A BEAUTIFUL MIND
CHAPTER 1: JANE DOE
Cold, that's what woke her, bitter cold, to be exact. Lifting her head caused her to feel nauseous. She was lying on a dirt road; surrounded on all sides by wooded forest. Her body ached from the cold; and something else. Slowly she blinked, her eyes felt gritty. Lifting a hand, she rubbed them. She sat up and gasped; her legs were hurting. Looking down at them she stared at her bare feet. The pain was coming from her right ankle. She could tell it was swollen; touching the flesh around it, she felt heat. She'd sprained it. Looking back to her surroundings she tried to figure out where she was. A sound made her look to the right; a vehicle was hurtling towards her. She pushed herself to her feet and threw herself sideways. Pain burned through her right leg; she lay on the ground, gasping. Brakes squealed, lights lit the darkness. A man jumped out the cab and ran to her.
"Jesus!" He knelt down next to her, "Are you okay?"
"My ankle," She said simply, "It's sprained."
He looked at it, "What are you doing in bare feet?" He looked her over; "It's too cold for shorts and t-shirt." He paused at the shirt, frowning for a moment. He met her gaze, "Come on, I'll drive you back to Fangtasia. You're friends are probably looking for you."
"Fangtasia?" She asked, no understanding, "Is that a town around here?"
He gave her a puzzled expression, "It's a vampire bar, in Shreveport."
Confusion crashed around her, "Vampire bar?"
"Yeah," He sat back on his heels, studying her closely. "That's where the shirt is from."
She looked down at her shirt; reading the words, he was right.
"What's your name?" He asked, "I'm Sam."
She blinked a few times; nothing came to mind. "I don't know."
He cocked his head to the side a moment, "You don't know?"
"How can I not know my name?"
"Let's look at your driver's license," He suggested.
She searched the pockets of the black shorts she wore. They were empty. "I don't have one."
Sam looked around; he seemed to be searching the darkness for a moment. "You probably left it at the bar." He stood up and offered a hand, "Can you walk with your ankle like that?"
She took his hand and he helped her stand; carefully she tested the ankle; putting her weight on it. Pain burned but it was manageable. "I can handle it."
"My truck is over there," He nodded to the vechile that had almost hit her. He kept her hand as she hobbled across the dirt. "Why are you wearing summer clothes in winter?"
"I don't know," She said honestly. She just couldn't remember.
Sam opened the door to his Jeep and she climbed in, albeit not gracefully. Once she was in, he shut the door and came to the other side. He started the Jeep and turned it around in a three-point-turn. They headed back along the road he'd driven moments ago.
The girl stared out the window at the trees and rolling land. Nothing came to mind as familiar or even recognizable.
"You aren't from around here," He muttered softly, "Do know if you have a passport?"
She looked at him. "What makes you say that?"
"The way you talk, you don't have an accent. You're not American."
She smiled then, "Travel a lot do you?"
He shrugged, "I did when I was younger; I know most of the accents of this country. You're not from here."
"So where am I from?" She asked, more in general then to him directly. She looked back out the window. "Why am I here?"
Sam looked over at her, "You honestly don't remember."
She shook her head, "It's like a black hole in my head."
"A black hole?" He looked back to the road.
"The astrophysics term for the destruction of a star; when the force of gravity crushes the star…" She paused, frowning. "How do I know that?"
Sam shrugged, "Perhaps you're an astrophysicist?" He looked over at her again, "Though you don't look old enough to have a Ph.D."
She rubbed her forehead; there was nothing but black in her mind. She knew nothing.
"Can you remember anything else about black holes?"
"No." She sighed, the knoweldge was gone. "I just started talking and it all came out. But I can't figure out how I knew."
Sam watched the road; searching his own mind for anything that could help her. "Well, you don't seem to be complaining about the cold."
She had been cold when she woke up; but now….she hadn't really thought about it. She looked over at Sam in his thick heavy coat, blue jeans and solid footwear. He was dressed for cold weather.
"I guess it's not that cold." She muttered.
"Not that cold, huh?" He smiled slightly, it was a nice smile. "You must be from a cold place then."
