Meerkat Cabin, after 6th period, NFB
Isabel didn’t know where she was going when she left Ethics class. But after seeing Jack and talking to Vader and River, she just wanted to get away from the school and anyone that would ask or could even see what was going on in her head.
Eventually her path led her into the preserve to Meerkat. The door was locked, but it only took her a moment to use her powers to open it. She made her way to her alcove and sat down on the bed, pulling up her legs and resting her head on her knees, trying hard not to think about anything.
Outside the cabin, the sky grew dark. Inside, the last three nights of interrupted and uneasy sleep finally caught up with her and Isabel dozed off.
Watching as the defenses fell and Kivar entered the room. Then there was pain, and the pleased look on Rath’s face as it all faded into nothing.
Suddenly it changed and Isabel turned rapidly, searching for a way out of the dark, featureless room she found herself in.
"Look at the lost lamb."
The voice came from behind Isabel. No, it was to one side. Wait. It was her own voice; and she was standing right in front of Isabel. Smiling.
Vilandra.
"This isn't real," Isabel said, taking a half step back. "You're not real."
"Oh, honey. I'm more real than you are." She circled Isabel, looking her up and down, smiling and shaking her head. "Scared of your shadow. Scared of yourself. Who are you trying to lie to this time, little girl?"
Isabel turned, keeping Vilandra in sight as she circled her. "I'm not you. Not anymore. You're dead. I'd never do what you did."
Vilandra's voice took on a harder edge, a suggestion of street creeping in as she spoke. "We all do what we have ta do. You haven't had to do anything. You've had it easy. Big brother looking out for you, no problems you couldn't solve with a wave of your talented little hand." The other girl took a step forward, eyes fixed on Isabel. "You don't even know what you're capable of."
"And you needed to kill him? Michael...Rath, whatever his name was?" she asked, her voice rising. "Was is worth it? You all, we all died."
"It was worth trying." Vilandra snapped a finger up to point at Isabel, her voice becoming more precise. "You're so busy pretending you can put this off forever, the world could blow up and you'd never notice. Max could go off with his sweetie, and wind up dead, and what would you care? Not your problem."
"What's wrong with wanting to live my life? To enjoy what I've found here?" Isabel said. "Is that so horrible?"
"Is that all you want? Or all you think you want?" Vilandra stepped backward, smile widening wickedly. "Just to be happy? Safe? Normal?" She leaned forward, and whispered, "You're kidding yourself. But that's okay. The longer you do, the stronger I'll grow."
"I won't let you," Isabel insisted, but her voice lacked conviction. "I won't let you hurt him. Not this time."
"Newsflash, honey. You already have. And you're gonna keep doing it. It's in you. Just like it was in me. You think I just woke up, decided to hurt my brother? I had reasons. Good ones. And when you've finally got them, you'll find out who you really are too." She leaned back, and folded her arms, looking smug. "You're already getting it. Just look in the mirror. And you'll see me."
"No," she said, ducking her head, biting at her lip. "That's not me."
"No, that's not me," Vilandra mimicked, then laughed heartily, stepping away, looking Isabel over and smirking again. "But it's me. And you really can't tell where I stop and you start, can ya?"
Vilandra disappeared without warning, leaving Isabel alone in the room, lights starting to fade, surroundings darkening, and a voice whispered from everywhere and nowhere.
"Take a look at yourself, Isabel. You know I'll be there."
Isabel woke up, shivering with the cold, Vilandra's words echoing in her ears. Curling up in a small ball on the bed, she started to cry.
[OOC: Preplayed with the lovely mparker17 as reflected_evil. No interaction possible. NFB please.]
Eventually her path led her into the preserve to Meerkat. The door was locked, but it only took her a moment to use her powers to open it. She made her way to her alcove and sat down on the bed, pulling up her legs and resting her head on her knees, trying hard not to think about anything.
Outside the cabin, the sky grew dark. Inside, the last three nights of interrupted and uneasy sleep finally caught up with her and Isabel dozed off.
Watching as the defenses fell and Kivar entered the room. Then there was pain, and the pleased look on Rath’s face as it all faded into nothing.
Suddenly it changed and Isabel turned rapidly, searching for a way out of the dark, featureless room she found herself in.
"Look at the lost lamb."
The voice came from behind Isabel. No, it was to one side. Wait. It was her own voice; and she was standing right in front of Isabel. Smiling.
Vilandra.
"This isn't real," Isabel said, taking a half step back. "You're not real."
"Oh, honey. I'm more real than you are." She circled Isabel, looking her up and down, smiling and shaking her head. "Scared of your shadow. Scared of yourself. Who are you trying to lie to this time, little girl?"
Isabel turned, keeping Vilandra in sight as she circled her. "I'm not you. Not anymore. You're dead. I'd never do what you did."
Vilandra's voice took on a harder edge, a suggestion of street creeping in as she spoke. "We all do what we have ta do. You haven't had to do anything. You've had it easy. Big brother looking out for you, no problems you couldn't solve with a wave of your talented little hand." The other girl took a step forward, eyes fixed on Isabel. "You don't even know what you're capable of."
"And you needed to kill him? Michael...Rath, whatever his name was?" she asked, her voice rising. "Was is worth it? You all, we all died."
"It was worth trying." Vilandra snapped a finger up to point at Isabel, her voice becoming more precise. "You're so busy pretending you can put this off forever, the world could blow up and you'd never notice. Max could go off with his sweetie, and wind up dead, and what would you care? Not your problem."
"What's wrong with wanting to live my life? To enjoy what I've found here?" Isabel said. "Is that so horrible?"
"Is that all you want? Or all you think you want?" Vilandra stepped backward, smile widening wickedly. "Just to be happy? Safe? Normal?" She leaned forward, and whispered, "You're kidding yourself. But that's okay. The longer you do, the stronger I'll grow."
"I won't let you," Isabel insisted, but her voice lacked conviction. "I won't let you hurt him. Not this time."
"Newsflash, honey. You already have. And you're gonna keep doing it. It's in you. Just like it was in me. You think I just woke up, decided to hurt my brother? I had reasons. Good ones. And when you've finally got them, you'll find out who you really are too." She leaned back, and folded her arms, looking smug. "You're already getting it. Just look in the mirror. And you'll see me."
"No," she said, ducking her head, biting at her lip. "That's not me."
"No, that's not me," Vilandra mimicked, then laughed heartily, stepping away, looking Isabel over and smirking again. "But it's me. And you really can't tell where I stop and you start, can ya?"
Vilandra disappeared without warning, leaving Isabel alone in the room, lights starting to fade, surroundings darkening, and a voice whispered from everywhere and nowhere.
"Take a look at yourself, Isabel. You know I'll be there."
Isabel woke up, shivering with the cold, Vilandra's words echoing in her ears. Curling up in a small ball on the bed, she started to cry.
[OOC: Preplayed with the lovely mparker17 as reflected_evil. No interaction possible. NFB please.]