And so it was that the friends sleeping in the trees as dawn broke numbered
ten. The eleventh member of their travelling party was missing; somewhere
in these unrecognisable woods. She was wounded, they feared. That she was
somewhere safe they hoped.
Rosie was the first to awake, She sat up quietly, careful not to wake Marius who lay sleeping by her side. She stretched and looked around the clearing. Lucy and Martin were leaning against a large boulder, their arms around each other with his head resting on hers. Mark slept with Bertrande snuggled up to his side, his arm around her protectively. Jenny and their latest friend Amos were laid facing each other, their hands clasped tightly between them. Guillaume was sat, leaning against a tree. The tracks of tears were clearly evident upon his cheeks. Phillipe was sat opposite him, even as he slept his face held an expression of thought and a frown. Rosie didn't doubt for a second that Guillaume had cried himself to sleep. They had searched the trees and bushes for as long as they could without light and before tiredness took over. They had found no sign of Jo anywhere. Rosie looked up at the lightning sky and sighed. " Jo…where are you?" She glanced back down at the sleeping form next to her. Rosie tried to think how she would feel if Marius vanished. She shuddered at the thought of losing someone who had become so dear to her. Marius stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes. A smile crept across his face as he looked up into Rosie's face. He stretched and sat up next to her.
" What are you doing up so early?" he smiled, slipping an arm around her.
" Oh…just thinking…" Rosie sighed wearily.
" …about Jo?" Marius' voice grew heavy.
" …yes…and about how much I love you…" she smiled, kissing him gently. They held each other for a moment, both trying to hold back the tears that pricked the back of their eyes.
" So…" Marius gasped, gently pulling away from Rosie. " Any idea which musical we've landed in this time?" Searching the trees once more for a clue Rosie shrugged.
" No idea…" she smiled to herself, " …one with a forest in it!" Marius shook his head and smiled at her. " What…?!" Rosie asked.
" We're not in a forest…at least I don't think we are…" started Marius. " Remember last night while we were looking…Martin walked into something hard…he said it wasn't a tree…Lucy said he was tired and must have been imagining things…?" Rosie nodded slowly, still unsure.
" Yes…but…?"
" I don't think Martin imagined anything…" Marius continued, Rosie frowned slightly. "…how many forests…or woods…do you know that have a wall around them…?" Rosie blinked as she realised what Marius was saying.
" …a garden…" she muttered as she looked at the trees around them, viewing them in a different light. " Well…judging by the trees…I don't think this is 'The Secret Garden'…" she continued, talking half to herself.
" Secret…? What…?" Marius frowned as Rosie rolled her eyes.
" 'The Secret Garden' is another musical. It's set in Yorkshire in England, where we're all from!" she smiled. " These large poplars and fruit bearing trees wouldn't do too well up North!" she laughed gently and was glad to see Marius smile back at her.
" So if we're not in Yorkshire…where are we…?"
" Not sure…I'm trying to think of musicals that had key scenes in gardens…but…I can't think of any!" Rosie shrugged, her smile fading slightly. " Jo would…She'd know by now!!" she tried to laugh but her throat had gone dry all of a sudden. " She probably knows exactly where she is…" Rosie's brown eyes met Marius' for a moment, "…wherever she is…"
* * * * * * * *
The throbbing pain in her head had lessened but only to replaced by another feeling of discomfort. She sat in the 'bed' that the man called Judas had given her, hugging her knees to her chest as she tried to remember. Anything. Something. She wanted to know where she had come from. Where the painful marks on her neck had come from. Why Judas' face seemed so familiar to her, even though he assured her that they had never met before. Who Guillaume was and why his name plagued her thoughts. She wanted to know who the people were that she had spoken of in her deep sleep, their names seemed so familiar but she didn't know why. Most of all, she wanted to know who she was, know her name. As hard as she tried; she couldn't remember. She was certain that Lucy, Rosie, Jenny and Bertrande were not her, their faces eluded her but somehow she knew that none of those names were hers. She sighed and looked around her. This was Judas' home she assumed. Very few personal belongings were evident and the room itself was sparsely furnished. A simple table, chair and the 'bed' in which she sat, was all the furniture she could see. The 'bed' consisted of some blankets and sheets; a makeshift mattress and pillow, stuffed with what felt like wool. Judas lay sleeping across the door. She looked at his sleeping form and wondered who he was. His clothing seemed very familiar to her. Black jeans, a red t-shirt and a black leather jacket, which he had removed and used to cover himself. It was his eyes that she was so certain she knew. The darkest brown, almost black, in colour. When they looked into hers she could almost feel his gaze penetrating her. They were framed by dark eyebrows and well defined features. She stifled a yawn and glanced out of the window. Dawn was breaking, the air was gradually filling with birdsong. A groan in the room forced her gaze back inside.