She pulled in a breath; try as she might she couldn't think of anything helpful. Her mind was simply black. No memories, no connections. Nothing came to her. "Any suggestions?"
"Nope, sorry."
"That's okay." She stared out at the black road. That's all she knew right now; just blackness.
Sam parked in the lot of Fangtasia; there weren't that many cars around. The girl looked into the night sky; dawn was close. "Dawn is coming." She muttered.
Sam glanced at her, "Shit, you're a vampire."
She looked at him, "Could a vampire sprain their ankle?"
He looked at her foot, "Ah, no."
"Damn, there goes another possible clue."
He helped her into the club; Pam looked over, frowning. She appeared in front of them; the girl jumped in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" Pam asked coldly, "We're closed."
"She needs help," Sam told her.
"And you brought her here, because?" Pam glanced at the woman, eyeing the shirt. "A souvenir, that's why you're here?"
"She lost her wallet, perhaps it's here. Did someone turn in a wallet?" Same asked.
Pam rolled her eyes; heading to the bar. "Mike, give me the lost and found for tonight."
The box sat in front of Sam, Pam and the girl. Sam looked at her, "Anything jumping out at you?"
The girl stared at the collection of keys, the loose change, and the packets of condoms. Gently she picked up a keychain; but put it back.
"Nothing is ringing a bell. I look at this, I know what the contents are but none of them are mine." She rubbed her eyes again, "Nothing is familiar."
"Not even the club?" Sam asked.
She looked around; she'd never seen it before. "I've never been here."
"The t-shirt is from here," Sam reminded her.
Pam spoke up, "It could have been a gift. That doesn't actually mean she was here."
The girl stared at the posters; the red walls, everything here was so…campy. But it didn't remind her of anything she knew. "You said this was a vampire bar, are they actually believed in enough to be profitable?"
Pam arched a brow, "You don't believe in vampires?" Her tone was disbelieving.
The girl shrugged, "I don't know. Are you saying they are real?" She stared at Pam for a second; looking her over. "Are you a vampire?"
Sam wasn't sure what to do; Pam shot him a look. He shrugged.
Pam smiled and her fangs snapped down, "What do you think?"
The girl leaned forward, staring at them. "Wow, those look real."
"They are real," Pam reached out and grabbed her throat, "I am a vampire."
The girl flinched at the cold hand on her throat; she grabbed the hand. It was like cold steel around her throat. A man's voice broke the silence; he barked a word at her and her hand released.
Sam glared at Pam for a moment; before looking at the girl. "You okay?"
She rubbed her throat, "Yes."
The man spoke again; stepping into the room. He wasn't using English, still, the girl understood his words.
Pam looked over her shoulder, "She doesn't believe in vampires."
"Eric," Sam nodded, "We're just trying to find her wallet."
The girl stared at the tall, broad-shouldered man who walked up to them. His blonde hair was long, just above his shoulders. He was gorgeous. And some how familiar. She stared at him; he glanced at her. His eyes were a lovely blue color. The more she stared, the more familiar he seemed. He looked away from her, glancing at Sam.
"I see you've checked the lost and found;" He glanced at her again, "You don't believe in vampires?"
She shrugged, "I am not sure."
"We are closed; dawn is close. I suggest you leave." Eric turned and headed back from where he came. Pam turned and followed.
The girl looked to Sam, "What now?"
He sighed, "Let's go, we can think this over on the drive back."
"Wait," Pam appeared in front of the girl, making her jump. "Come back tomorrow, perhaps your friends will come looking for you."
"Okay," The girl nodded, "Thanks."
Sam stepped around the vampire and led the girl outside. They were on road before Sam could think of anything to say.
He looked at her again. "So you don't know about vampires being real? You can't remember their big announcement four years ago?"
She shook her head, "I can't remember anything."
He rubbed his face, "Okay, it seems you have amnesia."
"That means I can't remember things?"
He shook his head, "You can remember certain things. Like how to talk, walk around, that's a kind of memory. But stuff like your name, where you're from…that's called…" He paused, thinking, "Episodic memory, I think."
