Who: Faith Lehane and open to anyone she knows What: Her memories return When: backdated slightly to the night of 29th Where: The house she had been living in Rating: PG for now, maybe higher if tagged Status: Complete as narrative, open to tags
This was her home. She knew that, she had the clearest of memories of her life, her marriage. Paul who was so completely devoted to her. Faith picked up the photo from their wedding. They'd looked so happy and had been so head over heels in love. They still were, even years later. But she'd lost count of the number of times over the last week that she had picked up the phone, trying to call him only to get a dead tone. She just wanted to hear his voice for a moment, but maybe it was the distance or maybe he had no signal, but he never answered.
Nor did her parents when she tried them. There were explanations, many of them, all exceptionally reasonable, but it didn't take away from the feeling of being completely alone.
Maybe she should have stayed at that hotel, but she had felt so uncomfortable there that she had slipped out, wanting the familiarity of home.
It was while she was walking from the living room to the kitchen that it hit her. Her real memories coming back with a screaming rush, slamming into the false ones until they mixed together. Faith dropped the glass she was holding, letting it shatter on the floor. Paul was her husband, no, Sam, Sam was her boyfriend. Her parents were long dead. And the vampires. How could she have forgotten the vampires? The fighting and the death. She was a Slayer.
No, she had just wanted a normal life, a family, a home, safety. Her fist slammed out and the doorframe crumpled under her strength, splinters of wood breaking out. The normal, happy life and it had all been a lie.
The true memories battled with the lies in her mind until the lies retreated. Not gone, she could still remember them in every sickening detail, but shown for what they really were. She knew who she really was.
Leaving the shattered glass and the broken door, Faith ran out of the house and into the street. She didn't stop running, needing to get as far away from the lies as possible. With no direction, no idea where she was going, she just kept running.