Chapter 22

"Im listening", Jackson said.

She scooted back until her back was leaning against the head board, pulling her legs up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Amy has had a hard life. Terrible things have happened to her. Things so horrible that the only thing that kept her from completely loosing it was to basically create someone who could handle the things she couldn't."

"She couldn't cope, so she created another person in her head?"

"Yeah..I guess you can put it that way. But its much more complicated.

She unfolded her legs and turned towards him, leaning in as if she was about to tell him a secret.

"You see Amy was so severely traumatized that she became catatonic. She just...checked out. But I fought for her. Ugh..how do I put this so you can understand? I guess you can say I have always been a part of her..that strong part of her that fights and never gives up. But some how she lost that part of her. She gave up. She stopped fighting. Even tho she lost sight of that part of her, it never died. I was not about to die, so when she checked out, I took over. She truly did wake up another person. Everyone kept using the word amnesia. But they didn't realize Amy was still asleep. Her family..well, I guess you can say our family kept doing things to try to jog her memory. The more they pushed and reminded her, the more that old part of her started to wake up. I wasn't very happy about it. For awhile, I fought it. I was afraid once Amy was back, she'd remember everything and push me away again. I had lay hidden deep inside her for so long..I was afraid if shoved down again, this time I would truly die. But thankfully for me and her both, she never remembered those horrible things that led her to that point. She doesn't even remember being hospitalized. Maybe now you can understand why its better that we keep Amy in the dark."

Jackson just sat there for the longest time, not sure what to say or do next. Snapping back into focus when he felt Orchids hand caressing his face.

"I think Im ready to talk to Amy now", he said.