Timeloop #2
There's the sensation of something ghosting over his cheek and, without even opening his eyes, Mathias lifts his fingers to flick it away.
Unexpectedly, his hand tangles in something soft and warm and undeniably alive, and he opens his eyes on the hill. His other hand goes to his chest, but his t-shirt is smooth, green fuzz growing on the fabric, burning his fingers when he crushes it while looking for the knife.
Nothing. Just the hill, as before, Eric alone with the knife, the tent, the windlass, Stacy standing beside him, the others in the tent. Without even looking, he's sure they're in there again, waiting to be found, just as confused as he is. He doesn't know what's happening, but he does know that he doesn't want to do this again. Under his fingers, he can feel his heart thumping furiously and he has to stand still and breathe deeply a few times before it even begins to calm down.
"Change something," Mathias mutters, taking Stacy's hand without saying a word to her. His other hand keeps feeling at his chest, expecting the wound to open suddenly, expecting to bleed to death on the top of this hill, but he's alive. For now, he's alive. They're all alive and maybe Webster is right. He needs to change something. He needs to get to Jeff before the Mayans do, so if they go now, maybe there's a better chance.
"Veronica! Webster!" he calls, marching toward the path that leads to the bottom of the hill. Even as he walks, he knows he's putting too much faith in Jeff. There's something that's still not right about this, but it's the only thing he can think to change right now. Save Jeff, save Eric, maybe save all of them. Jeff always knew what to do and there's a small part of Mathias that's angry with him for trying to get away. It's as if he'd given up on the rest of them.
"If we get to Jeff first, maybe things will be different," he says to Stacy in a low voice, willing her to believe this, too. Maybe if she believes it, it won't feel quite so false when he says it.
[Same order as before? Stacy, Veronica, Webster, Mathias.]
Unexpectedly, his hand tangles in something soft and warm and undeniably alive, and he opens his eyes on the hill. His other hand goes to his chest, but his t-shirt is smooth, green fuzz growing on the fabric, burning his fingers when he crushes it while looking for the knife.
Nothing. Just the hill, as before, Eric alone with the knife, the tent, the windlass, Stacy standing beside him, the others in the tent. Without even looking, he's sure they're in there again, waiting to be found, just as confused as he is. He doesn't know what's happening, but he does know that he doesn't want to do this again. Under his fingers, he can feel his heart thumping furiously and he has to stand still and breathe deeply a few times before it even begins to calm down.
"Change something," Mathias mutters, taking Stacy's hand without saying a word to her. His other hand keeps feeling at his chest, expecting the wound to open suddenly, expecting to bleed to death on the top of this hill, but he's alive. For now, he's alive. They're all alive and maybe Webster is right. He needs to change something. He needs to get to Jeff before the Mayans do, so if they go now, maybe there's a better chance.
"Veronica! Webster!" he calls, marching toward the path that leads to the bottom of the hill. Even as he walks, he knows he's putting too much faith in Jeff. There's something that's still not right about this, but it's the only thing he can think to change right now. Save Jeff, save Eric, maybe save all of them. Jeff always knew what to do and there's a small part of Mathias that's angry with him for trying to get away. It's as if he'd given up on the rest of them.
"If we get to Jeff first, maybe things will be different," he says to Stacy in a low voice, willing her to believe this, too. Maybe if she believes it, it won't feel quite so false when he says it.
[Same order as before? Stacy, Veronica, Webster, Mathias.]