• tab "You've got to him in the soft spots, the red!" I told her. Bell was playing a horror survival game, very popular among our friends. Her husband DJ sat next to her, Anthony and I on the loveseat.
    tab "I hate spiders!!" DJ was freaking out. She was completely entranced by the T.V. screen. I squeezed Anthony's knee and got up for some cold sweet tea. In the kitchen I chuckled as I heard them all exclaim at the game. an odd feeling overcame me as I poured my tea. Walking out of the kitchen heading back to see what caused the uproar, something hard hit my face, knocking my tea out of my hand. A tangy metallic taste filled my mouth.
    tab "Doll! You alright?" Anthony called. As my tea sat there soaking into the carpet I stared blankly in disbelief at my now crimson fingertips after touching my lip. It began to throb something horrible. Anthony was suddenly at my arm. The other side of my face was hit, snapping my head to the side. I closed my eyes and made a small noise and blood mixed with spittle dribbled over my bottom lip and down my chin.
    tab I opened my eyes to a large stone room, robed figures were tying ropes on wrists and ankles. They lifted me an inch off the ground keeping legs straight and my arms out to the side. Crucified. A man stood before me, a dagger in hand. "Do you remember?" The robed figures were chanting, "Remember who you are..."
    tab My head hung and I saw Anthony's eyes again. He was trying to stop the blood as the skin on my arms split. DJ was pulling on my arms tying to get me down from my invisible bounds. Bell was on the phone looking teary eyed. I suddenly had the image of a white mask with a red rose on one side and black tears on the other. "I....I'm seeing something." I mumbled.
    tab In unison I heard, "Hush love, hang on." from Anthony and "Remember!" from the man. I lifted my head and saw the man walking behind me with something in his hands, and heard the whistling of something through the air then my back exploded into pain. I screamed as DJ exclaimed, "Jesus!"
    tab "Remember what you are!"
    tab "Doll, what is happening to you?"
    tab "Just hold on sugar the ambulance is on the way."
    tab "Help me get her down."
    tab Dozens of faces flashed through my mind, women crying and pleading. Men begging and praying. Another whistle, another jolt. In my mind I saw a bloody blade in my hand as I stood over what was left of a man. Blood and things too thick to know what they were on the walls. Hundreds of victims. Daggers, swords, poisons, that masque. Then I knew. I was a murderer, an assassin for the man torturing me. Lee. A witch had bewitched me to forget everything.
    tab Another hit to my face, another piece of flesh gone from my arm. "I..." The words caught in my throat when I saw Anthony's face as EMT's dragged him away. Then Lee's smiling face as I screamed, "I REMEMBER!" They dropped the ropes and I fell as the world turned black.
    tab "I hate spiders!!" DJ was freaking out. I blinked slowly. I hadn't moved. I had just blinked. I began to feel my arms, back and face.
    tab "Doll you ok?" Anthony looked at me concerned. I nodded as I heard a man whisper, "Never forget what you are, Harlequin Rose." His laughter rang through my mind.