Is There A Reason Behind The Madness?

[Rowena Jones]

Early 2037

Rowena Jones was sleeping. She hadn't done much of that lately. Work and potions and her father had taken over her life. Every waking moment revolved around figuring out the mystery surrounding the potion. Sleep had been put on the back burner. So it was relief that Rowena had finally dozed off.

... except surely you weren't supposed to be aware you were sleeping. And as a sudden chill made her shiver, Rowena wondered why she wasn't in bed. Why was she walking towards her potions lab? The young witch started, trying to wake up. And reacted with horror when she realised she couldn't. What was going on?!

Ah. So Sleeping Beauty awakes. You know I thought I'd never get the chance to make you do this. I'm not strong enough to take over while you're concious. Not yet anyway. But once this is in your system everything will be how it should be.

Rowena felt bile rising in her throat. The voice. That horrid creepy dark voice that she had been hearing now and then. She'd attributed it to exhaustion... but exhaustion didn't do this. The young witch felt trapped in her own mind, unable to stop her body as it reached for the damn potion that had slowly ruined her life, and took just two small sips. But that would be enough. Darkness took over her again.

Don't worry Miss Jones. You won't remember any of this. And soon, no one will remember you as you were. But all shall know Miss Holland.

[Rowena Jones]

several months later

This is my only escape now. She doesn't think anyone will ever read this so she allows me to write my thoughts down. She can't stand my whining she says. I whine less apparently if I have a chance to write. But she uses them to mock me afterwards. She hates the love I have in my heart. I will not give up on it, no matter how hard she tries to stamp out the embers of its heat. She hates that I cry out for help whenever I see him, but no one notices. How can I blame them, when even I never saw it coming. How stupid and naive I once was. To think that I could solve everything by myself. If I had just told Max when I first started hearing things. When I first started losing parts of my memory. Maybe things would have been different. Would he have figured out the cause? Or would he too have just told me to get some sleep?

I'll never know now. Rowena Jones is dead to the world and the world never even saw her pass away. No one will mourn her. Me. Every day I feel like I lose more and more of myself. There's no one to keep me here. Max... Merlin... Max. I miss him so much it hurts. To think him gone...

...
...
...

Sorry. She took over again. Never likes it when I think of him. Apparently it hurts her too. Well good. She deserves it for everything she's done. She did it well though. I'll give her that. So so slowly. I only remembered that horrible first night when she made me drink the potion a few days ago. Merlin how she lorded that one over me.

I suppose she was in charge from that day on. But she didn't make it obvious. She let me continue as usual. Only took over when she had some of her own business to do. But apparently confessing my love to my boyfriend was the final straw in all the gooey lovey doveyness. She says it made her sick having to deal with all that. But she needed to get everything into place before anyone could truely know. She did it well. Too well for me to have hope of anyone every realising that Rowena Jones still lives.