I woke up in between a memory and a dream

[mistresswanda]

The Dormouse
Friday afternoon

I opened against my better judgment.  Mostly because I gave me something to do besides wonder where the hell my husband is, and why wasn't he looking for me.

Everything here seemed familiar when I let myself in on Wednesday.  Like a dream I could almost recall.  The main room, the kitchen, the bedrooms.  (the basement,

Comments

[tess_thiess]

I ain't bin in here much. I've figured out that folks have bin forgetting stuff, but Lord only knows what I've forgot. I dunt know that I got family 'r a lover... but other 'n that everythin' seems normal. I even know the woman servin' tea, Wanda, but I ain't sure 'f I know much 'bout her. Dint she have a husband?

The tea's hot and nice though, and the folks in here seem calmer than the folks elsewhere. At least Bl - Lord Hughes seems t'be overlookin' the other day. And Jenna's on today, and I'm glad I ain't workin' with her 'cause there's an ache when I see her, and it's bin botherin' me lots.

"Thanks Miss," I tell Wanda as she pours me another cup. "Are - are you doin' alright yourself? With how things are 'n all?"

[mistresswanda]

I smile and bid goodbye to a trio of ladies, then automatically start to refill the cup of a pretty young woman who is sitting alone.

"Are - are you doin' alright yourself? With how things are 'n all?" I look at her a bit startled, but manage a small smile as I tuck a curl behind my ear.

"I wish I could say I am doing alright but..." Shrug. "I am still piecing things together." I look at her a bit harder and cock my head. "We've met before, yes?" I ask, leaning against the counter and wrapping my arms around my waist.

[tezcatl_ipoca]

Since Iblis is off having family time, seems to me it's up to me to visit with the little woman. Someone ought to keep an eye on her, after all.

Besides, I'm intrigued to see what she's forgotten. There's plenty of entertainment to be had in town right now, but there's nothing like the personal touch.

Find her at her tea shop, serving a dark-haired girl. Overhear her say, "I am still piecing things together. We've met before, yes?"

Come up next to her and put an arm round her waist, pat her tense hand and kiss her cheek. "Hi there, honey. All going well?"

[tess_thiess]

Her eyes widen some but she smiles and pushes her hair back. "I wish I could say I am doing alright but..." She gives a sad little shrug. "I am still piecing things together. We've met before, yes?"

I nod cautiously, lookin' at her. "Yeah - I think. Everythin' is kind 'a patchwork fer me, like I've got most 'a my memories but there's pieces missin' from all 'v 'em. I met you with - the Doctor? - at a party fer Mr. Laclos and his new wife Hermia, but I ain't really friends with 'em and I ain't sure why I was there. And I think I saw..." I blush some but there ain't many folks -

"Hi there, honey. All going well?"

A man appears at her side, leanin' in close and kissin' her cheek. I look up at him, tryin' t'place him, but I can't really. He ain't real good lookin', maybe 'v an age with her though, and he smells like her could use a good bath.

"Is this your new husband Miss Wanda?"

[mistresswanda]

The young lady admits her memory is sketchy as well and I don't feel so bad.
"I met you with - the Doctor? - at a party fer Mr. Laclos and his new wife Hermia, but I ain't really friends with 'em and I ain't sure why I was there. And I think I saw..."

Now that's interesting. "Mr. Laclos, Valmont! I met him, he's very sweet, and married you say? But I was there with a Doctor?" I wonder if my husband is a doctor. "What did he look like?" I ask, tilting my head as the door opens and a dark haired man walks in. More to say, he walks right over to me and acts like we are the oldest of friends, looping an arm about me and kissing my cheek.

"Hi there, honey. All going well?"
"Is this your new husband Miss Wanda?" I politely but firmly extract myself from his familiar embrace and take a good look at him. Dark hair... but certainly not the eyes I remember. "No. He is not." I ascertain, but manage to smile. "Excuse me sir, is there something I can help you with? Have we met before?" I believe we have. I also believe that I

[tezcatl_ipoca]

"Is this your new husband Miss Wanda?"

"No, he most certainly is not. Excuse me sir, is there something I can help you with? Have we met before?"

Take a long look at Wanda, who's pulled away. Oh, you're not yourself, are you? Isn't too hard to look deeper, find secrets like I used to in the show. And there's so many in her, clamoring for attention, but there it is, oh there, her wedding night.... How perfect. Iblis, Iblis, what you were, before you forgot yourself. The art of it. How I shall miss you.

