For I shall already have forgotten you

6. Battlefield of the Mind

Alfred knew a lot about the places Madeline visited. He answered all her questions, to the point where he became her "unofficial" tour guide. During her video chats with Alfred, he'd teach her interesting facts about local history, native flora and fauna, or fun things she could do in those areas.

After a busy day of travel and sightseeing, she'd unwind by playing games with Alfred. They visited each other's islands in Animal Crossing, went on adventures together in Minecraft, and battled it out in Mario Kart (Alfred was a bit of a sore loser, but she thought it was cute).

Weeks passed by like this, until it was almost time for Madeline to return to D.C. Before that, Alfred informed her of a reenactment going on of a battle from the American Revolutionary War. This experience would be her first, as Madeline had never been a spectator to a historical reenactment.

The reenactment took place in Virginia, which was a few hours drive from D.C. She figured she'd be able to watch the reenactment and make it back by nightfall to Alfred's. Madeline had procured a Halloween costume beforehand, so she'd get to spend the day with Alfred. The two of them had agreed on a "fairy tale" theme because Alfred wanted to participate in a costume contest together.

Madeline was easily able to locate the reenactment site. There was a crowd of onlookers roped off from the reenactors. The "soldiers" in blue and red respectively were bustling about in and out of tents, or riding on horses. She noticed reenactors who were cooks, nurses, and drummers also. The scale and dedication of the reenactment was impressive.

Excitement and anticipation were prevalent in the air as the reenactors began to set up for battle. Madeline found herself swept up in the crowd's enthusiasm, leaving her unprepared for the first gunshot.

It was loud. Realistically, she knew that those weren't real firearms. No one would be harmed in the battle; but as Madeline found herself counting more "dead" bodies on the ground, she flinched. Her palms were sweaty, her heart rate increased, and her breathing sped up.

Why didn't anyone else in the crowd seem bothered? To them, this was nothing more than entertainment. Why wasn't she the same? Madeline focused on getting her breathing under control. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. Slowly but surely, the beat of her heart returned to its normal rhythm.

She had no idea how much time passed before she opened her eyes. The reenactment was over. Madeline was relieved that no one had taken note of her strange behavior. She returned to her RV in low spirits.

Inkblot, Sneak, Susan, Oggy, and Woodstock took note of her despondency. When she told them what had happened, they freaked out. Super strength, changing eye colors, weird dreams, and now a panic attack? Madeline knew one thing for sure; she'd be avoiding historical reenactments in the near future.

The drive to Alfred's was quiet. Madeline didn't feel the need to talk when the atmosphere was this heavy. Kumarie laid in her lap the entire time as reassurance. When she arrived at Alfred's house, she took a moment ro regain her composure. Deep breaths in, deep breaths out. You can do this. Think of happy thoughts. Don't let Alfred know about what happened.

Madeline texted Alfred of her arrival and waited for him to open the door in his usual boisterous manner. She was not disappointed.

"Yo, Maddie! You're here! How was the reenactment?!"

She hoped her smile was convincing as she told Alfred, "Oh, it was amazing! The reenactors were so authentic! Thank you so much for recommending this to me Alfred!"

"Haha, no problem! The best way to learn about stuff is seeing for yourself!"

Alfred gave Madeline a thumbs up.