Summit Motel, the Night Before
"... You sure you're safe there?
"I'm fine, dad. I ain't doing anything dangerous." Charlie leaned back in the uncomfortable motel bed, wincing at the loud creak the worn springs made underneath her. She didn’t like lying, especially not to her dad, but what else was she supposed to do? Tell him she was in a town searching for a person he didn’t remember where a bunch of others had died? Yeah, that wouldn’t go down well. She shifted her phone to the other ear before continuing. “I’m just on holiday.”
“Well y’know what America’s like, what if-”
“Dad, I’m fine,” Charlie interrupted. “Stop worrying so much.”
“Kinda a parent's job. If you didn’t leave in such a rush I would’ve come with you.”
“Then it’d be no fun. I’m an adult now, I can look after myself. I’m with… friends anyway.”
“Alright, alright, I’ll stop nagging.” Her dad chuckled on the other end of the phone. "Your mum's been asking why you're not answering her messages. I know you're angry, but you gotta stop ignoring her."
"I'm not angry." She's just not my mum. “I’ve just got my data off most of the time. I got a cheap phone to use here… Y’know, the one I’m calling you from now? I’m not ignoring her on purpose.”
“Can I give her this number then?”
“Sure.” Charlie didn’t want to give her fake mum this number, but it was easier than arguing with her dad. She glanced at the time. 2am. Yeah, probably time to finish this up. “I gotta sleep. I’ll call you when I can.”
“Alright. Sleep well, Charlie.”
“Night.”
Charlie discarded their phone beside the bed, lying back with her eyes closed. Not quite sleeping, just trying to relax. Speaking to her dad, nice as it was, only made her more motivated to find out what had happened to her mum. It was her mum, after all.
There was a lot to think about.
She’d barely had a chance to process everything Dr Harkness had said, because it had all seemed so ridiculous. Why was everyone (well, two people) so insistent that magic was real? She couldn’t wrap her head round it. There was no way magic was real. Sure, it would explain the whole situation with Eleanor Black… but she couldn’t believe that. Magic was a thing of stories, something she’d maybe believed in as a child, but it wasn’t part of reality.
At least Dr Harkness had given them something useful. The last place Charlie wanted to go was the swamp, but if that was where they had to go for clues… so be it. She didn’t believe there were any monsters out there, but it certainly wasn’t safe. That was just a typical swamp thing, right?
Charlie yawned, her sleepiness getting harder to ignore. There was no point dwelling on it. She’d sleep, then think about it more in the morning.
July 20th, 11:29am
Interactions: : The Group and Jen
The Webb Family Coffee House
Today, Charlie wasn’t going to repeat yesterday’s mistakes. She had a large bottle of water on the table in front of her that she’d bought for an absolute rip off price at what she assumed was the only food store in this town. Generally she’d drink tap water, but doing that here seemed less safe than risking heat stroke.
It was also just as hot today. Sure would’ve been nice if she miraculously developed a heat tolerance overnight, but alas, it wasn’t to be. Yet another point against magic being real.
What Jen said wasn’t really groundbreaking, but it was relieving to know other groups had gotten the same leads… Dr Harkness wasn’t sending them to their deaths, probably. Or everyone they’d talked to was. She’d rather not think about that.
“No, not just missing: dead. Dead, Jennifer. Dead.”
Neko looked exhausted, and was talking rather erratically. Rattled by, well, loads of people before them dying. Most people would be. Should be, rather. Charlie was too, she just wasn’t showing it. Keeping up a calm expression while forcing herself to be calm and think logically was rather easy.
Well, it helped she’d been trying not to think too much about the deaths.
”Dr Harkness said they were dead too,” Charlie piped up, expression neutral. Yet another point in favour of the doctor telling the truth… The most positive light Charlie could put it in. ”I’m staying too… Wait, uh, people are missing, I didn’t-”
Charlie cut herself off before she said more, mouth half open and eyes widening. Way to make herself look bad. To be fair, it was a large group of people she’d only met yesterday. She only distinctly remembered three - Lily and Carl, cause they’d been together longer, and Neko because she was also related to Eleanor.
Maybe Jennifer just hadn’t remembered everyone in the group. Charlie didn’t say this, because she barely knew her too. Maybe she had purposefully not told them. Best not to take a side. ”I’d quite like to know who Eleanor Black is to you too, Jen. Just, y’know, for clarity and all. Only fair after we all said yesterday.”
”Uh, I do think going to the Black Manor is a good idea, all that aside. Even if we gotta go through the swamp to get there. But we should go soon,” Charlie said, tapping her fingers against the table. ”We don’t wanna be in the swamp when it gets dark. We should also get weapons… In case there’s some alligators or something, better to be safe, ay?”
She rubbed the back of her neck, grimacing at damp sweat there. At least she’d scraped her hair back into a tight bun today to help keep cool.
”Or something else. Dr Harkness seemed to think there were various kinds of monsters out there. Insane, I know. But better to be prepared an all.”