by Wayward Daughter Sun 27 Apr 2014 - 15:15
Within seconds, the incredulity I was sensing from them became overwhelming. The incredulity, the shock, the hope they almost feared to feel.... Nick finally voiced what I was sure all three of them were silently asking.
“Does that mean you can save her?”
The intensity in his question was painful.
“I think so...”
That hadn’t been what I’d intended to say. I’d meant to shrug, to say I didn’t know or didn’t have a clue, to say that it was a question I couldn’t honestly answer. But I found the claim of my hope expressing itself instead.
“How?”
All three of them must have asked that at the same second. And I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t speak, but they soon realised that the silence – which fell awkwardly and heavily – it spoke instead.
“That doesn’t matter,” Laurel finally pronounced. I could tell the effort it took for her to push Sky’s fate away, though. “We have others things to focus on. We need to plan what we’re going to do now, how things are going to change. After all this.”
Unconsciously she traced her fingers over her own Mark, indicating what she was referring to.
Once more, I didn’t have an answer. The others weren’t looking at me, per say, but I still felt as if they were looking to me, to lead. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe I’d somehow replaced Sky for them, or they were expecting the fragment of her to speak through me.
“Do we even know what we want to do?” Daniel asked. Like Laurel, he too was subconsciously tapping his own new Mark on the back of his wrist. “About this? Do we want to change things back.... or keep them?”
Nick didn’t speak. I could sense the spark of startlement he felt at the words, though, the hint of hope. I could more than guess his answer.
“Be Atari?” was Laurel’s response. “We don’t even know if it’s reversible.”
I shook my head. I wasn't getting any confirmation, positive or negative, from Sky. I was almost getting the perception that she’d been so adamant it’d never happen, she’d never considered how she’d respond if it did occur. Neither of us had any answers.