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CORALINE felt her mouth drop as stared into the famous eyes of Ms. Mead. A million questions formed in her head: Where had she gone all those years ago? How had she survived the bomb? Coraline thought that she had a possible answer for the latter. Miriam Mead could survive anything. She made that clear a long time ago. Coraline knew that she would go to the ends of the earth to survive, especially in the means of the Apocalypse.
But the most important question still lingered: If she was alive, then where was he?
Coraline stepped forward after a moment of hesitation. Miriam stood before her, cocking her head to the side, as if she didn't know her at all. Silence engulfed the group of survivors. Coraline could only hear a servant scrubbing away in the next hall. Venable looked between the two of them with confusion.
"Miriam," Coraline shook her head incredulously, "it's me. It's Coraline Avery, remember?"
She didn't give her a moment to reply, because Coraline was already wrapping her arms around the older woman, shaking her from side to side. She never thought that she would ever be hugging Miriam Mead, but after the Apocalypse ... these were desperate times. Out of all people, she couldn't believe that her ex-boyfriend's guardian survived the bombs.
Miriam's arms didn't move an inch. She looked to Venable, who was just as perplexed as she was. Flashes of a young Coraline appeared in Miriam's vision, but she blinked them away. It was like when she remembered the beautiful, blonde boy. They were just flashes. They weren't real. She didn't know this Coraline Avery.
Coraline leaned away, raising a brow towards the familiar woman. "Do you not remember me?"
Venable raised a hand. "Excuse me for interrupting," she proclaimed, "but do you two know each other?"
"Yes," Coraline replied quickly, her voice rising. She looked from Venable, and then back to Miriam. "Yes, remember? I know it was a long time ago, but I dated –"
"I ..." Miriam shook her head. "I believe this is our first meeting." The flashes were coming again – a young brunette smiling beside the beautiful boy – but she ignored them. Miriam sent Coraline a nervous grin. "Quite the hugger, though."
Coraline was at a loss for words. Her mouth hung open slightly, and it took her a moment to finally close it. This was Miriam Mead. There was no doubt about that. She knew Miriam Mead. She had been her neighbor, for crying out loud. So why did this woman in front of her suddenly forget that she ever existed? It didn't make sense. Four years had passed between them, but that wasn't a long enough time for Coraline to forget a face like Miriam Mead's.
My Ms. Mead would never harm anyone I care about, a voice hissed in her brain.
Coraline's back straightened suddenly. Her breath hitched at the voice, but she did her best to ignore it and sent the pair of confused women in front of her a nervous smile. "Perhaps ..." She swallowed hard, turning to Ms. Mead. "Perhaps, I mistook you for someone else. Sorry."
