Who: Brianna, Greg, James & Phee Where: Along Witcham Road When: Early evening, Mid-May Status: Complete
It was so warm. Warm and breezy. There was the smell of… pine? Something floral. It didn’t smell anything like what Brianna had gotten used to. Musty furniture. Body odor. Decay. There was something sharp poking into her back and Brianna’s eyes fluttered open as she instinctively tried to shift away from the discomfort. The trees were high above her, the sky… well, from what she could see through the leaves, the sky was blue. Leaves. Green leaves. Blue sky.
Confused, Brianna looked around, still on her back. This wasn’t what she knew. Where was she? Her mind was a wall and nothing was getting through but some odd feeling like she didn’t belong here, wherever here was. It took her far too long to realize that a lot of the confusion stemmed from her lack of knowledge of who she was.
Exhaling sharply, Brianna sat up, her fingers pressing into the soft earth beneath her. She was wearing what looked to be flannel bottoms. A long sleeved shirt. Both were filthy, the hems worn. There was a small rip in the knee of her pants. Her feet were bare. She felt… grimy. Exhausted. Her mouth was dry and filmy tasting.
Where was she?
Getting to her feet, Brianna reached out to the nearest tree trunk to keep herself up until she was sure she wouldn’t fall over. Nearby she thought she heard the sound of a car. It sped by and Brianna followed the sound, trying not to panic. There was a heat pulsing through her body, something that didn’t feel normal in the slightest. But… what was normal? What was happening?
Before she knew it, she was exiting the tree line, stumbling out onto the road. It was long, lined by nothing but trees. Glancing in both directions, she finally began to walk, not entirely sure where she was going, but not really caring either. She needed to find help. She might have screamed if she thought she could do it. But her throat was sore and she was so tired.
Greg had been out driving with no destination in mind. It was just nice sometimes, especially on a beautiful evening, to leave town, drive fast and listen to music. James McCarthy was staying home more and so Phee was home for dinner tonight but something had seriously shifted lately so Greg knew she would probably come over and see him afterward. He'd gotten some of his speed addiction taken care of now, well aware of where the cops usually guarded the highway, and was heading back into town, rapping along to a loud melody. It was a weird instinctual thing to slow down at a certain chapter of Witcham Road. He knew Miriam D'Onofrio was back and he knew James was out here a lot though the odds of Brianna showing up seemed pretty slim. Only there was someone walking down the road and Greg stepped on the brake, staring at the figure as he got closer. He nearly hollered when she turned around to look at the car, he might never have recognized her if not for the fact he'd grown up with her around all the damn time and that made it easier to recognize something about her because look-wise... That was barely Brianna. She was filthy which was something he had never ever seen and never would have expected to see in his whole damn life. He knew damn well what had gone down before she and everyone else disappeared so he felt a little apprehensive as he stopped the car. "Whoa," he whispered to himself, heart pounding as he rolled down the passenger side window. "Hey," he said a little dumbly. "You... you okay?"
The sound of a car was both terrifying and a relief. When it slowed, Brianna’s heart began to beat harder. On one hand, maybe they would drive her somewhere she could get some help. On the other hand... this person could be a murderer, looking for a helpless woman to snatch off the side of the road. As she got a better look at the driver, Brianna noted he looked like a kid. Maybe eighteen. And he looked stunned to see her, but that made sense given how out of sorts she looked. The confusion and exhaustion was too great to force a polite response and Brianna lifted her hands in mild exasperation. “Do I look okay?” She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice but what a stupid question. “I need to find... help. Someone. How far is it to the nearest town? Could you drive me?”
He'd somewhat expected that look of apprehension to fade into a look of relief or something when she recognized him but there didn't seem to be any spark of recognition in her eyes and then she just said nearest town and not Point Pleasant or home so that was a little worrying. "Yeah," he said dumbly, waving her urgently inside and hoping she wasn't still dangerous or anything. "Everyone's looking for you," he told her, eyes still wide and his jaw a little slack but damn, he hadn't exactly expected to run into his girlfriend's missing mother out here. Or he had, but really, no, he really really hadn't! Hope was one thing but this was real and holy shit he felt like he was tripping. "They found Miriam D'Onofrio so, you know, Mr. McCarthy's been like... All over trying to find you too."
Confusion pressed in against the relief she felt and Brianna stared at him, her brows furrowed. "What are you talking about? Who is Mr. McCarthy?" The name Miriam sounded familiar to her though, reminding her of the Other Place. But hearing that people were looking for her was startling. She didn't even know who she was. Or where she was. Brianna was now wondering if it was safe to get into the car. If she should just keep walking, or maybe run. She didn't necessarily feel threatened, but it had been disorienting to wake up here, to find this person who supposedly knew her, to hear others were looking for her as well. Her mind was just... blank... devoid of memory other than fog and fear. "Do you know who I am?"
Greg hesitated in answering any of her questions. Telling someone she was married when she didn't remember her husband just seemed mean somehow and he had to wonder if she remembered her kids. Three kids! Maybe she had this movie type of amnesia where she thought she was twenty or something and would totally flip her shit. "I know who... who you are," he mumbled before gnawing on his lip and wondering why he kept finding himself in these weird situations where he had to keep secrets or know what to do next. He was a team player, not much of a leader, sometimes thinking too hard felt like it would break his brain! "Your name is Brianna, we live in- we're neighbors. I'm Greg." I'm your daughter's boyfriend. It was on the tip of his tongue but again with the family. Should he tell her? Nah, better to let someone else deal with that particular fallout.
Brianna. She waited for some flicker of recognition, but there was nothing but confusion, which, of course, triggered irritation. She stared at Greg for a moment, trying to suss out whether he was lying or not. He could be a serial killer. After several seconds of silence, Brianna glanced back down the road. Her feet were aching and she was just filthy and hungry. This boy obviously knew her and so he could probably take her to someone who could give her proper answers. It was so much easier to set a goal in her mind and focus on it, than to give into the panic and fear she felt. All of this was just so jarring, she simply didn't know how to process it. "All right," she said finally, moving around the car to climb into the passenger side. "If you try to kill me, I'll set you on fire," Brianna warned him. She had no idea why she said it, or how exactly she would set him on fire, but the threat escaped her before she could understand why.