" Good morning…" the voice came across the room.
" Good morning Judas," she smiled as she watched him stretch and stand.
" How did you sleep?" he asked, stretching his muscular arms over his head.
" Fine thank you…actually I can't remember the last time I slept that well…" she said and then grinned. " …having said that…I can't remember my name either…!" Judas' eyes twinkled mischievously as his face broke into a cheeky grin.
" This is true…" he stooped and picked up his jacket and shook it. " Well, you may have lost your memory…but you've still got your sense of humour…" he pulled on his jacket and straightened the collar. " You hungry…?" His dark eyes met hers and she nodded.
" Starving!" he nodded as much as to say 'I thought you would be' and opened the door. She stood, stretched and ran her fingers through her long dark hair before walking over to him. " Where are we going…?" she asked as they headed through the door. His smile grew.
" Well…first of all we're going to find some food and then I'm going to introduce you to some friends of mine…" she returned the smile and they continued on their way, Judas walking slightly in front of her to show her the way. A small frown was evident on her face as she walked. Friends Judas had said. The names in her dreams, were they friends? Were they looking for her? Should she be looking for them? She shrugged and focused on following Judas. Maybe one of his friends might be able to help her.
Rosie was the first to awake, She sat up quietly, careful not to wake Marius who lay sleeping by her side. She stretched and looked around the clearing. Lucy and Martin were leaning against a large boulder, their arms around each other with his head resting on hers. Mark slept with Bertrande snuggled up to his side, his arm around her protectively. Jenny and their latest friend Amos were laid facing each other, their hands clasped tightly between them. Guillaume was sat, leaning against a tree. The tracks of tears were clearly evident upon his cheeks. Phillipe was sat opposite him, even as he slept his face held an expression of thought and a frown. Rosie didn't doubt for a second that Guillaume had cried himself to sleep. They had searched the trees and bushes for as long as they could without light and before tiredness took over. They had found no sign of Jo anywhere. Rosie looked up at the lightning sky and sighed. " Jo…where are you?" She glanced back down at the sleeping form next to her. Rosie tried to think how she would feel if Marius vanished. She shuddered at the thought of losing someone who had become so dear to her. Marius stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes. A smile crept across his face as he looked up into Rosie's face. He stretched and sat up next to her.
" What are you doing up so early?" he smiled, slipping an arm around her.
" Oh…just thinking…" Rosie sighed wearily.
" …about Jo?" Marius' voice grew heavy.
" …yes…and about how much I love you…" she smiled, kissing him gently. They held each other for a moment, both trying to hold back the tears that pricked the back of their eyes.
" So…" Marius gasped, gently pulling away from Rosie. " Any idea which musical we've landed in this time?" Searching the trees once more for a clue Rosie shrugged.
" No idea…" she smiled to herself, " …one with a forest in it!" Marius shook his head and smiled at her. " What…?!" Rosie asked.
" We're not in a forest…at least I don't think we are…" started Marius. " Remember last night while we were looking…Martin walked into something hard…he said it wasn't a tree…Lucy said he was tired and must have been imagining things…?" Rosie nodded slowly, still unsure.
