Author Note: …Eric needs to watch his attitude…what with curses and such all around!

T7S

Chapter 07 – What Am I Doing Here?

T7S

Flashback 6 Days ago

She was running from shadows and mocking words. There was a loud crash and she knew pain. She felt like a rag doll flying through the air. The shadows were standing over her and she was dying. She knew she was dying. Flashes of red flames lit the backs of her eyes and she saw the kindly face of an old woman, stroking a cat, who whispered, "Point Place."

Belle sat up in bed breathing hard like she had still been running. What was that? A memory? A nightmare? She turned on the lamp and grabbed the tablet from the bedside table. She wrote down what she remembered before the dream faded.

A wreck – was that her car?

4 guys – who were they?

Point Place – why that town?

Red flames – some kind of fire?

A cat and an old woman – what did that mean?

The clock was just about to strike 6:00 o'clock and Belle could hear the animals stirring. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Pawn and Grunt yawned and stretched their furry little legs and curled back up in the warm spot she left behind. Belle scratched the soft furry underbellies. "Do you guys have to go pee?"

Big puppy paws tumbled and tripped as the two Shepards ran to the doggie door. Belle lifted the wood so they could jump outside and do their business. Meanwhile she set about making some coffee. Sleepy Sheep bleated softly beside the stove and Belle grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator and heated the liquid while the coffee brewed.

She sat down at the table looking at her list and trying to figure out the significance of her first real dream. Sleepy suckled on the bottle while Belle scratched the soft wool on her head. "Where did I come from Sleepy?" The lamb opened one lashed eye and disregarded her question. She laughed, "Of course you wouldn't understand. I just know I came from somewhere and it's killing me that I can't remember. None of the magazine pictures are telling me what I don't know." She repositioned the lamb's bottle and continued talking, "I remember a lot of things…events, world events, but nothing personal about me. It's like I was erased from life."

"Oh Lord, I smell coffee!" Tabitha came into the small kitchen wearing her favorite ratty robe, her long braided hair hanging down the middle of her back. "How are you darling? Sleep well?"

"Yes thank you. I had a dream and I don't know if it was a memory or not. Can you help me?"

"Oh, look…you made a new best friend." Sleepy put her little baby head on Jackie's knee and had fallen asleep standing up. "Tabby, do I need to burp her or anything?"

"Nah….she's fine. Where are your two best fellows?" As if summoned, Pawn and Grunt struggled against each other trying to get in through the doggie door. Being the smaller of the two, Pawn squeezed in and somersaulted while Grunt just ran him over yapping happily.

"Why don't you tell me about this dream?" Tabitha asked as she poured some hot black coffee into a chipped cup. Belle, replied, "There were these four shadows….I think they were guys…"

"What are your feelings about them? Do you remember who they were?"

"Well, one had curly hair and one guy was sort of dumb and another was really sarcastic."

Tabby laughed, "Sounds like you were dreaming about the Three Stooges. What about the fourth?"

"He had a lot of dark hair and talked different."

"Oh. That would be Shemp. I had a crush on Curly in my younger days. What else do you recall?"

"There was a nice lady with a cat. She had kind eyes and I think she cared about me."

"You are a sweetheart, everyone should care about you." Tabby exclaimed. "Anything else?"

"A wreck. I dreamed about a wreck and I'm guessing it was my car. Did you see it when you found me?"

"No honey. When I found you it was snowing and you were lying on the bank of the ravine. Maybe your car went over, I don't know….it was dark and snowing and I had Tiny in the back of the truck."

Belle put her hands in her chin. "I wish I knew at least what my name was. Did I have a wallet on me or anything?"

Tabitha replied, "I found a wad of cash in your jacket pocket and there were some items lying on the ground beside you so I scooped them up. I think they're in the shed but nothing to say who you were. I'm sorry dear."

She smiled, "That's okay. Like you said, my memories will come back – I just need to be patient."

T7S

Shaman Sanji's office was a pre-fab modular building in the middle of a snowy field. The old dirt road had turned a fresh layer of snow into an ugly brown muddy slush as the Vista Cruiser slogged up the drive. Fez was careful to sit in the backseat. "Park by the side. You don't want to appear confrontational in front of someone that can save your soul."

"The Vista Cruiser is confrontational?" Eric asked in disbelief. "You have to be kidding me." Still, he walked across the hay strewn walkway and to the glass doors. A bell tinkled over the door and Eric wondered why the Shaman needed that since anyone could hear a car driving up for at least ten minutes!