Laugh a bit, and make it sound...not unkind. "Of course we have. You affected by this forgetting thing too, Wanda? Well, shit." Hold my hand out to the other woman.

"Tez," I say, and smile. My teeth are too sharp, and I'm smiling too wide, but I think it's passable. "I'm - well. Wanda's husband and I, we were together a while. Before Wanda. I promised him I'd keep an eye on Wanda, before - well. Before."

Let the smile fade a bit. "Like to think I've done well by him there, at least."

[tess_thiess]

"He had long blond hair 'n pale blue eyes," I tell her. "Broad shoulders, too. You know, the Doctor." I answer without payin' much attention t'the new man, who she tells me ain't her husband at all.

She really ain't fond of him though, and bein' as I ain't got a good feelin' from him either I find myself frownin' at him as he answers her. "Of course we have," he says with a laugh. "You affected by this forgetting thing too, Wanda? Well, shit."

He holds his hand t'me in greetin'. "Tez," he says, smilin' like - like somethin' I know I've seen, a wolf grin and teeth too sharp but I can't remember. I take his hand carefully carefully and hold back a gasp when there's a spark 'a - somethin', when he touches me. "I'm - well. Wanda's husband and I, we were together a while. Before Wanda. I promised him I'd keep an eye on Wanda, before - well. Before." I narrow my eyes some. What does he mean, together?

"Like to think I've done well by him there, at least." His smile fades some, and I'd think maybe I was wrong but fer that smile

[mistresswanda]

"He had long blond hair 'n pale blue eyes, Broad shoulders, too. You know, the Doctor." I nod a little, a hazy recollection forming just out of reach of my memory. "That has to be the man in the picture with me. I may not remember much, but long haired men are few and far between. I think I shall have to track him down." I muse, then lose the train of thought.

"Of course we have. You affected by this forgetting thing too, Wanda? Well, shit." I want to relax, I do for he, this Tez is being friendly, but there is something off about his smile. The woman doesn't seem to impressed by him either.

"I'm - well. Wanda's husband and I, we were together a while. Before Wanda. I promised him I'd keep an eye on Wanda, before - well. Before. Like to think I've done well by him there, at least.""

Wait, together? As in, together? Now. I have no issues with that, but the fact that I may be dealing with a jealous lover has me even more on edge. "You know Kent?" I ask cautiously. "And what do you mean by 'before'? Before what?"

"I

[westin_sagert]

I confess that I have found the past few days eminently satisfying. It has been years since I have worked, years, and finding that I have not lost all my skills is a positive delight

[tezcatl_ipoca]

"Please, whatever you can tell me I would appreciate. Do you know where Kent is? Has he been affected too? I've.... I've been worried about him..."

I let my smile fade. I could truly damage her, now that Iblis has forgotten himself and therefor her. I can take you to pieces, Wanda - a pleasant thought. I shall start small for now, but in the days that are coming...yes. Yes. What he did to you, your death and the unmaking of it: I look forward to finding the limits of that, if any can be found.

For now I edge my mind lightly into hers. It's like the way you might put a hand on a stranger in a close-pressed crowd, the curve of a woman's breast or a boy's ass, hardly touching at all but electric with the tension of the moment. The memory of her own death leads to it plainly, the moment of his. I love you, Kent. It is so very hard not to smile.

The man who interrupts us is faintly familiar, no more. "I do hope you are well.""Not well at all, I fear," I say grimly. "Wanda, have you really forgotten...." I look between her

[tess_thiess]

Wanda muses on the Doctor, but she gets distracted by the man's words. It must all be a bit much 'cause she rubs at her face and looks from him t'me. "Please, whatever you can tell me I would appreciate. Do you know where Kent is? Has he been affected too? I've.... I've been worried about him..."

I lean back some, eyein' 'em both while I sip my tea. I thought she'd forgotten him? I really should be worryin' more 'bout what I can't remember, but fer some reason it just ain't weighin' on me. I've got a home 'n work 'n I'm sure I've got friends and so how bad can things be?

Another man comes and walks over, better dressed than the first and with a wealthy, town sort of voice. "Mrs. Whitman," he says, greetin' Wanda. He glances over at me 'n the first man but dunt greet either 'v us.

"Good afternoon to you too, sir," I tell him as the other man's face falls somberly.

