A Picture-less Frame

Waking up empty and alone, is what happens to Amy a girl whom awakes with no memory and has now forged a path for a shadow.

A Picture Less Frame

By Jack Pollard

As the sun begins to rise, a young women in her early twenties, is awoken by the morning rays beaming through the curtains, upon her eyes like an alarm clock slowly waking her to a sick ordeal. The more she woke, the more ill she feels, from just rolling her head out of the sun, it was feeling like a wave splashing through her head endlessly. Which painfully forces her to adjusts her hand to her forehead, gradually unsealing her eyes only to realize she couldn't recognize the ceiling above her or the window she looks over at or even the bed she was laying on. Not only that, through her blistering head ache pulsing on and off, she soon figures out that she is unable to grasp the following night. She then feels even more cold and alone because she couldn't reclaim her name within her broken realm. She feels like it was right there at the front of her head, but it keeps slipping away like a taunt.

Looking at the bed she was laying on, she sees she still has her shoes on, with one shoe lace up and the other untied. Across from her was a dresser with a mirror displayed upon it but also potential hope in front of the mirror. Hating it, she fights gravity dragging her torso up and was now staring at her reflection upon the mirror, she couldn't even recognize. So she quickly threw her sights of it and back to her target on the dresser. Which is a grey purse then without hesitation unzipped it and begins clawing though it hoping for any sign of life. She then finds a cell phone that raises a bit of hope for her until she couldn't understand it with it just being a black piece plastic with a screen on it, she held it with her thumb over the screen, waiting for it to turn on but nothing came out of it, just stayed dead so she threw it back in the purse and resumes looking. Then finally found a black wallet, opens it and discovered herself. She looks back at the mirror and reads out.



"Amy Smith?" While gazing at her reflection, she notices in the mirror, behind her amongst the walls that there was nothing at all on them. No pictures, awards or any sign of a life that could help her. Examining the room more she notice that the furniture was the only things displayed around. She turns back to the dresser and begins opening each draw of the dresser finding nothing in them at all. So she cries out. "Hello?!" No one retorts.

With her memory broken but starving for answers, she hangs her purse around her shoulder, then slowly makes her way out of the room but then has to pit stop in the door way. "Hello? Is any...one here?!" She could barely howl out and waits for any sounds of a life but only heard the squeaking of the floor she stands on. So she continues her slow pace, pushing herself out the doorway and into the hallway, while checking each room only to find more uncharted territory. She then reaches the living room, just to find no answers still, but more confusing and disappointing clues, with just the couch and a coffee table there. She begins to wonder if she was on hostile grounds or not. Amy calls out one more time "Hello?!" but could only hear her own voice bouncing off the walls through the barren rooms. She goes to go check the kitchen across from the entrance door but then stops at the door way. Due to crackling of glass underneath her feet so she looks down and there it is; shards and bits of glass trailing towards a window near the handle of the door! She lead to wonder but the more she ponders the more panicky she felt. She took one more look around and then vanishes out the door with unease.

Even the outside shows her no mercy as the sun weighs her down, causing her to squint and just making it impossible to see the neighborhood. So she begins digging through purse once more hoping for anything to dim down her day which she luckily found some and swiftly wrapped them around her eyes. Discovering her strange new neighborhood that's surrounded by trees but only to see nothing but a ghostly block.

Because there's no one in sight, no one mowing the lawn, no kids playing in the yard not even anybody taking out the garbage, just a gust of wind passing by. So she starts down the street while rubbing her head trying her best to latch on to any charred clues within her head. After sluggishly making her way down a few blocks she ends up in an urban area, walking passed a few shops all which has absence in every one of them, nothing but red letters on every door saying "Closed" As well as a few corny ones such as "Oooops were closed." or "Sorry were closed." Which all drains her down mentally and physically, making her stop at a corner store resting her head on a window. Trying her best not to think to hard but knows she has to. After a few minutes, the chillness of the window on her head faded away, she raise's her head off the glass.

