Drifting by Alexz Johnson
By the time we reached Mountain Knot City to see Lockne, we were freezing. I shivered as Sam laid Mama on a table. As soon as Lockne and she joined hands, Mama's soul left her body. I saw it settle in Lockne. Two halves of a whole together again.
"What-I swear I didn't," Sam began, distraught.
"You didn't," I confirmed.
"No, you didn't," Lockne nodded. She looked at me. "You and I will be good friends, I think. Mama thinks so, too."
"She's been a great friend to me," I nodded.
"I know." She turned back to Sam. "Mama is here," she held her hand to her heart, "and here," her hand moved to her head. "We're one again. Why don't the two of you rest up for the night, we'll talk more tomorrow."
"Thanks, I could definitely use a shower." I couldn't see her mouth, but I got the feeling Lockne was smiling as she wheeled Mama's body away. I completed my delivery, sharing the microchip data after Sam brought the facility into the chiral network. Sam and I stepped onto the platform, descending into the facility beneath the ground. We went our separate ways to the open private rooms. Immediately, I kicked off my boots, dropped my empty cargo pack, and began to strip down for a shower. I haphazardly tossed the dirty clothes into a hamper before stepping into the shower chamber. I let the warm water run over me longer than I usually would, remembering the rage in Higgs' face. Despite the warm water I shivered.
I turned the water off, allowing the chamber to dry me. Throwing on some clean clothes, I laid down, covered myself with the provided blankets, and fell into a fitful sleep.
Though I was asleep, I opened my eyes on a beach. It was unfamiliar and it made me uneasy. Where was I? I stood, naked, despite having gone to sleep with clothes. My face was wet. I touched my cheeks. Tar. Beach water. A plane flew overhead and an artillery shell exploded beside me. But it was in a different world. It didn't hurt me. What is this place?
I turned, feeling someone staring at me. There was a man standing, watching me. He looked like military, but not as old as the planes in the sky. He studied me, eyes narrowing slightly. He reached out to touch my face. He was cold.
"Who are you?" He dropped his hand. "You aren't Lisa. But you have her face."
"Taylor, wake up."
I woke up screaming. The door to my room was kicked in as I scrambled off of the bed and against the glass case across from it. I was covered in tar and I was crying. There was also blood on me but it wasn't mine. I pictured the man. He had been covered in blood. I pulled my knees to my chest, putting my head on my kneecaps, and tried to stop the panic attack. It's been so long since I've accidentally slipped into a beach. I've been so good about it. So careful. Fucking Higgs. Fucking Bridges. Fucking BTs.
"Taylor," a voice said softly. It was Sam. He was worried. But also calm. I reached out, squeezing his hand, drawing on that emotion. He winced, letting out a hiss of air. Normally I'm more gentle, but he must have felt me probing him, taking pieces of his emotions. I let go, still shaking slightly.
"Sorry," I apologized. My voice sounded small.
"I heard you screaming," he ignored my apology, sitting down in front of me. "What happened?"
"I slipped into a beach when I was asleep. Not my beach. I don't know where it was or whose it was. There was a man. And planes and explosions. Blood." I held my head in my hands, staring at the floor. "Who the fuck is Lisa?"
Sam stiffened. I looked up at him, tears still streaming down my face. He was also crying from the chiral on me and in the air. "Tall, light hair, gaunt face? Dressed like a military officer?"
A chill ran down my spine. "Yes. You know him?"
"He tried to take BB once," Sam shook his head. "All I know is his name is Cliff. Hardman hasn't found out much. I have no idea who Lisa is."
As if on cue, Hardman appeared in my room, though as a hologram. He looked at us and then the door. Sam grunted, getting up, and shutting it. Hardman flicked his wrist, taking all of our cufflinks offline.
"Sorry, I overheard. Any time Cliff is mentioned, it notifies me in case anything happens." He looked at me. "I...take it something happened?"
I reiterated what had happened. He listened quietly, looking perplexed.
"Well, Cliff was a Bridges employee. War Veteran-and a good soldier. He left the active line of duty to assist in the BB project. He was married to a woman named Lisa. I haven't been able to find out much else."
I frowned. "So he thinks I look like his wife?"
"That would be my guess," Hardman nodded. "I'll try and find out some more information if you'd like? It might make you feel better." I nodded.
"I got out of one crazy marriage, I don't need some dead guy thinking I'm up for another," I grumbled, standing. I felt a little dizzy but better. I definitely needed another shower.
Deadman chuckled at my quip before flicking his wrist again and leaving us. A lot of people find him strange, but I like him quite a bit. I always talked to him, Mama, and Heartman the most. Die-Hardman was only when necessary. Something about him always mildly creeped me out but I could never put my finger on it. I slowly slid back down onto the ground.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked, his blue eyes studying me, trying to detect any subtleties in my face that might signify a lie.
"No," I replied honestly. I was afraid to go to sleep again. I hadn't felt this way since I had managed to leave Higgs. That wasn't easy. Higgs doesn't just let people walk away from him. I had to break him before he broke me. With how much his powers had grown, I always thought he could have come and taken me away at any point. He probably could have. But I'm sure I wounded his ego too much to want to keep me. I hadn't been able to sleep for more than an hour at a time after we split. Fragile had helped look after me. She felt guilty for introducing us in the first place. I felt guilty that he took so much time away from her and I hadn't seen it. Eventually Higgs grew tired of messing with me in my sleep. It stopped being fun to him or he got busy and 'just didn't have the time.'
I ran my hands through my long, curly red hair. It was soaked with a mixture of tar and blood.I stared at my hands. I hadn't even realized that Sam had left until Fragile was there with us. She knelt and took my hands with her bare hands, making me focus on her.
"I can take it from here, Sam. Thank you," she dismissed him softly but firmly. When he left, she sat down with me, still holding my hands. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"It was just like when Higgs used to pull me into his beach when I was sleeping. I had no control over anything."
"It wasn't Higgs this time, though, was it?"
"No, that wasn't Higgs." My head was clearing, I was becoming more grounded. "This man was," I paused, focusing on my memory of him. "Sad. Angry. Lonely."
"Sounds like Higgs," she raised her eyebrows, a smile playing on her lips. I gave a wry smile.
"Not as erratic as Higgs. Or as shallow. This man...Cliff? His emotions were deep. Like a man who has lost everything and keeps trying to get it back but keeps having his hopes taken away from him. He's lost. Maybe that wasn't even his beach," I guessed, leaning my head back to look up at the lights in the room.
"That is possible. Heartman and I both walk through different beaches."
I nodded.
"Sam told me that...Cliff...touched you?"
I nodded again but tilted my head to the side before sitting up a bit straighter. "A woman told me to wake up. But I couldn't place the voice. I still can't."
"That is different," Fragile noted. "I'll stay here as long as you need, why don't you get a shower. I'll clean up the bed."
"Just like old times."
"Just like old times."