"Wanda, Kent is...not with us any more. You - oh, hell."

He takes her and and there's a flicker of thought and a flash of memory and he looks hungrily at her. "I

[mistresswanda]

The dark man advances on me with such a look, it sparks tendrils of both fear and anger uncurling within me simlutaneously. Part of me wants to back away, the other part wants to hurl scalding water in his face. I don't back away, as much as I want to. The door opens, drawing my attention away momentarily, for he has dark hair and light eyes...

but I know it's not my husband. He greets me in a fashion that tells me he frequents the shoppe, and I give him a smile.

"I do hope you are well."
"Not well at all, I fear, Wanda, have you really forgotten...." The darker man says gravely, looking about to the other two, then me, pondering if he should tell me what he knows. "What did I forget? What do you want to tell me?" I ask quietly, my heart racing within my chest.

"Wanda, Kent is...not with us any more. You - oh, hell." I am now backing away, to HELL with standing my ground. I don't want to know, I don't want to remember, and I am pulling away as he takes my hand ever so gently

[westin_sagert]

"Wanda," the man says, "Kent is...not with us any more. You - oh, hell." He takes her hand and Mrs. Whitman is looking quite horrified even before he speaks. "I'm so sorry, Kent - died."

Well, frankly, as she is already clearly dealing with a husband who has had to leave town on business or some such matter, that is an utterly unacceptable way to relay any sort of news, never mind anything so shocking. She throws herself back into the counter, frantically denying it, and I am briefly paralyzed by embarrassment, but--

--just a moment, did he ask her if she had forgotten?

"I dunt remember anythin' 'a that," the younger woman says bluntly. "There's bin 'nough deaths in town that everyone would 'a heard. I think you're lyin'." And, really, I am hardly going to leave them alone to face such a boor once so blunt an accusation has been made.

I am certainly not in the habit of putting myself forward, but under the circumstances I feel that catching Mrs. Whitman's arms (and oh, my hands! fingers so perfectly responsive to my will) and

[tezcatl_ipoca]

Oh, she remembers. The girl glares at me as Wanda collapses into hysterics, and the man guides her to a chair. There's no warmth in his brown eyes as he looks at me. "The idea of your husband having passed is-- is rather unlikely.""Unfortunately," I say, looking between them, "it seems many people in town are suffering from - memory problems - today." I move to Wanda's side, past the man. "Excuse me. This is a little - personal, and I suspect Wanda wouldn't want it overheard...." My voice is troubled

[tess_thiess]

Wanda jerks away from him, moanin' t'herself all sorts 'a things that can't be right and the second man takes her arms and sets her down, seemin' more calm than most would what with how she's carryin' on.

He tries t'calm her down too but the first man leans close and whispers t'her. I take a step forward, my first curlin' up but he steps back as I step forward. "God. God. Why can't any of you remember it, how they found him...."

I falter then, 'cause what 'f I did forget, what 'f somethin' real bad happened and she - he looks quick at me, and then again, his gaze fixin' on me tight.

"You. What did you do?"

I shake my head angrily, starin' right back at him as Wanda starts t'shake. "What d'you mean? What lies are you tellin' her?" I dunt know why I'm so angry, 'cause I hardly know Wanda, but I dunt know this man at all and he's hurtin' her, that much I can see. "I ain't done nothin' lately that dint need doin'" His eyes catch the edge 'a the wound peekin' out from my sleeve and I tuck my arm behind me.

"What?" I demand.

[mistresswanda]

There are hands on my arms, firm yet gentle guiding me to a chair before I collapse on the floor.

"I admit I am hardly essential to the social whirl of the town, Mrs. Whitman, but I do think the lady is correct. As neither of us have heard anything of the sort, and I am quite sure you have not been in mourning... the idea of your husband having passed is-- is rather unlikely." I cling to that, to the nicer man's words. "That has to be right! Two people seemed to know me, and neither mentioned me being in mourning." I agree with him, almost desperately. Granted, one tried to convince me I was married to Valmont, and the other wasn't too forthcoming with details, but no one else need know that.

Kent's friend disagrees though, remarking that everyone seems to be suffering from memory loss. He moves past the gentleman to lean over and speak just to me. His hand is gentle on my shoulder as he leans in, telling me that I have to remember, how the room and I were awash in blood. I shirk into myself in horror as he goes on.

"Do