Chapter 15: A Memory

July 2015

"What the fuck is this Anna?" Elsa asked her sister. "Is this…true?"

Tears were coming to her eyes. If the article was true, then that would mean she was the most hated person in Arendelle as well as the horrific serial killer in Arendellian history. That would explain everything; why Anna thought she was faking her brain damage, why Jack left her and why her children hated her.

"Yeah, it's true," Anna sighed. "Look, I didn't know how to tell you."

"Anna, how could I have done these things?" more tears were streaming down her face. "How could I be this person?"

"Trust me, I wanted to know the answer to that too," Anna said. "Look, before your attack, you were a different person, you had this…evil attached to you. That is the only way I know how to describe it. Then you were attacked and suffered brain damage. That caused you to forget and become a different person, a person who wasn't a monster, wasn't someone who killed for fun."

"Killed for fun?" Elsa shrieked. "Fucking hell, I was that kind of person? A sick person?"

"Look Elsa," Anna took her hand. "The fact that you are reacting like this means that you are no longer that person. That side is gone."

"Is it though?" more tears came flooding down her face. "Anna, what if that all comes back to me? What if that side isn't gone?"

"Well, you just have to promise that the second you start feeling like that again, you tell me, okay?"

Elsa nodded. "I promise."

January 2016

Anna and Elsa were sitting in court in front of a panel of judges. In the last six months, Anna had filed for a motion for Elsa's sentence to be changed to home detention. She was arguing that the person they had locked up had died in the attack. Several expert witnesses including Dr Banke had testified to this fact. They had all been in agreement – the brain damage to Elsa was enough to alter her personality in a significant way that it meant that the evil part of her was gone and wasn't coming back.

Not everyone was thrilled with the news of this. Many people didn't believe Elsa's brain damage story and others just wanted her to stay locked up for her crimes. In the six months, Elsa had been kept in an isolated cell in prison to protect her from the other inmates. They still hadn't caught who had done it but Anna did know that some guards got fired as they were suspected of being involved.

Anna was looking at the panel of judges. They had been debating for days and days on this case. The experts had been called at least three different times and had subjected Elsa to a series of tests. They all just kept saying the same thing. However, Anna knew that they were facing a lot of pressure from the public. The case was very public and everyone had an opinion on what they should do.

"I don't see why we are bothering," Elsa muttered to her sister. "I mean, it's not like they are going to set me free. You saw the mob outside. They all want my head."

"Well, they're not going to," Anna replied. "If they listen to the science, they will realise that you are no longer the person that you used to be."

"We have made our decision," one of the judges – the one sitting in the middle – said. "Elsa Winters, please rise." Elsa did so, trembling slightly. "We have reviewed the medical evidence presented here today as well as the character testimony from your family. We have decided to change your sentence. You will no longer be in prison but instead, you will be on home detention."

Elsa was gaping as the judge said these things. Even Anna was shocked. Yes, she wanted to believe with her heart that she knew that this was going to be the outcome but at the same time, she was sure that they would cave to the pressure that society was giving them.

"There will be rules, you will have to remain at your sister's house and if you wished to go anywhere, you must do so with the presence of an officer, I believe Captain Bunnymund has offered to be that person for you," the judge nodded in the direction of Bunnymund who stood up when his name was called.

"Yes, your honour," Bunnymund said.

"You will also have to wear an ankle monitor," the judge continued. "Any international travel is banned, you will have to surrender your passport, you may not leave Arendelle without express permission from this court and you will have mandatory therapy sessions to monitor how you are doing. Are we in agreement?"

"Yes, your honour," Elsa nodded.

"Very well," the judge banged his gavel. "Elsa Winters, you are free to go."

Elsa turned to look at her sister.

"Okay, did that happen?" she asked, hoarsely.

"Apparently so!" Anna exclaimed. "Now come on, we gotta get you home!"

Elsa couldn't believe it when she set foot in Anna's house later that night. It was strange to think she was no longer in prison. Bunnymund helped Anna bring Elsa's things inside while Kristoff set her up on the fold out couch.

"Thanks for your help Bunnymund," Elsa said.

"No problem Elsa," Bunnymund responded. "It's just…well nice to see you like this again and not like…"

Elsa knew what he was referring to. She had been told about her interview with the police and it had terrified her. Had she really said and done those things in the interview? It was probably something that would haunt her for the rest of her life. At least she didn't see the videotape of the interview. That would probably have caused her to be sick.

"We'll leave you to it," Anna said, "Bathroom is through there," Anna pointed down a nearby hallway, "and the kitchen is that way. Goodnight sis."

Elsa bade them both goodnight and then sat down on her fold out bed. This felt so weird and new to her. There were pictures of her on the mantle that she had zero memory of and this house…she must have been in this place before but there wasn't any memory of it but yet…there was a sense of familiarity with it.