Something in that hit a bell, "The neurological pathways for formed habits like walking, are intact then."
He looked over at her, "Yeah. How'd you know that?"
She shook her head, "I sound like a broken record, but I don't know."
"Okay, so you know something about psychology and memory; you know about black holes, but you don't remember vampires announcing their existence. You can walk and talk and interact with people; but you can't remember your name."
"That equals what?" She asked lightly, confusion had taken over again.
Sam was quiet for a long time, "First, we're going to sleep on it. Things might come back to you then. Tomorrow, we'll look at this again."
Sam turned into a gravel lot; he drove by a building with a sign that said Merlotte's. He parked a few feet away; she climbed out, leaning on the hood of the car. He came around and helped her walk toward a trailer.
"You can have the bed, I'll sleep at the bar."
She shook her head; he supported her as she hopped up the steps. "No, please. You're the only person I know. What if I wake up in the morning and even that's gone? I'd rather wake up to a friendly face."
He nodded, "Fair enough. I'll take the couch."
Sam opened the door to his trailer; they stepped in. He shut it. She looked around. It was clear the man took care of his home. She could tell he worked hard on making it welcoming.
"Sorry it's not much." He muttered.
"No, it's wonderful."
She sat down on the bed; he stepped back; she stared at him. "Sam?"
He looked at her, "Yeah?"
"Thanks for stopping."
He nodded, "Welcome. I'll see you in the morning."
The girl lay on the bed and stared at the paneled roof. Nothing came to her mind; it was still black. Eventually she heard Sam snoring and smiled; he was a good man. She rolled over; covering herself with the blanket he had given her. She lay awake; staring at the wall, nothing raced in her mind. No sense of time came to her. The soft tweeting of birds told her the sun was up. She sighed and realized it was a lost cause. She rolled back over and settled into staring at the ceiling.
**
Sam woke and looked at the bed; she was gone. He sat up quickly; looking around. He found her sitting at the table with the morning paper. He coughed so at not to startle her. She looked over.
"Morning, Sam." She smiled, "I remembered you."
He smiled at her, standing up. "Are you hungry?"
She nodded, "I can't remember the last time I ate."
He chuckled, crossing to the kitchen, "It's just eggs, bacon, and toast. Hope that's okay?"
"That sounds great."
She read the paper while he cooked breakfast for both of them.
"Do you want coffee?" He asked.
"Sure,"
"I don't suppose you know how you like it?"
"Nope, whatever you do will be fine." She turned the page, reading on.
"Anything jogging your memory?" He asked, he came to the table, setting down their plates.
She pushed the paper to the side. Sam went back to the kitchen; he returned with two cups of coffee and sat down. She smiled at him; he returned it.
"Thank you, again, Sam. You're very kind."
He shrugged, starting to eat. "I know what's like to be confused about who you are."
"Did you loose your memory too?"
"No, I was adopted though."
"Close enough," She said lightly, he chuckled. "You're a good cook."
He nodded his thanks, "Did you sleep?"
She shook her head, "I couldn't. Perhaps I don't know how?" She laughed softly at the look he gave her, "A joke, Sam."
"So you know how to tell jokes and have a sense of humor." He nodded, "That's a good sign." He finished and sat back, "We can't have you walking around in shorts and t-shirt. There might be something in the lost and found at the bar. I'll go check."
"Can I come?"
"Sure."
He took their dishes to the sink, giving them a quick wash. They left the trailer.
"How's your ankle? You're walking better this morning." Sam noticed as they headed to the bar.
She paused, looking down. "I am too, you're right. I guess it wasn't that bad."
Sam unlocked the front door and led her toward a small back room. He nodded to a wooden box. "Feel free to take whatever fits. Try to find some shoes too." He glanced at his watch, "I have to open soon."
"Do you think I could hang around?"
He shrugged, "I'll be busy most of the day, but sure. Do you think you might have worked in a bar before?"
She sighed, glancing over at him.
He held up his hands, "Right, you don't remember."
Sam returned to the front of the bar; he started his opening routine. It wasn't long before Arlene showed up with Sookie and Tara a step behind.
