It didn’t surprise Gran that Darius was still up and waiting. 

Of course he was still awake. The man had a nasty tendency of blaming himself for things that were out of his control. At least he had moved to his chair instead of that tiny stool he’d been perched on for the last day or so. 

He sat hunched over, head resting on his tightly furled hands. 

Neeka was awake as well, sitting across from her partner in her chair. She had collapsed into bed shortly after Charlie had been laid back in hers-- however, she had not gotten much rest either.

It had been a harrowing few days for the young mother. From finally being able to relax on her vacation after constantly worrying— to the frantic neighbor, bursting into tears when she found them and delivered the news— to the mad dash to get home-- and having to deal with guards and officials checking their already-verified papers at every stop (which prolonged the trip greatly, by the way)—  

And all while, having to try and process the dreaded reality that one of her dear children might be …  

Honestly, it was a miracle Neeka hadn’t collapsed sooner! It was all Gran could do not to faint upon arrival! But fainting wouldn’t have helped anyone, and there were still four kids who needed someone by their side as well. 

Speaking of the children…

At the table sat Ada and Bem. To say that they hadn’t been affected by recent events would have been a lie. They hadn’t left each other side since the incident— hardly speaking a word, but still consoling one another.  

Those two also hadn’t stopped blaming themselves since the incident. Ada swore up and down it was her fault— she was the oldest, and she should have been keeping closer tabs on her younger siblings. And Bem blamed himself because --  according to him-- he didn’t wait for his younger sister to catch up to him, leaving her to climb the hill herself. And even though everyone told them they weren’t at fault, they still went on, addled with guilt. 

Gran sighed. Yes, they were their father’s children alright. 

But what really worried her was how quiet the house was. The house had been so quiet, she had assumed that everyone had drifted off to bed. Now, it just felt like a house of mourning…

They had all perked up upon her entering and were waiting expectedly, not daring to utter a word but one question rang clear:

How is she?

She had been pondering what to tell them. There was no right way of doing so, but Goddess knows there were a lot of terrible ones. 

Gran considered for a moment before speaking. 

“She’s… awake,” her voice faltered as it cut through the silence. “And she seems to be in better spirits than before.”

Gesturing to the tray in her hands, she added. “She ate everything without complaint.”

The family seemed to relax at that bit of news, but Gran could feel the other unspoken question hanging in the air. 

Gran sighed. “No, she doesn’t remember…”

The hopeful spirits deflated at that. 

“It hasn’t been that long, you know.” She continued. “Didn’t the doctor say it could take a while? I think, for now, we should follow the doctor’s advice and try not to overwhelm her.”

Gran refilled the bowl and grabbed another roll. She was relieved to see that everyone had, in fact, eaten as well. It wouldn’t do to have the entire family fall ill.  She turned to head back, but then paused.

“…Charlie says she would like to see you.”

And just like that, the house was alive again. Hardly had the words left her mouth before everyone was on their feet and talking at once. Gran moved swiftly, taking large steps to maneuver herself between the stairs and her eager family. 

“Not all at once, not all at once!” She fussed over the chorus. “Do you want a repeat of what happened before?”

Of course, they didn’t. Gran had been downstairs at the time, but from what she could glean from Dr. Parker (and the screaming “Healer”), Charlie had given them a bit of a scare. 

It was not her fault of course, but still: why undo the progress they had already made?

"Ada, Bem," Gran motioned for the two children to follow. "Your sister wanted to see you before you went to bed."

        Journal Entry: Saturday, Jan 14, 18XX

Ok, so this is happening.

I’m trapped in Mysteries in the Mist. I have no idea how I got here, and have no idea how to get back. Can I even go back…?

Actually— no. I don’t want to think about it.

The better question right now: 

How the hell do Isekai’d people remember everything that happens in the books they’re trapped in?

Even if they read all of it in one sitting (though, more likely, they’re reading in bits every week)— even if it was the former reader’s favorite novel— how does anyone remember everything, right down to the fine details? 

… I remember the broad strokes: a Mary Sue goes to an unnamed academy and gets harassed by seven dudes. None of that matters right now, since right now I’m— 

“Charlie?”

