Bending Reality

Chapter One: Flash forward

Nicky felt a wave of relief wash over her as she spotted the younger woman sitting with her back against the wall. Her head was down, pressed into her folded knees but it was unmistakably Lorna,

"Hey kid" she said and frowned when she received no response, not even a glance. She'd searched almost the entire prison for her; her concern only growing with the minutes Lorna remained elusive. Only on her second sweep of the Chapel did she spy the young brunette on the floor between the pews,

Once she'd reached her side Nicky crouched down,

"Hey Morello?" it was only then that the she registered the quiet stream of words that Lorna was mumbling into her knees and it dawned on Nicky that she was praying – not something she'd ever seen her do before.

"Oh fuck… sorry kid I'll just wait…or do you wanna be left alone?" when no answer came Nicky slid down the wall coming to sit beside the mumbling woman and took in the room sighing quietly as she recalled the last time she'd been in the chapel with Morello. It was decidedly more fun and Nicky found herself missing the time, before everything had gotten far more complicated, before everything had happened. An annoying voice whispered to her that it was simply Morello she was missing but she swatted the thought away.

As she began to reflect on the previous months a hiccup from beside her pulled her back to reality.

"Hey…you okay?" she asked and she felt her chest tighten as Lorna's shoulders began to shake. Her words began to sound more distressed and Nicky despised the violent flinch that racked her body when she laid a hand on her back.

"Shh, hey it's okay, whatever it is it's okay Lorn" she said rubbing her hand in circles and gently combing her fingers through her short hair,

"Something's wrong with me Nicky" the murmured words were barely audible as Lorna was yet to move, her body curled up making her appear even smaller than usual yet they caused an ache in Nicky's chest,

"Nothing's wrong with you Lorn, you're fucking perfect, you just don't believe me yet" she countered, having heard the words come from Lorna more than once particularly over the previous few months. Nicky shifted closer to her and rubbed her shin while her other hand continued to move up and down her spine, hoping that Lorna would look up. When she did her eyes were wide and red, her skin was pale the absence of her red lip not helping and Nicky cringed. Before she could speak though Lorna began to shake her head,

"I did something bad" her words were no more than a whisper but laced with conflict and fear,

"What happened kid, talk to me?" Nicky said feeling her worry grow. She recalled their conversation on the stairs when Lorna had said something similar, when she'd put herself in danger of being trapped in the hellhole that was their current home for even longer.

"Tell me what's going on baby please" Nicky asked again the silence in the chapel beginning to feel more suffocating than before as she hoped Lorna wasn't hurt or hadn't done anything else to put herself in danger.

"I don't know what happened I just …I think…god I…I think I hurt someone Nicky?" Nicky frowned at the words that sounded painful as they stumbled out of chapped lips. Lorna buried her head in her lap again, avoiding Nicky's confused gaze. She heard the younger girl's breath quicken and grow more and more shallow,

"Hey, hey look at me. Lorna breathe" she instructed, surprising even herself at the gravity in her voice but it did the trick. Lorna's eyes found her own and Nicky brushed away the tangled hair that fell over her face,

"Okay tell me what happened?" she said softly. After several beats, the young Italian's lips opened several times helplessly and Nicky watched her eyes well when words failed her. She swiped the tears that spilled down Lorna's snow-white cheeks,

"I promise it's going to be okay" Nicky assured running her thumb over her cheek. Lorna began to shake her head,

"Just tell me what's happened…I can't help if you don't talk to me baby" it was then that Lorna turned towards the wall. Nicky's heart sunk into her stomach and she couldn't deny the ache that erupted in her chest as Lorna turned away, the helplessness she always felt take over when she couldn't reach her. A scraping noise caught her attention and Nicky moved to her knees to peer over Lorna's shoulder. Her eyebrows shot up as she realised that Morello was pulling the grate out of the wall, the plaster around it falling on the carpet. Whatever she had expected it hadn't been that,

"How did you…doesn't matter…what's in there Lorn?" Nicky asked as Lorna began to pull something from the hole that was left. She froze a moment later as familiar khakis came into view. Nicky felt her blood turn cold as she took in the red stained material, blood-stained material. As if from effort, Lorna slumped back onto the floor with a long gasping breath. Her body rocked slightly and Nicky could see her hands shake,

"I think I did something real bad Nicky"

Hey is anyone still here? I'm a bit late to the party I guess with OITNB but please review! Let me know if I should continue! :)