"Morning Sam," Arlene greeted.
The girl stood in the room; staring at the assorted clothes. There was a various collection here. She crouched down; getting a closer look. She reached for a red and black checked-flannel shirt. Taking a sniff determined it was clean enough. She shrugged it on over her shirt. The flannel shirt was big on her; but she liked it. It felt warm against her arms. The sleeves over hung her hands; she rolled them up. What she saw made her pause; she stared at her arms. Pale white scars marked up her arm. She looked to the left one; the same here. She touched them softly; they were slightly raised against her flesh. She sighed; nothing came to mind.
Returning her focus to the box; she pushed a few things around. A pair of worn out old sneakers sat near the bottom. She took them out, sitting on the floor, she tried them on. A little big, but suitable, she needed pants now. Sam had said shorts didn't suit the weather right now. Digging through the box she came up holding a pair of black cargo pants. There was a rip in the knee and mud around the cuffs. Standing up she held them to her hips. They would work.
Sookie and Tara shared a laugh as they headed to the back room. "I hope today is busy." Sookie muttered, pushing open the door.
"Shit!" Tara gasped.
The girl spun around, her pants undone around her hips. She stared through her hair at the two women.
"Who the hell are you?!" Tara snapped, "SAM!"
He came running; wildly searching the room. "What? What's happened?"
"Her!" Tara pointed at the girl, "She's a thief!"
"No," Sam looked at her, "Tara, Sookie this is…" He looked at her, she arched a brow, "Jane Doe."
She smiled at him, the name had a nice ring to it.
"Jane?" Tara asked.
"Doe?" Sookie finished, staring at her. "Seriously?"
"She needed clothes, I let her look through the box." He looked her over, "I see you found what you needed."
"Yes, thank you." Jane muttered, "I apologize for scaring your employees."
Sam left the room, heading back to the bar.
Tara crossed her arms, Sookie looked over the girl. "Okay, Jane. What's the story?"
"Sorry?" Jane frowned, "I don't follow."
"Sam never said he had a girlfriend." Tara snapped at her.
Ah, clarity. "I am not Sam's girlfriend. He was a good Samaritan and helped me last night."
"How?" Tara asked sharply.
"I needed a place to stay and clothes," Jane glanced at the blonde, Sookie. "I'll leave so you two can get ready." Jane buttoned her pants, zipping them up. She headed toward them. Tara jumped out of the way; Sookie stepped back. Lightly she touched Jane's arm. Her eyes widened slightly. Jane kept going, not pausing.
Tara looked at her friend, "What? What did you see?"
"Nothing," Sookie muttered, "It's like there is nothing in her head."
"No thoughts?"
"There are thoughts, but they are not clear."
Tara frowned, "She's not a vampire, so why can't you read her mind?"
Sookie shrugged, "I don't know."
Jane stood at the bar; watching Sam work. She studied the taps that held the beer; the racks of bottles. There was something vaguely familiar. Perhaps she had worked in a bar after all.
"Hey there," Arlene looked her over, "What's your name?"
"Ah," Jane shrugged, "Jane."
"Nice to meet you, do you work here now?" She looked to Sam. He moved along the bar, ignoring the look.
Arlene looked back at her, "I'm Arlene."
"Hi," Jane muttered, "I am just hanging around for today."
"Oh, well, we could sure use an extra body. Do you know how to wait tables?"
Jane sighed, "I don't know."
"Well, come on. I'll show you. You can at least bus the tables if we need you." Arlene waved her across the floor.
Jane glanced at Sam; he nodded it was okay. She followed Arlene. The woman talked a mile a minute, showing her a million things. She did her best to keep it all straight.
People started coming in as Arelene finished the quick-fire lesson. Sookie came out from the back.
"Just keep that all straight and you'll be fine." Arlene headed off to her first table of customers.
Jane leaned on the bar; her head spinning. Sam watched her. "Anything familiar?"
She shrugged, "I'm too confused to know." She smiled at him.
He nodded, "Give it time, you might get it all back."