Greg felt like he was having some serious whiplash because Brianna McCarthy was in his car and all he wanted to do was to text Bash and Phee and tell them she was alive. "Oh, I know," he said at the little threat, eyebrows rising impossibly high. God she was filthy and that made sense given where she'd supposedly been. Was she still human? Was he crazy to give her a ride? Crazy or not, he couldn't exactly leave her out here but maybe he should have called the cops - just to be safe. He knew he would never have done that, he was going to be one of the first responders if he got his way in life and just like with Jules, this was just... an exercise. A crazy, surreal exercise. "Are you hurt? I can take you to the hospital? Or I can... I can take you home but it'd probably be like... super weird to go home if you don't remember anyone. Maybe let's start with the hospital?"
"I don't need the hospital," Brianna murmured, even if she wasn't sure if that was true or not. Physically she felt fine. Hungry, yes. Tired, yes. But she had no painful injuries. Just some soreness. What she truly wanted more than anything was a hot shower. Soap. Shampoo. A razor to shave. She wanted to be clean. And then she wanted clean clothes and food. Pasta, maybe. With rich, cream sauce. Her stomach cramped and she wondered how long it had been since she had eaten. It felt like forever. Brianna looked down at her hands. No jewelry. No wedding ring. Was she married? Was she living with family? Greg had said people had been looking for her. Did she want to face them now? She wasn't sure, but it had to be done eventually, regardless of whether she knew them or not. "You said we're neighbors? Then take me home. Maybe being there will jumpstart my memories of this place."
Well shit, there went his idea that Official Hospital People could take care of her and call the family and all that stuff and Greg gave her a slightly pained look, glad he wasn't already driving. He shifted in his seat to face her and cleared his throat. "Okay, so, okay. You should know that if I take you home, you're like... You're married and you have three kids and they're going to freak out with joy when they see you so that might be like totally overwhelming if you don't... If you don't remember them." This was going to break their hearts and Greg was already picturing Phee's face when she realized Brianna didn't remember her. It hurt his heart just thinking about it. "So I should probably... Call them and warn them before we go there."
She was married. With three kids. Her husband must be the Mr. McCarthy Greg had mentioned. Brianna looked away, trying to decide if she should panic or not. Should she ask him to take her to a motel room instead? She would have to make him pay, as she had no money. She had nothing on her but filth. No, that wasn't an option. Steeling herself against the urge to run away, Brianna lifted her chin. "I'll be overwhelmed whether I see them today, or a week from today. I just want to be somewhere I can get out of these clothes and take a shower. So if you feel like you need to call them, then call them. But the longer I sit here, the other it's going to be for you to get the smell out of your car."
"Overlook," Greg said and the rest of the decisions could come later. He wondered if he should take her home with him and let her shower there, ask Phee to come over so it would be a little less overwhelming to start with but that just seemed like such a weird thing to do and he wasn't sure he wanted his girlfriend's mom naked in his place. No, that'd be way too weird. "Don't worry about the car," he added as he started up again and headed for home. "I should uh, I should call them and let them know so we don't like give them a heart attack." Heart attacks, plural? Probably. He was overthinking everything he was saying and he didn't really want to call Phee in front of Brianna with the audio on and everything but he was driving so it was either that or wait until he was outside her house. Fuck. So he dialled Phee's number and turned up the volume, anxiety building as he listened to the dial tone.
Phee had expected to have dinner with her father, but he’d had some last minute work thing come up and he’d just said he would make it up to her. Sebastian was out too with his new boyfriend, so she ended up alone in the house. It made her mopey for a little while, but then Phee’s introverted nature kicked back in, and she just put some music on and lounged in the living room, reading back through what she had written in her grimoire and doodling little vines and flowers in the corners of the pages. She could’ve called Greg, or just walked over there, but even they needed a break from each other sometimes.
That didn’t mean she didn’t want to talk to him though, and when her phone started to vibrate on the coffee table and the screen showed it was Greg, Phee didn’t hesitate to pick it up. “Hey babe,” she said as she leaned back against the couch again.
Babe. Greg glanced over at Brianna with an awkward smile but she seemed unphased, probably because she didn't really know this was her daughter speaking which was just wack if you asked him. "Hey... babe?" he replied and this was a lot harder than he thought it might be. "So I'm uh, I'm heading to you and uh... So your mom...! She's- she's okay but she uh - she doesn't really remember anything so I just I need to like... You need to give her some space but I'm bringing her home. She's okay!" He huffed out air through his closed lips, making that little horse sound like he sometimes did when he was exasperated. There was probably a gentler way to put this or a smarter way or something but it was even harder to do on speakerphone with Brianna right next to him.
Brianna watched Greg navigate through explaining to this girl - her daughter? - that Brianna was with him and all right. The girl was obviously his age, or close to it. She tried to listen closely to her voice, just in case it would somehow trigger recognition, but there was none. Maybe when Brianna saw her, something would click into place. Even so, Greg's fumbling probably wasn't the best way to tell this girl that Brianna had been found, but Brianna didn't really have the energy to interject. What would she say anyway? Instead she looked away from Greg to take in her surroundings, hoping to recognize something.
Phee had frowned as Greg started tripping over his own tongue immediately, trying to sort out what he was saying. He was babbling about her mom for some reason. The idea that Greg could have found Brianna and was bringing her home was so ludicrous to Phee that she couldn’t even consider that as a real option. “What are you talking about?” she asked, obviously confused. If he was fucking with her, she was going to rip him a new asshole, but that just didn’t seem like something Greg would do. “What about mom?”
Greg knew he hadn't been super clear but he still felt a bit exasperated when she didn't keep up. "I found her," he replied, well aware just how crazy that sounded and he looked at Brianna with a pained expression because damn, he should have pulled over and had this conversation outside the car. He was somewhat glad she was just looking outside the window and not giving him the trademark withering McCarthy stare. "She's got like amnesia or something but she's here and I'm... I'm right outside Seaview right now."
