Chapter one

"You sure you don't wanna come to Roaxene's party?" Loanne asked me for the billionth time.

^{“Yeah, I am pretty sure of that”} 

^{“Poor you, you have to take care of that uncle of yours yeah?”}

^{“Well, I owe him a lot of favors, and it’s not like I hate it” I continued on with my own signature poker face.}

^{“Well, it’s your decision. Anyway, I’d better be going, my boyfriend is waiting for me”}

^{“Oh, ok”}

^{“You’re not thinking of getting one yourself?” she asked lastly, before driving off.}

^{“I don’t have time for that”}

^{She stared at me with a  'are you serious?' look and said “Yeah, sure, Bye”}

  ^{I guess it’s pretty much the same routine everyday. My friend asks me to hangout, and I refuse. Then I go home and prepare dinner for uncle max and do my chores. I live with my uncle max for as long as I can remember. He said that he is a close relative from my fathers’ side.}

^{Well, not like I care. I mean I never met my parents before, and I don’t even know who they are. And every time I bring up the topic about my parents, uncle max will always have this hesitant attitude. So I avoid talking about them with my uncle. Even so, I love my uncle. I have always been depending on him, and he has always been taking care of me. Now it’s my turn to return the favor.}

^{“Anne, are you home?”}

^{“Yes I am”}

^{“Mind preparing pasta for tonight?”}

^“Ok”

^{Uncle max seldom talks with me while he’s working though. He’s a journalist, and has a PhD in archaeology. Every time I come home, I always catch him reading an archaeology book of some sort. Not that I care of, or that what i thought at least.}

^{“Anne! Is dinner ready yet?”}

^{“Yeah, almost”}

^{“Well, chop chop!”}

^{despit his nerdy self,  uncle is really different when he’s his own self. He is more more cheerful, I would say. But uncle max is uncle max. He can be whoever he wants to be.} 

^{Dinner was ready. So i called uncle who was busily reading through his big, thick and bring archeology books to hurry up and get his butt over, before the foods cold. Well, dinner is always best, when it's fresh out of the oven.}

^{“So how’s school? Got a boyfriend or what-so-ever kids these days call it?” Uncle max begun our daily quality time on our two-seated dining table.}

^{“If I do, do you mind?” I answered him, while i twirled the pasta with my fork.}

^{“Well, of course I mind” he responded sternly, while straightening up a bit on his chair.}

^{“Hahaha, don’t worry. I’ve got no one in mind…" I replied then paused, and continued while putting on a devilish smirk " So far”}

^{“Anne!!” Uncle max whined with his utmost annoying tone.}

^{We could laugh all night like this. Uncle max may sometimes be very amusing, and protective. In a way, it's like having my own father. Moreover,  he really cares about my feelings and sometimes spoils me, like a mother. Uncle max is the entire family I need.  I never feel lonely.} 

^“Anne”

^“Yes?”

^{“There’s something that I should’ve tell you long ago. When you’re still a kid.”}

^{Feeling awkward, I tried an attempt to melt this tense atmosphere.}

^{“Whoa, what’s up with this sudden tense intro-like atmosphere? Seriously…”}

^{“Anne Murray!”}

My eyes widened as he sternly called me by my full name. And whenever uncle calls me by my full name, whatever comes next is never good news.

^{“Just please listen for one second. I need to tell you something. The one only reason why I become an archeology freak…”}

^{“I’m listening…” I replied carefully, and softly. Trying my best not to upset him in any other way.}

^{As soon as I finished talking, uncle cleared his throat and started the “serious” conversation.}

^{“It was 16 years ago, when your father told me that Jane was pregnant…”}

^{What? Whoa. Are you kidding me? Is he going to talk about my parents? Of all things? For him to bring up the topic himself, something fishy is going on.}

^{Uncle max carried on with his conversation, with slightly glossy eyes, or should i say, teary eyes? “I can’t believe it has been 18 years since then… time sure flies…”}

^{“You know you don’t have to if you hate talking about…”}

^{“But I-- Have promised Richard that I’ll tell everything to you when you turn 16!”}

^{My face somehow twisted. I don't get anything I that uncle max is trying to tell me. So, to convince myself, i asked him once again, in a curious tone “Tell me what?”}

^{Calms down “… Look, listen to me calmly. Do you know Richard Coleman?”}

^{“The famous archaeologist, who disappeared on his expedition 15 years ago? We talked about him all day in school yesterday. Apparently my geography teacher is a great fan of his, and--”}

^{Before i could carry on with my story, of my super annoying geography teacher who used up all of our class time for this Richard Coleman uncle had cut me off, and carried on with his.}

^{“Yes, him. Your father…”}

 ^{I snorted, and laughed at his unbelievable joke. I mean, Uncle max's jokes are always cheezy and all, but he didn't have to try this hard just to make me laugh “What! No way! You’ve got to be kidding…”}