" Yes…but…?"
" I don't think Martin imagined anything…" Marius continued, Rosie frowned slightly. "…how many forests…or woods…do you know that have a wall around them…?" Rosie blinked as she realised what Marius was saying.
" …a garden…" she muttered as she looked at the trees around them, viewing them in a different light. " Well…judging by the trees…I don't think this is 'The Secret Garden'…" she continued, talking half to herself.
" Secret…? What…?" Marius frowned as Rosie rolled her eyes.
" 'The Secret Garden' is another musical. It's set in Yorkshire in England, where we're all from!" she smiled. " These large poplars and fruit bearing trees wouldn't do too well up North!" she laughed gently and was glad to see Marius smile back at her.
" So if we're not in Yorkshire…where are we…?"
" Not sure…I'm trying to think of musicals that had key scenes in gardens…but…I can't think of any!" Rosie shrugged, her smile fading slightly. " Jo would…She'd know by now!!" she tried to laugh but her throat had gone dry all of a sudden. " She probably knows exactly where she is…" Rosie's brown eyes met Marius' for a moment, "…wherever she is…"
* * * * * * * *
The throbbing pain in her head had lessened but only to replaced by another feeling of discomfort. She sat in the 'bed' that the man called Judas had given her, hugging her knees to her chest as she tried to remember. Anything. Something. She wanted to know where she had come from. Where the painful marks on her neck had come from. Why Judas' face seemed so familiar to her, even though he assured her that they had never met before. Who Guillaume was and why his name plagued her thoughts. She wanted to know who the people were that she had spoken of in her deep sleep, their names seemed so familiar but she didn't know why. Most of all, she wanted to know who she was, know her name. As hard as she tried; she couldn't remember. She was certain that Lucy, Rosie, Jenny and Bertrande were not her, their faces eluded her but somehow she knew that none of those names were hers. She sighed and looked around her. This was Judas' home she assumed. Very few personal belongings were evident and the room itself was sparsely furnished. A simple table, chair and the 'bed' in which she sat, was all the furniture she could see. The 'bed' consisted of some blankets and sheets; a makeshift mattress and pillow, stuffed with what felt like wool. Judas lay sleeping across the door. She looked at his sleeping form and wondered who he was. His clothing seemed very familiar to her. Black jeans, a red t-shirt and a black leather jacket, which he had removed and used to cover himself. It was his eyes that she was so certain she knew. The darkest brown, almost black, in colour. When they looked into hers she could almost feel his gaze penetrating her. They were framed by dark eyebrows and well defined features. She stifled a yawn and glanced out of the window. Dawn was breaking, the air was gradually filling with birdsong. A groan in the room forced her gaze back inside.
" Good morning…" the voice came across the room.
" Good morning Judas," she smiled as she watched him stretch and stand.
" How did you sleep?" he asked, stretching his muscular arms over his head.
" Fine thank you…actually I can't remember the last time I slept that well…" she said and then grinned. " …having said that…I can't remember my name either…!" Judas' eyes twinkled mischievously as his face broke into a cheeky grin.
" This is true…" he stooped and picked up his jacket and shook it. " Well, you may have lost your memory…but you've still got your sense of humour…" he pulled on his jacket and straightened the collar. " You hungry…?" His dark eyes met hers and she nodded.
" Starving!" he nodded as much as to say 'I thought you would be' and opened the door. She stood, stretched and ran her fingers through her long dark hair before walking over to him. " Where are we going…?" she asked as they headed through the door. His smile grew.
" Well…first of all we're going to find some food and then I'm going to introduce you to some friends of mine…" she returned the smile and they continued on their way, Judas walking slightly in front of her to show her the way. A small frown was evident on her face as she walked. Friends Judas had said. The names in her dreams, were they friends? Were they looking for her? Should she be looking for them? She shrugged and focused on following Judas. Maybe one of his friends might be able to help her.