February 3, 1901

Bisbee. 

I looked around the strange town with the cobble-stone streets and pretty buildings, wondering why I didn’t remember anything. It had been a long trip from Canada where the woman who said she was my ma said that we had been when the accident happened. I couldn’t remember anything about what happened before the accident. All I knew was that I was the daughter of Trin and Thomas and that I had a brother named Jimmy. 

“Natalie!” Jimmy called, coming over to me. 

I ran over to her and hugged him. “Jimmy! This place is so different…” 

“Hey there. Where did you go? I was worried bout ya.” Jimmy asked, hugging me. 

“I just... wanted to see what was around here. Ma said Pa was out workin’ or somethin’ but... I don’t... I don’t even remember pa. What’s he look like?” I hugged him back and looked around. 

“Oh sis. He’s tall, got dark hair. He’s a deputy here. Wears a dark cowboy hat. You don’t remember anything?” 

“Nu uh. All I remember is wakin’ up in that clinic after hittn’ my head.” I shook my head. “And I guess I know you and ma cause you was there in the hospital but I don’t remember nothin’ from before the clinic.” 

“It’s ok sis. I am sure you will remember some day. Do you wanna go see our house?” “ Jimmy asked. 

“Not yet. I wanna.. um... I wanna find Pa.” I shook my head. “Or whoever pa is... I wanna know who he is.” 

“He’s probably in Tombstone makin his rounds. HI haven’t even seen him since we got back.” 

“Tombstone...? Where’s that?” I looked at him. “Does it have tombs made outta stones or somethin’?” 

“Um… it’s the next town over… just a short walk from here. You wanna go see?” 

“Yeah!” I took his hand, feeling safer around him cause at least he was with me when we were up north with ma. Jimmy chuckled and took my hand, walking towards town. 

Tombstone. 

We walked into town and I walked over to the big plant I saw, touching it with curiosity. I jumped back when it suddenly pricked me. 

“Don’t touch it sis. It will poke you and it hurts,” Jimmy warned. 

“Oooh. Well now ya tell me.” 

We walked past the stables and I shuddered so Jimmy squeezed my hand as we walked past the stables. I looked around, confused, as Jimmy greeted some kids named Jeff and Aspen, but I didn’t remember them. 

“Natalie, this is two of our best friends,” Jimmy said. 

“Jimmy what’s this stage thing here for?” I asked and then looked back at the two kids who were hugging. “They are?” 

“I dunno sis...looks like a boxing ring,” Jimmy said. 

“Boxing? What’s boxing?” 

“Jeff, Aspen, Natalie got hurt on our trip, and lost her memory… she can’t remember anything,” Jimmy explained to them. Looking back at me he said, “Sis, boxing is when two men get in that there ring and fight it out.” 

“They fight? For fun?” 

“Or money,” the girl named Aspen said. 

“Hey Nat. What ya’ll up to? Ya’ll gonna watch boxing?” The boy Jimmy called Jeff looked at us. 

“Well that sounds silly,” I said, not quite getting the excitement over fighting for fun. 

“No, we just got back to town,” Jimmy said. “I am showing Natalie around, hoping it will help her remember.” 

“What’d you say their names were, Jimmy?” I asked again, still getting confused. 

“Well what happen to her?” Jeff asked. 

“This is Aspen… and that’s Jeffery,” Jimmy pointed to the boy and the girl. “Got thrown from a horse and hit her head.” 

“Wow, I hope she will be okay,” Aspen said.

“I hope she will too. The doctor said she might remember someday. We just have to show her things from before to help her,” Jimmy said.

“I don’t remember anythin’ other than what Ma told me since the clinic,” I said. “She and Jimmy tried tellin me things on the way back but I just... dunno. I don’t even remember what pa looks like. I just know I got one.” 

“I guess she don’t remember tryin to kiss Jeff then huh?” Aspen asked, nudging Jeff. 

“I what?!” I blinked and blushed deep red, looking from Jeff to Jimmy. 

