If I could turn back time

Time: 15:18. June 11, 2021.
Location: A country road in the outskirts of the forest.  
Weather: It’s twenty degrees and cloudy. The first drops of rain have started to fall.
Appearance: A white wedding gown and diamond jewelry. Her dark brown hair is styled in a bun with a few strands of hair framing her face. The upper and right side of her dress is stained with blood. The splatters having reached the side of her neck as well.
Dedicated to: @Cassian

Jeneva knew that she had to be insane. There could be no other explanation. None whatsoever.
She inhaled deeply, trying to calm the hyperventilation that she'd had for the past minutes. Feeling utterly breathless at this point. She knew that it wasn’t a nightmare, despite how much she wished for it to be just that. A nightmare due to her wedding jitters. She looked up at the dark clouds that sinisterly stared down at her. It all looked and felt so real, which only could mean that she'd officially lost it. And that it had been a hallucination. There was no other way that her ex and family could have disappeared into thin air unless it was something she’d imagined. The scene of the church had been completely evacuated. There were no traces of blood. There was no dead fiancé lying on the floor. The interior even looked different. She lowered her gaze to the blood on the side of her dress, closing her eyes tightly and hoping that once she opened them, the blood would be gone. But all that did was bring her back to the ceremony. Of her looking into her fiancé’s eyes, only to be interrupted by her ex-boyfriend. He’d barged through the doors, and before people could try to get him out, he’d pulled a firearm and shot her fiancé.

Her heart was racing in her chest and tears kept streaming down her face. Because why now? She’d worked so hard to graduate that year, to live a normal life despite her condition, and now she’d probably end up in a mental asylum. Locked up just like her biological mother. The one thing she’d tried so hard to avoid.
Crack. She tumbled slightly to the side as her heel broke and grabbed onto the nearest corn stalk. Just when she’d thought the day couldn’t get much worse. She let out an exasperated sigh as she took off both of her heels, holding them in her hand as he continued down the side of the road. She didn’t really have anywhere else to go than her apartment in Aston, so when she saw an old bus sign further ahead, she hoped it’d give her some sense of direction. She didn’t even know how she’d gotten here nor if what she was seeing was real or not. But the more she thought about that, the worse her breathing got. And then it started to rain, very lightly, but it was just another thing that she didn’t need. She was already feeling cold. She finally reached the bus stop and got under the half-roof, sheltering her at least a bit from the rain. But the bus schedule was of... paper? And it occurred to her that it was probably one of those old, abandoned ones that they’d yet to take down. She then moved her eyes to the deserted road, hoping that at least someone would pass by. She had no money on her anyway, so who knew if the bus would even allow her to get on.

He was driving back home after being in Amena this morning, one of their shipments had somehow ended up in the wrong part of the country and Cassian had personally taken the trip down there to make sure that it wouldn’t happen again. It had really only been a good excuse to get out of the office and away from Gaia. After finding out that he had a son, a son that his former lover had kept a secret from him and then raised him with another man making him think in the start that it was his? Normally Cassian saw himself as a very down to earth and calm man, one that didn’t jump to conclusions or got very angry. But that woman, she had no right in keeping it from him, especially as she knew that he didn’t want kids.

A song started playing on the radio; Nobody likes moving on. Cassian rolled his eyes, what was this, the universe tried to make him think about not wanting to talk about it with Jezebel? He took in a deep breath and pushed the many thoughts, doubts and wondering aside. Thinking about ‘what ifs’ wouldn’t help him. What was done, was done and now he needed to decide if he wanted to pursue a relationship with his already twenty something son. A son that had a life of his own, a great job and most important of all. He already had a father, so how could he just walk into his newfound son’s life and tell him he wanted to be a part of it now? No, he needed to push these thoughts aside, or he would succumb to the hate and pain that he felt of this betrayal.
He shut off the radio and took a deep sigh, it started raining. Really? He turned on the on the windscreen wiper as the rain started to come down harder than before.

He took a turn trying to delay his arrival to Gaia, these roads were always deserted and even as he was driving there was something quite calming sitting in a car. Even with the rain pouring and making the roads a little more obscure than normal. But even with the limit view the woman standing in one of the bus stops wasn’t something that could go unnoticed. A giant wedding dress, there wasn’t any venues around here, how had she even found herself all the way out here? He took the speed of the car and stopped right beside the bus stop. Making it possible for him to see that the dress wasn’t all white but stained largely with red stains almost making her look like she had stepped out of a Carrie movie. Cassian removed the seatbelt and leaned over to open the door for her “Get in” he said with a concerned look in his eyes, him sitting there in a new washed and ironed white shirt and dress pants. “Don’t even try to argue with me, there won’t be coming anyone by in the next few hours or so, if I remember correctly the bus only comes twice a day, morning and evening” a soft-spoken smile formed on his lips as he moved a little back in his seat waiting patiently for her to hop in.
“Where too?” he didn’t even want to ask what had happened, her looking like that in the middle of nowhere.

