Charlotte Bolton wasn't supposed to disappear in the middle of the aisle. She was supposed to get married. Instead, she finds herself jumping around a fictional character's timeline and learning something new every day.
[#1 in #rosetyler on 1/31/202...
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HUMAN NATURE
edited as of march 10th, 2021
The morning of November tenth wouldn't have been memorable for anyone else, but waking up hidden under the blankets of John's bed, Charlotte would argue it was for her. Hearing someone other than the two of them in the room, and knowing she wasn't allowed to come into the school, Charlotte stays still.
"Sorry, sorry," John apologizes to his maid, Martha, as he puts a blanket over Charlotte, making it seem as if she were just a pile of blankets. "Sometimes I have these extraordinary dreams."
Martha opens the blinds, letting the sun into the room. "What about, sir?"
"I dream I'm this..." Thinking of the right word, he puts on a robe over his pajamas. "Adventurer. This... daredevil, a madman. 'The Doctor', I'm called. And last night I dreamt that you were there, as my companion."
Martha nods along. "A teacher and a housemaid, sir? That's impossible."
"Ah no, a man from another world, though..."
"Well, it can't be true because there's no such thing," she said to him.
John goes to the fireplace, twiddling with the watch sitting on top of it before glancing back to Martha. "There was this other person with us, a woman." Beginning to forget the dream, he scratched his head.
"And who was she?"
He shrugged. "I don't know, I didn't recognize her." Watching him from behind, Martha said nothing in hopes he'll say more, nevertheless, John moved away from the topic. "It's funny how dreams slip away." He points to her, saying, "But I do remember one thing, it all took place in the future. In the year of Our Lord two thousand and seven."
"I can prove that wrong for you, sir, here's the morning paper." Picking it up for him from the tray, she hands it over. "It's Monday, November tenth, nineteen-thirteen, and you're completely human, sir." Martha grins from the irony. "As human as they come."
He folds the paper up, knowing Mary likes to read them. "Mhm, that's me. Completely human." John smiles, and a minute later, Martha left the room.
Waiting a few seconds, Charlotte sits up in bed, wearing her dress from the day before. "Morning," she says. Clearing her throat, she takes the newspaper from him when he comes over to the bed. "How'd you sleep?"
"Good," answers John. "Sorry you had to hide, that was just Martha."
Charlotte nods. "Oh, she seemed nice."
"She is," he said. "But I didn't know if she'd tell others you were here."
Charlotte opens up the newspaper, giving him a side-eye. "I'm sure she wouldn't."
