Time Loop

Part 03

She couldn't feel anything except the tingling heavy weight in her limbs. The orange toxin Anna had found on the serrated claw, it must have been paralysis. Or maybe it was the cold water on her bare hands and face. She hadn't thought to put the rest of her gear on after all. Whatever it was, it was slow because she was still sluggishly making her way through the water.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a black tentacle like shadow cross by and with a new surge of energy she bolted, hoping she'd be able to dodge the creatures' next attack. Still searching, swimming and searching as much as she could for any sign that Tommy was still alive, but there was nothing of him left and her air was running out. The heaviness in her chest indicated that she would lose all oxygen soon. The edges of her vision dimmed and the base of her throat burned, but the sole idea that Tommy made it to the other side propelled her forward. She struggled to swim farther, desperately keeping her mouth clamped so she didn't inhale the water.

Just when she thought that was it that it would be a lack of oxygen and not the monster that would do her in, she saw the sun reflecting into the water above her, and she darted for the surface. Her chest ached as she sliced through and when she popped out like a daisy, she gasped, gobbling at the air like it was food and she'd been starved for months...and sobbing uncontrollably as the heat of sun burned against her salt water slicked face.

A bittersweet moment it was as she felt the sun beating down on her. She breaststroked her way to the sand covered shore, letting her eyes scan the line for any sign of Tommy's discarded black rubber suit. The crunched shells mixed with sand touched the bottom pads of her feet when she finally got close enough to stand and she limped towards the shore only to collapse against the wet sand. The waves lapped at her legs, but surprisingly it wasn't her suddenly exposed legs that captured her attention, it was the sand.

She turned her head, feeling the rough white crystals brush against her face. She extended her arm so that her hand was in her line of sight while she dug her fingers into the darkened mush. "This wasn't here before," she said mumbling, her voice scratchy from being so long without oxygen.

This wasn't where they'd started.

The thought played across her mind as she slowly sat up and glanced down at her white tank top and black bikini boy shorts.

How could that little hole have lead her some place else? ...And what the hell was she wearing?

Only she found herself not caring for much longer as she fell back down, her back smacking into the wet sand. She didn't care, because she'd gotten out and they hadn't.  Would they stay there, would they wait for her to bring help? Did they have enough time?

No, she couldn't -wouldn't- think like that. She promised she'd go back for them and she would. Dani never broke her promises. "Tommy?" She called to the sky, hoping he'd hear her.

"Tommy!" She croaked out, cringing at the burn straining her voice caused.

As she lay there, soaking in the sun, feeling the scratch of sand against her skin, she closed her eyes, realizing that Tommy hadn't made it. Of course he hadn't. She took a deep shaking breath and curled to her side. "I'm so sorry." She whimpered, bending her arm beneath her ear. She licked her lips, keeping her eyes shut, warding off the sun, and sniffled, only to smell something rancid and all too familiar.

"You jumped in Tommy. You changed things. Maybe that was enough of a push to wake her up," she heard Edward whispering above her.

She blinked her eyes open and the absence of the sun was now replaced with a dull head light that somehow managed to illuminate the entire cave.

What was he talking about? Had she fallen asleep and only dreamed that she'd gotten out?

Dani glanced down at herself, noting that she was in the same curled position on her side as she had been on the beach. Tommy. Edward had said 'Tommy.' Did that mean...She jerked forward into a sitting position her eyes wide as her gaze landed almost instantly on the boy she should've said yes to. "Tommy? You're alive?" She cried out with a happiness she hadn't felt in what seemed like years. "What is going on? Where's the sun? I felt it. I—"

He frowned and lifted a hand to her forehead, letting it linger slightly before he trailed it down the side of her face. "I think you're delirious. It's your Uncle Frank, Dani. He didn't make it."

"What? What?"  She was having a bad case of déjà vu or that broken record moment when it wouldn't stop playing. And this damn darkness...she had felt the sun. She could still smell it. She'd been on shore, she was sure of it.

Oh God. Why was this happening?

"She remembered that she got out. You did change something! There was never a sun before. Maybe we can just tell her..." Edward started, but was immediately cut off by the darkening look on Tommy's face.

"We can't. Anna." Tommy called and Dani shifted her gaze to where Tommy had spoken. "You have to put aside your feelings and get this done," he said with a growl.

Dani frowned at him and quickly rubbed her hands over her face. Hadn't Dani said the exact same thing to Anna just an hour ago?

Dani watched as Anna crawled towards Uncle Frank and the sounds of her cutting into his flesh were almost immediate. The way the sound bounced off the walls was exactly the same. Instead of staring at the other members of her team this time, Dani remained sitting on the floor, staring at Tommy and Anna.

"Okay, I've got something," Anna said, holding up a piece of serrated material that looked like it was steel.

Dani gasped as she watched Tommy do what she'd originally done. He said what she'd said.

"What is that, a miniature knife?" Tommy asked.

Anna shook her head. "I thought so at first, but after cleaning the blood off it, I accidentally squeezed the end of it and an orange liquid came out. It's probably some sort of toxin."

Licking her bottom lip, Dani went towards Anna and reached for the tiny specimen, only to have Anna pull it away. "You can't touch it, Dani..."

"I have a cut." Dani whispered nodding, "on my neck." Her voice trailed off. Feeling slightly dazed, she stared into the cave wall, boring a hole as she struggled to remember what she seemed to be slowly forgetting.

Tommy cleared his throat. "So is it plant or animal?"  He prompted.

Why would Tommy ask that? He was the marine biologist.

Anna shrugged. "I don't know. Tommy, could you—"

"STOP!" Dani shouted and bowed her head, clutching at the sides of her temples. "We've done this before. I said that Tommy. I did, not you!" She darted her gaze up to him and he gave her a helplessly sad, crooked smile as he wiggled through the tiny spaces to get to their only exit.

She sucked in the sulfuric air. "Wait," she said, pleadingly as she watched him kneel down. The sight of him jumping in and the bloodied water that followed was bombarding her.

He heaved a sigh and shifted his gaze up to her, giving her a tiny smile. "Everyday." He whispered and then turned his attention back to the water.

Dani sniffed and let the tears streak her face. "No, stop it," she said, shaking.

He stopped, but quickly started again. "Everyday."

"Over and over, constantly swimming, only to get torn apart and have it restart again. Right?" Dani was screaming now. "That's what you were gonna say?"

He paused and tensed at the question, but seemed to shrug it off  by the time he glanced back at her, "No time like the present." He smirked arrogantly at her.

She needed to stop him and there was only one thing that could do that. One thing she'd never told him. "I love you, Tommy." And she did love him. She had always loved him. She'd been a coward not to voice it before this.

Her declaration succeeded in stopping him. He paused long enough for her to see relief and the reciprocated love for her on his features. She'd said the right thing for once.