Fandom The Returned

[GhastlySquash]

"You can call her from the station." Davis cuffed her just in case she'd try to run again before hoisting her up. "At this moment you could be in a bit of trouble there."

Driving back to the station, which was little more than a glorified state trooper station, Davis occasionally stared back at Sila. "You know identity theft is a serious crime right?"

He couldn't get it around his head as he parked the squad car and got out. "You some sort of runaway or something? What's your real name?" He'd rather get the answers now than have to interrogate her later. That would end badly for both parties. That and it appeared she might have hit her head pretty hard.

"I'm going to get some first aid and you can answer my questions seriously." Davis grumbled.

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Agatha twirled around a bit in the hoodie, laughing at the design. "Is this yours? Or were you planning on giving this to someone else?" The design was definitely cute. Probably something one of the geekier girls at school would've liked or perhaps a little sister of someone.

At the description of her funeral, Agatha nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's how it usually goes." She'd never told Kodak...or confessed to him either. Back then, he was just a skinny 16 year old with an odd fascination for the weird and occult. Even now, she expected him to pull up some old book or log into a cryptic site on his dad's desktop.

Only now, it felt weird that he was much taller, growing more facial hair and his skin looking like he'd aged more than ten years. "What happened to Teddy?"

Little would she know that Teddy had somehow survived the crash, apparently just barreling out of the car before it impacted and left Agatha a burnt crisp. If Kodak did still keep in contact, he might have heard or caught word that Teddy was still in a coma, only being supported by the money his rich parents constantly pour in.

Of course, there was Agatha's father, who was more than happy to rip Teddy a new one for killing his only daughter but most people in the town just attributed it to a terrible accident.

Deaths were rare in small towns, but they did happen. And when they did, everyone felt it.

( I was thinking of adding another returned character, but she would be from an era older than 10 years. Was there anyone you'd like to also add?)

 

[protectorofthebooty]

Identity theft? Sila had kept her eyes closed throughout the car ride hoping against hope that this was all just a bad dream brought on by some really bad frozen burritos. There could be no other reason for her to be accused of identity theft otherwise. Her heart sank in her chest as they came to a stop at the police station. She wasn't dreaming.

"Sila Utteridge." she mumbled, mustering all of her willpower to keep steady on her feet, "I went out with my class to study the river with my teacher, Mr. Benson. Alyss Utteridge is my twin sister and Kaitlyn and Theodore Utteridge are my parents!"

Nausea roiled in her stomach when they stepped into the station and Sila clamped her mouth shut, fighting back the urge to throw up. She didn't recognize the officer on duty and it seemed she didn't either. When had she joined the force? Or was she with the one arresting her without just cause? Either way Sila didn't like the condescending look on the woman's face. Tugging at her cuffed hands behind her back she tried to shrink in on herself, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed and disappear.

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"It was a gift from Pierre, but you wear it better." Kodak smiled, watching as Agatha twirled around in the oversized hoodie. He wondered if this was what she was like with her friends. Did she enjoy wearing clothing that would be considered weird in such a small town? She would have been able to get away with it and maybe she would have been able to convince others that a little change didn't hurt. He coughed softly, realizing what he had just said and wishing he hadn't. Fortunately it didn't seem that Agatha had noticed, or if she had she was ignoring it.

"Teddy survived...he, ah, was thrown through the windshield on contact." there had been many rumors and stories about what had happened that night, but Kodak only learned what had actually happened several years later. He had been on friendly enough terms with one of the officers who had been on duty, surprisingly enough, and after a few drinks the man had been all too happy to get it off his chest.

Teddy hadn't been wearing his seatbelt that night and really that was the only thing that saved him. When he realized the car was going down a hill that was far too steep he apparently decided to test how far fate would let him go. Shattered most of the bones in his body and knocked his head around enough to put him into a coma. The last the officer had heard Teddy still hadn't woken up and guessed that even if he did he would be a vegetable. Kodak could only hope Teddy would be aware of every moment trapped inside an unresponsive body.

"I don't know where he is now. Never really thought to keep in touch with him."

 

[GhastlySquash]

"Alright...cut the shit." Davis turned around, his eyes staring right at hers, a tint of sadness in them. "The real Sila Utteridge died ten years ago. Your so-called twin is an adult right now and you didn't go on any class trip. I don't know if you heard this from a rumor or if this is some sick joke but please...please stop."

Davis couldn't bear it. She was young, so in a way he didn't want to blame her but he also had to be honest. She couldn't keep impersonating a dead girl.

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When Kodak explained that Teddy survived, Agatha's head suddenly gave another sting and she nearly collapsed, grabbing her head. "Agh! Shit! What the fuck?"