“Jeff? Are we datin’?” I asked him. “Like... man and woman? Like ma and pa?” 

“I will do anything I can to help,” Aspen insisted. 

“Welp I hope she can member soon,” Jeff said and looked at me. “Is who dating, Nat?” 

“Me and you.” I looked at him. 

“Naw, I’m not datin’ no one.” 

“He’s only eight,” Aspen said. 

“Oh okay. I dunno if I like boys or not. I been told I twelve and that’s when girls start ta like guys.” 

“You do Nat,” Aspen said. 

“I do?” 

“Mmhmm.” 

“That why I tried to kiss him?” 

“Specially one named Millard,” Aspen said. 

“Millard?” I blinked. “Why would I try to kiss Jeff if I liked a guy named Millard?” 

“Ain’t no girl been trying to kiss me,” Jeff said and then asked, “Wooo you like Mildew?”

“You didn’t Nat,” Aspen said. “I was just kidding you and Jeff.” 

“They makin me more confused.” I frowned and looked over at Jimmy. 

“Aww… It’s what kids do… They tease each other sometimes, Nat,” Aspen said. 

“Oh,” I said. 

“You folks sure is confusin me,” Jeff said. 

“It’s ok sis...they got me confused too...Millard don’t like nobody I don’t think,” Jimmy said. 

“Oh is he a bad kid? Like in that Sherlock book we read? That you said I really liked?” I asked. 

“No… he is just to himself,” Jimmy said. 

A lady came over then and Jimmy said her name was Miss Joan. She asked how we were doing and then Jeff and Aspen went off to find spots to take pictures. Jimmy asked them if they’d seen our ma and pa, but they hadn’t. Jimmy told Miss Joan about how I got thrown from my horse in Canada and hit my head and I couldn’t remember anything.

“Can I give you a ride home?” Miss Joan asked, and I shook my head at the word ‘ride’. “I am getting my ranch cart from the ok corral.” 

I backed up behind Jimmy and trembled at the word ‘ranch’. 

“Natalie, maybe I should get you back home… you look a bit tired,” Jimmy said and looked over at the lady. “She is afraid of horses now Miss Joan.” 

“Oh okay. I am so sorry. Can I walk you two home? I care for you Jimmy. Always do and always will. Can I help?” Miss Joan asked. 

“Jimmy let’s go. I wanna find pa,” I said. 

“No, that’s okay Miss Joan. It’s a short walk, and pa should be there I hope,” Jimmy told her. 

“Jimmy!” I cried a bit, wanting to go home. “Mean ol’ horse lady not gonna follow us!!” 

“I will not. I am so sorry. Bye,” Miss Joan said. 

Bisbee. 

We made it back to the sheriff’s office and Jimmy said, “Do me a favor, okay? Stay right here while I go see if pa is up at the house ok?” 

I nodded to him and stayed put. “But if that mean horse lady comes, I run up to house.” 

“Okay,” Jimmy said and hugged me tightly before running up to the house. I hugged him back and then looked over at the sheriff’s office, guessing that’s where my pa worked. I saw the horse outside and shied away from it, a bit nervous. 

“Pa? Ma? Jimmy?” I cried, looking for someone I knew as I ran around town. When I saw someone coming from down the house, I froze and let the tears stream down my face. 

The man walked over to me and said, “Natalie, I am Thomas, your pa.” 

I clung to him, hiding my face against his stomach as I cried, “They’re everywhere, pa. They’re everywhere…” 

Pa knelt down and hugged me, crying himself. “Who are sweetie? Who is everywhere?

“The horses... They’re everywhere... They’re gonna hurt me again…” I cried against him and clung to him for dear life. 

“It’s ok munchkin. I won’t let any horse hurt you. Are you ok? Do you remember anything you have seen?” Pa asked, wiping away my tears. 

“Jimmy and I went to the place where they make tombs out of stones. Tombstone. We went to see this boxing ring thing where people fight each other for fun and money.” 

