Page 10 of Enchanted By a Pirate
"Why…"
"No, Anemone, that's my final answer."
Anna listened. "Why do you call me Anemone?"
"Well, that's your name." Straightening up, the giant laughed as if she had been joking. Still holding her in the palm of his hand, he made certain she didn't lose her balance as he rose.By the time he got to his feet, she was at least as high as a church spire. A sinking feeling moved through her stomach as she nervously peeked over his fingers at the ground. Goodness, that was high!
The giant set off slowly, putting one gigantic foot in front of the other, and with each step, the landscape trembled beneath his feet and the sound of thunder traveled across the meadow. It was wobbly, but the giant was cautious about her safety, so she relaxed a little and returned to their conversation. "My name is not Anemone, it is Anna."
"Similar, but your real name is Anemone."
Should she believe a strange giant who claimed to know her? But how could such a friendly face lie?
"What is your name?"
His sad smile made her want to hug him. "My name is Anton and I am your best friend, even if you seem to have forgotten. You always called me Toni."
Tilting her head, she studied the giant. She inspected his fur clothing, which appeared to be greenish gray, almost like rocks covered in grass and moss. As she marveled at his broad figure and felt the warmth of his hand and of his eyes, she knew he was speaking the truth. He was her friend. Even though all the events of the past few hours had been unbelievable, she couldn't help but believe this friendly giant. How crazy was that? But no matter how much her mind wanted to dismiss these ideas as irrational, her heart insisted she could trust Anton. Since she didn't know what was going on anyway, she certainly wouldn't offend him or doubt him again.
"I'm pleased to meet you, Toni. I'm sure if any memories return, you'll be the first one I remember."
He smiled contentedly at her as he trudged onward. With every step, Anna grew more accustomed to the altitude and the unusual means of transport, and before long her head was filledwith questions again. He knew her, as did that captain and the pirate who had helped her. Freddy. If all of this was true and she was from this world, then that might be why she had been abducted. So, why couldn't she remember anything about this world? When was she supposed to have been there? All of her memories took place in the… normal world. And she had never spent a semester abroad or taken an exotic vacation in a faraway country — and there were no memory gaps either. For example, she could still recall in vivid detail what it had been like learning to ride a bike as a child. Her aunt had taught her and she had worn a floral dress and heels, which had greatly amused her uncle. As the memory resurfaced, it blurred as if it were merely part of a dream. Strange. So had it really not happened? Had she simply imagined her past?
Wait, how had she come up with this idea? She had to get out of this strange place as quickly as possible before her mind went completely blank. Would the giant help her return? She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. No, he was adamant that she belonged in this world — he would never obtain such a glittery ship to take her home. However, maybe she didn't need a flying ship. Perhaps there was a land route. She just needed to learn enough about the location. Any information could be valuable. It would be best if she first listened to what he thought had happened back then. Whenever back then was…
"Can you please tell me about before? When we were friends? Maybe then the memories will come back and I'll know where I am again."
"All right, where to start?"
"I'm not really from this… country. I'm human and I come from…" How could she convey that there were no giants where she came from? "… from the normal, non-magical world. So, when did I get here?"
"You weren't just visiting, Anemone. This is your home. You were born in this country and lived here."
As Anton spoke, Anna's gaze wandered over the meadow, which was only faintly illuminated by the moon. She could see rolling hills, but that was all she could make out in the darkness. So she supposedly came from this country and had forgotten it? If this was true, why hadn't her parents ever told her?
"And where did I live? Why didn't my parents tell me that I was born somewhere else?" There had to be a logical explanation for all of this. Anna was curious about it!
Anton slowly shook his head. "I can't believe you've forgotten everything. That you have forgotten who you are. Then again, after what happened back then…"
What? What was he talking about? "What happened back then?"
The giant sighed heavily. "Oh, Anemone, if only I knew how to explain it to you. I think it's best if I take you to your family. They'll find the right words."
"To my family?" Skeptical, Anna frowned. Her family lived in the… other world. A memory resurfaced. Her fifth birthday. Her mother had baked a strawberry cake and blown up lots of balloons. One of them had burst and the pieces landed in the middle of the bowl full of whipped cream. Everyone had laughed. She paused as the images merged and grew hazy, as if they too were only part of a dream.
Strange… when was the last time she'd thought about her parents? When was the last time she had visited them? She couldn't recall. Suddenly, everything became strangely blurry, as if her entire past had been imaginary.
Anton scratched his head. "You were missing for many years. They'll be happy to finally see you again."
At these words, a warm feeling enveloped her heart and it almost seemed to beat faster. Joyful. Expectant, as if it knew the giant was speaking the truth. But, how could that be?
It would be best to wait and see where he took her and what her supposed family said. She had to make sure they weren't crazy relatives who did drugs. Wait — had the pirates perhaps given her some? Was she tripping? Then why was she thinking so much? No, she didn't think that drugs were responsible for all of this.
A thought popped into her mind that wouldn't leave her alone. If it was true that she was actually from this place, why hadn't she stayed? She peered at Anton questioningly. "Why did I leave, then?"
A sad expression crossed his face. "Back then… you disappeared overnight. Nowhere to be found."
"But I was in a world where there was no magic. How did I get there if I'm actually from here?"
