In Another Life (1993-1996)

All The People

Sunday morning was slow. I rose, got a shower to wash out the curls and make up I had missed the night before, then headed downstairs. Ben was grinning to himself at the table as Wanda try to prise out of him what happened last night.

"So was it a good dance? Did anyone get hurt? Was the band good? Was there any gossip I need to know about?"She quizzed him. I giggled as I collected the cereal.

"Yes, the dance was fun. No, no one was hurt. Yes, both bands were good. And for the gossip, well that is not mine to say." He left the table, winking at me. I smiled back at him. Wanda noticed it and smirked.

"No gossip? My arse. Come on Evelyn, tell all!" I sat down and tucked into my breakfast to avoid answering straight away. I wasn't sure if Ben wanted me to say anything. Personally I didn't want to say anything until things were a bit more serious, well at least to his mum! My plans for today were simple. Pop down the studio to listen to the progress on my album and to have a catch up with Noel. Then I was going to go down to Lizzie's to tell her everything that had happened and get her opinion on the matter.

I was sitting staring at my cereal thinking when a flash of light blinded me from above. I felt slow and confused, my head was pounding. The kitchen disappeared to be replaced by a church. Why was I in a church? I was at the front staring out at people I knew. There were my friends from school. My mum and dad on the front row, crying. Music was playing, a song I recognised instantly. Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day, the song I would play to myself when I was down. But that song wouldn't be released for another eleven years. The song ended and a vicar stood at the front. He was holding a small book in his hand, with my face on the front cover. It was my school photo. Underneath in large fancy writing read Evelyn Rose Night 31st October 1995-21st May 2012 A Beautiful Girl Who Will Live Forever In Our Hearts. Then it clicked, I was watching my own funeral.

"Evelyn! Oh dear! Sweet Heart, are you okay? Can you hear me?" I opened my eyes and Wanda was there, leaning over me. I had collapsed onto the kitchen floor. Insuring to Wanda that I was okay, I headed upstairs to my room. I pulled out of the draw paper and a pen and began to write. I wrote everything I could remember. Each page was a year and I wrote films, music and TV that was release. When the Titanic was released, when Oasis first made it big time, future prime ministers, When JK Rowling released the Harry Potter Series, actors that would come and go, the re-launch of Doctor Who, I even included some information about 9/11. Sealing every year into and individual envelope, I sighed. There was some stuff that I should've remembered but I was struggling. I had only been here 3 months, why was this so hard? I hid the letters behind the bottom draw in my desk. Holding my head in my hands, I sighed again. I still felt ill, like my head was about to explode. I even noticed a few dots in my visions. But they disappeared when I blinked harder. I remembered the hospital and the illness. And him, standing above me telling me to hold on, that I was going to be okay. I loved him, and I didn't get to tell him. But I also remembered my parent's car crash. The moment when the nurses told me that I was alone. The pain of knowing that they wouldn't be able to protect me. I had two sets of memories. But that was slowly fading to one. I couldn't even remember my best friend's names.

I noticed a PostIt note stuck to my lamp.

It won't always be like this, you forget and live. Or remember and die. You've done the right thing. Well done. You remembered. Now figure it out. What happens next?

It was like this 'uncle' could predict my every move. How could he get into my room and plant these notes? And what did he mean; I have to figure it out what happens next? A soft knock on my door drew my attention away.

"Come in." Ben walked in. He looked worried. He crossed my room and looked me in the eye.

"Mum said there was something wrong with you. Apparently you fainted. Do you want me to take you to hospital?" I shook my head. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost." I turned and buried my face in his chest.