Out Of Space And Time

A Memory Surfaces

About a week and a half later, the family was downstairs having breakfast before starting the day's packing.

“Where's Agnes?”, Alkhor asked.

“Well, today's our day off. She tends to sleep in somewhat. She didn't really get to do that very much in her century, so she takes full advantage of her days off here.”, Tara replied.

About an hour later they heard a blood curdling scream come from her room.

“HAMILTON!”, Agnes screamed then, running downstairs in tears, ran down into the kitchen, screaming hysterically. She was still in her nightgown.

Alkhor caught her and held her in his arms.

“What's wrong, Agnes?”, he asked.

She was sobbing uncontrollably.

“Please Sir! I have to get to him! Look Sir! He is out there! PLEASE, I have to get to my Hamilton!”

She was screaming and absolutely hysterical. Tara opened the glass door so she could run out. Agnes ran to the center of the backyard, and collapsed to the ground screaming.

“HAMILTON!”

It then looked as if she had picked someone up and was holding them.

“HAMILTON! COME BACK TO ME! PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ME! I LOVE YOU! COME BACK TO ME, HAMILTON! PLEASE! I LOVE YOU!”, Agnes screamed as she sobbed hysterically.

She then looked towards them and screamed,

“PRAY, SIRS, KILL ME! KILL ME NOW SO I CAN BE WITH MY HAMILTON!”

The next thing they saw was her head jerking back as she violently collapsed onto the ground. At that point, the crying stopped, but tears were still pouring out of her eyes.

“What the hell did we just see?”, Marty asked.

“I really don't know.”, Mrs. Tepesch replied. Alkhor ran over to her. Agnes didn't appear to have been hurt, but she was completely unconscious.

“Well, judging by what we've just seen, I think we can presume Agnes actually had met Hamilton. They may have even been married at that point.”, Alkhor said, lovingly caressing her hair as he held her in his arms. Tara, Marty, and Mrs.Tepesch ran over to them.

”It's likely Hamilton was shot and killed in front of her in a robbery gone bad, and she was most likely hit in the head with something hard, probably the butt end of a musket or flintlock pistol.

“When she woke up Hamilton was dead, as he probably was when she got hit. My guess is sometime either before or after Hamilton's funeral, our Agnes developed traumatic dissociative amnesia, suppressing the memories of that day.

“What I don't know is how long after that day did she decide to sit there in a field under a tree, waiting for Hamilton to arrive, having forgotten she'd been there when he died, then time traveling from there to here, never regaining her memory of the events of the day of his death.

“Agnes apparently chose to wait for him in that particular spot, the spot which is now where your Gathering Room couch is, because it wasn't that far from where he was killed right in front of her. It was probably the last place she remembered seeing him. All this time Agnes thought she hadn't been there when Hamilton arrived.

”She'd been so worried that he thought she no longer loved him and had left him when, in fact, she had been right there when Hamilton was killed. That's what I'm guessing, anyway.“, Alkhor replied.

He picked Agnes up and carried her into the house and up into her bedroom.

”Ladies, we should get her in bed. Let's let her rest today. I would suggest we see about getting her an EEG to see if there are signs of a concussion.

“It does appear that our Agnes has traumatic amnesia regarding what happened to Hamilton.

“Also it does appear that she had actually met him, but didn't remember until something triggered her memory of that day. We don't know for sure. Hopefully she'll be able to talk about it more when she wakes up.“, Alkhor said.

After gently setting Agnes down in her bed, Alkhor left the room while Tara and Mrs. Tepesch got her situated and covered up. He then sat with her, sitting in her rocking chair, for the next 2 hours while she slept.

After awhile Agnes slowly started waking up. He sat on the bed in front of her so she could see him.

”Mr. Tepesch, what are you doing here?“

”Agnes, do you remember running outside this morning?“, he asked.

”Just very vaguely. Pray, why am I in my nightgown in front of you? Mr. Tepesch, did you sully me?“, she asked, embarrassed.

”No, no, no, Agnes. I didn't sully you at all.

“You ran downstairs screaming for Hamilton. I tried to see what was going on.

”I held you tight and you cried and screamed that you had to get to Hamilton, that he was out there. Do you remember now?“, Alkhor said.

”Yes, vaguely. He was out there in the yard. I had to get to him.“

”Agnes, what actually happened? Did you meet Hamilton beforehand? Try to remember please. Did you meet him, marry him, and then one day the two of you were out and he was robbed?

“Did someone try to rob him, shot him, then hit you in the head, knocking you out? Is that what happened, Agnes?“

She thought and then said,

”I think so. I remember holding him in my arms, kissing him, telling him how much I loved him, begging him to come back to me, begging him not to leave me. His blood was all over me.

“He died in my arms. My face was the last thing he saw, and 'I love you' the last words he heard, as he left this Earth.“, Agnes said, tears streaming down her face.

”When they hit you, was he already gone?“

”Yes.“, she said as he wiped her tears.

