Epics of Noche 3, Limbo

EON CH 31

MEMORIES ON V.H.S.

1774, NOVEMBER 28th, MONDAY7:03 pm.

A jolt of electricity went up Noche's arm as her fingers trailed on the red couch. She could still recall sitting on it for what felt like an eternity. Her eyes trailed across the room, recognizing the various objects that were scattered along the wall.

"I think I missed these the first time around," she muttered. "So much familiar stuff... Are these things that left an impact on me?"

She walked over to the green fairy tale book and picked it up. Her gaze lingered on the cover before setting it back down on the table. Then the TV turned on and blared static. Noche spun to baby Noche holding up a VHS tape. The word memories written on it in black letters.

The blonde took the tape and the child pointed to the TV; there was a VCR player right below it. Noche approached, put the tape in, and pressed play on the remote. Its screen showed her standing before the television and the effect repeated infinitely like when one is standing between two mirrors.

Then the video began to rewind – it replayed Noche's life in reverse. How she entered the yellow room moments ago, the chase in the hallway with Creeps, the woods, the observatory, the stairwell. It rewound faster and faster as Noche watched every moment of this surreal realm replay backwards.

Within seconds it was rewinding so fast she couldn't make out the images. It was all a blur. Then everything became black, and the play button appeared in the corner of the screen. A lighthouse, it always begins with a lighthouse. Then slowly, ever so slowly, the camera zoomed out to a child on a beach holding hands with her mother and father.

In a timeless daze, Noche watched as the video sped up, going faster and faster as she absorbed every scene. The walk home, the cookie dough fight, being tucked into bed, the explosion – every scene played before her eyes at lightning speed.

It flooded her mind, yet to her, it was as slow as her first time living it. Her past, her full past, her entire childhood flashed before her eyes. It was a lifetime. Every second up until her decapitation – which caused Noche to scream and fall off the red couch.

"What the fuck!" She shouted.

Both hands went to her neck as breathing went rapid. Anxiety flooded her veins as she struggled and gasped for air. After the initial shock passed and she calmed down, she rolled her back against the couch.

"T-That feeling," Noche chocked. "That's a fucking horrible feeling."

She could still feel the sensation of her head flying in the air – how the entire world spun around her. The impact of hitting the ground and bouncing a few times like a basketball. All before rolling to a position where her headless body crumpled to the ground in front of her.

It was the longest five seconds of her life.

The shock of which was so strong it broke her out of the trance she was in while watching the TV. She looked up at the screen and the video had ended.

"The decapitation... The video ends at the decapitation," she muttered.

Noche pulled herself up and sat back on the couch. She placed one shaking hand on top of the other and just sat there. Tears welled in her eyes and for once she allowed them to stay there. Her mind too preoccupied by everything she just saw.