Categories > Original > Sci-Fi
Ellen was only five when she disappeared.
It was the summer of 1982 and she vanished without a trace. The meadow behind her family home was vast and a great playground for children. She played alone. Her mother went to call her in for dinner and did not get a reply, or her daughter running to the house, laughing and jabbering away to her imaginary friend.
Colitta.
Ellen was reported missing and after two years of searching and campaigning, there were no leads, no evidence after she'd run out the back door, just after lunch, to go play in the meadow.
It was a rainy day in September 2002. A knock sounded at the door. Police. Two officers, a male and a female.
"C-can I help you?" The female resident asked upon answering
"Are you Angela Coleman?" The female officer asked
"Yes, that's me. What's this about?"
"Do you know an Ellen Coleman." She continued
The woman froze "Sh-she's my daughter. But she's been missing for twenty years." A sudden realisation swept over her. "Oh God, you've found a body."
The two officers exchanged a look and the man asked "Can we come inside please. It's very complicated and we think you should be seated."
In the living room, there was silence.
"She's alive?"
"A woman claiming to be Ellen Coleman was brought in. She was found trespassing on the lands of your previous residence"
"Can I see her?"
"We're still getting evidence from her about where she's been all these years. Twenty years of evidence is a long time."
"When can I see her? Is it definitely her?"
"It's her. The reference sample we have matches her DNA. She's quite anxious to be reunited with her family."
"Of course. I can follow you down."
Ellen adjusted her dress, she picked at a loose thread in the hem. They'd taken another break and she was waiting for them to come back. A lock of her hair fell into her eyes and she brushed it behind her ear. It wouldn't stay for very long though, it was too short to. Colitta had always teased her about it. Any longer and it would always become a bird's nest, so she kept it too short to tangle.
"I don't know why you wanted to come back here." She almost jumped as she heard Frik talking behind her.
"I belong here, it's my home." She said softly, still a little freaked out that he was never reflected in the mirror.
"You belong in a police interview room?" he asked with a smirk
"You know what I mean."
"Is she talking to herself?" DS Baker asked on the other side of the one-way glass
"Looks like it." DS Groves said and turned back to the notes he was reviewing
"I really don't know why you couldn't have just stayed." Frik said
"I don't belong there, not really." Ellen replied "I belong in the physical realm and I've been away for far too long. Though it has taken some getting used to the limits here."
"If you stay, you might have to let our world go. You were the first Traveller in a few centuries."
"Then I should Travel more often. A handful of journeys back and forth is not enough."
"You'll wear yourself out. Just like when you were younger."
"That's why I've come back now. I miss my family. I'll still Travel, but I need to have my life back."
"They're going to think you're crazy." Frik mock sang
"I know." Ellen said "I just have to hope my family hasn't forgotten me."
"What do you think?"
"It could be repressed trauma, escapism." Dr Serou, the consulting psychologist said "In all likelihood, she was kidnapped and her mind created an elaborate world away from reality.
"And if this made up world is somehow real?"
"It's unlikely."
"What if they're right? What if I did make it up to repress some horrible thing."
"What? But they're not. You know they're not."
"What if they are?"
"Come on. do you really think one person could have come up with an entire universe?"
"With enough imagination." She said softly
"But, you didn't. I am definitely the last person you would make up."
"Well I theoretically did create this entire universe and there has to be a last person at some point." She smirked
"You and your logic." Frik sighed
"Besides, you were the first person Colitta introduced me to when I first followed her through."
"She was so scared she'd get into trouble for having a Phys fall through with her." Frik laughed at the memory
"I really don't remember how it happened." she said, going bright red
Frik grinned at her as the questioning officer reentered the room and walked straight through him to the chair.
"Ok, we've managed to contact your mother and she's outside. We just need to clarify a few things. These "Mages", is there one in this room?"
"You don't believe me." Ellen deadpanned
Frik laughed "Of course he doesn't believe you. He's an adult Phys. He wouldn't believe water was wet unless you threw some at him."
Ellen had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
"You have to admit, it's a pretty unbelievable story."
"Believable or not I'd like to see my mum. I've been waiting a long time for this, and so has she."
"Right. Ok." He turned and waved his hand slightly to the glass
"Tell him Grady says hi." Frik said, looking at his phone
"Grady says hi." Ellen relayed. The detective turned and gave her an odd look.
The door opened and she saw her sitting there. Ellen. She'd grown up. Her baby was an adult now. Angela had been told the unbelievable story she'd told them.
"Mum." Ellen said and stood, almost in a haze
"Is that my Ellie?" She was shell-shocked
"It's me mum." her voice cracked a little with emotion
"Go on, give her a hug." Frik said
Without looking at him, Ellen half ran to her mum and the two hugged each other tightly.
"Ah, lovely." Frik said to no-one in particular
Ellen and her mum pulled apart and Ellen looked over to Frik, seeing him cleaning his fingernails with his pocketknife, a habit he had developed in awkward situations. "Frik" She whispered and he looked up. She smiled and he nodded, fading away to nothing. He'd done his job. He'd brought her home.