What was this? Why was her head hurting again? For a second, she saw Teddy, steering wheel no seat belt...yelling...swerving...something...and flames.

The fact that Teddy survived and didn't die like her somehow made Agatha...angry. Teddy had caused her to lose everything...ten years of the world believing she'd died. Teddy got to live with a stupid coma.

"He didn't...die?" Agatha looked at Kodak and for a second, her eye twitched. "I-I don't understand. I'm like...it's like I'm so furious but I don't know why I just...I just..."

 

[protectorofthebooty]

"W-what?" Sila blinked, her mind trying to comprehend what had just been said. She couldn't be dead, she was right here, alive and as well as she could be after dragging herself out of the river. She remembered Mr. Benson talking about the upcoming trip and her own excitement. She had plans of going into marine biology and had studied hard at school every day to do just that. Alyss had encouraged her, helped her work through her doubts, even suggested that maybe this would be the very thing that would bring them closer again.

How could she remember that if she wasn't Sila? If she wasn't alive?

Looking around Sila started noticing things she hadn't before. Photographs of officers she recognized and some she didn't hung on a wall behind the front desk. On the wall next to her a bulletin proclaimed community events and news of things that had never happened. Things that weren't supposed to happen for at least another year. Smiling faces that she knew, but barely recognized looked back at her.

"I...died? How?" Sila couldn't believe this was happening. She didn't want to believe any of this, but the looks the two officers were giving her was making it difficult. "How did I...how did she die?"

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"You have every right to be angry. You lost your life while he survived, though I don't know if it's much of a life." Kodak watched Agatha carefully, concerned about the sudden pains she was experiencing, "Last I heard he was in a coma, but hey, maybe you coming back means he passed on. You got a second chance!"

Well, not necessarily in here in the town but this was only a small piece of the world. She could go anywhere with nothing tying her down. She wouldn't owe anyone anything, didn't have to live up to expectations or keep their promise. Maybe this was this was Agatha's chance to escape from here, but why a decade later? Kodak was getting ahead of himself, but what did he have to go on?

"Maybe this is your chance to get away from this small town. Live how you want to live, away from people who want something else for you." he offered, despite his own doubts.

 

[GhastlySquash]

"Hey Janice, just dropping off some donuts for the boys." Harvey smiled. It'd been seven years now since his retirement. But even then, he would always come back to drop off some donuts for the cops still working.

"Alrighty, Davis is interrogating someone right now." She mentioned, trying to stand up before Harvey walked in. He was going to deliver it to the guys behind the mirror, smiling as he set the donuts down. "What kind of trouble do we..."

His eyes widened. No...that wasn't possible. She...she couldn't be there. And yet, ten years and she was there, confused, lost...still in the shirt they found her in. He'd been there burying her in a spot that would eventually be shared with poor Agatha who died soon later.

"No." He whispered, running into the room, and bursting through the door. "It...it can't be...Sila...you...you..."

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"And what is that worth?" Agatha asked Kodak, slamming her fist on the table. "10 years of my life and I don't even know what the world is made of anymore? Where can a teenager live like ten years later? My parents...my friends...everything I worked for all my life is gone. What's the point of starting fresh? Of being that new kid?"

She paused, realizing perhaps that she was being harsh on Kodak. He'd taken all this time to try and adjust her. Tried to make the pain less painful. If anyone deserved to be yelled at, it was Teddy. That reckless son of a bitch had taken her life and all he got was a coma. In a way, it seemed fitting she returned.

"I'm not even in the right decade. Kodak, tell me...honestly...would you figure me able to start again? No parents? No money? Nothing? I think runaways have a better chance."

 

[protectorofthebooty]

Sila had gone quiet after Davis refused to answer her questions and ignored his own questions directed towards her. It wouldn't matter what she said, he wouldn't believe her. It was doubtful that anyone would at this point if she really were dead. The dead aren't supposed to come back to life except for in movies and life wasn't a movie. Maybe this was simply hell.

Sila bit her lip harshly, her gaze remained fixed on the washed-out table as she tried to ignore Davis's heated glare. He was waiting for an answer when raised voices caught his attention. Before either of them could react the door burst open, bouncing off the wall. Sila jumped and stared with wide eyes at Officer Harvey. He looked so much older and tired even as he stuttered in shock.

"Officer Harvey?" feeling a flicker of hope, Sila leapt to her feet, wrapping her arms around Harvey before she realized what she was doing, "Please, I don't know what happened. I don't remember anything, but I'm still alive! I'm not dead, I can't be dead..."