An olive skinned woman wearing a colorful headdress came out from behind a beaded curtain. "Oh….I am getting bad karma from you." The woman stood back so she could be "out of range" for Eric's bad karma. He looked at Fez, "It's like I have cooties or something!"

"You wish to see Doctor Sanji?"

"I thought he was a Shaman." Eric replied. The woman smiled, "Same thing American. Put your money in the cleansing jar." She pointed to a blue liquid filled container on the edge of the counter. Eric stuffed his money in the handmade slot. She smiled. "Good. Have a seat in the purification chairs and I will tell Sanji that you are waiting."

Fez took deep breath. "Oh Eric, this reminds me so much of being on my island! You will feel better for getting the curse removed."

Eric replied," For a hundred bucks, I better feel something!" The duo sat in the purification chairs for at least ten minutes and then Eric heard chimes. The receptionist came back through the beaded entrance and said, "You will be seen now. Please remove your shoes to leave the evil outside and wash your hands in the cleansing sink."

The men did as instructed and followed the tall woman down a short hallway where she opened a door for them. The room smelled like vanilla incense and was dark. Small squat candles lit the room and the Shaman was sitting cross-legged on the floor.

Fez indicated Eric should sit. "Er, I'm Eric Forman and I'm…."

"…I am aware of why you are here. Please sit in silence for a few moments while I collect myself."

Eric felt very uncomfortable sitting on the floor of a candle filled business office. The desk was overflowing with paperwork and the calendar was from the previous year. Still, he sat next to Fez and closed his eyes.

-o-

Flashback 4 Days Ago

"Well, without a driver's license, you're just going to have to be really careful." Tabitha warned. Belle was jumping at the chance to finally get out of the clinic. The last few days had been just gorgeous! Today, Tabby needed some feed and hay from town and Belle offered to drive.

"Okay, here's the key…if you get pulled over, tell the officer's you are my granddaughter."

"God, I don't even know your last name!"

"Morgan. You will be Belle Morgan. All the state troopers know my truck so you'll be safe in it. This is a map to the feed store. It's in Point Place which is about 30 minutes from here. If you're not back in a couple of hours, I'll start to worry."

Belle smiled. "I'll just go and come back. Maybe I'll see something there that will help me remember." She whistled for the puppies and they ran through the light dust of snow and attempted a jump into Tabby's old Ford truck. Belle laughed and lifted Pawn and Grunt before climbing in. "Do I know how to drive a stick shift?"

Tabby grinned, "I hope so, if not, you'll never make it out of the driveway! Remember; make a left at Paddock Lake!"

-o-

The girl that used to be Jackie Burkhart sped down the road with carefree abandon. She left the passenger window down half way so the dogs could sniff the cold air and it helped revive her. I must smell like the horse and the sheep by now! The Welcome to Point Place sign seemed familiar but didn't jump out at her.

She found the little strip mall easily enough. It was at the edge of town next to a school. She looked at the huge building and couldn't recall being a student there so she shrugged and jumped down from the cab. She told the puppies, "I'll be right back…don't drive off without me!" Pawn whined and scratched at the window while Grunt curled up on the warm drivers seat and went back to sleep.

Minutes later, the bale of hay was loaded and boxes of animal feed were stored next to the tailgate. Jackie/Belle paid the clerk and climbed back up into the cab. She was greeted with wet sloppy puppy kisses and wagging tails. "Okay guys; let's go back so Tabitha doesn't freak out."

Belle drove out the exit and didn't realize it was a right turn only. Great, now she had to turn into the school parking lot just to get back on the street! The old Ford truck bumped over the curb as it jerked into second gear and she made a wide U-Turn before it stalled. Then she saw something that made her heart jump in her chest.

A green and brown station wagon sat in the last stall of the parking lot. It wasn't unique or pretty but there was something about it that disturbed her. It felt like the automobile had something to do with the loss of her memory. She reached across the seat for Tabby's pad of paper. The only piece without out writing on it was pink. She grabbed a pen and scratched out How could you let this happen. Somehow she felt that car was responsible and she was only doing what she could to feel better.

Folding the paper, she half walked, half ran to the car and slid it in the narrow gap between the roof and the top of the window. There was nothing in the car that seemed threatening. Maybe it was the type of car…oh well! She ran back to the truck and headed back for Paddock Lake.

T7S

A/N : To my Nancy Drew….there are clues here….let's see what you find out!