Forest of the Angels

Interesting family trees...

Later on, they arrived at Ellie's motel room. Rachel stiffened at the sight of Jess' empty bed. Ellie noticed. "Your house is down the road, we could always...", Ellie jerked her thumb towards the car outside.

"No, it's fine, I don't wanna be interrupted," Rachel sat down on the bed, pulling the file out of her bag, "Or have mom all over me like I'm going to break down any minute."

"So, what's so important in this document then?" Ellie sat down beside her, her chair made a grating noise as she dragged it across the tiled floor.

"This" Rachel placed the file on to the table. Her hands shook as she opened the file. On top, there was a letter and a photo. She picked up the letter and began to read.

"Dear Ellie and Rachel."

Ellie froze.

"What?"

Rachel gave her a hollow stare, and continued.

"This will take some explaining. If you've got this note, then I'm guessing you got the file safely and you made it out alive. One can only assume, as I haven't seen you since I got here, although a different one of them could have got to you."

"Them?" Ellie's face darkened in confusion. The utter lack of sense hurt.

"To explain further, 'here' is the past. After the attack outside the house – I know how hard you both tried to break the door down and thank you for that- I woke up, in the same spot, in 1936. I was found by the house owners, a lovely old couple, and they raised me as their own – naming me Mary.

When I arrived I began to look into what brought me here. Please, these things are awful, they will kill you both and I don't want you two to die. You have to leave. Don't feel sad for me. I have had an amazing life thanks to you – I know how weird that sounds – but it's true. I have watched history happen, lived through it; from the war to the moon landing. It's been beautiful. I got married, had kids, and got a job. My children then had kids and- this may hurt your head- it turns out I'm your grandmother, Rachel. Weird, I know but the truth.

Now, I made this file for you two. Read it, and leave. Ellie, even though we only had a year together, you are my sister and I love you. Rachel, I couldn't have asked for a better cousin.

Thank you, Jessica."

Rachel picked up the photo. It was of a girl and an old couple, stood in front of the house in the woods. The girl looked exactly like Jess, the same cute brown curls and large dark eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek.

"At least she was happy" Rachel whispered softly. "So, thoughts..." she turned to Ellie.

Ellie was still gaping, then her brow furrowed. "Yeah..." Her face scrunched in confusion, Rachel giggled slightly. "If Jess was your cousin, and your grandmother, doesn't that mean she was her own grandmother?"

Rachel stopped smiling and froze in shock. "Oh... that's...my brain...can't...That's...That's all you picked up from this?" she asked, waving the weathered paper.

"Yeah, pretty much."

They both burst out laughing, a bittersweet affair as they giggled until the pain came crashing back, silencing the pair as they both came to accept that Jess was truly gone.

The quiet lasted an eternity.

"Time is funny like that." Ellie sighed.

"What do you mean?" Rachel aked.

"I don't even know." She said, choking slightly.

After they calmed down, they returned to the file.

"Right, let's see what's in here then."