The Times We Loved

Memories

Caroline awoke again smelling the lavender and rabbit stew bubbling away. Her stomach growled demanding to be fed so she moaned back to the pain in her stomach. Then she heard a chuckle coming from her left and saw the pregnant woman tending to a piece of clothing. The woman looked up at Caroline who blushed and held the blanket to her chest tightly.

"Are you hugry young lady?" She smiled pulling the needle and thread through the cloth. "Or is there a monster under that blanket?" Caroline giggled.

Then Caroline gasped when she heard two other people laughing on her right side. One was a high pitched girl laugh and the other was a low chuckle that was almost hard to hear. Caroline looked to her right and saw a teenage girl and a teenage almost young adult looking boy.
They were both blonde but the girl had icy blonde hair with deep blue eyes and the boy had dirty blonde hair and big blue-green eyes.
They were both sat on stools near the fire. The girl was sat up straight making her look taller than the boy sat next to her who was sat back against the wall.

Caroline blushed seeing them both and covered up her arms so only her head was visible. The boy wasn't looking at her but at the pot on the fire. From out of respect for her or scared of being yelled at, Caroline hadn't a clue...

"Okay, this should be better" the woman said tying a knot in the thread and biting it. She began to stand when the blonde girl skipped up to her and took the dress.

"Let me mother, you rest a bit. We don't want you to pop out my little sister yet!" She smiled at her mother and tiptoed over to Caroline and handed her the dress. "Sorry it's a bit tattered, it's my mother's old dress but she doesn't wear it anymore" Caroline nodded and smiled back.

"How do you know it's a girl?" Caroline asked the blonde girl as she was handed the old dress.

"Let's just say that I know" She winked at Caroline and giggled. Caroline moved to put on the dress but stopped when she noticed the boys uncomfortable face.

The boy abruptly stood up and swiftly went outside keeping his head low. "Excuse me" he quietly said as he closed the door behind him.

Caroline blushed again and the blonde girl giggled. Her mother tended to the rabbit stew and her daughter skipped outside after her brother. This gave Caroline the perfect opportunity to quickly put on the dress. The material was itchy and the dress itself had big horrible patches on it.

"So how does it feel? Too loose, too tight? Too-" She stopped asking questions when she turned and saw Carolines smile of discomfort. "I'm sorry. That's the dress I practiced my sewing skills on as a child" She apologised. She took note that the dress was also just above her knees...

"It's fine honestly, I don't mind" Caroline tried to reassure her. She was grateful for he clothing, just a little uncomfortable...

" We'll go and buy you a dress from the market tomorrow morning dear, don't want people thinking you aren't a respectful young lady now do we?" She smiled at Caroline who smiled back and nodded back saying thank you.

Her stomach rumbled again louder this time. 'Why am I this hungry? Wanting blood doesn't do this to me usually...' Caroline wondered, 'Wait what?'

"Dinner will be ready at sunset, since it sounds like you're dying of hunger there is some berries outside you can snack on later, but for now you should rest, you look as pale as a ghost!" The pregnant woman waddled over from the stew to Caroline and made her sit down on a nearby stool before sitting down herself.

"So then, what's your name dear?" The pregnant lady asked.

"Caroline," she replied, "Caroline Forbes"

"Hello Caroline I'm Esther, Esther Mikaelson" She introduced herself.

Caroline gasped a little and almost remembered... She felt scared of this harmless pregnant woman but that made no sense... so she shook off that terrified feeling...

"So Caroline, do you know where you are, where you are from, who your parents are?"

Caroline thought she could remember what her mother and father looked like. And her friend... yes a friend... Bonnie!

"I am not entirely sure, I'm... I'm... where am I?" Caroline asked confused.
"You are in England Caroline. Why? Are you from across the sea?" Esther questioned picking up on her strange mixed accent.

'England?! Gosh...' Caroline thought. 'Though I'm not from the East like you think I am...'
"How on earth did I get here?" Caroline wondered.

"Hmmm, it seems like you have lost some of your memory... let me see..." Esther, though she was heavily pregnant, swiftly waddled over to a small cupboard on the left side of the room.

It had jars of mysterious goo stuff in it, flowers and herb looking things which she started putting into a small wooden bowl. She opened a book and started putting some of the things from the bowl into a small cauldron...
Small cauldron... Small... Cauldron!

Caroline felt a small but sharp pain in her head and had to lay down or she would have fallen off her stool . Esther came over to her and felt her head.

"Hmm... A very powerful wich has put a memory blocking spell on you..." Esther was thinking aloud. "Small things seem to jog your memory... what could have done it that time...?"
Esther looked around for a moment searching for a clue. Then she remembered something "Earlier you said my son's name, as if you recognised him, then passed out again. Have you met him before?"

Caroline felt like she needed to tell Esther the truth, but it didn't come out... "He looks like my brother, though my brothers hair is black and... and... I can't remember... I..."

"It's okay, you don't have to force your memories or they'll stay hidden longer" Esther smiled and helped Caroline sit up. "You should go outside for some fresh air while I make you a soother for your head pain"

Caroline nodded and carefully stood. She inhaled and exhaled slowly which stopped her dizziness and slowly opened the door to the outside...