It was the summer of 1982 and she vanished without a trace. The meadow behind her family home was vast and a great playground for children. She played alone. Her mother went to call her in for dinner and did not get a reply, or her daughter running to the house, laughing and jabbering away to her imaginary friend.
Colitta.
Ellen was reported missing and after two years of searching and campaigning, there were no leads, no evidence after she'd run out the back door, just after lunch, to go play in the meadow.
It was a rainy day in September 2002. A knock sounded at the door. Police. Two officers, a male and a female.
"C-can I help you?" The female resident asked upon answering
"Are you Angela Coleman?" The female officer asked
"Yes, that's me. What's this about?"
"Do you know an Ellen Coleman." She continued
The woman froze "Sh-she's my daughter. But she's been missing for twenty years." A sudden realisation swept over her. "Oh God, you've found a body."
The two officers exchanged a look and the man asked "Can we come inside please. It's very complicated and we think you should be seated."
In the living room, there was silence.
"She's alive?"
"A woman claiming to be Ellen Coleman was brought in. She was found trespassing on the lands of your previous residence"
"Can I see her?"
"We're still getting evidence from her about where she's been all these years. Twenty years of evidence is a long time."
"When can I see her? Is it definitely her?"
"It's her. The reference sample we have matches her DNA. She's quite anxious to be reunited with her family."
"Of course. I can follow you down."
Ellen adjusted her dress, she picked at a loose thread in the hem. They'd taken another break and she was waiting for them to come back. A lock of her hair fell into her eyes and she brushed it behind her ear. It wouldn't stay for very long though, it was too short to. Colitta had always teased her about it. Any longer and it would always become a bird's nest, so she kept it too short to tangle.
"I don't know why you wanted to come back here." She almost jumped as she heard Frik talking behind her.
"I belong here, it's my home." She said softly, still a little freaked out that he was never reflected in the mirror.
"You belong in a police interview room?" he asked with a smirk
"You know what I mean."
"Is she talking to herself?" DS Baker asked on the other side of the one-way glass
"Looks like it." DS Groves said and turned back to the notes he was reviewing
"I really don't know why you couldn't have just stayed." Frik said
"I don't belong there, not really." Ellen replied "I belong in the physical realm and I've been away for far too long. Though it has taken some getting used to the limits here."
"If you stay, you might have to let our world go. You were the first Traveller in a few centuries."
"Then I should Travel more often. A handful of journeys back and forth is not enough."
"You'll wear yourself out. Just like when you were younger."
"That's why I've come back now. I miss my family. I'll still Travel, but I need to have my life back."
"They're going to think you're crazy." Frik mock sang
"I know." Ellen said "I just have to hope my family hasn't forgotten me."
"What do you think?"
"It could be repressed trauma, escapism." Dr Serou, the consulting psychologist said "In all likelihood, she was kidnapped and her mind created an elaborate world away from reality.
"And if this made up world is somehow real?"
"It's unlikely."
"What if they're right? What if I did make it up to repress some horrible thing."
"What? But they're not. You know they're not."
"What if they are?"
"Come on. do you really think one person could have come up with an entire universe?"
"With enough imagination." She said softly
"But, you didn't. I am definitely the last person you would make up."
"Well I theoretically did create this entire universe and there has to be a last person at some point." She smirked
"You and your logic." Frik sighed
"Besides, you were the first person Colitta introduced me to when I first followed her through."
"She was so scared she'd get into trouble for having a Phys fall through with her." Frik laughed at the memory
"I really don't remember how it happened." she said, going bright red
Frik grinned at her as the questioning officer reentered the room and walked straight through him to the chair.
"Ok, we've managed to contact your mother and she's outside. We just need to clarify a few things. These "Mages", is there one in this room?"
"You don't believe me." Ellen deadpanned
Frik laughed "Of course he doesn't believe you. He's an adult Phys. He wouldn't believe water was wet unless you threw some at him."
Ellen had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
"You have to admit, it's a pretty unbelievable story."
"Believable or not I'd like to see my mum. I've been waiting a long time for this, and so has she."
"Right. Ok." He turned and waved his hand slightly to the glass
"Tell him Grady says hi." Frik said, looking at his phone
"Grady says hi." Ellen relayed. The detective turned and gave her an odd look.
The door opened and she saw her sitting there. Ellen. She'd grown up. Her baby was an adult now. Angela had been told the unbelievable story she'd told them.
"Mum." Ellen said and stood, almost in a haze
"Is that my Ellie?" She was shell-shocked
"It's me mum." her voice cracked a little with emotion
"Go on, give her a hug." Frik said
Without looking at him, Ellen half ran to her mum and the two hugged each other tightly.
"Ah, lovely." Frik said to no-one in particular
Ellen and her mum pulled apart and Ellen looked over to Frik, seeing him cleaning his fingernails with his pocketknife, a habit he had developed in awkward situations. "Frik" She whispered and he looked up. She smiled and he nodded, fading away to nothing. He'd done his job. He'd brought her home.
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