A Hiccup In Time

Salt in the Wounds

Rose's POV: 

~Internal fuel supply at full capacity, reboot in three...two...one~ 

Shooting upright, choking on a scream. Bright light and vivid imagery seethe my mind. My hands no longer gripping the edge of a brick roof but a cognizant quilt and sheets. Am I back in Walter Manor?

A dull pain draws my attention to my left wrist. No longer broken and fortified with copper plating, yet a phantom sting still resides somehow. An ivory sheet falls down my elbow as I examine my hand. Moving the quilt reveals a nightgown loosely clinging to my figure. Even my hair has been taken out of the messy bun and combed out neatly. Gingerly swinging my feet over the edge, I stand up and trepidly leave the room. My ears perk up to the sound of voices, I freeze and peer around the corner. Rabbit, The Jon, and The Spine are there. Rabbit and The Jon are seated while The Spine stands.

"W-what did they w-want with R-Rose?" Rabbit pipes up.

The Spine sighs, covering his face. "Beats me. My guess is they wished to bait us out." 

Although grateful to be in the safety of Walter Manor, something other than relief brews inside me. Guilt. None of this would have ever happened if it weren't for me. Resisting the urge to speak, I turn away and head for the door. Holding my breath while stepping out, the door eases shut.

A cloudless night accents the sky with a full moon and speckling stars. Oaktree limbs cast shadows above the pavement, creating the illusion of curling claws. Chirping crickets and the hoots of owls emanate above the breeze. Amid the eve's serenity, an emptiness gnaws at me. Unsure of a destination, I opt for the beach. The salty breeze, warm sand, and the tide. Anything to evade this numbness.

The sand tickles my feet, catching between my toes. Standing at a safe distance from the tide, I finally sink to my knees and bury my face. Ignatius' words echo inside my mind, chipping away at me. Wasted ingenuity. Ignatius broke me down into the smallest I could be. He was true to his word. I am nothing more than a burden, my soul purpose.