“Did you see anybody while you was in Tombstone?” 

“Yeah. We saw two kids. Jeffrey and Aspen. They was takin’ pictures for somethin’ in front of the sign at the courthouse... Then Aspen said that I really liked some boy named Millard and that I’d tried to kiss Jeffrey but then she said she was teasin’.” 

Pa laughed then. “Well you did have a crush on Jeffery sweetie. You was all googly eyes over him.” 

“I did??? I asked him if we was datin’ like you and ma but he said that no girl was datin’ or kissin’ him.” 

“Yep… you even mentioned getting married and stuff. Well you ain’t datin him. Just that you was smitten with him.” 

“Huh... well if I was, he don’t seem that much smitten with me. He hardly seem to realize I was gone. Just asked how we was doin’ like we hadn’t left.” 

“Well that’s just Jeffery… you two, and Aspen have been friends for a long time. You look out for each other along with Jimmy. You all use to be in the orphanage together.” 

“We did?? I didn’t have you and ma forever?” I looked around and asked, “Pa, can we go sit somewhere’s? Like up at the house?” 

“Sure munchikin, let’s go have some milk and cookies.” Pa led the way up to the house and said, “Have a seat sweetie, and I will get the cookies and milk.” 

“Jimmy, Trin you want cookies and milk?” Pa called and we heard ma say she was putting Jimmy to bed. 

“Pa.... will I ever remember it al?” I asked to him as I sat on the couch. “Everything since I woke up in that clinic... I remember. Every detail. I can’t forget it. But before the clinic it’s just blank.” 

Pa came in and handed me some cookies and my milk, and sat on the couch beside me. “I am sure you will some day sweetie. It will take time.” 

I frowned and nodded to him as I ate a cookie. Pa took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled deeply. “Then we met another lady in town. She was Miss Joan, Jimmy called her. She wanted to give us a ride back home and I got scared.” 

“Miss Joan? A tall lady, wears big dresses?” He asked and I nodded. “Yeah, she tried to adopt Jimmy before your ma and me did. He didn’t like her either.” 

“Oh. Pa? Did I have any jobs or anythin’ here?” I asked, sipping some milk. 

“Yes you did sweetie. You helped Jeffery with his newspaper. You went around huntin stories for him.” 

“Oooh. That sounds like fun. Was I any good?” 

“You loved it. You and Jimmy ran all over the countryside trying to find stories. You was great. You were the only reporter Jeffery had.” 

I grinned but then looked down. “I hope I can still write for him. That sounds like fun. Maybe I just gotta keep doin what I used to do and it’ll come back to me.” 

“That’s the best thing you can do munchkin. Try to stay doing things as you always did, and then maybe your memory will come back sooner.” 

“I guess I should go to bed…” I nodded and got up. 

“Okay sweetie, I will walk you upstairs,” Pa said and led me upstairs as I took his hand. 

“You’re a good pa. I just wish I remembered more. You’ll tell me stories... tomorrow?” I looked up at him as we walked. 

“You bet munchkin.” Pa looked down at me and pointed out the bed. “This is your bed sweetie.” 

“What’s my teddy’s name?” I asked, seeing the bear. 

“I don’t think you ever give it a name sweetie. Thats something you can do now.” Pa smiled. 

I grinned and hugged him tight. “Pa? I sorry I don’t remember.... but if you as good as ma and Jimmy say you are... I probably love you.” 

Pa knelt down and hugged me tight, kissing my forehead softly. “I love you too Natalie. I’ts ok, I am just happy you are safe and back home.” 

I nodded and hugged him tighter. “Me too pa, at least I got a safe house and a nice family to try and remember.” 

Pa smiled and reached into his pocket, taking out a piece of candy. “This is for you for tomorrow. A little treat for my sweet little munchkin being so strong and being such a good girl.” 

“Thanks pa. Goodnight!” I said as I took the candy and curled into bed, falling fast asleep.