The blood-stained ocean water Rachel had disappeared in started to swell until it enveloped the sky. The rest of the Unsinkable Eight watched in horror as it crested over. But instead of the crushing impact Nora expected as she closed her eyes, it doused the sky with darkness. Suddenly, she was back at the tree again, reporting to Gretchen through the hidden camera, but she wasn’t in control of her actions. It was as if she was spectating from inside herself, and she kept telling herself to wake up as the story replayed.
Nora knew what came next.
Leah’s eyes, wide open despite the drugs. Alarm prickling across her arms as she guided Leah through the dark. The pillow. A decision averted. Leading Leah into the hole, and leaving her there with anger and dirt streaked in bold across her features. Back to the beach, guilt-covered hands wrapped tightly around her knees. With the others but alone again, isolated by her secret, her betrayal.
Then, Martha’s scream, blood in the water and blood on Leah as Nora ran towards the water, the sinking feeling in her stomach matching the way Rachel sank into the water. The desperation, until it came. Blue as the sky and smothering until it was dark again.
It took two more times until Nora understood what was happening. The closer she got with the group, the more control she had over her actions. The more she could change.
But Nora still couldn’t figure out how to save Rachel. She’d kept talking to the others instead of sitting alone. Nora had been vulnerable, found the same sort of deep understanding she’d had with Quinn in each of them, and yet every time, somehow, there was that bloody murder scream again.
On the 52nd time through, Nora realized what she was doing wrong. She’d been trying to be vulnerable, to connect, but there was one more wall between them.
She had to tell them the truth.
Leah’s eyes, wide open despite the drugs. Fear and determination prickling across her arms as she guided Leah through the dark. Anger, frenetic confusion, shock from the group as Nora explained. Hands unclenching from around her knees, laying the threads bare. Tears, bitter sympathy, forgiveness.
At the beach again, but they were talking to Gretchen. Regardless of the morality of the experiment, they all knew what was going on now. It was over.. They were going home.
Nora looked back as they boarded the helicopter, just in time to see the ominous fin slicing through the water. She climbed up the ladder, right behind Rachel.
A shark, averted. A sister, saved.
She and the others shared a knowing look as they ascended. This hadn’t gone so well the first time. Rachel squeezed one hand, Leah the other.
The sky, enveloping the island and the ground, swelling until they were far away from that island. They held on tight. Nora didn’t know what came next, but she knew they were in this together.
(btw do you have an ao3 account you want to share? I’m going to post this there, under my username swirlsngirls, and if you want me to gift it to you let me know.)
The Wilds, Nora Reid, not really time travel but a time loop
Nora knew what came next.
Leah’s eyes, wide open despite the drugs. Alarm prickling across her arms as she guided Leah through the dark. The pillow. A decision averted. Leading Leah into the hole, and leaving her there with anger and dirt streaked in bold across her features. Back to the beach, guilt-covered hands wrapped tightly around her knees. With the others but alone again, isolated by her secret, her betrayal.
Then, Martha’s scream, blood in the water and blood on Leah as Nora ran towards the water, the sinking feeling in her stomach matching the way Rachel sank into the water. The desperation, until it came. Blue as the sky and smothering until it was dark again.
It took two more times until Nora understood what was happening. The closer she got with the group, the more control she had over her actions. The more she could change.
But Nora still couldn’t figure out how to save Rachel. She’d kept talking to the others instead of sitting alone. Nora had been vulnerable, found the same sort of deep understanding she’d had with Quinn in each of them, and yet every time, somehow, there was that bloody murder scream again.
On the 52nd time through, Nora realized what she was doing wrong. She’d been trying to be vulnerable, to connect, but there was one more wall between them.
She had to tell them the truth.
Leah’s eyes, wide open despite the drugs. Fear and determination prickling across her arms as she guided Leah through the dark. Anger, frenetic confusion, shock from the group as Nora explained. Hands unclenching from around her knees, laying the threads bare. Tears, bitter sympathy, forgiveness.
At the beach again, but they were talking to Gretchen. Regardless of the morality of the experiment, they all knew what was going on now. It was over.. They were going home.
Nora looked back as they boarded the helicopter, just in time to see the ominous fin slicing through the water. She climbed up the ladder, right behind Rachel.
A shark, averted. A sister, saved.
She and the others shared a knowing look as they ascended. This hadn’t gone so well the first time. Rachel squeezed one hand, Leah the other.
The sky, enveloping the island and the ground, swelling until they were far away from that island. They held on tight. Nora didn’t know what came next, but she knew they were in this together.
(btw do you have an ao3 account you want to share? I’m going to post this there, under my username swirlsngirls, and if you want me to gift it to you let me know.)