"What do you want from me?" Brooke's voice was shaking.
"I want you to make a choice. Have you ever played that game when you were little?"
"What game?"
"The one where you put people into situations and ask questions like 'If so-and-so were hanging off a cliff, which one would you save?' Well guess what, twin. That just came to life."
Brooke's face remained stoic but her heart felt like it had twisted itself inside of her. She was having a hard time breathing. "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about Rachel and Peyton. You have two minutes to make a decision, twinie. Rachel to your left, Peyton to your right. Choose wisely."
Brooke's brain instantly went into overload. She then noticed that two bungee cords were tied to a tree and they lead to hang over the cliff. She surmised that Rachel and Peyton were at the end of them in harnesses. Brooke could feel herself breaking.
"One minute left. Make a choice or I cut both ropes."
How could she make a choice like that? Her best friend that's been there for her since she was little? Or her girlfriend whom she was madly in love with? It wasn't fair and it wasn't something she could choose. But the terrifying fact was she had to choose. Derek would kill them both if she didn't.
"Ten seconds…"
Brooke's mind suddenly went blank. She ran to Rachel's rope and began pulling on it. It was a struggle, but she was slowly working Rachel higher. Then she heard it. A small "Brooke?" from Peyton. Brooke instantly started sobbing as she got Rachel over the cliff.
Rachel was unconscious and bleeding. Brooke wasn't sure why or where but she knew she had to stop it somehow. She unhooked the harness from Rachel's body.
"Good choice, Brookie." Derek called out from behind her.
"Brooke? Brooke, help me!" Peyton cried out. Brooke sobbed harder.
Derek brought his machete high into the air and brought it down on the rope keeping Peyton alive. Brooke covered her ears but she still heard Peyton's screams and the undeniable sound of bones hitting rocks. Then there was silence.
"You have 15 minutes to get Rachel to the house before the games begin again. You better hurry."
Brooke mustered up all the strength she had but still had difficulty picking Rachel up. It was near impossible. She couldn't throw her over her shoulder either because she thought Rachel's wound was on her stomach.
Brooke, broken and desperate, called out to Derek's receding form. "Derek! Please, I can't…I can't get her back to the house. I…" Brooke's sobs wracked through her body. She was shaking from how hard she was crying.
Derek stopped for a moment, seeming to regret leaving the girls there. It was a bit unfair, Rachel being wounded and all. But in the end he continued walking into the woods.
Luckily for Brooke, Rachel woke up slightly a moment later and was able to lean against Brooke and walk towards the house very slowly.
They got all the way to the edge of the woods when Rachel suddenly passed out again. "NATHAN!" Brooke screamed his name over and over at the top of her lungs. She knew she only had minutes to get Rachel back into the house.
Nathan rushed outside and picked up Rachel bridal style. They got into the house and placed Rachel on the coffee table. Grace ripped off Rachel's shirt, leaving her in her bra, and they saw that the wound on Rachel's stomach looked like a stab wound. Grace rushed to get gauze from their first aid kit and quickly began treating the wound as best as she could.
Brooke sat down on the couch watching them rush around Rachel. Nathan kneeled in front of Brooke. "What happened out there?"
Brooke was still sobbing. "He…made me choose. Between Rachel and Peyton…and Peyton's…Peyton's…Peyton's dead." In that moment, with tears still streaming down her face, Brooke receded into herself. She stared blankly at Nathan and stopped talking.
Grace placed a wet cloth on Rachel's forehead. "I've done everything I could for her. I think she'll be okay for now but she needs a hospital, Nate."
Nathan looked back and forth between Rachel and Brooke. "I think Brooke's in shock."
Grace sat on the side of her sister and pulled her into a side hug. "Brooke? Brooke?"
Brooke was unresponsive.
Brooke watched her friends sitting at the lunch table from a distance. She had just won student council president and she was ready to celebrate. She could already see the signs Rachel and Peyton had made for her. They were such dorks sometimes but Brooke loved them for it. She saw Nathan sitting and Grace leaning into him. They were talking quietly and smiling. Bevin and Skillz walked over a moment later and began happily chatting with their friends. Mouth and Lucas were debating over some basketball game Brooke didn't know about.
In Brooke's mind it was like a scene from a movie. Brooke was engulfed with a warm flow of happiness. She smiled and finally walked over to her friends who cheered loudly for her.
"Peyton."
"Yes, Brooke?"
"I'm going to throw your cell phone out of my car window if you don't stop checking it every three seconds."
"I'm sorry." Peyton looked into her lap. Brooke immediately pulled over her car over to the side of the road. She unbuckled her seatbelt and faced her best friend. She took her hands and held them comfortingly.
"What's wrong, Peyton? Have I done something to upset you? And don't lie because I can tell when you do. You're easier to read than Grace."
Peyton smiled a little at the realization that the girl in front of her knew her so well. "I just…feel guilty about taking a mini road trip with you."
"What? Why?"
"Ellie dying was huge for me and I know you want to make me forget for a weekend but I hate that I took you away from Rachel and Grace…"
Brooke grabbed Peyton's cheeks and stared into her eyes. "Peyton I want you to listen to me, okay? I may be in love with Rachel, but I love you just as much as her. I'm so happy to be spending this time with you. And I hate to get incredibly cheesy on you but you're my best friend. You're like a sister to me."
Peyton shyly smiled. "Thanks, Brooke."
"I will always be here for you. I love you P .Sawyer."
"I love you too, B. Davis."
Peyton cries out for Brooke. Peyton screams. Peyton's body crashes on to the rocks.
The three memories played in Brooke's mind over and over.