the reversal
part two
part two
in the darkness you crawl beside Abra and collapse. you listen for their breath. the particles of the clay ceiling vibrate and a cool air falls over you. you watch the breeze move across the sheets.
“im going back to the City” you stare into nothing and wait.
a laugh somewhere far away. you watch Abra roll to face you, their eyes closed through fuzzy darkness. “well it was nice to know you then” they fake a snore through a smile.
you lay together in silence and you miss Abra for the first time. you wonder if Slate is still harassing the Terminal. you think about the oak tree at the end of the field.
“i’ll miss this” a jolt runs up your chest. you stare into the black, eyes blurring. you watch the outline of two planets crash into each other. then only ceiling. lightning cracks across the impact and a face peers down at you before vanishing into the dark.
“ill come back” your words hang in the air to mock you. outside the wind stops.
you turn to face Abra. their eyes open behind dark hair. moonlight cuts across their jaw. everything feels navy. “its ok”
---
standing on the platform your breath forms into a cloud before the vines covering the wall opposite you. Slate is smoking a joint and you watch the fronts come to swirl together.
“you ever play?”
you imagine a massive wooden table from when you were very small. “knew someone who had a whole deck, would go around fixing things and winning cards” you watch a pair deliberate in silence. you listen for the arriving train.
walking to the stall you grab an empanada and a tea. in the morning sun you sit and watch the card game in silence. you bite the corner off the empanada and watch the heat bellow.
“where yall headed?”
the much larger one places a card face down in their bottom row. “done” the other draws a card and frowns. you watch them think. “i dont suppose youre headed to the tournament?”
the larger player looks up to Slate, their face wrinkled from decades in the sun. Slate laughs. “didnt think so” the smaller one places a card face down on their back row, turning it sideways.
“done” they squint up at Slate. “if you ever wanna learn, let me know” they beam a smile and laugh through an exhale of smoke.
you take a sip of your tea. your focus narrows into your hands and then your lips and then your chest. you feel whole. then it passes. a shadow cuts across you. “so what’s the plan?” the words are like the tea leaves in your cup. you try to read them in the darkness, glimmering.
“we’ll see what it wants.”
“-ha!” the larger player boasts and you both turn. “whats that 400 left?”
“aye” the other player doesnt look up from their cards. you grab the empanada and take a bite, the green chili lights your mouth and exposes the tea. you look up to Slate. they cock an eyebrow and turn away.
---
shadows pass over you through the trees. the train enters a massive clearing and you stare off into the lake. it seems like an ocean.
in a warm daze, you watch the light animate across the clasped hands of two people down the train. darkness and sun then darkness again. you think of speaking into a moving fan.
the hum of the train smooths over the bustle and Slate is off hunting. their bag folds softly in the seat next to you. you stare into the waving fabric. you sense something and light flashes across the darkness of your eyelids. you feel warm. you see blood.
---
the way the world starts is with a realization. above you. something like a rain cloud forming underneath a tin of glass. a dark feeling oozing from your stomach.
Slate runs into the clearing and turns. they grip the handle of a long blade, resting it on their shoulder. blood or sweat or both drip down from their brow. the room is small and the holographics only make it appear to be open to the sky. trees creak and shift in the breeze.
their empty hand reaches slowly to their bag: dry fabric covered in something that shines in the moonlight. footsteps approach like thunder and Slate’s grip tightens. “come on!” the walls seems to shake. you open your eyes.
---
a parade of children run past and you watch the darning on their clothes in the blur. the colors and textures remind you of the village. you listen for their laughs the next train over. you think of being that age, going to the city with friends. you wonder if theyre going to the tournament. you think about the roar of the crowd. the holographic monsters.
“gremlins everywhere” Slate throws a small orb onto your lap and crashes onto the seat beside you. you feel the cold rice paper over in your hand. “the shakes on this line are phenomenal, no idea why” they throw you a straw and stab their own into the orb. “and ive looked into it” you watch them sip as they gaze out the window. you watch the fresh coat of paint covering their nails.
