Elena had even started work but remotely, she was getting her job done from the comfort of her mother’s home; but the day had finally come for her to go back to her flat and her friend was coming to get her.
Elena did not have much to pack, she had just a few clothes which she threw into a shoulder bag. She threw a quick look at her wristwatch and realized that it was almost noon.
“Cheryl should be here soon,” she said to no one in particular as she exited the bedroom to join her mum in the living room downstairs.
Caroline stood up as Elena came down the stairs, she gave her daughter a thorough look as Elena approached, Elena had lost
The friends stayed quiet for the rest of the trip. The restaurant was forgotten. Cheryl drove them back to their apartment. She couldn’t deal with what she witnessed. It didn’t seem normal to her. A part of her was dead scared.Elena was quiet too. she was lost in her thoughts of Cameroon. Now she could replay the alternate-life experience she had. She was happy. Happier than she had ever been. She was now aware of the sense of fulfillment she felt while with Cameroon.Back in the apartment, Cheryl went straight to the shower. She washed her hair and body vigorously as if the water could wash away the experience.Cheryl walked back to the kitchen, still in her bathrobe, and found Elena sitting by the kitchen table.“Are we gonna talk about this or not?” Cheryl broke the silence.“what do you want me to say, Cher. This feels like my destiny. My own calling.” Elena didn’t look up from the glass of water she held in her hands.“I don’t get it. An old sneaky lady says
Imaginary bags packed, goodbyes said, Elena started to Shiver. It was now Dec 29th and she sat in her apartment alone. The sound from the ticking clock was as loud as ever. She hadn’t had any sleep in two days. She had tried but failed. Now alone, reality set in. one feeling kept hovering at the back of her mind. It was a feeling she was refusing to acknowledge. Fear! Elena was afraid of the unknown, of the future. Or the past even. Which she was about to journey to. So many questions plagued her mind. What if he didn’t love her? What if she couldn’t stop his death? How would she survive alone? How would her life be different? Without any siblings or family? Who was she going to be? What if she got lost in-between time? She had asked so many questions that her head ached. It also didn’t help that the only person she could share this with had g
Elena’s eyes were closed. But she wasn’t asleep. She wasn't dreaming or in a trance either. She was awake and conscious but just had some difficulty opening her eyes. Her eyelids were heavy. Her body was heavy. Even from her position as she lay on the bed, she knew she was no longer in her own body. This felt different. Different from her previous ESCAPE. As she lay down, she felt in full possession of the body. No memories existed for her to access. Nothing. It was bland. The brain was bland. She tried to make a sort of connection but couldn’t. Still, Elena couldn’t open her eyes. For a while, she just lay there, not moving. Then she heard voices. And she heard an accent. Not the Canadian or North American accent she was used to. But a distinct and sharp Australian accent. Then she froze. Her heart started to beat really
Eighteen The week went by very fast. Elena was taken to the hospital for her tests. And after several tests, she was declared to have “retrograde amnesia”. The doctor said she may not recollect the previous events in her life. Chances of recovering were slim. So she went back with her parents. She knew at the back of her mind that the diagnosis was wrong. The real diagnosis was that the previous Elena, whose car ran into a ditch had died. Both physically and brain-wise. So another Elena, all the way from the future had taken over the body. But who would believe that? In the rest of the week, Elena learned as much as she could about her current life. Her parents and friends. She hadn’t seen any friends yet, they didn’t want to fill her head with too much information. It finally got to a point where Elena was tired. Of being treated like a patient. She had experienced that in her previous lif
By the time Vanessa came up to Elena’s room, Elena had already gotten into her dress. She was struggling with the zipper at the back of the dress when Vanessa came in. “hey, I’ll help you with that.” Vanessa offered. Elena smiled and turned her back to Vanessa. Vanessa helped her with it. Then Elena turned to face her. Vanessa drew Elena in for a tight hug. “oh, Elena. It's so glad to have you back. oh my. I thought I would never see you alive again. You scared the shit out of us all.” Vanessa supplied. “I’m so sorry Nessa.” Elena squeezed in deeper. She didn’t even notice how easy it was for her to call Vanessa, Nessa. Somehow, even though the previous Elena (who initially owned that body) no longer existed and her memories were gone, her brain still retained some spark from the sight of pleasant people or places. Elena could still feel those things. She had first noti
Cameroon came into the restaurant on that particular night with his brother and brother’s girlfriend. They had decided to have a proper meal together before Cameroon’s trial which was six days away. Cameroon had picked the restaurant. He had never been there but had been drawn to it after seeing an interesting advert about the restaurant some days back. so he had made a mental note of it. And when his brother asked that they have dinner together, the restaurant had popped right into his head. He had been so tensed since his former roommate and friend, Fred Cooper died. And it didn’t help that he was now being charged with the murder. And was facing the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison. For a crime, he did not commit. So when his brother, Austin had brought up the idea of them having dinner together, he had jumped at it. He welcomed anything that could take his mind off his pending trial. As they approached the yacht, Cameroon had
Cameroon sat at the passenger seat of his BMW. His brother, Austin was driving. Austin’s girlfriend was at the back of the vehicle. The car was dead silent. Austin was the first to speak. “maybe we should find somewhere else.” Austin looked into the mirror so he could catch his girlfriend’s eye. She noticed and looked up to him. “where are you thinking?” she asked. “anywhere I guess. It will be difficult to find a good place on such short notice. Do you think you could find something nice with your phone? Maybe check online?” “Sure babe.” She responded as she pulled out her phone. Cameroon finally spoke. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I just want to go home.” “Nope, buddy. We agreed. We’re spending tonight together.” “I am not hungry anymore.” Cameroon objected. “fine. Let’s go to a bar then. You aren’t spending tonight alone.” Austin stated with authority. “what are you now? Dad?
Dave and Susan had arrived at the hospital some minutes after the ambulance brought Elena in. Vanessa had called them about Elena’s fainting episode. They had rushed to the ER. Worried that something worse had happened. That the faint was connected to the coma she just came out of. Dave especially was upset. He blamed himself. He had felt uncomfortable when Elena stepped out with her friends, so he felt responsible for not insisting that she stay back. Susan had to remind him that Elena wasn’t a little girl anymore. That he couldn’t exactly make Elena stay home just because he said so. And she had felt that spending the night with her friends would help with her memories. Or at least help her get back on track. After they got to the hospital, the ER doctor had already checked on Elena and ran some tests. The doctor had told them that the faint was a random one and nothing in her brain seemed to have triggered it. She was probably tired. The do