Memories are interesting things. Single frames of an event that occured in the past. Some are short video clips with sound. They rest gentle in the back of your head. Sometimes you will see or hear something that brings up a memory and you’ll either smile at it or cringe. What Evelyn saw outside of the church brought up more than just a few slides or a short clip. She saw a family go by. There was a father, a daughter and a mother. They looked happy. They were holding hands and looked like they were laughing. Suddenly, the daughter hugged her father and Evelyn’s world shattered around her. Memories came flooding back to Evelyn. Memories she wished would stay buried.

There was a heavy pain in her chest. Her eyes watered up and tears flowed down the side of her face. She didn’t need any of this. Not here. Not now. She tried to breath but couldn't. She suddenly felt like she was eight years old again. Painful memories struck her head as the tears rolled down her neck. It felt like reality all around her was shifting. When she finally could take in a breath she let out a roar of pain and anguish as she slammed her head against the car seat and rose to fight with the seatbelt. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to go away. As tears flooded her eyes she blindly unbuckled the seatbelt and shoved the door open and stumbled out of the car and fell onto the ground sobbing.

“I’m sorry.” She mumbled to herself.

Samantha was the first to find her curled up on the ground crying.

“Oh my Lord.” Samantha cried out as she rushed over to Evelyn. Evelyn let out another blood curdling cry as Samantha approached her. Her roar caused Samantha to stop in her tracks. Io and Jane soon followed and stood beside her.

“Oh dear. I was afraid of this.” Jane said as she put her hands in her coat pockets.

“What’s wrong with her?” Samantha asked. Jane looked at her and gave her a sigh.

“As far back as I recall, Evelyn has long term issues that she has refused to address. Painful events from her past. She told me a few and I swore to never reveal the details. One such event involves a family friend, a car accident and her father’s anger. She’s been wrapped up in guilt ever since. ” Jane said.

“Shit.” Io commented.

“She did avoid the topic of her past when I brought it up.” Samantha commented.

“And she’ll continue to do so.” Jane said.

Samantha nodded.

“Best to leave her as she is for the time being until she calms down. Post traumatic stress is a nasty business.” Jane said.

“Whoa.” Io said.

“Yes, Miss Kekoa. ‘Whoa’ indeed.” Jane said as she took her hands out of her coat pockets.

It took a few minutes before Evelyn slowly stopped crying. Moments afterward Evelyn rolled a bit on the ground and pushed herself up. She didn’t say anything as she turned around to the others. Her eyes were red and puffy but her face was fitted with a stern expression. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a toothpick and said, “Let's get some fucking breakfast.” She said as she wiped away her tears.

The group decided to stop at the nearest diner to get breakfast. Samantha stepped through the doors and left in shock and awe. Everything was new for her. New sounds, new smells; it was slightly overwhelming for her. She had to be pushed gently by Io to the nearest booth but still kept rubbernecking. Evelyn sat near the window; pulled her black beanie over her eyes and placed her head on the table. Io sat down in front of her with Samantha on her side. Jane sat across from Samantha.

“Everyone I believe now we can reconvene with the situation at hand.” Jane said.

“Parker...no talky, just food.” Evelyn mumbled.

“Yeah! I’m starving.” Io said as she reached for the old, stained, plastic menu.

“Perhaps we can do both as I too am hungry to focus as well as would like to know what our next steps are.” Samantha commented as she turned her head back to the group.

“Blondie, you talk way too much for someone from the 19th century.” Evelyn mumbled as she raised her head up and picked up a menu. Samantha looked at her with confusion.

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The waitress came up and took one good look at everyone. She was old with grey and white in her hair. Her eyes suggest that she has seen all types of people. She took a single glance at everyone, pulled out a pen and paper and said, “You look like you need ten cups of coffee and a booster seat.” She said as she pointed at Evelyn. “You look like you need to take that rod out of your ass along with some hash browns and toast.” She said as she pointed at Jane. “You look like you are completely lost so order the chicken strips honey, they don’t bite.” She said as she pointed at Samantha. “And you look like you need to calm down and have some steak with eggs and a side order of pancakes.” She said as she pointed at Io.

“Hell yeah!” Io shouted as she slammed her fists on the table with excitement.

“All right, before I get these going do you want anything else?”

Evelyn raised her hand. “Side order of bacon and sausage for me.”

“You got it, Dracula. Anything else?”

“Can I speak to your manager?” Jane asked as she eyed the waitress. Unfortunately, for Jane the waitress didn’t look back at her.

“I am the manager, sweety. Save it.” She said as she took the menus and walked away.

“I like her.” Io said with a smile. Jane looked towards Io and rolled her eyes. Io clasp her hands together. Her eyes moved back and forth between Evelyn and Jane, lit up with curiosity.