At the first sign of a black vehicle, she quickly dried off her tears and inhaled a deep breath, trying to compose herself. However, it did little to diminish the horror show of a bride that she was. She noticed the remnants of mascara on the back of her hand from smudging it, quickly bringing her hand up to dry it off again. She could only dread what the person would say, knowing that she looked like an absolute mess. If they'd even stop by. But if there ever was a time where she needed a stranger's help, it was now. So, she felt utterly relieved when the car slowed down and she took in another deep breath before she stepped up to the curb. She had never seen a vintage car like that, which made her slightly more curious as to who the driver was. She naturally had a voice in the back of her mind, telling her that it was a bad idea to step into a stranger’s car. But she didn’t see much else of an option at this point.

She looked at him the moment he opened the door. He was well-dressed and his car was clean. She immediately got the sense that he was well-positioned in society. Which was a good sign. She parted her rose-colored lips to say something, imagining all the things he must think of her. But quickly pressed them shut when he instructed her to get in. Hesitating for a moment. Not because she was going to argue against him, or pretend that she only needed help with directions, but because it surprised her. One would think he’d ask questions first. Or at the very least show concern about the blood. But he hadn’t. It only made her more convinced of her theory about it all happening in her head. The shooting and the blood. Maybe even him.
She felt utterly delusional at this point, but her options were very limited. Besides, there was no way she was waiting until the evening for a bus that might or might not allow her to get on. “Thank you,” she said, her voice brittle from the emotional state she was in, but she managed to remain fairly calm all things considered. Much unlike what she’d shown the past minutes. The last thing she wanted was to appear as crazy as she felt. She grabbed a hold of the skirt of her dress, lifting it up as she stepped into his car, then ensuring it was all tucked inside before she closed the door.

“I’m Jeneva,” she introduced herself once she was seated, taking a quick look around as she'd never been inside a car that presumably still relied on gas. She buckled the seatbelt on her side, getting yet another view of the blood-soaked part of her dress. Her gaze averted back to him as she asked him where she needed to go. “41 Glenmoore Drive in Aston.” Her lips curved ever so slightly, mostly because she really appreciated this. But it quickly faded as she turned her eyes to the windscreen. Her address was an apartment complex that was built in 2065. She’d just moved into it last month with her fiancé. And all she wanted was to go back home and see him again. To know that all of this was a nightmare. “Is Aston where you’re headed?” she asked as she looked back at him. She’d assumed he’d asked this question before telling her to get in, thinking he was very kind-hearted for being willing to help her regardless of this.

His eyes soften up a bit, the same with his smile. It was clear that this girl was in great distress, and if he hadn’t known better, he would have used a spell to dry her up. But there was to many people living in this world without the knowledge of the supernatural. So, he would rather have her being wet on his seat than potentially scare the living shit out of her. Which really neither was great, but he she could live with being a little cold until she was safely home or maybe she wanted him to take her to the police station. Judging by the way she looked, that could also be a possibility now that she didn’t sound, or seem hurt in any physical way.

“Cassian” he presented himself as when she told him her name. Would have been a great start after letting a stranger sit in his car. Then she told him where she needed to go. His brows glided towards one another. He had never heard about Glenmoore drive, and he knew Aston well. Something didn’t add up, why was a bride even out here of all places? And of course, why was she soaked in blood. She then asked him if it was Aston that he was even going to as he looked at her a little perplexed. “Yes, I live in Aston, and I work there” he stated and put his head a little to the side. “I’m sorry; I’ve just never heard about that street you are asking about, let me just ask the nav-system to find us a route” his tone was soft, even as there was a crisp almost dark undertone to it. He turned on the radio where a female voice talked about the weather they could be expecting for this evening and the next couple of days. He then pulled up the navigation system on the touchscreen and typed in the address that she had spoken off. Choice of a Glenmoore Dr in Clearwater USA or a Glenmore Drive in Birmingham. But nothing in Aston. “Have I spelled it wrong?” he then asked looking at her with a concerned look. "Because honestly, I know Aston pretty well, and I've never heard of that road name" it was hard not to say something that could potentially make her even more scared or pressed over the edge. But he wouldn't be able to help, if he didn't know where to take her, to be with someone she trusted.