Amnesia. Is that what this was? It sounded so soap opera-ish and Brianna couldn't help but purse her lips a bit, even as she studied the area around her. Of course she wakes up in this place, home?, and her daughter's boyfriend finds her. The two of them were already driving her a bit crazy with their back and forth. Why couldn't it have been a police officer, or... someone who knew her who was old enough to drink? Brianna noted the area Greg mentioned as Seaview and there was some instinctive part of her that wrinkled her nose at the sight of the trailer homes down the street. Was that where she lived? She hoped not. Greg had mentioned Overlook, but she wasn't really sure what that was either.
There was a long pause on the line while Phee tried to wrap her mind around what Greg was now more clearly telling her. He’d found her? One of her first instincts was to tell him he was full of shit or he’d gone nuts or something, and maybe had the wrong woman. But Greg wasn’t that stupid, or crazy, and Brianna had practically been a second mom to him, he’d done a lot of growing up in their house, so he had to know it was her. Phee felt numb all over suddenly, and she sat up straight with her eyes wide. “You found her?” she repeated softly. Saying it made it sink in more, and she jumped up to her feet. “Ohmygod Greg!” Phee exclaimed, her voice rising in volume and pitch. “You found her?! Where was she? Am I on speak-- Mom! Mom are you there? Ohmygod, ohmygod ...” She ran for the front door, even though they were still several minutes away if they were just at Seaview.
"Babe," Greg said and his feelings were definitely mixed; he was happy for her, so happy Brianna was alive but also apprehensive as fuck because Brianna couldn't even remember her own name and if that never came back to her they were in for a different kind of suffering that would take a long time to mend. "I know you're excited and I'm like super excited too but she's like, she's here but she doesn't remember anything so you need to be like... Calm when we get there. Like super calm and uh chill." Which he didn't really feel himself but he felt like he was doing a good job of smothering the 'freaking the fuck out' feeling that was bubbling under the surface.
Phee very nearly told him to shut up so she could hear her mother, but then what Greg was really saying started to sink in. Brianna didn’t remember anything. So her mom didn’t know her. Phee tried to really comprehend that as she undid all the locks on the front door and pulled it open. She had to be calm? That sounded completely fucking impossible! “Um,” she said breathlessly. “Um, yeah okay. Calm and chill, I can do that, yeah.” Her tone was decidedly not chill, but Phee had no idea how to stop that at the moment. Her mom was alive! Greg had her! She had to call everyone! On the front porch, Phee shifted from foot to foot in her socks, intently watching the road for Greg’s car to pull in. “Is she ok-- I mean, she’s uh, she’s awake and talking, right? Do we need like, an ambulance?”
Super calm and chill. Brianna sighed and closed her eyes. She had a teenager. Just wonderful. Deep down Brianna knew her lack of patience had to do with the fact that she was exhausted, confused and felt like she had bathed in filth. But there was also a sense of anticipation and curiosity lingering beneath all of the uncertainty of her situation. She had children. She was married. Was it a loving marriage? Were she and her children close? "I don't need an ambulance," Brianna said, the words slipping out before she even processed that. If she was hurt, obviously she would have asked Greg to take her to the hospital. Honestly. She was dealing with some memory loss but that didn't mean she was an invalid.
"No ambulance," Greg repeated though Phee probably heard her mother loud and clear and was no doubt emotional about hearing her voice after all this time. He kind of wanted to tell Phee that Brianna needed a bath - probably ten of them - but that was super rude, even if she was flat out disgusting right now. "Okay we're nearing the hill," he said, knowing Phee was probably itching to start walking to meet them. "Maybe get some water ready? I don't have anything to drink in the car." She looked like she could use some water to drink as well as to bathe in and that felt a little less rude but god, did he want to warn Phee about just how bad a state Brianna was in.
Phee did hear Brianna’s voice, and it almost took her legs out from under her. She covered her mouth and tilted the phone away so they didn’t hear the sound she made. It really was her. Greg hadn’t just gone crazy and picked up some poor homeless woman off the side of the road, it was really her mother. Gods, she thought she might have a heart attack. “Water, yeah, I’ll get some,” she said, her voice a bit unsteady as she tried to swallow back all the emotions threatening to overwhelm her. She turned to hurry back into the house, leaving the door wide open. “I’ll see you in a minute,” Phee said, and hung up without waiting for an answer. She rushed to the kitchen, skidding a bit in her socks, and pulled out a big water bottle from the fridge. If she was thirsty, she was probably hungry too, and Phee had a moment of panic as she looked at all the food in there, not sure what to grab first. She settled on some mixed fruit in a plastic container, stuff Brianna could eat with her fingers, and jog-slid back to the front door again.
Water. Water sounded amazing. And she was hungry. The ache in her belly seemed to intensify at the thought of food. She wanted something heavy and filling. After she took a hot shower. With soap. And shampoo. Oh god, she could brush her teeth. Brianna's chest felt incredibly tight as the realization that she was saved seemed to finally hit her. Tears filled her eyes, a few even escaping and leaving dirty tracks down her cheeks before she brushed them away impatiently. She may not know where she was but if Greg was to be believed, she was home. Surely she would remember soon. And if she didn't, at least she wasn't in that place anymore. To compose herself, Brianna breathed in deeply and exhaled, well aware of how silly it might seem to try and hold all of the emotions in after what she had been through. But she didn't know this person sitting beside her and she wasn't about to break down in front of a teenage boy.
Greg focused on driving for now. Brianna did not look like she was in the mood for small talk and he just wanted to get her home safe without anything weird intervening and ruining everything. He really hoped she'd find Overlook familiar but as they drove into the affluent neighborhood he stole a glance at her and couldn't see anything resembling recognition in her face. At least she could probably easily guess which house was hers because Phee was standing outside with her signature red hair just like Brianna and Greg couldn't help but smile when he saw her. Holy shit he was bringing her mom home, who knew how that would go but he suddenly felt a little less like a total twerp and a little more like a total hero.
Her hands were full, but that didn’t stop Phee from bouncing a bit on her toes as she saw Greg’s car pull into the long drive. They were here! It was probably good to have stuff in her hands, maybe it would stop her from running to hug-tackle Brianna as soon as she could get out of the car. She had promised to be calm and chill, after all. Calm and chill, chill and calm. She felt like she wanted to scream and cry and laugh all at once, but she was going to try really hard not to do any of that. Phee had just missed her so much, more than she ever would have thought. She didn’t rush the car while they parked, trying to stay chill, and just chewed anxiously on her bottom lip as she waited for them to get out.
