In Charlotte's Eyes

Getting Lucky

It took her multiple hours before she finally found sleep. The carpet floor was about as comfortable as The Plane’s grass was. She missed her bed.

She took a long look at herself in the bathroom mirror before washing her face. She was home, but there were so many things she needed to do. She needed to figure it out fast. After turning off the faucet, she gazed up at her soaked face.

Could she even stay here? What if somebody found her here? She'd probably be in huge trouble.

Her face scrunched, lips ajar, teeth grit. If her house was for sale, she must've been gone for a long time. She must not even be alive to society.

She exited the bathroom and looked out the front window. The sun shined down on her, and it was heavenly to feel the real rays greet her skin again.

How was she going to get out of here? The door was locked. It must be held by a keypad outside. She could go out through her room’s window. She had no other ideas, so she did just that. Fortunately, there was nothing stopping her this time.

The whistles and songs of birds met her ears as she clumsily crashed onto the grass.

The grass.. felt natural. The air was cool. The breeze gently brushed her. The sun hugged her. Charlotte used her palms to lift herself off of the ground. She stared at the grass. It was alive. Everything around her was alive.

A breathy gasp suddenly escaped her, goosebumps crawling on her skin. Her heartbeat picked up in pace. Her throat felt desolate. Despite the lingering headache from last night’s horrible sleep, she felt alive. Everything around her was beautiful, natural; not a hint of artificiality.

A few tears brimmed in her eyes and she sniffled, looking up from the floor. On the other side of the street, a black baton was walking his dog, unaware of Charlotte’s presence. She wiped away the tears as more bird songs flew in the air.

She really was back on Earth.

She cleared her throat to prevent herself from crying and dusted her knees off when she stood up. What did she do now? She felt so alien now—like some sort of fugitive. She watched with a heightened sense of alarm as the baton walked farther down the road.

What time was it?

She made her way to the sidewalk. Carefully, she began exploring Brunswick—her city.

So many people. So many animals. Fresh air. It was paradise. How did she never appreciate this before? As she made her way farther downtown, more people passed her. So many people. All with their own lives—doing their own things. She needed a person. Somebody who really understood her.

Someone who could help her figure out what to do next. Because, at the moment, Charlotte had no clue what to do. She had so many things she wanted to say to so many people. There were so many holes she needed to patch, because of how unknowingly horrible she was before.

It couldn't be Parker, though. He was the one that she needed the most time to face. She knew now how unfair their dynamic was. It was her fault. There probably wasn't any apology in the world she could make for him to accept her again. It terrified her, but she knew that she wouldn't be able to rest until she gave him some sort of apology.

She needed someone levelheaded. Someone reasonable and down-to-earth. Someone patient and understanding. Someone good at giving advice.

She knew who she needed to see.

Now it was only a matter of getting to him. She couldn't remember his address. She remembered what his house looked like, though the general surroundings were unclear. She sat on a bench and picked at her brain intensely.