As she sat in the warmth of his car, she felt as if her luck had finally turned around. If just a bit. Because here was a kind stranger, whom from what she could tell, seemed perfectly normal. And he just happened to be headed to Aston. Better yet, he hadn't asked about the blood or the tears, putting emphasis on the kindness he'd presented so far. She also knew it most likely was due to him being too polite to ask straight away because surely, he knew that something was very wrong. Even if he didn't see the blood or the wedding dress, the distress was still expressed in her demeanor. She folded her trembling hands in her lap, hoping to calm them as she tried to tell herself that it would all be okay. She didn't react to the fact that he'd never heard of the street before. She didn’t think it so strange, considering how recently it was built. “It’s a fairly new place. It was built two years ago,” she replied quietly, looking slowly to what he called the nav-system as he typed in the address. She wasn’t going to suggest anything such as the system not being updated, because surely that was all automatic. But she had no other explanation as to why the address wasn’t showing up. “No, you spelled it right.” She looked at the screen for a few additional seconds, thinking it had to be the car's aged system that was to blame. “It’s near the castle, right across the street of Restaurant Aquitaine,” she said as she turned her eyes to him. It was a popular restaurant that she visited often, and so she figured he just might know of it. “I can help with the navigation as soon as we get to Aston, otherwise I would appreciate it if you could drop me off somewhere on your way.” She wasn’t in the position to be picky, and she didn't want to be a nuisance to him, making him take a longer reroute just because of her. Besides, she was sure it’d all sort itself out once she could get herself to Aston. At least, she hadn’t thought much further ahead than that. Little did she know, that if he led her to the restaurant, there wouldn’t be anything but a strip mall across from it, built in the early 2000s. Not an apartment complex from 2065.

She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and took another deep breath. “So, Cassian… What kind of work do you do?” she asked, trying to make casual conversation as they made their way towards Aston. She usually had no trouble conversing with people, usually thriving in sociable situations, but right now she couldn’t help but feel beside herself. All she wanted was to go home, take a bath and go to sleep. Hopefully waking up realizing that it all was but a terrible nightmare.

Cassian’s eyes glanced over the blond girls’ facial lines. He was quite sure that there weren’t any new complexes build where she wanted to go. Being one of the bigger companies in the city, it would be weird if there would new buildings being build and him not being involved in some way or another. But he didn’t say anything. As she kept on explaining what was around the place, the crease between his furrowed brows became deeper. Something wasn’t right here. But as she sat there covered in blood and with a facial expression that told him that she had gone something very traumatic, he didn’t want to add to the stress.

“Well then, let’s get you to Aston and then we take it from there” he said with a soft and comforting voice as he put the car back in drive. His eyes quickly made sure that there were no cars coming from behind him before he pulled out and started the drive back to the city. Still with a nagging feeling in the back of his head.

“mmh?” he hummed as she said his name, only shortly taking his eyes from the road towards her. A smile formed on his lips as she asked what he was doing. “I work at my father’s company The Jones cooperation, heard of it?” he asked a little leadingly, now she was speaking about things that wasn’t there anymore. Looked like she had stepped out from the future. Confused, and clearly had eyed his navigation system as it was something a teenager would eye a discman. It might not have been the first train of thought, but Iris his younger sister had ended back in time. He remembered how confused she had been when she finally came back again. But then again, time travel was such a delicate thing, and he would rather rule out other possibilities before he right out asked her; are you from the future?

Now the company of his father had been active since 1901 and had only grown since it had been founded. Weapons was something that would never stop being manufactured and when it was managed with witches that could live forever, there was little to no chance that they would have done anything but become bigger. Especially since they had taken their chance in electronics as well. Going were the future was taking them.

She knew many people living in Aston, most of them through her studies at the university. So, if he could just take her there, she was convinced she’d find someone who could help. Maybe someone would know what had happened. Maybe they could soothe her worries regarding her fiancé, telling her that he was safe. She returned her eyes to him as she mentioned the company he worked for. “I have. The electronics and weapons manufacturer? Seems like it is in high demand these days.” After the war people had become extremely uncertain of the future, wanting to protect themselves against the worst. A company like his had surely flourished despite the recession.

