Scars

by SniperCT

Nothing ever goes according to plan as Lara and Sam get drawn into events that started with Lara's father and must end with her. The artifact Lara discovered in Costa Rica is only a piece of a larger puzzle. How does it tie into Yamatai and why is Sam so drawn to them? Sequel to In This Together and Lessons. Rated T for most chapters, M for some. Part two of "Artifacts"

1. Prologue - Lara's Journal

((This story is probably closer in rating to the source video game. A little more violent and darker than In This Together but not too much so. It takes place a few months after Lessons.))

Entry: March 3rd

I haven't had nightmares lately. Maybe it's Sam's presence in my bed or the fact that we have a goal of sorts. I can't really explain it. If I dream, I don't really remember them. Just a feeling of being watched. Blue eyes with grey specs. I chalk that up to the skull. It's got an energy to it that seems to permeate everything around it. It makes me uneasy.

I want to get out and explore. I need to know what this means, but I want to be prepared. There's so much to learn and I keep finding myself going around in circles. It's frustrating.

And if I'm entirely honest with myself, I like the routine Sam and I have developed. I don't want to mess things up with her. This is all so very new and it feels fragile, but I know it's not. We already built a foundation through our years together. That doesn't make me any less terrified of it all.

Some days I'd rather face down a hundred cultists than what's inside my heart.

Entry: March 14th

I'm still not remembering all of my dreams, but I'm getting more and more detail out of them. Those eyes watching me. They don't scare me, or creep me out. They're … comfortable. They make me feel warm, because when I'm dreaming I'm always cold. The other night I woke up shivering.

I feel like there's something there. Something important. If I can just latch onto it. If I can just remember. Dreams are supposed to be just dreams, but I can't believe that any more. Stranger things have happened.

Entry: March 25th

We leave for Lima tomorrow. The last time we were in that country we stumbled into a series of ruins. While there, we encountered statues that moved and followed us. Sam distracted them with dancing of all things, but they didn't seem to be much of a threat. I'm not sure they were threatening us at all. I think they were warning us away.

Based on my research I think I can find where we were. I'll need to charter a helicopter and I know Sam is looking forward to a day or two as a holiday before we go chopping through the rainforest. I won't tell her, I have a reputation as a wet blanket to maintain after all, but I wouldn't mind the sun a bit, myself.