The Trouble with Time, Part 24 - Shell

Merry Christmas, y'all! Sorry this is a bit late, but there was a lot of Christmas prep to do. But now I have time to chill, so I' just gonna write this now real quick. Truth be told I had some time to chill yesterday evening as well, but I was super tired and the last part kinda fecked my entire plan for the last part, but! I have a new idea. It'll be fine.

_____________________________________________________

Alice turns around with a wide smile on her face and at that same moment Kevin realises he remembers her name again. He also realises he remembers a lot of other things, most of which he didn't even know he had forgotten. Interactions they had in the three years before her amnesia. Times he thought she hadn't been there, when in reality he just hadn't remembered.

"Holy shit," says Sam, and he figures they had a very similar experience. After all, he had introduced the two more than two years ago.

"I remember again," says Alice. "I remember everything."

The whole world turns white and they're back where they started. Back in the shop, back in the ritual room.The sigil on the floor is no longer glowing, and the portal is gone.

"Okay, so I understand why you remembered," Kevin starts but she's already walking past him and out of the room. "But why did we-- hey, I'm talking to you! Wait!"

She doesn't.

He and Sam hurry after her.

"Would you slow down?" he says as they catch up to her quick pace.

"Nope," she says and in fact speeds up. "It's not over yet."

"Then could you please at least talk while you walk? What exactly is going on?"

She giggles lightly, but doesn't slow down. He frowns at her.

"What's so funny?" he asks.

"It's not often that I know something you don't," she says with a smile. "I kinda like it."

"Alice," he says and she gasps.

"It's been so long since someone's called me that!" she says. "I've missed my name."

"Why didn't we remember your name?" Sam asks, taking over while he grumbles under his breath. "Why didn't you remember your name?"

"Because she gave it to me," she says and Sam and Kevin exchange a look. His mind feels tingly when he tries to think about that. "Vanessa did."

And the memories they just got back piece themselves together even more. Vanessa, of course, Vanessa, she had been there too with Alice, the two of them almost inseparable. Vanessa with her smile. Vanessa with her songs. Vanessa with her kindness, with her help, her wit.

Vanessa with her long red hair.

"Oh," says Kevin.

"So you see," says Alice, and while there's still a smile on her face, there's also determination in her eyes, "this was never about me forgetting my life. It was about everybody forgetting her."

She slams open the door to the showroom floor.

"But what does that mean?" he asks. She looks around, spots a large antique desk and makes a beeline for it.

"It means we messed up," she says, kneeling down and sliding her hand along the bottom of the desk. "We went to the Fey Wilds--"

"What?" he screeches. She looks up, unimpressed. "Why would you ever go, oh, because I sent you."

"Yeah. You sent us."

"Well, shit. No wonder I've felt so responsible in this whole thing."

"So what happened in the Fey Wilds?" asks Sam and she goes back to fiddling with the desk.

"We were gonna get some mushrooms and then come back. It was supposed to be a quick ten minute, in and out kind of thing. But then," she sighs, "Oberon showed up."

"The King himself?!" shouts Kevin.

"Yeah, apparently we were in the wrong place at the wrong time and he didn't like that we were picking his mushrooms, so... He wanted to keep us there forever." She punches the desk and a piece falls out.

"Hey! Watch the merchandise!"

"Yeah, yeah," she says, waving him off. She picks the fallen box off the floor and stands up. "I was freaking out at that point, I was sure we'd be stuck in the Wilds for all eternity. But Nessa made him a deal. She stays behind and I can come home, but if I manage to find her again within a year, she can come leave as well."

"And if you don't?" Sam asks, quietly. She looks at them and beneath the determination is a solemn acceptance.

"Then I go back. And we both stay."

"This is madness!" Kevin yells. "We just managed to figure this thing out and now there's a part two? New Years eve is in a fortnight, and now we have to go to the goddamn Wilds?!

"'We' don't have to anything," she says, frowning at him. "I have to go to the Wilds. I don't expect you to come with me."

"Alice," Sam says, placing a hand on her arm. "Do you really think we'll let you go alone?"

"I never should've asked you to go there in the first place," Kevin mutters as he stalks over to his desk and starts to pull items out from the drawers. "Should've known better to send a human into the Wilds..."

"What he's trying to say, is of course we'll help you get her back. You are our friend, and so is she."

Alice smiles, small and soft and tired.

"So how do we find her?" Kevin asks, shoving things into a duffel bag. Sam gives him a look, and he stops for a moment and takes a breath.

"With this," says Alice, and opens the box. Inside is a large, white conch shell. He can hear the crashing of waves from inside it, and he's standing a good three meters away. She puts the box aside and holds the shell with both hands, brings it close to her chest. She closes her eyes.

"Alice?" comes a voice from inside the shell.

"Vanessa," she breathes out. The tenseness in her shoulders loosens instantly. "Vanessa, we're coming for you."

"I knew you would," says Vanessa, "I'll be waiting."


END.
FOR NOW.
_____________________________________________________

SURPRISE there's gonna be a sequel! Or maybe there won't but now there's a chance for one! Maybe we can continue this next year? I don't know.

But yeah, originally I wanted the Guardian to literally be Vanessa, hanging out with them without them being able to see her, but after part 23 that... didn't make sense anymore? I don't think. Bc the Guardian was established to be like the manifestation of the lost memories. Although Kevin did hear her before she went to the Garden, so idk how that's supposed to work. Anyway here you go!

This concludes our yearly posting spree, see you again in a year lmao

Pie out.

PS From matleena: If you want to continue reading this, we picked it up again in December 2020. So you can find the fisrt part of part two here.