The Rules of the Red - 2014 Watty Award Winner |✓|

Chapter Six - Part Three

"Claudia?" Tidus said, placing a concerned hand on her shoulder. "Claudia, are you ok?"

Claudia said nothing, but her eyes remained wide and glassy, as if she were just now seeing Tidus for the first time. And she looked at him for the longest while, as if transfixed by her own fear. But in the end she shook off his arm, roughly, and then fled the room, muttering something about needing a drink.

Tidus and I stared at one another, nonplussed, and listening to Claudia as she rummaged through cupboards in the kitchen. Clearly, whatever it was that she had seen, had taken quite a toll on her, which left me wondering if her vision had been good news for me, or bad. But unfortunately, I had a strong inclination towards the latter.

When Claudia returned, she held a half empty bottle of Jack in one hand, and a small, clear, tumbler in the other. Wordless, she dropped heavily into her seat, perfunctorily unscrewing the bottle's cap, and then filling the glass to its very top. I noticed that her hands were shaking.

"What is it?" I asked slowly. "What did you see?"

"I... I know what I saw, I'm just having trouble figuring out how to explain it." she said dully, her voice quivering with either fear or shock. Maybe both.

"Try." Tidus urged.

Claudia's gaze snapped immediately to him, but she looked away almost as quickly again, deciding instead to turn hungry eyes to the allure of her drink. She took a sip, swallowed with a sigh, and then drained the glass before quickly pouring another.

"Tidus, you were torturing Naomi." Claudia said finally, looking down at the floor.

"What?" I said, unable to sit any longer.

"You were... sitting in a chair. And Tidus... he was... torturing you." she went on, stiffly.

"No," I said shaking my head. I refused to believe it. I couldn't. "No, you're wrong."

"He tortured you and then he stabbed you, Naomi. It was like I was there, in the room. I saw him do it."

The three of us stood there, passing looks from one person to the next, as if trapped in some ugly triangle. Claudia was obviously shaken, and I was feeling strangely numb, as if my feelings and emotions had all conveniently disappeared. But of course, Tidus was the only one of us who didn't seem afraid or even the slightest bit surprised. It was the oddest thing - he remained calm and composed, as if he were accused of this sort of thing all the time.

"I think I could use one of those drinks." I said, feeling some of my earlier dizziness returning.

"Yeah. I'll go get you one ..." Claudia replied distantly, and retreated from the room.

"Is any of this making sense to you?" I asked Tidus.

"Oddly enough, it doesn't." he replied.
"How do you mean?"

"Well, in the first vision, she said that you were standing over me, watching as I died. But now, in this one, she says that I kill you. And Claudia's visions always come in the same order as future events, so I think she must have been mistaken about the first one. She must have seen something, and interpreted it the wrong way. You didn't kill me in the first vision, Naomi. You couldn't have."

"Well, I already told you - I'm not the bad guy here. It had to have been someone else that hurt you."

"Or... maybe you just didn't succeed the first time around, and I took it upon myself to exact a little justice..." he replied slowly, eyes glittering and hard.

"So I guess you've already decided then. I'm guilty, right?" I said, hearing the bitterness within my own voice. "Well if you really believe that, then what are you still waiting for? Make your move, hot shot."