Brianna was grateful to Greg for staying silent and not trying to force small talk. She didn't think she could handle hearing "calm and chill" again without screaming. It wasn't Greg, and it wasn't the girl who was supposedly her daughter. It was just... she barely knew who she was and now she was driving up to a gorgeous, clearly very expensive home, and there was a redhead out front looking like she was buzzing with anticipation. How was she supposed to handle all of this? Especially with how she was feeling, both physically and mentally. Brianna exhaled softly as Greg pulled into the driveway. For a brief moment, she considered grabbing Greg's arm and telling him to take her to the hospital. At least there she could tell the nurses not to let anyone in to talk to her. But deep down, Brianna knew she needed to handle this. It took her nearly a minute to finally open the door to climb out of the car. The house was extravagant so all Brianna could think was... it would have a wonderful shower with incredible water pressure. Then her eyes shifted to the girl and Brianna told herself this was her daughter. She tried to say hello but her throat felt tight, so she stood there, staring, unsure of what to do next.
Greg got out of the car instantly and jogged up to Phee to relieve her of the stuff she was carrying. He opened the water bottle and handed it to Brianna since both she and Phee looked completely lost at the moment. He couldn't blame them so the decision to become sort of the coordinator came naturally. "This is Phee," he said. "Ophelia. You like Shakespeare." He didn't know shit about Shakespeare except that Bash was in a play and he'd understood maybe half of what was happening there but he knew this tidbit at least, having been Bash's best friend since they were tiny terrors. It might not mean anything to Brianna at the moment but Greg felt that anything that might possibly make her remember was important.
Brianna was more filthy than Phee had ever seen her, but she was still unmistakably Brianna. Phee reluctantly let Greg take the water bottle and fruit from her, even though that left her nothing to do with her hands. She ended up wringing them in front of her as she stared back at the woman who’d birthed her but didn’t know who she was. There was already a threatening burning in the backs of her eyes, but she tried to keep the tears at bay for now. If the core of her mother’s personality was still there, Phee wouldn’t win any points with her by looking weak and overly emotional. She didn’t want to be disappointing right off the bat. There was plenty of time for that later. “Hi,” she said hesitantly. “Um ... I thought you might be hungry too.” She gestured to the container of fruit in Greg’s hand. “Do-- do you want to come inside?”
Ophelia. It was a beautiful name. And apparently she liked Shakespeare. That was all right. It felt like she needed to say more but what could she say? Nice to meet you? This was all so strange. Brianna took the water, but glanced at the container as she opened it to take a drink. The urge to drink it all was so strong but Brianna still knew enough to know it would probably make her throw up if she tried. She was hungry too but... more than anything else, she wanted to get clean. Lowering the bottle from her mouth, she licked her lips and nodded, taking one step towards them, and the house, before she paused. "Is... your father inside?" She nearly said my husband, but that felt strange as she couldn't remember a thing about him.
Phee had no idea how James was going to react to all of this, so she was briefly glad that he wasn’t home. Maybe she could talk to him before he saw Brianna, and make sure he was careful with her. Phee had to imagine she was pretty scared, not knowing who she was or anything about her family. She shook her head, her curls swaying a bit. “Nobody’s home but me,” she told Brianna. “I haven’t called anybody yet, I wanted to, um, wait for you.” She paused, realizing her mom might not even know how many kids she had, then added, “Daddy’s name is James, and then there’s Sebastian, he’s your middle son, and me, I’m the youngest, Phee. Our oldest brother is off at college, he goes by Trip ‘cause he’s like, James the Third.” She was talking too much, giving too much information, and Phee waved her hand dismissively. “Sorry. Um, you probably want a shower? I can show you where the master suite is.” Brianna wasn’t going after the fruit like she was starving, and she knew her mother’s next priority would be looking presentable, which she really didn’t at the moment.
James. Sebastian. Trip. Ophelia... Phee. And she was Brianna. It was so frustrating that she couldn't remember. Maybe a shower, food... sleep... maybe that would right her mind. The fruit did look appetizing but she wanted to eat while she was clean. It felt odd to be so set on cleanliness when her stomach was aching for food but she needed to wash away any physical memories of That Place. "That would be nice, thank you," Brianna murmured to Phee. "I won't stop you from calling anyone, I just... I desperately want to get clean." She eyed the container in Greg's hand. "I'll take that though."
Greg handed it over without a second thought. It seemed things were falling into place now and he really didn't have anything left to do there but he had a feeling Phee wouldn't want him to leave. Brianna would go take a bath, probably a long one judging by the state of her, and Phee was going to be crawling out of her skin waiting for her to come back out. So he reached over to Phee, lightly touching her arm. "Do you want me to stay?" he asked, not wanting to assume anything. If he was wrong he'd go home, that wasn't a problem either, but he was kind of freaking out too and didn't fully know what to do with himself.
Phee knew her dad and brother would be incredibly excited about this and she just hoped they could have the same kind of self control she was currently exerting. Filthy or not, she was desperate to hug her mom, but it had to wait. Phee looked at Greg and nodded vigorously -- she did not want him to leave her alone while Brianna got herself cleaned up. It would probably take a while and Phee felt half-crazy already. She needed grounding and hugs, and therefore her boyfriend. She grabbed Greg’s hand before he could drop it too far, and turned to lead the both of them into the house. She did let go of him as they neared the entrance to the master suite and quietly asked him to wait. Her parents’ bedroom was on the ground floor, and she was sure Brianna wouldn’t want a teenage boy in her room with her. Phee quietly shut the master suite door behind them and gestured toward the bathroom. “There’s a little linen closet with clean towels, um, I’m pretty sure all your shampoo and stuff is still in there. And that’s the closet, I know he didn’t move any of your clothes. Just ... take your time, and if you need anything, just call, I’ll be close.” Phee gave her an uncertain little smile.