She lowered her gaze to the skirt of her gown, wondering how she’d ever traveled so far in it. It didn’t make any sense. She straightened out a crease in her dress, looking at the ivory nail polish that now wore streaks of blood. It all looked and felt so real. But she knew it couldn’t be. And that was the worst part of all. That empty, muddled space in her mind where a logical explanation was supposed to be. The feeling wasn’t new to her. But it had never been this bad. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to focus on what she knew to be true. The steady sound of the engine. The warmth of the air-conditioning. The rain hitting the windshield. And it soothed her, if just a bit, if only until she opened her eyes and the dubiety returned. Because as she watched the scenery pass her by, things weren’t as they used to be. The gas station on the road to the church looked different. Now it had a convenience store. The cars that passed them were all older models. And it didn’t get better once they reached Aston. Roads she thought she knew so well suddenly looked unfamiliar. A building she had seen getting blown up on the news stood perfectly tall. And all the traffic lights were outdated. And her head ached terribly, overwhelmed by it all. “Cassian, can you tell me what day it is?” she asked, unsure of so much. The question wasn’t too odd, but she felt stupid asking. Because how could she explain it? That she might have fallen asleep and wasn’t sure if it was the following day? She looked at him, not knowing what she hoped to hear. However, the questions kept accumulating and she needed answers. And right now he was the only person who could give her any.

The 11th of June. She exhaled, for a moment thinking she wasn’t as delusional as she’d feared. Even if it most definitely wasn’t her wedding day. But then he followed it with the year 2021, causing everything to crash down inside her. Her heart started pounding and her throat throbbed, and she could slowly feel herself panicking. All the glimpses of hope she’d managed to gather vanished like a passing breeze. “No, that’s… that’s impossible.” Her voice had turned to a whisper as she fell short of breath and perhaps if she didn’t say it too loud, it would somehow make it possible. Somehow… She turned her gaze to him, realizing he most definitely considered her crazy by now, so it would hardly matter if she told him the truth. Besides, part of her knew that she needed to do this for herself. To not underplay her condition or try to run from it. Because it would always follow her. “I get these hallucinations. The doctors say it’s schizophrenia. But I’ve never experienced it get this bad. I’ve only seen people who weren’t there and heard voices, but this time…” She returned her eyes to the landscape, trying to catch her breath as the words came spilling out. “Everything is so foreign to me. I wasn’t even alive in 2021, yet everything looks so detailed like it couldn’t be a dream.” She didn’t even know if he was real because to be fair then what were the odds of a handsome stranger to be this benevolent, to not even mention the blood or the dress, or what in the world she was doing out in the countryside by herself. “There must be something very wrong with me. I mean, I’m imagining myself in a wedding dress.” She waved her hand in front of her skirt before he looked back at him, scoffing faintly as she realized how it had to sound to a complete stranger. If only he knew what she’d imagined preceding their meeting. She then went quiet, trying to convince herself that the gravity of the situation only called for one thing. No matter how much she wished there was another way. “So, if it’s not too much trouble, maybe it would be best to drop me off at the hospital.” As much as it hurt her to say it, she didn’t want her fiancé to see her like this. It would only make it that much worse, and she knew that she needed some sort of medicine because this was nothing like any previous hallucination and it scared her terribly.

He could do that. She exhaled slowly as acceptance settled in her. Now that it was out there, she supposed there really was no turning back. But then he said something that twisted her world around and it ached her head. All that world-spinning. An expression of perplexity came over her face as stared ahead of her, for a moment unsure if she’d heard him right. Because he would be the first to ever believe that. Although she’d try to hide it, the ones closest to her knew of her condition. Sooner or later, she'd slip up and reveal it. He claimed to have met people who could do the same because they were special and she sighed lightly. What kind of nonsense was that? She knew she was special—unique, odd, abnormal. Call it whatever. It was what she’d been told her whole life. But there was something about the way he said it, or the context of it, that made her wonder just what he meant by it. She certainly wanted to know why he didn’t believe her to be schizophrenic if not because he believed her to have another disorder? “You don’t believe I’m—” she paused, trying to let that sink in. A strange feeling flowed through her as it reached out to the possibility that he was right. “No. I’ve gone to many specialists who’ve all said the same.” It wasn’t an easy thing to shake off and distrust. She had many memories of sitting in front of a psychiatrist who told her everything there was to it, that no matter her unique experiences, it was something that could manifest differently depending on the person. “Who are these people you’ve met?” she then asked, knowing that there had to be more to it, for him to bring it up in relation to her. And whatever he had to say, it couldn’t possibly worsen the current situation. Unless it was something along the lines of; you’re a monster. But he seemed so sweet and caring in his mannerism, that she highly doubted that was where the conversation led. He also felt like a powerful character, like he would know these sorts of things, or at least that she shouldn’t doubt the truthfulness of his words. So, she watched him expectantly, wondering what he’d meant when he'd called her special.