"Ma'am, you need to sit back down." the female officer from before had squeezed herself into the already small interrogation room, making it seem even smaller still.

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"You still have friends..." Kodak pointed out firmly, standing to grip Agatha's shoulders, "All of this is batshit insane, and I can't even begin to imagine what this is like for you, hell I'm probably still in shock, but who else can say they've overcome something as huge as death itself? Who else can say they've built something great from absolute scratch? You are an intelligent and charming young woman and the only doors that are closed to you are the ones you close yourself. Me, Nathanielle, and Pierre are here for you. We won't leave you to flounder."

Kodak was digging himself a hole with his brothers and he knew it. He would also, no doubt, kick himself later if his words turned out to be false hope. None of this would be easy and it would take time, time during which they could be found out. And then what? What would they do if anyone else found out Agatha had come back?

"Whatever the reason for you coming back, you are alive. You have been given a chance that no one else has had before and if you do nothing with it, then what's the point? What is the point of being alive if you do nothing?"

 

[GhastlySquash]

"No...it can't be..." Harvey looked at Davis. "Sila died ten years ago...but this is her...I know it!"

"You're delusional." Davis gestured for the female officer to escort Davis away. "Get him out of the interrogation room alright."

"I'm a cop you know!" Harvey screamed back.

"You retired." Davis stated blankly, rolling his eyes before he turned back to Sila. "You got two options. Tell the truth. Or go to jail. I swear you want to keep this charade going I'll call her sister right now."

It didn't matter, as Sila's sister had already been notified by Harvey over the phone. "I swear to you, it's your sister! She's being held there right now. I know you can't believe me but please...please you know I wouldn't lie! It's impossible for me to explain. I still don't know but Davis is trying to throw her in jail."

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"What friends?" Agatha said coldly. "I'm going to find him right now. I'm going to find that bitch Teddy and make him pay." She stood up, grabbing her stuff and turning to Kodak. "You can either help me or I'll find a way myself."

She wasn't going to let Teddy slide. She didn't know what she'd do. But she knew she needed to do something. Anything to find out what happened. To gain her memory. Teddy had jumped out of the car like a coward. He needed to pay. He needed to see her face.

If Kodak was correct, she didn't even get the open-casket funeral. She was just a pile of burned cinders. Nothing left to bury for her grieving father. Nothing. And Teddy just got a stupid coma. Well she was back in the flesh and she'd have her revenge.

 

[protectorofthebooty]

"Why, so you can tell her she's delusional too?" Sila snapped, wrapping her arms around herself tightly. She barely noticed her own nails scraping against her side through her shirt. There was no point if the man continued to refuse to believe anyone when they said they knew her. And if Alyss did come there was nothing saying she would believe any of this. There was nothing stopping her from listening to Davis and having Sila thrown in jail anyway.

"You won't listen to the truth so what does it matter? If I'm dead why the hell should I even care?" throwing one last glare at the officer Sila slouched down into her seat and pointedly stared down at the table. Whatever hell she found herself in now she would have to find another way out.

---------------------------------

Kodak recoiled as though Agatha's words were a physical blow. The chill in her voice hurt more than he would like to admit even though he knew that it shouldn't. They were never that close in high school and it was doubtful they ever would have been if the crash had never happened. Regardless of the past he couldn't just let her run off to ruin whatever chance she may have at a normal life.

"Wait, just...wait." Kodak sighed, passing a hand over his face, exhausted, "You can't just leave. Like you said earlier you have no friends, you have no money. You don't even know where Teddy is because he sure as hell isn't here anymore! Say you leave, what will you do?"

 

[GhastlySquash]

Davis smiled. Finally he was getting somewhere with this runaway. At the very least she'd stop using that poor girl's name. To be fair, he'd never paid much attention. He'd been to Sila's gravestone with a few of the other guys once or twice, if only out of respect for the family.

Still, he didn't think her name could reach someone who was trying to run. Perhaps it was a fake name but used in coincidence. Although to be perfectly fair, Davis didn't believe in such things.

"Alright then, I need you to tell me your real name. One that isn't going to show a gravestone when I look it up. You got a name right?"

---------------------------------

Agatha looked at Kodak and realized there might be some truth behind that. She didn't have money or anything really. "My family. I have to find them. If anyone will believe them it would be them."

Well, most people at least. Her step-mom probably wouldn't care but her father...she knew he would.

If Kodak ever kept track of him, he'd probably know that Agatha's father spent his time in-between bars, doing odd jobs here and there ever since he left his job in the city.

"If you want to help me, then I can't stay here forever Kodak." She crossed her arms, looking at the clock.

"Well...at least until tomorrow maybe."