Then opens her eyes to a cold reflection of a shadowy hooded tree height droopy jeans fellow standing in the distance, behind her across the street peeking around the corner with his hands in his pockets and his hood covering his eyes. Causing immediate chills down her spin as well as stiffing up her back as she lowers her shads looking deep in the window. She slightly peeks over her shoulders, pondering if she should turn to him for help, with him being the only person around. But with his glare it felt like it brought a bitter black snake around her neck so she raise's her shads back up and instantly ditches the corner. 

Hoping that he was just a scarecrow creeping in that one spot, her pace slows back down, trying to sweep the fear off her shoulders until she glance's over to a shop window on her right and sees him slowly shadowing every step she made! Right then that fear wraps back around her neck and shoulders like a snake tightening around its prey! Picking up her speed feels like an uphill battle, with her legs feeling like cooked noodles while trying her best to keep her walk formal. With every passing shop she still saw no life in them just the cold copy of the faceless man upon the windows. Hearing his steps becoming more increasingly fast, she began throwing her feet forward more rabidly but he was still glued on her tracks! Even after two more blocks he was still there, like fly on a carcass. Hearing his baggy jeans shuffling more and more felt like he was getting closer, so as soon as she saw a corner coming she flung around it looking over her shoulder and completely forgetting about her untied shoe, then she comes crashing down from it but into the merciful arms of tall well-dressed blond haired man; Who was standing between two other clean smart looking guys, wearing just the same as the tall blond man beige shorts and bright polo shirts. 

"Amy? Amy Smith? It’s me Matthew, Jesus we've been looking all over for.” This blond man replies 

Amy still trembling with despair and fear but then looks up at her deliverance, she completely breaks down with tears and bewilderment. "Whoa its ok, its ok." Matthew replies while wrapping his tepid arms amongst her. "What's wrong? What's going on?" He asks "I don't know, I just really don't know?!" She cries

"Whaa..What do you mean?" He ask 

"I don't know, I mean I don't know anything right now! I can't remember anything from last night or my life in general! I don't, I just..I..I" Amy express with heavy tears. 

"Sssshhh, your fine now; your back with us." Matthew adds while placing her head upon his chest.

"Plus I think this guy around the corner is following me!" Amy frets with anguish looking back at Matthew.

"Seriously like stalking you?"

"Yes stalking me!" She yells 

He then nods at his pals on his left and right, saying: "You guys should probably go check it out." They retort immediately speeding around the corner. As she watches them she had to ask: "Who are you guys?" 

"You really can't remember can you?" He asks and she retorts shaken her head so he adds beaming his blue into her hazel eyes: "Were your best friends and those two are cops, Chris and Josh, so you’re safe and sound now."

Later Matthew shelters Amy at peaceful house, sitting in the sofa throne of the living room resting her head upon her hand, while wiping away some tears. Until Matthew comes in with a glass of ice cold water that comfortably lifts her head up. "Here's some ice water." He hands it to her "Thanks." "No problem." he reply's nicely and takes a look at her trembling hands shaken the glass up to her mouth. "So how you feeling?" He asks as she takes a few big gulps and place's it on the coffee table. "Well I'm safer now but it’s just..." She chokes up a little bit. "I don't know who I am, I can't remember anything! I mean I had to dig through some purse just to find some kind of clue but luckily it was mine. Not to mention I woke up in an empty house which I might of broken into, I don't know what I did last night and I don't want to find out that there's arrest warrant out for me or anything like that I just don't know, don't know I jus..." Matthew reaches out to her shoulder before she gets stuck in a loop. "It’s ok alright, were going to figure this out." He says with a reassuring smile but then his cell phone starts go off, pulls it out and looks at the caller id then back to her with a bit of a somber look: "Dam it I gotta take this, I'll just be on the porch you'll be alright? Right?" She nods her head and just before he steps out onto the porch, Amy says "Thanks." "Any time." He smiles at her and slides shut the door.

As Matthew stands on the balcony overlooking the drive way where a big white windowless van was parked he hit the touch screen to answer: "Yo, what's a happing Charlie." On the other line far away in a dark yet decked out living room, with all the expensive toys a man can get such as fifty inch flat screens planted above the fire place, huge speakers surrounding the living room as well as lap tops, computers and video game systems, an old man wearing a silky smooth velvet robe replies to Matthew: "Nothing just the usual shin dig. Did everything work as plan?"

