legacy [james conrad] 2

Flashback

A/n: when I say Kong, I mean 2 days after they landed and after she disappeared in the past book.

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Kyoto, Japan - 2 days after Kong

Charlotte pulls her hood over her head, making sure no one is looking at her.

For the past two days she has lived in the panic of being discovered each time she rounds a corner.

The pattering of the rain and the rumbling of cars echoes around her. 

She walks down an almost empty street, the occasional car speeding by, or a random pedestrian crossing the street and entering a building to seek the warmth inside. 

But Charlotte doesn't care about that. She can't even feel the cold winds against her face, or the drops of water cascading down her clothing. 

Charlotte looks up from the ground, stopping suddenly. The shadow of a person is displayed on the building in front of her, and she's certain it's not her own shadow. 

She shakes her head, her pace quickening as she rounds a corner sharply, looking for a phone booth.

Relief runs through her system when she sees one five feet ahead.

She rushes towards it, grabbing the payphone with trembling hands, and inserting the coins, dialling the number without giving it a second thought.

With desperation inching up her throat, she waits for the other person to answer.

"Hello?" the voice finally says on the other side of the phone.

Charlotte lets out a shaky breath, her eyes threatening to tear up.

She turns around, keeping the payphone on her ear and leaning back into the pole, looking at the dull sky as she tries to calm her emotions.

"Hello? Who is this?" The voice questions again, slight static filling in the silence.

Charlotte lets out a breath.

"Mum" She finally says, her voice cracking.

"Charlotte? Is that you?" Clara asks through the phone, the smile on her face almost shining through.

"Yes mum, it's me" Charlotte tells her, laughing slightly.

"What's going on? Did you finish that mission that you talked about?" She asks, intrigued by what is going on.

Charlotte hesitates, not knowing what to tell her.

"... Not exactly. I'm going to stay here a few more months, and then I'll get back to you. I just wanted to check up on you" She says, turning around to face the payphone.

"Are you sure sweetheart? Is there something else going on?" Clara asks, her voice tinting that she's concerned.

Charlotte clears her throat, looking at the droplets of rain pattering on the floor.

"Yes mum, I'm sure. And I'm perfectly fine for that matter. Better than before even" She says, trying to convince her mom and herself that everything's fine, "I'll send you a post card or a souvenir through the mail" She then promises, forcing herself to smile.

"Sure, honey. Whatever you like to send me will be fine, I'm sure I'll love it" Clara says, her voice warm and caring as her accent stands out.

Charlotte nods, still looking at the ground as she stays silent, her heart slowly cracking into a million pieces.

She hated having to lie.

She hated lying in general.

But here she was, lying to the person she loved most.

And as much as she wanted to take it back, she knew she couldn't put her mother in danger by going back to her.

"What's going on, Charlotte?" Clara asks after a moment, her voice tinted with suspicion.

Charlotte turns around to face the phone stall, eyeing the timer that is slowly clicking down the seconds she had until the call gets cut off.

She closes her eyes, breathing in for a second before opening them again.

"Nothing's going on. I'm fine. I'm really good" She takes in a breath "I-I actually have to go now mum, they... they need me back at the center" Charlotte rushes out.

"Sure, Charlotte. You go and do whatever you need to do. I'll be fine" Clara assures through the phone.

Charlotte takes in a deep breath, wiping the sole tear that is trailing down her cheek.

"Love you, mum"

"Love you too my sweet Lottie"

"Bye mum. Love you" Charlotte says, her voice weak as she hangs up the phone slowly.

Then her hand slowly slips off the phone, hanging down besides her limply.

She closes her eyes, her mind going back to the last time she had seen her mother.

It was almost 4 years ago.

From there, she had only received a phone call, or a letter telling her about how her brother was living on the house next to her and how Charlotte had had another niece or nephew.

And even though the streets are crowded and busy with sound, she can imagine those days almost as if they were yesterday.

Finally, she turns around, resting her back on the pole and closing her eyes, letting her emotions free for a few moments.

All the guilt, the panic, paranoia... the images of Kong and the Skull Crawler burning into her skull flood in, taking over her.

And then she shuts it all off. Just like that. She pushes the thoughts out of her mind, casting a wall behind them.

And she stands up straight and walks away, not knowing where to go next.

That would be the last time in nearly two years that she would make herself feel like she just had.

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(Edited Jan 4 2019)

A/n:
so, the flash backs will be of 

Charlotte living the

 two years she was away from 

James, and we'll 

see Flashbacks from James's pov as well!