Sanctuary - Brandy and Tears Part 4
… "Hello is someone there?" Helen asked pulling a revolver out of the purse she now carried everywhere. She could sense someone was there and her thoughts as ever went straight to John. Her heart leaped into throat not just in fear but if she was honest also longing. It had been ten long lonely years since she had last seen him. She knew the Sanctuary was all locked up and could only think one person who could so easily get in.
""Helen" called a voice she was so shocked to recognize she dropped the gun. Not her John as she had feared / hoped but someone far more frightening walked towards her - Dr Helen Magnus. Not the Helen Magnus she knew in the mirror. This Helen's hair was darker and she was dressed strangely in men's clothes but clearly still her own self stood in front of her.
For a minute the two Helen's stood staring at each other. The dark haired Helen thinking this was a huge mistake. And the blonde one wondering weather she was going insane. They both spoke at the same time.
"I know …." the dark haired Helen begin.
"How?" the blonde haired Helen asked in astonishment.
The dark haired Helen took a deep breath and said "I know this makes no sense as its impossible but I know you will believe me when I say I'm from the future."
The blonde Helen took a deep breath. She thought maybe her mind was playing tricks on her so reached out and was shocked to feel the solidness of the vision in front of her. She drew in another deep breath as her mind raced. If she could touch she was real and that only left one possibility. "Your either from the future or I've finally lost my mind!" she finally replied.
The future Helen laughed self mockingly, knowing exactly how much the younger women believed the idea to be mad. "Your not insane though that's what I said when I heard he was attempting Time travel."
The young Helen was still struggling to accept that in the future time travel was possible but the proof was stood in front of her.
"Who was attempting….."
"You know I can't tell you" interrupted the future Helen. Knowing the younger women would understand the damage that could be done by changing the past.
The younger Helen nodded. If indeed she was from the future the slightest thing could have far reaching repercussions. The world as the future Helen knew it may never exist. "No. I guess you cant. The butterfly effect." she said understanding. "I'm also guessing your coming to see me is off up most importance else you wouldn't be here."
The future Helen sighed "No I should not be here at all" shaking her head disbelievingly at herself, "but I find as I am here I can't bring myself to pass up the opportunity to try to change the future." she painfully confessed. Shaking her head at her own weakness.
"John…." the younger Helen said with longing revealing the depth of her feeling for him still. The future Helen looked at her and nodded. Too choked with the agonising memories of things yet to pass. Of losses so great she knew she couldn't let herself go through them again.
"Your too late" continued the younger Helen with a catch in her voice. "We've already injected the source blood."
"I know" said the future Helen "but you can still help him." she admitted softly trying to contain her overwhelming grief.
"How?" Pleaded the younger women not trying to hide her need for the man who was a insane murderer.
The future Helen took a deep breath and held up her hands "I'm desperately trying not to change the future too much. My simply being here could have catastrophic effects. You know I cant tell you ."
"But!.." the younger women began to argue.
"But I can tell you he will come to you." the future Helen said overriding her protest.
"He'll come to me?" the younger Helen asked hopefully / fearfully.
The future Helen nodded "Yes and you must listen to him. Hear him out. And then you must find a way to help him. It can be done." The future Helen insisted trying to convey a thousand messages in a look. Wanting to say so much more but not daring too.
"Soon?" the younger women asked longingly.
The future Helen sighed "That I don't know. I never understood in my time line. I couldn't help him" She confessed painfully and drew in a deep breath. "But I've told John the truth now. He knows a cure can be found. He just has to ask for help and you know how he loves to ask for help." she continued with a sad mocking smile.
The younger Helen gave sad smile in reply "Proud and stubborn till the end".
The future Helen laughed bitterly. "Yes that's our John."
The two women looked at each other and then the elder Helen gave herself a mental shake " I have to go" she said but made no move to leave.
Their eyes met the older women desperately wanting to tell it all. Tell that there was a horror greater than losing John to face.
"What is it?" asked the younger women understanding there was more the older Helen wanted to say.
"I cant.." the older Helen said suddenly turning away and moving quickly towards the door but when she got there she stopped. She pulled out an envelope and laid it on the table by the door.
"Do we still love him?" the younger Helen asked desperately. The future Helen turned to give her a desolate look. The pain of having lied too and then losing her future John burning raw and excruciatingly inside her. Agonizing with the fact he died thinking she didn't care.
"For all eternity!" she confessed devastatingly and was gone…
….Helen dragged her gaze back from the flames to the two people beside her who meant the everything to her. She looked at Ashley knowing John knew most of all that followed. "At first I thought I'd dreamt it" she said smiling self mockingly at her daughter. "Until I saw the envelope with my name on in my own handwriting. Handwriting I'd never written." Helen paused.
"Mom what did the letter say?" Ashley asked. Ashley was struggling to believe that her Mom had been visited by her future self but she knew from the conviction of her Mother's voice that she believed it was real. And this was her Mom. The most sane grounded person she knew and if she believed it was true then that was good enough for Ashley.
Helen smiled dolefully at her "So you still don't believe I've gone nuts then?" she asked her daughter.
"Mom after all you've been through and seen I reckon you would well be in your rights to be insane" Ashley replied smiling sadly back at her mother "but you're the most sane grounded person I've ever met."
Helen laughed "That makes sound very old and boring"
Ashley joined her in her laughter "You may well be very old mother but I don't think anyone would dare call you boring!" At this John joined the two women laughing.
"I couldn't agree more" he said smiling at them both. He caught Helen's eyes and she gave a slight nod which sobered John. He turned his gaze to the young women who was his daughter.
"I also know your mother not to be mad as the future Helen Magnus also paid myself a visit." He said gravely - himself becoming lost in his past…..