“So are you two together?” Io asked. Jane froze up and then slightly squinted her eyes. Evelyn’s mouth opened in surprise followed by a belly laugh. Samantha looked at Io in confusion and in a couple of seconds she figured out what was going on. She responded with an ‘Oh’ and looked towards Evelyn and Jane. There was a look of horror on her face as if she had witnessed something absolutely terrible.

“Io...I wish. That would explain so much.” Evelyn said in between laughs. Jane remained still and silent. Io looked at Jane and said, “So you’re single.”

Evelyn’s laughs only got louder and she started to loudly smack her hand on the table. This went on for a few seconds but then Evelyn suddenly stopped and leaned over in pain with her hands covering her head.

“Ah, my fucking head.” Evelyn said as she quieted down.

“A backstory I assume is what you are requesting as to our relationship?” Jane asked as she looked at Io.

“Whatever you want to call it.” Io said with a smile as she folded her arms. Jane took a long pause before speaking. She just sat there staring at Io. She clearly knew what Io was getting at or insisting upon and Evelyn wasn’t making anything better. To a degree she did care for Evelyn but not in a sexual or romantic manner. Jane took a deep breath and picked her words carefully.

“When I moved over here from Great Britain, I was as they say, ‘a fish out of water’. And as I went to school to continue my study of medicine, that is when I first met Evelyn. We didn’t get along very well in the beginning.”

“Yeah she had a much bigger stick up her ass.” Evelyn commented.

“Yes, as she said. And that was that for a while. Situations become dire between the both of us as our peers didn’t enjoy either of our company and we both were searching for a flat to live in. She drank too much-”

“Still do.”

“Still does. And according to my professors I was unapproachable and cold. Going about here and there we finally settled our differences and started to live together. We continued that way until graduation and even went to the same hospital as interns.”

“Ah, I miss those blue and green scrubs.”

“I certainly don’t.”

“But you look so cute in them.” Evelyn commented as her words poured out of her mouth, dripping with sarcasm, followed by a quiet chuckle. Jane’s face slowly turned bright pink.

A grin grew on Io’s face. “Alright, I’m liking this.” Io said.

“And what of you?” Jane asked. Io’s face suddenly drained of all amusement and humor.

“Oh. Me. Uhhh…” Io said as she turned away. A frown appeared on her face as she looked back at Jane. “I guess I’ll say a few things. Not much for me. Grew up here in Albany. Didn’t get along with my parents and so I left at sixteen. And I’ve been on my own ever since.”

“So you are a runaway, yes?” Jane asked as she folded her hands.

“My parents...were not pleasant people to be around and I…” Io stopped with her sentence as her left hand crumbled into a tight fist. She turned away. A moment later she slammed her fist on the table. “Enough, okay!” Io shouted.

Samantha flinched and shoved herself into the wall. Evelyn blinked a few times. The loud noise and the shouting didn’t help her headache but she was in a state of shock that she didn’t bother to move or complain. Jane on the other hand remained still. Her cold eyes stared deep into Io’s.

“Moving on.” Jane said in a calm voice as she unfolded her hands and slightly adjusted her glasses.

“Yeah. New topic card.” Evelyn said as she dipped her hands in the glass of ice water, pulled out a few ice cubes and pressed them gently on the side of her head.

“So…” Io started as she slowly tilted her head up. “Time travel. How did you manage that?”

“Yes, that is quite facienting I must admit.” Jane commented as she gently leaned in towards Samantha. Samantha looked at Io then back at Jane.

“Oh, well to be perfectly frank I am not entirely sure myself. I mean I know that I used unusual types of metals that were supposed to be hidden and locked away…”

“Ah ha, so you broke in and stole shit. Nice one, blondie.” Evelyn said with a smile. Samantha started to stumble with her words defensively.

“It’s not like that. I...just needed some materials that I couldn’t afford. Some new kind of metals and other works. My father was a blacksmith so I learned what I know from him about machines but he lost his business when the war broke out and my brother left.” Samantha said in a panic tone. Evelyn gave her a slow blink.

“Yeah, sounds like burglary to me.” Evelyn said as she dropped the small ice cubes on the table. Jane ever so gently tilted her head like a dog trying to pick up on a certain tone. She pursed her lips together and blinked rapidly.

“Sorry dear, you said something about a quantity of a ‘new’ metal. Do tell what they may have been.” Jane said inquisitively.

It was by this time that the waitress came by with the food they had previously ordered. She passive aggressively passed Jane her dishes, carefully place down Evelyn’s plate, handed Io her food with caution and very gently placed Samantha’s plate in front of her. Without another word she was gone.

“Food!” Io shouted.