The house was as impressive inside as it was out. Brianna walked through it, following Phee, and wondering what it was she did for a living. Did Greg tell her that? Maybe her husband, James, made all of the money. Blinking when she stepped into the bedroom, Brianna's eyes fell on the bed, and then the painting on the wall. The photographs. It was her, in a wedding dress, smiling with a man. Brianna listened to Ophelia but wandered across the room to the framed photo. That was quite clearly James. Something triggered deep in her gut. Some sense of... heat? Was it recognition? He was incredibly handsome and she looked happy in the photo. Younger, but happy. Feeling something, anything, had to be a good sign, didn't it? Turning away, Brianna released a soft breath. "Thank you," she told Phee. And then she managed a small smile in return. "I'm... I know this must be hard for you. I wish I could remember. We can talk more when I clean up. It's just hard for me to focus, feeling like this."
Phee thought it had to be super weird to see your own wedding photos and not know any of the people in them, or even really yourself. It was nice of her to say what she did, and Phee nodded immediately. “Of course, yeah,” she said. “I’ll just, um ...” She gestured at the door behind her and started to back up that way. She was sure she was looking like an awkward idiot, but she couldn’t really help herself. “I’ll just make some calls, and you take your time.” She let out a little laugh at nothing, wincing at herself as she turned around and slipped out the bedroom door. She closed it behind her and zeroed in on Greg, who had wandered a respectful distance away. Phee rushed over to him and threw her arms around him in a tight hug, all the tension inside of her melting into a short bout of tears. “Ohmygod,” she groaned. “I can’t believe you found her.”
Greg embraced her and he couldn't even imagine how crazy this had to feel for her. "I know, right?" he mumbled. "She was just wandering out on Witcham Road, I only slowed down because, you know, she looked... Well, you saw her. She didn't look okay and then it was like, holy shit that's Mrs. McCarthy! I should have like called you before we started driving, sorry it was so fucking awkward." It didn't seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things. He had just brought Phee's mother home safe and sound, awkward was probably the last thing on her mind.
Phee let out a watery laugh and shook her head. She didn’t care that it was awkward, Greg had saved her mom. Well, he’d picked her up and brought her home anyway, but who knew what could’ve happened to her walking around at night on Witcham Road? Some awful denizen of Point Pleasant doing something to her mother before she could reach anyone was just too awful to contemplate, so she didn’t. Instead Phee just kissed her hero boyfriend a few times, then let him go. “I gotta call my dad,” she said, hurrying to pull her phone out and do just that. Phee stepped a few paces away and dialed James. After a brief, kind of confusing conversation, she learned that her father already knew Brianna was back, and he was currently turning up the hill and driving into Overlook. He hung up on her before she could say much else, and Phee gave Greg a quizzical sort of frown. “He’s already almost here, he already knew,” she said.
Greg didn't know if that was a witch thing or not, maybe someone had seen him and Brianna and called James - or maybe he just had one more reason to be wary of his girlfriend's father. "Well shit," he said and pulled a face. He wanted to ask how but Phee obviously didn't know so that was pretty pointless. It kind of made him want to leave so that the family could be together and he didn't have to awkwardly shuffle around James but Phee wanted him to stay so he'd do that for at least a little bit longer.
James had tried tracking spells a few times after Brianna went missing but after finding Miriam it seemed less hopeless to do so. He was busy typing up the draft of a deed when the magic paid off and the small vial containing Brianna's hair started moving from its neutral location at the top of his Point Pleasant Map. Dropping, more like it, it spun around a few times then pressed against the map right near Witcham Road. James got up, heart beating wildly in his chest as he observed it moving. He needed to get to her as soon as possible and after rushing back to his computer to turn it off and grab his things he noticed the vial was moving again, too fast for a person walking. She was in a car and James could feel the anxiety bubble up, the likes he hadn't felt since he'd first lost her. He watched it for a while, just to suss out where it was going and to his relief the vial headed toward Overlook and not deeper into the woods. He muttered a few latin words and caught the vial as it dropped again. He might not carry the map with him but he could enchant it to lead him in Brianna's direction if she wasn't home.
And that was how he was already driving into Overlook when Phee called him. He took a few deep breaths before he got out of the car and headed inside. Brianna might be in the same state as Miriam and he did not want to overwhelm her. "Where is she?" he asked when he walked into the house and found Greg and Phee standing there, looking a little lost.
Over the past few months, Phee had lost her childish confidence that her dad could fix anything. It wasn’t even just in a magical sense -- she didn’t blame him for being unable to find Brianna in that other place and bring her home. It was on a personal level instead. If James couldn’t support his children through this horrible time, was he going to be capable of handling his wife’s return in some sensitive manner? The instant Phee heard him come through the door, she felt that wall go up inside her that had been constructed since her mother’s disappearance. Phee straightened up and lifted her chin as James came into view, part of her wanting to block his path into the bedroom to protect her amnesiac mom. That was ridiculous though, not to mention impossible, so she pushed the urge back down. “She’s in your bathroom getting cleaned up,” Phee told him. “She doesn’t remember us, or anything, so you should probably like, give her some space.”
"I know," James said, looking toward the hallway that led to the bedroom and quelling his urge to go in there. "She will," he added. "Miriam D'Onofrio is home, it took her a couple of days but she remembered who she was eventually." He turned to look at Phee and Greg, knowing full well his daughter would be pissed that he hadn't told her sooner so before she could say as much he added, "I didn't want to give you false hope." He had no idea if Brianna would remember as well, maybe Miriam just got lucky. Either way he needed to temper himself and be patient with her.
Phee’s eyebrows rose sharply at that news, and James’s lame ass explanation made them furrow into an upset face that was very much like her mother’s. It was good to hear that people were coming back, but he hadn’t told her. Not that he’d told her much in the past three months, it was just another way James had let her down. Her heart had started beating too hard and color flushed her cheeks. This was supposed to be a happy family moment, and she didn’t even want to hug him. “I’m going to call Sebastian,” she said, the words short and clipped. Phee grabbed Greg’s hand and started to drag him away toward the living room so they could try to get in touch with her brother. She wanted to hug him, that was for sure.
