"Phoe"- Chapter one: Phoe

A young woman wakes up completely alone, without any idea who she is, where she is, or her purpose. Doesn't remember anything. Just a name...

I swung my head back and forth, looking down both direction the road run in. Not a car in sight, nor a building, nor any sign of life. I couldn't remember where I was, or how I got here. All I had was a my name, or at least I thought it was my name. I had the long, black penny-coat that covered my body. No identification, no bags, no visible markings to identify who or where or what I was. Just the name. 

Phoe. 

I don't know what it means. I don't know who it was. But, until I found out, I had to assume it was my name. I stood and looked down at myself, wrapped tightly in the penny-coat. Opening the coat, I looked down at my naked body, at the gentle, young adult curves. I stared at my stomach, which had a scar across it, which looked like it was many years old. As I watched, the scar faded and healed, until it was just a thin pink line running accross my stomach.

I shook my head and buttoned my coat back up, tying it together with the sash around the middle. The sun was starting to set, so I began walking west. I knew that eventually, I would come across someobody, maybe someone who knew me.

I walked for hours into the setting sun; I saw the bright star dip and sink below the horizon, and the moon rose up in its place. Stars started to shimmer into existance. They were so bright, such a myraid of colors. I continued walking, gazing at the star-filled void that was the sky. Then, a bright, moving light caught my attention. 

Bright lights were coming down the road from the direction I came from, quickly. A 
truck, a large one from the noise. I stood to the side of the road and started waving my arms, thinking that I could get some help from the driver. As the truck came near, it stopped and slowed, the eighteen-wheeler groaning to halt. 

Thr driver's window rolled down and a young man, thin and atheletic-looking leaned out. "Evening, miss. What seems to be the matter?"

"I'm lost, and I don't even know how I got here. Is there a town nearby, or a city?" I looked up at the man, but his face was shadowed. I smiled at him, not sure how the effort would effect him, not knowing how my face looked.

"Don't you have a car, a cellphone, anything? It's dangerous for young ladies to be... All alone out here. Lots of psychos, you know?" The man laughed, and I felt a bit more uneasy. "I'm not supposed to do this, but town is a few hours away, and that's by truck. Come on up, I'll give you lift."

I smiled again and climbed up through the passanger door he opened. I buckled myself in and looked at him. "Thank you; it was freezing out there. My name is... Phoe. And yours?"

"Jason. Jason Elkerson. I live in the town ahead. So, Phoe, why are you all alone here?" His voice was strong, hard. He had a thick country accent, like someone who grew up 
on farmland.

"I don't know. I just... Woke up back there. I can't remember anything. Just my name."

"Sounds like you should check in with the police, maybe a hospital. I'll take you there." He started the truck up, and it roared to life. He started driving. We drove for a few awkwardly silent minutes before he spoke again. "Why don't you take off that coat? You must be warm by now."

"Uh... I can't. It's all I have." I could feel a blush creep into my cheeks and turned away, letting my long red hair fall around my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I examined his face.

He had strong bones, a thick, set jaw. His nose looked llike it had been broken a few times. He had scars, small ones, on his cheeks and forehead. His hazel eyes were concerned, but focused on the road. His brow was thick, hooding his eyes. When he spoke, his teeth were straight, but his front teeth were chipped, and his canines were sharp. 

"So, you just woke up, naked, in the middle of nowhere, with no memory of how you got there? Sounds to me like you got drugged, at best. We'll stop off at the hospital first. Just get some sleep. You must be tired, kid."

And so I did. I closed my eyes and let myself fall into slumber.