She lay her head on the pillow and pulled the blankets up. So, she was free. That was a relief. She didn't know how much longer she could handle prison. Everything about it scared her. There were people in there for truly terrifying crimes. That was when she had to force herself to remember that she was guilty of horrific crimes too. She had been in there for a reason. At least now that reason was gone.

She turned on her side and stared at the wall where a family photo of Anna's family hung. It looked like it was taken quite recently. They all looked so happy in that photo and she had ruined that happiness, firstly, being this crazy killer and secondly, confusing them all with her sudden change of personality. Ugh, what she wouldn't give if she could undo her entire life and start over again. Well, maybe this was her chance to start over. Maybe this was the do over she wanted. That could be something…

Her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

She was walking through the brush; a torch was in her hand and it was swinging back and forth as if it was searching for something. She passed giant oak trees and fought her way through large plants that were blocking her way. She seemed to be searching for something but what that was, she didn't know.

Soon she came to a small clearing where there was no grass but a patch of dirt. An excitement filled her. Something had told her that she had been here before. Getting closer to the dirt, she realised that she was dragging something in a garbage bag but whatever was inside she didn't know. On her back, was a bag and inside was a spade. Using that, she started to dig and soon a ditch was made. Throwing down the spade, she bent down to pick up the garbage bag. It was heavy and required all of her strength. As she pulled on it, it left drag marks in the dirt and she heaved it into the pit she had dug. Using the spade again, she threw the dirt back on top of it.

Gathering up her things, she left the area with a sense of excitement still within her.

Elsa bolted right up. She knew what that dream had been about. She had been burying a body. Fear set in as she ran her hands through her hair. Her heart was racing and she couldn't calm down.

"Aunt Elsa?" Elsa whirled around and realised that she wasn't alone. Her niece Helena was watching her, a glass of water in her hand.

"Helena, what time is it?" Elsa asked the twelve-year-old.

"One in the morning," Helena walked over to her. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Can you keep a secret Helena?" Elsa asked her niece who nodded. "I think it was me…burying a body."

Helena's eyes lit up – certainly not the reaction Elsa had been expecting.

"Do you know where it was?"

"A clearing in the woods," Elsa paused to think. "There were some oaks nearby."

"Oh, I know where that is," Helena clapped her hands together. "My friends and I play in those woods all the time. Let's go!"

"Wait, what?!" Elsa was shocked.

"Look Aunt Elsa, you didn't tell everyone where the rest of the people you killed were, this could be the place, we could help the police."

Elsa thought this over. That did sound like a really good idea. Suddenly, she was wide awake and didn't care that she wasn't supposed to leave.

"Let's do it!"

Half an hour later, the pair of them, still in their pyjamas but with jackets and boots on set on a mission throughout the Arendelle woods. Elsa could feel her feet taking her in a direction that she didn't seem to understand. It was as if her feet remembered where to go but she didn't. Helena was able to help to, pointing them in the direction of where they needed to go. A part of Elsa thought this was pure madness but there was another part of her that hoped that they could help the police. If what Helena said was true and there were more victims out there, then she had to do her best to try and help these people.

They seemed to walk for an age. Wherever this place was, it was certainly a hike to get to. Elsa couldn't imagine herself being able to drag a dead body all the way out here, but maybe that was why the police never found the bodies. They didn't take into account what past Elsa was willing to do.

"Just through here," Helena said, reaching into her thoughts and pulling her out of them.

Together they came across several large oak trees and Elsa realised that they were the same ones in her dream. She didn't know how she knew that. All oaks surely looked the same, but there was something about these oaks that was different. Together the aunt and niece fought through the brush and found themselves in a clearing that Elsa recognised from her dream. Yep, they were in the right place.

"Now what?" Elsa asked.

"Now we look for bodies," Helena said, looking excited.

Elsa gulped. She had been afraid that was what they had to do. Carefully using their torches, they scanned the area, looking for any dirt that had been disturbed. Elsa's feet lead her in a certain direction – as if she was following what she had done in the dream. A large patch of dirt that looked dug up was in front of her.

"Over here," Elsa called out to her niece.

Helena pulled out a small trowel she had taken from her mother's gardening tool kit and started to dig. Elsa used her hands to help. Soon, they came across what they were looking for — a large garbage bag. Using some scissors, Helena cut the bag open releasing a pungent smell. That was when they came face to face with a human skull.

"What the…" Elsa looked down at it.

"Um, Aunt Elsa, that's not our only problem," Helena said.

Elsa looked up and she saw her niece shining a torch all over the clearing. There were many places where the earth had been dug up. Elsa's mouth dropped open and a fear set in again. How many bodies were here?

A/N: Dun dun dunnnn. Stay tuned for more.

Reviews:

Collington: Yeah the kids did which I think is understandable. It will be hard but they may be able to make a good go at it? Yep that's how those stories go but will this one go like that? Hmmmm.