"Yeah." She stared at the scars on her arms. She had no clue how they had gotten there.
"Hey Jane!" Arlene called, "Come here, take this order for me."
Jane sighed and headed over; and that was how she ended up spending the day at Merlotte's. It wasn't until several hours later, as she was carrying yet another tray of food to her tables; that all this felt familiar. She knew she had done this before; at some distant time and place.
Sam waved her over at shift change, "How you holding up?"
"Good, actually." She set her tray on the bar, "I think I've done this before."
He smiled, "That's great news!" He eyed her shirt, "What size are you?"
Jane arched a brow at him; he laughed, "You might as well wear the bar shirt if you're going to wait tables. I have a few in the back; go take a look around. See if you can find a size that fits."
"Okay," Jane left her tray on the bar and hustled to the back. It didn't take long to find the shirts he'd mentioned. She found a t-shirt that fit and hurried back. Her other shirts rolled up under one arm.
Sam held out a hand, she gave them over. He stowed them under the bar. "You feel up for more work?"
"Yes, actually. I feel really good."
"You're ankle is okay?"
She nodded, "Yes."
"Okay, just be sure you take a break in an hour. When you're ready you can leave."
"And go where?"
He paused, thinking for a second. "Right, well…I guess you'd head back to the trailer."
"Jane, table up!" Arlene shouted at her.
"Gotta go," Jane grabbed her tray and hurried to her assigned section.
Sam wasn't on shift anymore, but he watched from the bar. Jane Doe, as he had called her, seemed comfortable here. She moved with ease and relaxation. It seemed as though she was familiar with how a bar ran.
A sudden influx of people crowded the bar, Tara was overwhelmed. He moved to help, but Jane was faster. She slid behind the bar.
"What can I get you?" She asked.
"Whisky sour, hold the cherry." A regular asked.
She moved fast, really fast. Mixing the drink with ease. She it handed over, quoted the correct price, and made change in a flash. "Next?"
Tara looked over at her, "This aint no fancy college bar, Jane."
Jane ignored her, taking the next order. She whipped up the next drink and slid across the bar. Those standing there noticed her speed.
"Hey Tara, can I get another pitcher of Dixie Draft?" Sookie asked as she stepped up. She noticed her friend's expression; looking over to Jane.
Sam was impressed to see her flip a bottle in mid air; she caught it, pouring out the exact amount. She did a few more fancy moves as she mixed the drink. She had flare training, he smiled. The crowd was enjoying the show; orders were coming. Money was being made; he was pleased.
Tara filled up the pitcher, "Where do you suppose Sam found her?"
Sookie shrugged, "Does it matter?"
"He should have told me he was hiring a new bartender." Tara muttered. She looked at Sookie, "Why didn't he say anything?"
Sookie shrugged, "No clue," She grabbed the pitcher, turned and headed back to her table.
The evening rush died down; the bar settled into its usual rhythm. Sam stepped out from where he'd been watching; Jane wiped down the bar.
"You've worked a bar before." He muttered.
"So it seems," She tossed the towel over her shoulder, "Wish I knew when."
He sat down on the stool in front of her, "Well, you're welcome to stay on if you want."
She looked up at him, surprise crossed her face. "Really? But I have no name, no SIN card. How would you pay me?"
"Cash," He said lightly, "At least until you figure out who you are." His cell phone went off; he frowned at the number, answering it. "Eric?"
Jane was called over by a customer, she took his order while Sam talked with the vampire. She came over when he hung up.
"Eric? The man from Fangtasia?" She asked.
"We were supposed to stop by tonight." Sam sighed, "I forgot about it."
"That makes two of us."
He chuckled, "Well, you've got a good reason."
"Yeah, I guess I do." Another customer called her over, Jane crossed to him.
Sam stood up and ran a hand through his hair. She came back to him.
"He's pissed that we forgot; and wants us to stop by."
"Did he say when?"
"Now," Sam rubbed his forehead, "I sure hope you don't work for him.
"You don't like him?" Jane asked, she thought back to seeing Eric last night. He had been so familiar to her. Perhaps she did work for him. But then, why wouldn't Pam recognize her?