^{Before I can finish my sentence I noticed that uncle max’s eyes were looking straight at me without shattering. He’s never been this serious before.}

^{“The reason why, I’ve been reading archeology books so much is to figure out where he went, by studying your fathers books.”}

^{“Hold on. He didn’t tell you where he was going?”}

^{“Your father knows me best. If I knew where he was going I’ll chase after him, even though he told me not to.”}

^{“Oh. Were you good friends with him?”}

^{“We’re brothers”}

^{“No way! Do you look like him?”}

^{“We have the same gold-brown hair. And same green eyes.”}

^{“Then he is as good looking as my teacher say…”}

^{I tried to laugh. Even though I want to cry. Father… Do you look like uncle max?  Were you alike? Do you have the same amusing and protective attitude? Father…}

^{“Yes he was a very good looking young man. And a good personality at that too”}

^{I couldn’t comment on anything. I mean I’ve never even met him. So what am I to talk about?}

^{“And as for your mother…”}

^{“Her name is Jane I reckon?” i mean come on, uncle mentioned her name before.}

^{“Yes… she is indeed the finest woman you can ever find in this dirty country”}

^{“Is that so?”}

^{“Oh yes. Even your father fell for her as soon as he met her. Love at first sight I suppose. Anyway, she was a very beautiful person. Long silky black hair, pure white skin… man! She is like a living snow white!”}

^{“So I got my hair color from mom, eh?”}

^{“And your eye color from your dad”}

^{“Thanks to them I’m pretty popular at school” i commented while flipping my hair.}

^{“Why you-! Anyway, back to the story. So your mum turns out to be an amateur archaeologist. She’s just doing it for fun.”}

^{“And in some party for archaeologists they met yeah?”}

^{“Good guess Anne, good guess. And so, not long after that party, they had their engagement announced throughout the whole country”}

^{“Wow, is my dad THAT famous?”}

^{“With the looks, personality, and brains? Got anything more to ask kid?”}

^{“I don’t think so”}

^{“Anyway, continuing the story. From what I heard, my brother discovered an ancient map of some kind. And based on his analysis, no one has ever touched the map before.”}

^{“And…?”}

^{“He thought that this would be the greatest expedition in history! Imagine, a place where people never knew! And its not even drawn on the common maps!”}

^{“Well I guess it could be his big break”}

^{“But of course! So then as soon as he figured out location of the place he arranged the expedition team.”}

^{“Did mum come along?”}

^{“She couldn’t bear to be left out, so she wanted to come. But when Richard found out that she was pregnant he postponed the expedition”}

^{“Oh really?”}

^{“Then when you were about 3 months old they set off on their adventure…” Uncle explained as his gaze stared off into the distance. then, he paused, unable to continue.}

^{“And they never returned?” I continued it for him}

^{“Unfortunately…" he replied with a depressed expression  "but I wouldn’t say that ALL of the expedition team went missing.”}

^{“What do you mean?”}

^{“Some of the members came back. Or it’s more like, everyone except for Jane and Richard returned safely home”}

^{“What? How is that even possible?”}

^{ignoring my question, uncle max continued “And to make it worse, no one even remembered what happened, or what they did for the past few weeks. Strange huh?”}

^{I felt a slight chill running through my entire body. I mean, how is that even possible? Everyone returned but my mom and dad? God what happened to them?}

^{“And so the government sent groups of rescue teams to look for your parents. But even after one whole year, they couldn’t even predict where on earth they went”}

^{I feel teary all of a sudden. I was shaking; it’s either from fear or anger. I think even uncle max can tell that I cannot take all of this in one night. So he sent me off to bed earlier than usual.}

^{“Don’t think about it too hard for now. Just rest.”}

^{How can I? My parents vanished unreasonably. And with the people losing their memories? Is that even real? Or are they faking it?}

^{That night I couldn’t sleep even a wink. It’s just unbelievable. My dad’s ‘that’ famous ‘Richard Coleman’? Wait ‘till I tell my geography teacher. She’ll give me infinite A’s. Speaking of which, I have my geography test tomorrow. Damnit, I can’t be bothered to. I just can’t get these facts out of my head. Dad… why do you have to wait until I turn 16? So you can confuse me? God damnit, I just don’t get it.}

^{“Anne, go to sleep. You still have school tomorrow”}

^{“I get it! I’ll try!”}

^“…”

^{Sorry uncle max. I just can’t be bothered to be nice right now. I have things that I need to sort out. Great… I think I’m losing my mind. Who am I kidding? Oh well, I guess I need to rest after all.}

Authors note:

This chapter is dedicated for my first three subbies who waited patiently for the first chapter! I hope you like it! And thank you for the sweet comments! ^^