The shower was probably as close to heaven as Brianna thought she would get in that moment. Hot water ran down skin, soapy bubbles from the lavender scented body wash mixing with the grime and dirt pooling around her feet before rushing towards the drain. She scrubbed herself twice before starting on her hair. Shampoo, conditioner... and then she did what the bottle always instructed. Lather, rinse, repeat. Her hair had gotten longer over there so it took her a while to get it completely rinsed. And then she shaved, which took some time too, considering she hadn't done it in... how long? Four months? The razor blade would need replaced by the time she finished. Steam filled the bathroom and after a while, she just stood under the spray, her face lifted as her skin turned pink from the heat. It felt amazing. Finally she found the energy to turn off the water. She dried her hair the best she could with a towel before wrapping a second around her body. Her clothes were in a heap on the floor. They would have to go into the garbage.
Leaving the bathroom, she shivered as cooler air embraced her. For a moment she sat on the edge of the bed, wanting to enjoy the feeling of safety and peace before she had to speak to people some more. She thought she heard a sound just outside the door and she stared at it, wondering if someone was waiting for her. It didn't prompt her to move any faster, but she did stand to finally find some clothes. Fresh, clean clothes. She debated over what to wear before finally just tugging on a pretty, floral maxi dress hanging in her closet. It was soft against her skin. Brianna nearly wept with how human she felt again. Maybe now she could eat something. And maybe get a glass of wine with it. Her mouth salivated at the thought.
With a deep breath, she reached out to open the bedroom door to find Ophelia, but she came face to face with a man instead. The man in the photograph. Brianna stared at him. "Hello."
James had waited for a while, paced around a little, well aware that Phee was angry at him and there was precious little he could do about that. She couldn't stay a kid forever but good god he missed when she was ten and he was her hero despite everything. He couldn't grieve that relationship too much, so focused on the fact that Brianna was in the house and he had to brace himself for meeting her again. He knew she was in the shower but he couldn't help but imagine her the way Miriam had been, filthy and confused, distrustful. Of course Miriam had always been more hysterical than Brianna about everything so he wasn't really expecting her to be quite so nervous about everything.
He was pacing when the bedroom door opened and before he could stop himself he walked over there, realizing too late that he should probably give her more space. He stepped back and looked her over and she was every bit Brianna, clean and beautiful though her eyes held no recognition for him. "Hello," he said and his voice came out a little choked, his smile watery though he managed not to let it get the better of him. "I'm guessing you don't remember me."
Brianna stiffened when he approached, but he didn't reach out to touch her so she managed to relax some of the tension in her shoulders. He was her husband, apparently, so she doubted there was any reason to fear him. The sound of his voice seemed... familiar in a very vague way. There seemed to be a heat in the pit of her stomach that reacted to it, like something deep inside was reacting and responding to him. It became an odd sort of tingle that worked through her, to the tips of her fingers. "I don't, I'm sorry," Brianna said, though her brows were drawn together thoughtfully. "I mean... not entirely. There's a familiarity there. But I don't know if that's because I know you on some subconscious level, or because I saw our wedding photo before I took a shower."
"My name is James," he told her. "I will give you all the space you require while you recover. That room is yours now and I will sleep downstairs." It was the least he could do and he knew that for Brianna as for any woman it was a vital reassurance to know she would have her privacy - that things wouldn't be weird. It stung, he couldn't deny it, but he was clinging to the hope that this was temporary as it had been with Miriam, that he wouldn't have to play this game of cautious and gentlemanly behavior for too long. If it was temporary he could think of it as roleplay and distance himself emotionally from the situation, he was good at that at least. "Do you want to sit down with me and we can talk? You must be hungry."
He was so... formal. Brianna appreciated the offer of privacy. She wanted to regain her memories, to figure all of this out, but she wasn't sure she would be able to sleep in the same bed as a man she barely knew, no matter how handsome he was. "I'm hungry," Brianna confirmed. She stepped out of the door way. "We can talk. But... perhaps just the two of us. I'm not entirely sure how to... talk to... Ophelia yet." There was a nervous energy there and Brianna felt like she had just enough patience to talk to an adult right now.
James quirked a small smile at that. "That's normal, trust me," he muttered. "Not knowing how to talk to her, I mean. Teenagers, you know. She's off somewhere with Greg, I'm sure we'll have some privacy." He could also close the kitchen door to at least try to convey the message that it was off limits for now. It should be a loud and clear sign since they never closed it. He gestured at her to follow, since she likely didn't remember where the kitchen was, keeping up that formal and stiff appearance to keep himself in check.
Brianna didn't know. Not really. She vaguely recalled teenagers Over There. Not many. One, maybe two? But she hadn't surrounded herself with them. Brianna only had the vague memory of wanting to survive. Following James, Brianna observed the home as they walked through it. She found it tastefully decorated. This was her home. A few times she would pause to study a photograph, but when it didn't feel familiar to her, she continued on her way. Inside the kitchen, she resisted going straight to the fridge. She had left the fruit Phee handed her upstairs. "Do I cook?" she asked James, running her hand over the smooth island counter.
"Sometimes," James told her and it was good to have a task to focus on as he gathered some things from the fridge and turned the stove on. It wouldn't take long to heat up the leftovers in a pan and he didn't want to risk spending too much time on this in case she was too hungry to wait for something elaborate. "I think I enjoy doing it more than you do," he added. "But there are also some great restaurants here we like to order in from." He kept glancing over at her, just taking in the sight of her and letting himself come to fully understand that she was back. If she was anything like Miriam she would remember everything soon, he just had to be patient. "Is there anything you want to know?" he asked rather than bombard her with information.
Brianna nodded, moving away from the counter to walk to the back doors so she could look outside. There was so much color. Nothing like where she had been. She wanted to outside and bask in the sun for a while. James's question brought her attention back to him and Brianna tried to sort through her jumbled mind to prioritize what she wanted, and needed, to know. "We have two more children?" She remembered Greg had told her that. "Do they both live here too? How long have we been married?" There was more. Like what she did for a living, how things had been between them before she disappeared... why she disappeared. And Brianna knew there were probably things he wouldn't have the answers to.