In the living room Amy, still hypnotized by his appealing exterior, she then feels a bit of Deja vu when she took her eyes off of him as she scans her environment more, she stands up and gazes around the living room. "Like a moth to a mother f*****g flame boss." Matthew answers Charlie with great pride. Elsewhere in an old rugged abounded house miles outside the town in a roach invested kitchen, the stalker which now had a fresh bruise across his face with his hood down and tied to a wooden chair, gets awaken by load smack to his face by Chris. "Wake the f**k up!" Chris adds while Josh came in placing a one liter bottle of water on kitchen counter. The stalker looks at them with great enmity and yelled: "You sick sons of bitchs!" "You’re the one stalking girl’s dude." Chris replies

"How'd you find out about the party anyways." Charlie ask

"Though a public post online." Matthew answers 

"Where is she!" The Stalker yells

"Who the girl you were tailing?" Josh asks 

"Her, my sister all of them!" The stalker howls 

As Amy looks around the living room more, and more, the more anxious she begins to feel. Because the living looked like an average living room but avoided of any personality, the walls were stripped of any pictures not even a book case or a movie collection by the TV. "So the meds actually worked?" Charlie Asks 

"Oh yeah, those pharmacist, were hands down worth paying." Matthew answers 

Josh picks up the water, pulls out a bottle of pills while Chris begins to creep behind stalker. Then Josh asks "So you were tailing her to get to us?" The stalker just glares at him for an answer. "Well you really shouldn't have." Chris adds and then Josh asks: "What's your name brother?" "Gavin...Gavin Smart and I’m not your bro." "AH yes, Gavin right." Josh replies. "Yes your sister Kristin was talking s**t about you all night." Chris adds with a sinister smile.

"Boss they can't remember a thing, zip. Nothing." Matthew says

"Beautiful must have been hard though." Charlie asks 

"Wasn't too hard, once you walk in like you’re the life of the party, you'll just seem like any other jock head douchebag, alpha male type s**t aiming for the hot chicks." Matthew says while memorizing him and his pals in the previous night at that party. As they hovered over the drinks at the coffee table, busting capsules into some drinks while a group of ladies including Amy and Kristin was chilling by the fire place completely oblivious under the influence. Then they all began to walk toward the girls with the drinks while Matthew said: "Now the real party can begin."

Amy then finds something very odd along the shelf above the fire place, picks it up and stares into this strange endowment which quickly brought back her trembling anxiety as the more she looks into this empty picture frame.

"Did you guys run into any problems?" Charlie asks 

"Well sorry to say this Gavin but your sisters not going to remember you." Josh says

"And neither are you bro." Chris adds then jerks Gavin's head back holding him still while Josh pours a handful of the pills into his palm!

"Not really, well I mean we did but we extinguish them pretty quick." Matthew retorts while recalling the following night just after the party died, Matthew and his pals were stepped over the passed out women while Chris said: "Some of them went out Matthew." "Alright let’s get these pictures down and get those girls back. We want comfort them not give a scary realization, especially the host." Matthew said while he held up a framed picture from above the fire place of Amy and what seemed to be her parents, while Matthew's friends began taking down then boxing all the photos and even taking some Blue Rays just for them self's. Matthew looked at this framed picture of Amy and her parents, then slide out the picture and was about to toss it in the center of the fire but only dropped it about a quarter of way in due to load entrance at the front door that turned out to be her father! "Amy? Amy honey, are you here? You have to stop this party something weird being going on at parties recently." Amy's father said while Matthew and his guys freak for a second all looking toward Matthew for answer, so then Matthew looked around then passed Chris a cloth with chloroform, then quietly gestures his head towards the hallway. "We took of it." Matthew says to Charlie

Amy still holding the frame, standing shocked and baffled at the fire place, then discovers an eye popping endowment just underneath her feet, a slightly burnt picture but just enough to see her with her arm around her father, she kneels down to pick it up and her jaw drops while she covers her mouth with tears bursting out!

