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�Owww...� Angelia muttered as she reached down to rub at where her shin had met with the leg of the coffee table.

It was six in the morning, a strange time for the young woman to be awake. On any other normal day she would easily sleep till past ten, probably till around eleven. She was one of those types of people who slept soundly, like a log. She remembered one time back in Mississippi when she was ten. It was sometime during the summer late at night/early morning when one of the neighboring houses had caught on fire. Just minutes later a screaming firetruck had arrived, the noise bringing everyone withen hearing distance out of their slumbers. Everyone except for little Lia. She slept soundly through the whole ordeal.

Through half open eyes and blurred vision she somehow managed to make her way without a second accident to the shower. She cringed when she caught a quick glimpse of herself in the mirror over the sink. Her curly red-blonde hair stuck out around her face in desperate need of a brush. Dark bags under tired blue eyes told anyone who looked at her of the sleepless night she had just endured. She turned away from the mirror and kneeled next to the bathtub, testing the heat of the water with her hand. A few moments later she stood naked under the stream of water, allowing the warm liquid to wash away her fatigue. It didnt, however, help to ease her worried mind.

Today was the day she would go to the police station. Today was the day she would begin to look for the truth of her past. Today was the day she would stop being Angelia Ann Jaysun. With that thought she reached down and turned off the water, stepping out of the shower and wrapping the provided white hotel tower around her dripping body.
She walked over to the mirror and wiped off the steam gathered there. She stared at her reflection as she had before.

�Who are you?� She asked her reflection, waiting a few moments in silence as if expecting an awnser. None came. Sighing she turned away, gathering her dirty clothes as she walked back into the room.

Half an hour later she steped outside into the early morning, squinting when the morning sun hit her eyes. The shower had helped to wake her up some, but she was still in desperate need of coffee. Standing in front of the hotel she surveyed the street she stood on. To her left there was a car dealer, the new vehicals lined up by the road, tempting whoever drove by to stop and take a look. Beyond the car dealer was a string of small shops. Flower shop, bridal shop, bike shop. Nothing that intrested Angelia. Directly across the street from the hotel was a small diner. Diners ment coffee. Eagerly Angelia began to make her way across the street, almost tasting the bitter coffee as she drew closer.

The small bell found on most diner doors rang as she mader her entrance, pausing for a moment just inside the door. It wasnt big inside, three or four booths lined the wall, and three or four stools lined up by the counter. Besides the young woman who stood behind the counter the only other occupant was , an old man that sat in one of the booths, the days paper layed out on the table in front of him. In the background a radio played softly.

Lia made her way to the counter, sitting at one of the stools by the wall. Withen seconds the young woman walked over, pulling the pencil from behind her left ear.

�Mornin�� She greeted with a cheery smile. �Something I can get you?�

�Just a coffee, if you would.�

�You got it.�

Madison turned away from the young woman at the counter, biting her tounge to keep from asking the curious questions that were just on the tip of her tounge. She had never seen the woman, who she guessed couldnt be any older then herself, around town before. Maddy prided herself on knowing just about everyone that lived in the Memphis area.
Whenever a stranger showed up, which was often, Maddy always wanted to hear their life story. People fasinated her. Maddy poured the coffee and carefully made her way back to the girl at the counter. She placed it in front of her and watched as she reached out and took the cup, blowing on it once before carefully taking a sip. Maddy cringed.

�Black?�

�The best way to drink it.� Angelia awnsered as she took another sip before setting the cup back down on the counter.

�Most people would disagree.� Madison countered. Angelia shrugged.

�Well, I�m not most people.�

Madison knew she should walk away and leave the woman to her coffee in peace, but she just couldnt seem to make her body follow her minds orders.

�I�ve never seen you around here before.�

�That�s probably because I haven�t been here before.� The awnser wasnt cold, just stating fact. It was also plainly stating that she wasnt really willing to talk. Maddison ignored it.

�I�m Maddison.� Maddy introduced herself, brushing a lock of stray brown hair out of her face. �Most around here just call me Maddy.�

After a moments hesitation. �Angelia. Or just Lia.�

�Well, what brings you down here then?� Maddy leaned against the counter, head proped up on her elbows. �Looking for a start in the music business?�

�Excuse me?� Angelia�s head snapped up from where she had been staring into her cup.

�I�m sorry.� The brown haired girl appoligized with a chuckled as she leaned away from the counter. �It�s really none of my business, is it?�

�No, not really.�

�Ouch. You can retract the claws, Lia.� Madison commented when the tone of the words hit her ears. �You dont have to awnser. Just tell my nosey self to back off.�

Angelia didnt really know where her attitude was comming from that morning. She didnt like it, but she couldnt seem to help it. �Well then here, back off.� She supposed that her attitude was comming from fear. Fear of what she would find when she began to look througth the police files later that day.

�Alright then.� Madison began to walk away, a small tone of hurt in her voice. �Backing off.�

When Madison disappeared into the kitchen area Angelia sighed and stared back into her coffee cup. There was no reason for her to be so nasty to Maddy, who had only been nice. She regreated her actions whole-heartedly. In silence Angelia finished off her coffee. Just moments after she set her empty cup down on the counter Madison appeared from the kitchen, caring a plate of eggs. Lia watched as she brought the plate over to the older man at the booth, laughing poiletly at something he had said. When Madison was back behind the counter, Angelia called her over.

�Done?� Madison gathered up the empty cup without waiting for a reply, but stopped when Angelia placed a hand on her wrist.

�Madison, I�m sorry. You didnt just deserve the attitude I threw at you.�

�It�s understandable,� Maddison shrugged indifferently. �I�m a stranger sticking my nose in places it doesnt belong.�

�You still didnt deserve the attitude.� Angelia released her light grip on Maddy�s wrist and averted her eyes to the older man. �I uhh..need to ask a favor of you.�

Madison�s face showed her surprise. �Well, ok.�

�Can you just please tell me how to get to the police station?�

Madisons eyebrows shot up to her hairline. �Umm...yeah. I could tell you. Just go down the street two lights and make a left. It�s on that road a mile or so down.�

�Thanks.� Angelia got up from her stool and made the motions of leaving. �How much was the coffee?� She asked as she reached into her purse and began to fish around for her wallet.

�Dollar twenty five.� Maddy awnsered without a thought. �Police station?�

Angelia handed her the money with an extra dollar as tip. �Please dont ask. It�s a long story and one I dont want to explain. Not yet.� The pleading note in Lia�s voice made any other questions Maddy wanted to ask freeze on her tounge. Maddy nodded and Lia made her way towards the door.

�Hey Lia,� Angelia paused with her hand on the door and turned back to face the woman behind the counter. �Come on back tommorow morning. I�ll have a cup of that nasty-ass black coffee all ready for you.�

Lia smiled. �I just might. Thanks Maddy.�

~*~ *~* ~

It was later that day, nearing six o�clock and Angelia was leaned over the missing children files the policeman had showed her earlier in the day. She had looked over many of the files, her heart hurting at the thought of the lost children out there. All of them had never been found, and none of the families had ever had any closure. She could only imagine their pain. The pain of her own family.

Her eyes were beginning to become heavy with sleep, but she pushed herself for just five more files. The first three were useless, but her eyes snapped open with the fourth and all the tirdness she had felt drained from her body. Staring up at her from the paper was her two year old self, along with an identical looking boy.

She had found what she was looking for.