She sounded about ready to hear about her life and James couldn't help but feel a bit proud of her; that was his Brianna, quick to pick herself up and dust herself off. Many people would be a quivering mess by now, freaking out about this new environment, hell maybe even crying about not remembering themselves. Brianna though, she was curious and poised, no waver in her voice. "It'll be twenty two years this July," he told her just to pick off one of the questions to start with. "Trip is our oldest son, he is away at college. Sebastian and Ophelia both live here at home, they're still in high school. You are a real estate agent, I am a lawyer." He considered telling her they were all witches, he hadn't hesitated to tell Miriam that but somehow this felt different, like it could stand to wait a beat. She no doubt felt her fire raging inside of her, or she soon would, but he was already info-dumping on her enough for now.
This environment was a vast improvement on the one she had come from. The house was lovely, the view was gorgeous. Her husband was a handsome man. A lawyer. It wasn't like she was walking into a decrepit trailer home, so perhaps it was easier to adjust here, even without her memories. "Real estate?" Brianna frowned. "How disappointing. I can't imagine that's a very exciting career." Especially if this town was as small as it had seemed when Greg was driving her through it. Brianna brushed her damp hair back behind her ear. She did feel the warmth in her body, some pleasant tingle that felt natural, like it was truly a part of who she was. Had she brought something back with her? Something terrible? "I was with others, when I was... over there. Did anyone else go missing when I did? Were they from here?" Brianna could recall a woman she spent time with... a large dog... some men... had she known them here? Her recollection was still foggy but some more details were beginning to seep in.
James couldn't help but wonder if she would change her career now, amused to hear her job described as unexciting. He didn't really disagree but Brianna had liked it just fine and she'd been good at it. That topic would have been easier than the one she broached next and he frowned softly to himself as he focused on the cooking, contemplating his answer for a second. Brianna - as he knew her - would appreciate the truth. If her memories came back she wouldn't like it if he'd sheltered her too much, lord knew they'd had enough fights about that very thing. "There was a group of people," he told her. "Maybe a dozen, give or take. I know you spent some time with Miriam D'Onofrio, she remembered you and that gave me hope that you were alive." He turned down the stove and let the food simmer while he grabbed her a plate and a glass of wine. She would like wine with this meal unless that had changed. "Do you remember her?"
Miriam. Brianna thought about it for a minute or two, trying to will those memories to the surface. It was still a bit foggy, but it felt like she knew the other place better than this one. "Yes, I think so. I think maybe she was the woman I spent the most time with, like we knew each other. There were others... I think... a police officer?" Her brows drew together thoughtfully. "And a rather large animal... a dog, maybe, with three legs." It was coming to her now and Brianna exhaled. "Not a dog. A wolf." Her eyes ticked over to James. "What did I do? How did I end up over there? I don't remember."
James was quiet while he poured the wine. The wolf could be a false memory for all he knew, he'd never heard of that before but he knew that a cop had been among the missing. Most of the names he had on hand were guess work, people who had gone missing at the same time, sad Missing posters around town from people who didn't know what had happened but in Point Pleasant it didn't necessarily mean they'd been where Brianna had been. "Before I tell you everything, let me ask you," he muttered and pushed the glass across the counter toward her. "Do you remember magic?" He worried she didn't. He knew magic wasn't possible wherever she'd been, it was the main reason he'd given up all hope of finding her - of her surviving. If her only current memories were of that other place maybe magic was a complete mystery to her.
Brianna eyed the wine briefly before picking it up. It felt like it had been so long since she had anything of substance but she knew better than to down the wine as quickly as she had the water. James's question prompted Brianna to look at him with confusion. "Magic. What do you mean? Cards game and illusions?" There was a heat deep in her gut that knew exactly what he was talking about. It was like fire rolling down her spine in a way that triggered a sense of euphoria. And she was drawn to James in a way that had nothing to do with physical attraction, although that was certainly a part of it. But Brianna couldn't sound crazy, she needed to know exactly what he was talking about first.
James scooped food onto a plate and set it down on the counter for her before taking a seat. He wasn't sure he believed she was as much in the dark as she claimed to be but who knew, she didn't even remember her own children. "No parlor tricks," he said calmly. "The occult, a power stemming from the elements that govern our universe. Your strength is fire, mine is air." Maybe she would think he was the one who sounded crazy now but it was easy enough to prove to her, he just didn't want to start manipulating her environment without a warning, the important thing was to keep her at ease. "This has been a rather contentious topic in this household," he admitted with a little smile. "Ringing any bells?"
Brianna set her glass of wine down and picked up the fork. She didn't want to eat her food like a pig in a trough but she was hungry. So she avoided answering his question by taking a bite, her stomach clenching in response. After another sip of wine, she turned her eyes up to his. "A little, yes. I don't recall being aware of any of that over there... but here... I feel heat under my skin, but not in an uncomfortable way. What does that mean, exactly? The occult. Are you talking about witches?"
"Witches," James confirmed with a nod. She didn't seem freaked out by it, maybe because underneath her hopefully temporary amnesia she knew it to be true. Feeling her fire inside of her obviously helped with that, it was hard to deny something so easily felt James supposed, though his element wasn't quite as obvious. "Our families have magic going back generations, all our children inherited it." He was proud of that fact though he supposed the odds went up when both parents were magically inclined. He didn't want to go into all the complications surrounding her magic now, let her enjoy it guilt free for a day or two. "You could make fire in your palm right now if you wanted to."
Brianna glanced at her hand, wanting to see it happen but also... not. She was starting to feel overwhelmed by all of this, although she was careful to keep it from showing. So she ate some more and drank the wine, letting the food settle in her stomach as she thought about this house and her life. She wanted desperately to remember. What if her memories never came back and this remained just some vague familiarity? After finishing her wine, Brianna set the glass down and looked at James again. "Are we happy?" She wasn't sure why she was asking, but there was a deep, instinctive urge to know. They had a lovely house and three children. He was an incredibly good looking man with a good job. Everything around her seemed to shout happy life, but Brianna knew that looks could be deceiving.
The silence was overbearing but James let it linger untouched and thick between them while she ate. It was a lot, he knew that and while he wasn't the most empathetic man he could somewhat understand. Her question was unexpected but not, not really. It was hard more like it and he waited a moment to answer as he considered it. "We are content," he replied. "I won't lie to you, the last year was hard on both of us, even before you went missing, but we love each other and most of our problems were external." That much was true. They both cheated and they both knew it but that had never gotten in the way before. Magic however, all the upheaval of her family's secrets and the troubles with Sebastian had taken a toll.