While Chris and Josh fights Gavin as he sways his head left and right, back and forth! Until they finally pried his mouth open, shoves the pills down his throat and begins pumping the water bottle in his mouth! Gagging and spitting out water Josh quickly begins wrapping black duct tape around Gavin's head, especially around his mouth. "Make sure he doesn't spit that s**t out!" Josh yells

"Yeah it turns out half the town is either at the fair that's in town or this biker toy run thing going on or on holiday." Matthew says while waving in a white Luxury SUV into the drive way. "Perfect timing awards." Charlie says while some floozy comes in his living room and snorts up a rail off his coffee table. "Yup P.T.A alright." Matthew adds

Chris and Josh begin dragging Gavin into the dark abyss of the cold basement while he struggles and jerks about but made no deference! Then Amy jumps as she hears something jolt the closet door across the living room. "So you guys got them all back though right?" Charlie asks

"Oh yeah, took a while with them being all crunked and drugged out, but we just decided to follow this dude, who's sister was at the party and he led us right to her." "Where was she?" "Well she was the one with the divorced parents, her mother left town and her father just barely moved into his new place. Barley put anything up, hasn't even slept there yet either. That was the only place she had left to go." Amy now at closet door, holding the door knob in tears and dread, taking in a few deep breaths then rips open the door which burst out the unconscious father of Amy, leaving her in the deepest depth of fear! She quickly kneels down shaking his body and even pounding his chest, "Please! Please! Wake up!" Hits him one more time until a big old guy in a leather coat holding a gun comes in. "Alright honey," Slides the clip into the handle: "Let’s do this the easy way." 

"Other than that business has never looked better. After were done here, we'll head back to Vancouver and split the dough from there." Matthew finish's up

"Sounds perfect I'll see you when you get here." Charlie confirms while hanging up and then cracking a beer open.

Amy now cluttered in solitary and awe while being marched at death point towards the white windowless van by the mobster, filled with other forgotten women with bags on their heads and just before she gets in she looks up at Matthew upon the porch shaking hands with a leather coated devil. Then the mobster behind her throws a bag over her head and shoves her into the van and slams shut the door, getting in the driver’s seat. After the mobster gave Matthew his payment he threw on his shiny aviator’s watch's the mobsters get in all their vehicles, slapping a Hydro sticker on the side of the van and then watches them take off into the distance while smoking a cigar. 



Six weeks earlier, the door in a restaurant rang open as Amy step inside, glanced around and found her spot. Which was right in front of Gavin, sipping a cup a coffee and was keeping his head down but when she got closer it raised his head.

            “Hey.” Amy replied

            “Hey you doing?” He replied

As the waiter came up, Amy just ordered coffee and was anxiously tapping her fingers among the table.

            “Are sure you want to do this?” Gavin asked

            “It’s the only way they’ll stop.” 

            “But sacrificing yourself, for something that might not even work.” He said keeping his voice low key

             She just hung her head down and pulled out a picture of sister and said

“She’s worth it though. What about you do you want to do this?” 

“There’s nothing else to do.” Gavin replied with a sigh “You tried the cops right?” He asked and she nods

“And I checked into them in the street scene and they got more connections then a subway line. What about this cop you know how solid is he?” 

“He’s lost some just the same as me.” She replied

“Well who is it?” He asked

“It’s my dad.” She replied after a few seconds

“So what happens when we all get caught, what happens when they find your dad lying on the floor cold…Just tell the details.” He asked

“Once a dead cop is involved they’ll start to lose their friends in any department…It may be just a hick up in their business but my father tried every angle but these guys just have too much friends in the community especially social services and alcoholics anonymous. So it’s time to separate those cops from criminals even if it means self-sacrifice.” She answered

“Does he know about this?” Gavin asked

“Yes.”

“What about your friends?”

             She gave no answer but just looked down at her coffee

            “All right lets go over this again, you set up the party, then the creeps find your post, head to your party and poison you all right?” He asked

            “It’s not poison…”

            “Whatever, then what happens next?”

            “My father will come home and purposely die then I will try to make it to your house.” She answers

            “Then your father’s partner will go after me the next morning, thinking I’m his killer right?” Gavin replied

            She nods

            “But only to find a whole other operation right (she just nods again) I hope your right. I really hope your right. ”

 

As the white van close’s in at the ferry terminal a burst of red and blue lighted cars emerge out from the sides. Ejecting armed police men all screaming

“Freeze!”

 

 

 

Fin

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