She jumped, sending the notebook and pencil in her hands flying. The door was closed, allowing her enough time to retrieve the fallen item and collect herself. 

“Come in.”

The door opened. Yep, it was Charlene’s mother this time, carrying that morning’s dose of medicine.

Oh joy.

“Morning,” Mrs. Bennett had a smile that could warm any room.

“Good morning,” she greeted, though her wary eyes never left the cup.

Mrs. Bennett followed her daughter’s eyes. 

“This is the last one,” Mrs. Bennett assured. 

“…Promise?”

The mother stifled a laugh. “I promise.”

Mrs. Bennett gently held out the cup. The girl grimaced, but she took it. The past week had been filled with cups like these, and every single one had murdered her taste buds for hours. 

She shuddered, braced herself, and downed the medicine. If she had been her usual self, she could’ve taken the bitter concoction with no problem. Unfortunately, it seemed that her current body’s natural impulse was to spit anything bitter out. And considering that there was an extremely high chance that the “medicine” prescribed was a hodge-podge of wild guesses, it made her hate it even more. 

She gripped the cup as she finally managed to swallow, trying her best not to make a scene. 

“Blugh…” she winced as she tried to get the taste out her mouth. 

“Here,” The cup was taken from her hand and replaced with an iced bun. “This should help.”

“…Thanks.”

The sweetness of the treat did help break up the murkiness of the medicine. 

“Have you had breakfast yet?”

“No, ma’am— not yet.”

“…Then,” Mrs. Bennett tried. “Would you like to join us downstairs?”

She winced before she could stop herself. It wasn’t like she couldn’t get up and go down the steps...

Her thoughts were interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright, Charlie.” Mrs. Bennett assured. “It doesn’t need to be today. Just take your time”

“…Ok, I will.”

The Alaerian Empire. The kingdom where most of this nonsense takes place.

English seems to be the main language here. It also seems that this world runs on the same calendar and time system IRL. But does that mean I've actually been gone a week, or have I only been gone a few hours? Have Jodi and Lou noticed yet? Is anyone even looking for me…? 

Anyway. 

I’ve been here a week. I’ve been bedridden for a week (not by choice). Assuming that I need to get through the story to go home-- I’m screwed. The story hasn't even started yet, and it’s not going to for at least another 7 years.

What the hell am I supposed to do til then?

… I can't seek out any of the Male Leads. Even if I could find them, that would spell trouble (read: unwanted romance). 

If I was Ethel, I'd be running around right now, trying to prevent my death (and also, most likely, gaining Love Interests). Ethel might have been from a disgraced house, but she was still an absolute boss. Her only crime was being a little mean some of the time. 

… But I’m not her. I’m stuck as Charlene.

If Charlene had been a better character, I don’t think I’d resent her as much as I do. The times that she did do something, people got hurt. She wasn’t a malicious person — just poorly written. 

Asking for help is out. If they think I'm crazy, then they'll say I'm possessed or something. Running away isn't really an option here either. For one thing, I don’t know where I would even go. And considering I’ve already had to deal with attempted exorcism, I think I stand a better chance staying here. 

Plus…Regardless if whether I like Charlene or not, she's still got a family. A family that would, and does, miss her a lot. It wouldn't be fair to them.

GuffiMac was a terrible world-builder, but shouldn’t Charlene’s family have been brought up at least once? Charlene never talked about them— even though other characters (namely the Prince) would go on and on about theirs. Did something happen to them? Was she separated from them?

Well,  she does have a family— a large family. There were 8 members altogether. 

The Bear and the Lady were who Charlene's parents, Mr. & and Mrs. Bennett. They were the proud parents of five children, who ranged from a few months (the Twins, Lily & Micheal) to 15 years old (Ada).  Charlene (Age 8) was the middle child, after her older brother, Benjamin (or “Bem”, as he was often called— he’s 11). 

And then there was Gran— the only one who knew when to give me space.  

Though they all probably thought I was crazy, the family still tries to include me in things. Maybe they’re hoping it will jog “Charlene’s” memory, maybe they’re wondering if I should to be committed. Maybe I’m just jaded— but here I am, with this perfectly good family and I feel like— 

…Well, I guess am an impostor.