Alice: Recovered Memories

South Coast Bound

A/N: I enjoyed writing this one because I live in Mississippi, which is Alice's home state.  All of the places mentioned in this entry are real, and places that I've personally visited.

"Alice, you look like you've seen a ghost."  Rosalie stood in front of me, hands on her hips.  "What's happening?"

"I hope that what I showed you didn't upset you too much," Shelly said.

I blinked my eyes and shook my head.  I had just leaped from the past into the future again.  "No, no.  Nothing like that.  I just had a vision of the future."  I closed my eyes and sighed, trying to call it back into my mind.  I saw the beach...a lighthouse.  A woman walking down the beach.  She had dark hair and green eyes and fair skin.  She had a dog with her and she threw a frisbee out.  The dog chased after it and she laughed.  She appeared to be in her late twenties to early thirties.  A human.  I was sure I'd never met her before, but I couldn't help but feel she looked familiar somehow...

"I think I need to go to Biloxi.  Something's happening.  I can't put my finger on it."  I paused for a moment.  "Jasper?"  He was upstairs and by my side in less than a second.  "What is it?"  He had a look of concern on his face.  I explained to him the vision I'd had of the mysterious woman.  "I wonder what it means."

"Do you think it could be a relative of yours?  I mean, you do still have the niece in Biloxi, if she's still alive."

I nodded.  "Of course.  The green eyes like my mom, my sister.  The fair skin.  My hair.  She has to be a relative.  I don't know why, but I feel this... urgency.  That I need to see her.  I don't know her name, though, or how to find her." 

"You said she was on the beach, and there was a lighthouse...?" Bella coaxed.

"Of course.  It was the Biloxi lighthouse.  It's kind of famous down there.  It survived Hurricane Katrina.  She was on Biloxi Beach."

"Well, we can easily do some online research and find out if your niece had any children and grandchildren," Jasper said.  He took my hand and we went down the hall to the office that our family used for our various business ventures.  Rose, Shelly, and Bella followed.  I sat down at the computer and did a quick search of land rolls in Harrison County, Mississippi.  I also used one of those people search sites, and I also combed through any public domain information I could find.

"Bingo." I stabbed my finger at the computer screen.  "Margaret Collins, nee Phillips.  Daughter of Cynthia Brandon Phillips and Robert Phillips."  It was an obituary from last year.  It seems that Cynthia's daughter Margaret had passed away at age 78.  It stated that she was survived by a son, Thomas Phillips, who lived in nearby Ocean Springs, and unnamed grandchildren.  I just knew in my heart that the woman in my vision was his daughter.  Her last name would be Phillips, then, unless she had married.  At least I had that to go on.

After a little while, using the computer and some of our personal contacts (not very legitimate methods, but still), I was able to find out the information I needed.  The woman from my vision was indeed Thomas's daughter.  She was my great-nephew's daughter.  Her name was Melody Phillips.  She was single and was a registered nurse at Singing River Hospital in the nearby town of Pascagoula, Missisissippi.  She had recently purchased a house in Ocean Springs, a suburb of Biloxi.  As soon as I had this information, I flew into my bedroom and started throwing clothes into a suitcase.  I wasn't sure what I would say to her, if I even introduced her at all, but there was this great need in my heart to see her.  My flesh and blood. 

"Are you really thinking about going down there?" Jasper was at my side.  I nodded fiercely.  "I have to.  I can't explain it.  I just do."

"What are you going to say to her?" Rosalie asked. 

"I don't know.  I may not even confront her." 

Before too long, Edward had come upstairs.  "I support you," he said.  "If I had the chance to see my mom or dad again, or any relative, I would jump at the chance."

I smiled at my favorite brother.  "Then you won't mind coming with me, then?"  I darted back into the office before he had a chance to respond.  I already knew he would say yes.  I needed his support, and his mind reading skills would come in handy. 

"Jasper and I will both come," Edward agreed.  I banged away on the keyboard, booking airline tickets to Jackson, Mississippi.  I finally found what I needed, then sighed heavily.  "TWO stops?  Houston and Dallas?  Really?  We could run there faster."

"Just book the tickets, Alice," Jasper said gently.  I booked three tickets from Sea-Tac airport to the Jackson-Evers airport in Mississippi.  It was another almost three hour drive to Biloxi from there, but the way I drove, I could get us there in an hour.  I also reserved a car for us in Jackson, the sportiest model I could find. 

After going downstairs and discussing our plan with the rest of the family, we agreed that Bella and Shelly would drive us to the airport in Seattle.  They could stand to do some shopping while they were there.  The plane didn't leave until first thing in the morning, but I was already bouncing on my heels in anticipation.  They agreed to drive us to the city that night and we'd spend some time out and about.

I grabbed some brown contacts for myself, just in case I introduced myself, and found some green ones for Shelly.  She couldn't very well go around Seattle with red eyes.  I also found a scarf and sunglasses for her as well, lest someone recognize her. 

Finally, I slowed down and stood in front of Edward and Jasper.  "Gentlemen, we have a plane to catch."