There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
(Hamlet Act 1, Scene 5)
The dream begins as it always has these last six months. She is in a land of intense heat and a tidal wave is rushing towards her. It is so tall that its foamy peak seems to swallow the clouds.
Suddenly, the wall of water is right before them; Lara opens her mouth to speak but the water is quicker. They are knocked backwards, then lifted off their feet. Round and round they tumble. All is dark. But they do not let go of one another.
Lara takes a deep breath and does not drown. The water tears at the rags that cover her body and violently strips them away. When she is naked, the wounds and scars that criss-cross her skin are scoured and opened though she feels no pain.
The tidal wave rushes on; the two bodies fall and rise. One moment they are opposite one another; the next, merging into one, breasts pressing together, legs intertwining, lips kissing and biting.
And then, the light; with it, Lara awakes, coughing, drenched in sweat, her heart pounding, her muscles tense. She takes the first of several deep breaths, forcing air into herself, down a reluctant throat, into lungs that still think they are full of water.
But Lara's will is stronger than her body's fear, and within a few minutes, her heart rate is normal once again; her body is dry, breathing regular, and she is looking at her tanned, deeply lined face in the broken mirror hanging from the withered bush in front of her.
She looks tired and worn out, as worn out as the short grey hair that lies damp on the top of her skull, but the eyes remain alive yet. Chestnut brown, fierce and defiant; they'll never be tired. Anger fuels them, anger and hate.
Realising this, Lara turns away from herself quickly and closes her eyes to the present. She goes back to the tidal wave, back to the past; back to the world she destroyed, and she cries for her crime, begs silently for forgiveness.
And behind Lara, the hot air shivers and takes the form of a woman who reaches out to bless her.