Sookie came out onto the floor with her tray; she paused, looking to the door. Sam turned and Jane looked over as Eric and Pam walked in. There was a murmur from the customers as they noticed the vampires.
Eric strolled into the room like a king viewing his domain. Pam was a step behind, her expression was arrogant. Eric gave Sookie a long look before he focused on Sam and Jane. They came to the bar; Eric looked over it, resting his hands on the smooth surface.
"Sorry we forgot," Jane said gently, "Last night was a bit overwhelming."
Eric regarded her coolly, "Even one with your condition wouldn't forget something that soon."
Jane shrugged, "It could be progressively getting worse. Or perhaps you're just not that memorable."
Sam arched a brow; he had to keep himself from smiling. Eric stared at her for a long moment; leaning forward slightly. Jane didn't move back.
"Cocky words for a human with no memory." He said quietly.
Jane didn't blink, "You obviously have something or you wouldn't be here. You're too important, isn't that right, Eric?"
He tipped his head to the side, "You speak with authority; perhaps something has come back?"
"No, you just don't intimidate me. Gorgeous men rarely do."
He smiled at her, "You think I'm gorgeous?"
She crossed her arms then, staring at him. "You've got a pretty face, nice body and could be charming. But I don't think much of pretty faces. They don't tend to have much underneath."
Jane saw the slight change in his body language and jumped backward, his grabbed air. He blinked a moment, startled. He smiled, "Good instincts."
Sam stepped toward Eric; forcing him a step back from the bar. The taller man stared down at the shorter one. "You came here; so get to it." Sam said coolly.
Eric reached into the pocket of his leather jacket. He held out a wallet. "Pam found this in the ladies room, after you left."
Sam snatched it from him and handed it Jane. She accepted the black leather accessory. It didn't feel familiar; or even look like hers. But then, she had no idea what her wallet shouldn't looked like.
Jane opened it, her hopes blew up. There was no photo ID. But there were cards, some plastic, others paper. One of them tugged at her memory. She took out one of the paper cards. The material felt familiar; she'd handled this before. Judging from the worn corners, she'd touched it a lot. There was handwriting across the top of it. She had no idea if it was hers or not.
"I called the number on the card; talked to the man who answered." Eric told her simply. "He's coming down tonight to talk to you."
Jane studied the name typed on the card, "Dr. Iben Rahain." Below the name was a title, psychologist.
"He's my shrink?" She asked, looking at Eric.
"No, the two of you were working on a project together. He wouldn't tell me anything else."
Jane frowned, looking back to the wallet she took out one of the credit cards. "Rosealeigh V. Thane." The name didn't ring any bells or tug at any memories. How could it be that she didn't know the name? Taking out the rest of the plastic she saw the same name. They all belonged to Rosealeigh; perhaps that was her name then.
Sam was watching her, "Anything?"
Jane shook her head, "Nothing, I've got nothing." She closed the wallet, tossing it on the bar. "The name doesn't mean a thing to me." Frustration closed around her; she ran her fingers though her hair; sighing. "Thanks for bringing this to me, Eric. I'm sorry it doesn't help."
"Well, it does, a little." Sam countered gently, "Dr. Rahain is coming to see you. Maybe he'll help jog the memories."
"Yeah, or it could be a big trick." Jane muttered. She stared hard at Eric for a long time. "How do I know you didn't plant that card or those credit cards? You could have arranged for one of your flunkies to pose as this Dr. Rahain. I don't know the name; I have no idea who the man is. You could be fucking around with me."
Eric let the surprise show on his face, "Shrewd and brave, that's rare."
Sam narrowed his eyes at the vampire, "So it was a trick!?"
"No," Eric shook his head, "It's not a trick. That wallet was found, with those cards, in the ladies room after you left. Pam brought it to me tonight."
"Did Dr. Rahain report me as missing or something?" Jane asked.
"He really didn't want to talk to me." Eric told her
"Gee, I wonder why," Jane sniped, he looked at her. She shook her head, "Thanks again, Eric. Perhaps it will come back when I see him."