Brown-haired man - a writing contest entry

Instructions

"Hello," The man stood at the door squinted, "Lila?" he pronounced it wrong. Instead of Lile-a, he said Li-la. "Look, I know you're scared." No, I'm not. "But instead of pretending to sleep, you should tell me what you're scared about." No, I really can't trust anyone. No one at all. Lila heard the door shut and opened her eyes. The world twisted and turned as she pulled herself up to sit. Sharp pain inhabited her stomach. It made her breathe through her teeth and her eyes fill up. Lila noticed she was wearing a blue and white gown, so lifted it. The cold air stung her stomach. Stung it so much her vision blurred. That would have been inevitable if she had known what she had there. A crimson wound, stitched together by bright blue stitches. She knew who'd done this. And he could be anywhere. "He only bullies you because he likes you! Just say you like him too. Then you'll have love." That would never happen. Lila's mother said he follows her home, screaming and shouting because he likes her! But she never knew it would go so far. Over the years, he got more and more obsessed with her. " I told you that he likes you." He'd scratch her, making her bleed. And only because he liked her. Then one day, he... Lila couldn't remember the next part. It had all gone, like the sand that falls deep into the earth. The memories had fallen deep inside Lila's brain, somewhere locked, somewhere nobody could access. Not even Lila. "Lila Governs, 15, your daughter? Suspected to be st@bbed. Suspected memory loss. Was taken to ER by a brown-haired man. Name unknown." Voices echoed from behind the closed door. Brown-haired man. That was him. Him. Or it could be a random brown-haired man. After all, the name was unknown. But it's him. "The man said he didn't know who stabbed her. We suspect it was her." "H-her? My Lila couldn't have done that! Not to herself!" her mother screamed. The door slammed open as dramatic cries escaped her mother's mouth. She cupped Lila's shocked face in her hands. "My darling... who was it?" The doctor called from the doorway, "She has memory loss!" Her mother ignored him. "Who was it, my baby?" Lila wanted to speak, wanted to tell the truth about the past years, but she wouldn't understand. After all, it was only because he loved her. Even croaking that she didn't know (which wasn't true) would be impossible, since her voice seemed non-existent. Her mother leaned closer to her and whispered, "Darling, it wasn't you, was it?". Lila, although feeling paralysed, shook her head in fatigue. "I knew it, baby." Why does she still call me that? I'm 15 now, not 5! Mother had left, but the doctors had not. "We just need to do a few tests. We will take you into another room, where we can do them." One doctor had declared. Lila noticed she was laying down, in such a way that couldn't see who was talking to her, so she sat herself up. Brown hair. The same brown hair, short. What she thought was the same voice: she couldn't remember his voice. It was him. She hoped that it wasn't, truly, she did. But then, he took her bed into a lift and... "I like you. But you can't tell anyone..." His smile was exaggerated, and his eyebrows creased. It can't be true. It's not true. I'm imagining it, I know I am. "W-who are-who are you?" "You don't have to worry about it..." he pulled something out of his pocket "Not yet anyway." What? The door finally opened. Lila's stomach ached as he grunted in annoyance. She was put against a wall. The brown-haired man started to talk to the doctor waiting there and passed him something Lila couldn't see. That other doctor walked up to Lila and gave her a white pill and a glass of water. She swallowed it despite its horrid taste. "Ok, so here's what we're going to do..." It all happened so quickly. Lila's stomach hurt more than ever, his voice started droning out, and her vision began to blur. And as she started feeling dizzy, she saw a smile slip out from the brown-haired man. Her brain was too tired to think, so she let herself pass out.