”What did they hit you with?“

”The butt of a musket. One of them hit me with it. I begged them to kill me so I could be with my Hamilton, but they hit me instead.“, Agnes replied.

”Were you and Hamilton married?“

”Yes.“, she said as she looked at her hands.

”They must have taken my wedding band from me. Yes, Mr. Tepesch, we were married. Very happily married.”

“When did you get married?”

“It was mid-Summer.”

“Do you mean 1754?”

“Yes. 1754.”

“How long were you married?”

“Just 6 months.”

“So he died in 1755?”

“Yes, yes, in late January 1755.”

“How badly were you hurt?”

“The doctor said I had a big bump on my head. I was fine within a few weeks.”

“Do you remember seeing Hamilton when you woke up after he'd been shot?”

“No. I couldn't find him. I looked everywhere for him.”

“Was there a funeral?”

She thought for a minute.

”No. The ground was too hard so they couldn't bury him. Maybe those men took him away and buried him somewhere else. I do not know.

”They just said that I was found with blood all over me. I tried to tell them what happened, but they said no. The doctor said no no no, he would have seen Hamilton. He would have declared him dead.“

”Do you think they told you that so you wouldn't be upset?“

”Indeed, about that I am not sure, Mr. Tepesch.“

”How long after that thought did you decide you were going to go find him?”

“I looked for him daily. Then the day that I showed up here I thought I would sit near where I had last seen him so he would come back to me.

”I had told him about that tree in my last letter to him, and he had said in his last letter that he would meet me there when he came from Boston.

”I had that last letter with me. I read and reread his letter. I heard him. I could feel him. So I decided to go sit and wait for him there at that tree. You all must think me a total fool.”, she said.

”Not at all. You have what's known as dissociative amnesia, Agnes, also known as traumatic amnesia. It's associated with PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“Something triggered it today, and all those memories came to the forefront so you could remember them once again. I don't think you a fool at all. None of us do.”, he replied.

“What can be done to help me?”

“My dear Agnes, you've already done it. Whatever triggered that in you, the memories came back to you and now you know the truth of what happened between you and Hamilton.”

“Pray, please do not think I lied to all of you. I did not lie.”

“We know Agnes. We know you didn't lie to us. And we're very sorry for your loss. We're so glad you're here with us. I'm glad you're here with me. If I may be so bold as to say that.“, Alkhor said, smiling tenderly.

“Yes, my dear Mr. Tepesch. Indeed, you may be so bold.“, she replied, smiling as well.

”Agnes, you said that he was from Boston and that you were going to move there with him after you married. What were you two doing in Worcester?“

“Pray, let me think a minute please, Mr. Tepesch... He had a case. Hamilton was prosecuting a case out here. I went with him since I knew the area so well. Yes... indeed, that is what happened.

“You know, I'm wondering. Now this may seem really 'out there', so to speak, if his murder was actually not a robbery, but a hit?”

“Pray, what do you mean?

“I mean maybe the people he was prosecuting paid someone to murder him. They probably weren't prepared for you to be there and decided to let you live instead of killing you, since killing you would definitely have made it look like a hit.”

“Indeed, Mr. Tepesch, that could have been. I did not see their faces. Their faces were covered. I could not recognize them if I tried.“, she replied.

“Well, my dear Agnes, I think we've solved the mystery. Somehow I think your Hamilton made sure you came here to be with us.”

“Pray, what do you mean, Mr. Tepesch?

“It's possible that, depending on the case, and unbeknownst to you, you were in danger from the people who'd been hired to kill him. You were a 'loose end', as it were.

”And this is the part that's really 'out there'.

”Hamilton somehow knew about time travel, and put the thought in your mind that you should read the letter and go meet him where you two met, knowing that you'd be transported here. It's very possible.

“It seems he loved you so much that, even in death, he did what he could to protect you and get you to safety, 804 years into the future, to keep you safe.”

“That is very confusing to me, Mr. Tepesch, but I will consider it. Indeed, I shall most definitely think about it.“, she replied.

******************************************************************************************

A few nights later, Agnes couldn't sleep. She quietly walked downstairs and poured a glass of iced tea for herself. She walked into the Gathering Room and sat in a recliner.

She smiled at Alkhor as she looked at him sleeping. He was shirtless. She found herself wanting to kiss him. It was quite embarrassing to her that she was having those kinds of feelings for him. She also desperately wanted to be held in his arms.

Agnes went over to him. Sitting on the edge of the couch, she tenderly laid her hands on his chest and marveled at how strong he felt as she entwined her fingers in his chest hair.

Memories of Hamilton flooded her mind. Alkhor's skin and chest felt just as she remembered Hamilton's being. For the first time, she realized she'd fallen deeply in love with Alkhor. At the same time she was sad, remembering they were different species.

To her, despite what Mrs. Tepesch had been able to achieve with her Cardistanian husband, she doubted she'd have the same chance at happiness with Alkhor.

As she looked at him, she poured her heart out as she whispered in his ear,

“Please do not leave me, my dear Mr. Tepesch. My life in this century is so much better with you in it.

