Nora didn't know what to say, after Audrey's last statement. She wanted to go back? To the place she herself had described as hell? Did the outside world really not appeal to her at all? And, if she truly felt that way about the castle, why had she ever agreed to help take it down? Maybe that was why she had been so reluctant. She had tried to say as much, that first night in Nora's room. Nora just hadn't understood. Maybe she could never truly understand. Audrey had even asked, that night. "What is in the world outside for me, Nora?" Nora hadn't been able to answer that. She was in the outside world, but maybe that wasn't enough. They had promised, after Nora had gone no contact with her terrible family and moved in with Audrey's, that they would always be together. But they had now been apart for 5 years. 5 terrible years. And the Audrey she found was not like the Audrey that had been so excited to go to a historical reenactment. This was a person who had been through hell and hadn't broken. But why would she then want to go back? And more importantly, what should Nora do, if she ended up going?
She was tossing and turning for what felt like half the night, so she wasn't at all ready to wake up when Audrey woke up. Most of the castle residents were still up at near dawn. It had probably become a habit. Audrey was used to it anyway, as she had lived on a farm for most of her life, where the animals wanted to be fed in the morning. When Nora tumbled out of bed an hour later, she found most of the others already eating breakfast. It was quiet, too quiet. Had she missed something?
Oh. Maybe they were worried about the family members that might come. Or maybe, who wouldn't come?
"I wonder who will be able to make it here on such short notice," Mona said, probably to break the awkward tension in the room. "I mean, some of them must be traveling from quite some distance and many will have work."
"It's a weekend, that's probably why they waited until today," one of the former churls said tersely. She didn't seem to look forward to this at all. Did she not expect to have someone to come for her, or did she dread meeting them again?
"Just remember, everyone, that no matter what happens today, we will still have each other," Leann said. "I'm sure we can find a way to keep in touch."
"Actually, I have already taken care of that," Lars said. "Or at least, the FBI did, on our suggestion. I have a cell phone for each of you, and if we open them now, we can input some phone numbers in each phone, so we can all keep in touch. The FBI had to confiscate the phones they found in Edmund's room, and most of them were broken anyway."
Lars held up a small flip phone as he spoke. Most of them looked at him with scepticism.
"That's a cell phone?"
"What's a cell phone?"
"We can teach you how to use them, at least to send messages and call. And later, if you get your own phone, you can probably keep the same number, or at least be able to tell us your new one. This way, we can all stay connected if we want to, despite not being at the same place." Mona said. Nora thought it was a great idea, but it had again reminded her that these people had lived in such isolation.
"I was thinking we could send letters," Leann said. "But if that makes you able to communicate, I'm all for it."
They spent the rest of the morning learning how to use the phone, with Nora, Mona and Lars being the primary teachers, and inputting the different contacts. Some named the contacts only with the real names, others used both the real names and the name they knew them by, to remember who each of them was. The few who still didn't have an identified identity, had either decided on a new name for themselves, or just used their given name, if it was possible to use in the real world. Soon, a group chat option was discovered, and they had fun texting back and forth, until Lars explained that text messages could cost money and he didn't know what plan these were on yet. Just as they put the phones down, the FBI came to collect those whose families had arrived. Those whose names were said had various expressions. Some were eager, others more hesitant.
"We also have a fair number of people who have come hoping that their missing relative is here," the agents said as they finished the list. "A few of those have been verified by the list you gave us yesterday and we are breaking the news to them now. But some others have descriptions and photos that could be some of you, some of whom have never officially been listed as missing, because the relatives believed they were in prison or a hospital. As that is a common excuse the people behind this used to cover their tracks, I will leave the photos here, with the names on the back, and if you can, please look through them and see if you recognize any of them."
That did give the rest of them something to do, at least. Audrey eagerly opened the folder the agent had brought. The very first picture turned out to be Eadgifu herself and Audrey didn't smile anymore. Eadgifu was among the few that truly had forgotten everything. Now she had to decide if she was ready to go down and face a family she didn't remember and who had travelled so far without even knowing if she was alive, or in this group.
Three others also found themselves in this list. And they were able to confirm another 10 from the list they had made yesterday, of people who hadn't been reported missing, but had died.
Audrey almost wanted to join Eadgifu as she walked trembling down to meet her potential family. The two of them had worked together caring for the animals for years, she would call her a friend. Seeing her so stressed made her heart ache for her. But she knew there would be a lot of tears and joyful reunions down there, and Audrey didn't think she could face that. Nora seemed to sense her conflicted feelings and sat down next to her.
Leann also hadn't heard from any relatives. That wasn't surprising, she didn't have any children, and she hadn't been in contact with her parents. They might be dead by now. But it still had to hurt.
"I wonder if any of them will come back up, or if they will all want to stay with their families now," she said with a sigh.
"I don't know. That depends on whether they recognize them I think. And I suspect we will have more situations like this in the future, as more relatives will learn of this and come to ask about their loved ones."
"Yes. I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, and while I was completely against it then, I have been considering it. If you end up being allowed to go back and start a commune or whatever, I might go with you. Like you said, I don't have anywhere else to go. Ædven didn't lie, when she said that we gained a community, when we were taken. Let's make her words come true by making a community of those who want to be there, not the ones who are forced to be."
"I would be glad to have you. But that is still a faraway goal, I think. The FBI will probably spend months just digging out all the bodies from the mass grave."