Content. Brianna found it telling that he chose that word over happy. Content made her feel the way learning she was a real estate agent had. Disappointed. But what did she expect? They had three children. Probably obligations, responsibilities. Content was better than unhappiness, or infidelity and anger. This, all of this, was better than anything she'd had Over There. And James was being patient and helpful and that was more than Brianna could ask for. "Do we still have those problems?" Brianna asked. "Are things all right now?"
James smiled at that and nodded. "Now that you're home I can safely say all of our problems have been resolved. Well, as soon as you get your memory back." He paused, glancing down at her hands and then reached out his own, setting it down on the counter, palm up. "Can I take your hand for a moment?" he asked and while he was bracing himself for a rejection he was hopeful enough she'd oblige him. She seemed calm, curious rather than afraid, her confusion not one born of anxiety. He hadn't touched her at all since she returned and despite his patience there was a deepseated need to feel her again, no matter how small it might be.
Brianna hoped that was true. She wasn't sure what that Place did to her, or what she might remember when it all came back... if... it all came back. But right now she had food in her belly and a roof over her head. James asking to take her hand prompted Brianna to straighten a little, glancing between he and his hand before she brought her hand up to slide over his. She had no idea when she last touched someone. Though the memories of the fog were fuzzy, she was fairly certain there had been no physical contact with anyone over there. His hand was warm and yes, familiar, and Brianna lifted her gaze to his. Some sense of otherworldly connection was there as well, like the heat that seemed to flow through her veins was reaching out to him as well.
James was not an emotional man, save for perhaps anger at times, but touching her brought up a wave of feelings that left him a little light headed for a moment. He fought the urge to kiss her hand, though he couldn't contain the urge to stroke the back of it with his thumb, at least once. It was so small compared to his own and while it wasn't perfectly manicured at the moment it was still beautiful with its long slender fingers and pale skin. "You sometimes get a little freckle right here," he said and tapped his thumb against a spot near her knuckle. "When you're out in the sun."
"There was no sun where I was," she murmured. Despite her confusion, she found she liked the way his hand felt against hers. If she tried hard enough, she felt like maybe she could remember how his hands felt touching the rest of her body. "Just fog and darkness." Brianna studied James closely. "You seem familiar to me. I don't have the memories right now, but I feel it. There's something else too, something that feels connected. Is it the magic?" Since he had told her about it, Brianna felt something click into place. Something that made sense when nothing else did.
James was so sure she would get her memories back, just like Miriam had, but it still felt good to hear that she had a sense of familiarity, that he wasn't a complete stranger to her on every level. It was like her body remembered even if her mind might not, or at least her magic did. He nodded at her question and turned his hand to rest on top of hers, raising one finger to send a light breeze up to her wrist, it was brief, no more than if he'd used his breath, he didn't need grand gestures and he didn't want to freak her out. "Fire and air."
Fire and air. Brianna felt the breeze on her skin, as subtle as it was. Could she do that? But with fire? That was an intriguing thought. She didn't necessarily want to try it now but at least there was more to her than three children and a career in real estate. Brianna enjoyed the feel of his hand on top of hers for another moment before carefully pulling it back. "I'm feeling rather exhausted. Would you be all right if I went upstairs to lie down?" Brianna had so many more questions but she was feeling overwhelmed by all of this. She really just needed some more time to herself to gather her thoughts, and feelings.
"Of course," James murmured though he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to keep touching her, no matter how small it might be. "Do anything you want, Brianna. This is your home and there's no part of it off limits to you." He quirked a smile. "Well, our kids might disagree, being secretive teenagers and all, but in all seriousness: you know where the kitchen is, you know where the bedroom is and by proxy our private bathroom. If you need me I'll either be in the basement or my office which is right by the front door." He would offer to give her a tour but she was tired and he was still trying his best to not overwhelm her. "No matter how strange you may feel here at first, this is your home and can do anything you want here."
Maybe when she woke up she would take another look around. The house was obviously larger than the spaces she had already seen. Of course it made sense to make sure she felt at home, since this was her home, but she still felt like a stranger just as James was a stranger, and Ophelia as well. There was some vague recognition of them deep down, which Brianna took as a good thing and she wasn't getting any vibes from this man that made her uncomfortable. "Thank you, James," Brianna murmured, trying out his name on her lips again. "We'll talk some more when I wake up. She nearly asked for another glass of wine to take upstairs with her, but instead she left the empty glass with the plate and turned to walk out. This place was still new to her, but with any luck, she would wake up with more memories intact.
"Brianna," James said to stop her before darting to the fridge to grab a bottle of water. "Here," he murmured as he handed it to her, smothering the urge to touch her face when he got close enough. It felt weird, suppressing feelings that came so naturally to him and there was probably a lesson there in not taking things for granted but James wasn't terribly good at those sorts of lessons. She was his wife and he would give her the space she needed but she was back and that was all that mattered. "You might wake up thirsty," he told her and if she just remembered him he could do so much more to take care of her.
She turned when he said her name and glanced down at the bottle of water before taking it from him with a small, but grateful smile. "Thank you." It was comforting to know she had a husband who seemed to care about her. He was being patient and kind and Brianna could already feel an underlying attraction. Not just physically, but deeper than that. Perhaps it had to do with their magic? She wasn't sure. Brianna felt another desperate wish for her memories, just so she could feel comfortable reaching out for him. Maybe if he touched her more, something would trigger her life before the fog. For a moment, Brianna felt the urge to take his hand and pull him closer. Instead, her hand tightened around the bottle of water and she stepped back to leave the kitchen. It felt too soon. She needed to get her bearings first and being alone would help her accomplish that.
James watched her go and he felt like he picked up on some of those conflicting feelings, or maybe it was his imagination. He could only guess how he would feel if he was in her situation, curious and cautious no doubt. He would give her the space she needed, busy himself with work and somehow cope with his own feelings that were currently all over the place in a way he wasn't used to. He was sure Phee had already called Sebastian but he thought he might do it himself too, just to make sure he knew to be considerate and give her space too and then he'd have to call Trip and see if he wanted to come home. James hoped he would, in fact he thought he had to because the ire he was causing James otherwise would be out of bounds.