”Indeed, you have enhanced my life. I am afraid to admit it, but I have fallen in love with you.

”I cannot expect someone like you to love me. We are not the same species. We are not the same kind. But I do love you. I am so grateful to have you in my life, even if just as my friend.

“Indeed I must confess that I truly wish to spend the rest of my life with you. I do confess once more that I dearly love you, Mr. Tepesch. I love you with all my heart, with every fiber of my being!

”I would give anything to be in your arms, and to hear you tell me you love me in return. I would give anything to hear you whisper softly in my ear, 'Agnes, I love you!', but I know not to expect that.

“We are not the same species, yet we have so much in common.

”Oh how I wish I could have shown you my century, Mr. Tepesch. The day at the apple orchard was as close as I can come to showing you what my life was like back then.

“But if I were somehow able to go back to my century, I would not have you, so I do not wish to go back.

”I confess I much prefer to stay here in this century...with you, if you will have me. You have my undying love, Mr. Tepesch. I know we are different species and therefore I can have no future with you as I so dearly want to.

“I pledge you my fealty, my fidelity, my beloved Mr. Tepesch. I shall neither love nor be bound to any other man.

”On this I give you my word. My heart is, and always shall be...yours.“, Agnes whispered, caressing his cheek with hers and giving him a tender kiss on his cheek.

Seconds later, he woke up.

”Mr. Tepesch, pray forgive me for my inappropriateness.“, Agnes said.

She started to move her hands away from him.

”Please don't. It feels wonderful.“, he replied, placing his hands over hers.

He sat up and tenderly kissed her.

”Mr. Tepesch.“, she said, blushing.

”Alkhor.”, he replied, kissing her once more.

“Excuse me?”, she asked.

“Alkhor. My name is Alkhor. Call me Alkhor.”, he said, kissing her tenderly a few more times.

“Mr. Tepesch, 'tis far too casual for me to call you by your given name.”, Agnes replied, blushing.

“Well, we've been kissing for the last few minutes, so I think we're past the formal 'Mr. Tepesch' stage in our relationship. Plus we're both in our bedclothes. Quite informal, wouldn't you say, my dear Agnes?”

He kissed her again tenderly a few more times, then pulled her fully into his arms, kissing her passionately.

“Here, why don't you lay down next to me?”, he said after they'd ended the kiss.

“I simply cannot do that Mis...I mean Alkhor. 'Twould be inappropriate.”, Agnes replied.

“Now Agnes, you and I both know that many unmarried couples in your time slept together. They even lived together, and were considered legally married if the lady became pregnant and they were indeed still living together.

”I know you'd be uncomfortable with me in your bed, and my own bed's on the space station. It's much more than a hop, skip, and a jump to get over there!

”This couch is the only bed I have right now. Lay down, please, and let me hold you.“

”Do you promise me you shall be a perfect gentleman?“

”You have my word, as well as my undying love. Just as I have your undying love, Agnes.“

”You heard?“, she asked, suddenly embarrassed that he'd heard her proclaiming her love for him.

”Every word. Agnes, I love you!“, he replied, kissing her passionately once more.

A few evenings later, Alkhor came down to the kitchen and saw Agnes making dinner. She was chopping up leftover roast. He came up behind her, put his arms around her, and kissed her on the cheek.

”What, fair maiden, are you making for dinner tonight?“, he asked.

”Alkhor, they will see us. I am making bubble and squeak for dinner.“, she replied. He smiled at hearing her pronounce his name as she called him ”Alkhaw“.

”I don't care if they see us or even if they heard us last night. I simply don't care.“, he said, referring to their unexpected tryst the night before.

She turned around in her seat, and he kissed her passionately.

”Mom...Dad...Uncle Alkhor's kissing Agnes!“, they heard MJ shout from the top of the stairs.

”Go beat it in your room, MJ! Scat!“, Alkhor called up to him, then went back to kissing her.

”Pray, what did you mean when you told him that?“, Agnes asked.

”I told him to go fondle himself in his room, and leave us alone.“, Alkhor replied, smiling lasciviously.

”Oh....OH!“, Agnes replied, blushing deep red after realizing what he'd meant.

”You are quite the Libertine!“, she said, still blushing.

”Come, come, my dear Agnes! You know you wouldn't have me any other way!“, he replied. He then put his hands around her waist and, as she gave a slight scream, lifted her up into his arms.

They kissed passionately for several seconds. He then twirled around, with her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist, exclaiming,

”I'm your handsome, strong, virile, Libertine, Cardistanian lover!“

She squealed with glee as he sang a very risque Cardistanian song, complete with extremely suggestive movements, and continued twirling around with her arms still around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist.

He saw his family out of the corner of his eye, standing there with their mouths agape. They were shocked, and thrilled, at seeing Agnes so relaxed and, as she would say, ”Appallingly indecent“ with Alkhor.

Breathless, he said,

”I think our secret's out, Agnes. Well everybody, I might as well tell you. We're in love. I'm hoping Agnes will be my wife soon.“

He then kissed her passionately and very deeply.