable for any activities, and after experiencing so many strange things just now, her mind was completely not on this. However, she really didn't want to reject her best friend's kindness. Lucy had always been her good friend, and this event might have been carefully prepared by Lucy for a long time.

Biting her lip, Amy still dialed Lucy's number: "Hello, Lucy."

Lucy said excitedly on the other end, "Amy, did you see my invitation? This feast is wonderful. There will be many well - known detective novelists participating. We will surely have a very interesting time."

Amy said with some difficulty, "Lucy, I... I've just experienced some very strange things. I'm not in good physical and mental condition. I was going to refuse, but you know, I don't want to spoil your fun, so... I'll go with you."

Lucy exclaimed excitedly, "Great, Amy! I knew you wouldn't let me down. Then we'll see each other at the Winter Villa then."

"Okay, Lucy. See you then." After saying that, Amy slowly hung up the phone. She sat on the bedside, her eyes full of confusion and doubt. She was full of worry about the upcoming feast and at the same time was extremely troubled by the new memories that had suddenly emerged in her mind.