“its the way they design the lactate” Slate beams at you. “the families here still aim for a cow flavor”
they look you over while loudly finishing their drink. you watch the rice orb slowly dissapear up the straw. “the pilgrims dont believe your Terminal story” Slate bites into the straw with a snap and pretends to smoke it. “nobodys heard of anything like this” you both stare out the window.
“i had a dream about you”
you watch Slate smile in the reflection of the window and the glow blinds the car.
---
the station echoes with the sound of a thousand voices. you hear a lonely guitar somewhere and the tone feels right. people everywhere. taller and shorter than you. moving gracefully. you smell curries and tacos from the market and suddenly your empanada seems a hundred years ago. “ive got a friend ill stay with tonight, you have a place?” Slate looks back over the crowd. they seem like a great boulder in the stream of people.
“im good” your legs feel carbonated. “wanna grab food?” crushed earth walls echo back to you. a passing shadow creates a void of heat around your body.
Slate does a spin in the crowd and heads left. “i know a spot, no more trains today” you feel the same.
in the street you appreciate the lack of crowds and the sound of voices is tuned down for the bird song in the trees that scatter across the mulch paths. you look up to the canopy and squint. sun rays through golden leaves. branches like veins.
wooden buildings scatter across the way like great trees themselves. “all the terminals are packed” you follow Slates eyes to a small crowd listening to an elders conversation. blue light spills across their wrinkled face in the afternoon sun. teens are gathered around smoking and listening intently. overhead birds argue.
“i cant see how this can continue.” the elder seems undisturbed.
“fortunately i can do that for the both of us.” the teens laugh. “would you like to add a vote in with the council? i can show you their current discussion” you watch the elder lost in thought.
“perhaps i should seek them myself” they turn to face the crowd of teens and seem to notice you for a moment.
someone yells out “let us know” and you follow the voice to spikey hair and clothes covered in ai markings. the effect is sudden and brutal. words echo in your head as you turn away.
“DAUGHTER, PINE TREE, BROKEN, DISH, HOUSE-”
Slate darts eyes between the kid and you. “come on” their hand rests on your back and the air goes quiet.
---
in the Hall the band is playing something that reminds you of ancient folk music and the food and drink seems alien after so much time in the village.
“Slate!” a voice booms across the wooden ceiling and down to you. you meet Slate’s eyes and they shrug. you look down into the beet and mozzarella sitting on a bed of cooked squash. you take a long sip of ginger beer. you savor the carbonation. “what word do you bring from the wide world?” the stranger is shockingly beautiful and their muscles make Slate appear slight.
“nice to see you too Husk” Slate takes the cups from the stranger and places them beside each other. “join us wont you?” they motion to an empty chair at another table and move to create space. the band plays something you’ve never heard before.
“whats wrong with you?” Husk says this while sitting down. they look into your eyes and their concern pierces you.
“thats the first thing i thought too” Slate pours each clay cup with wine. “this is from across the ocean?”
“my gift to you” Husk breaks eye contact and turns to Slate. they hug each other and this does not interrupt the pouring. a group explodes with laughter at the next table.
“well the verdicts still out” Slate doesnt look to you but you feel their eyes anyways. “i think it wants them dead” Husk lets out a giggle. the family and elders all seem to take an interest in you now.
“oh wonderful” you smile at Husk and then the table. it feels genuine. “so theyre finally playing favorites huh” you take a sip of the wine. you breathe in.
---
“wonderful” the elder’s eyes shine in the candle light and you watch their partner hold their hand under the table.
“at least make up a good story!” one of the children is climbing up to yell at you. you make a face back.
“Toad said it asked them to eat only ramen for a year!” the other children giggle.
“sounds very boring” the elder holding their partners hand addresses the children and turns to you. “you know i used to have a nightmare like that.” they look into their partners eyes. “being told i had no Phases open to me”
“oh yes”
“yesterday it asked to help watch the children for all the pilgrims.” they turn to you. “its all related, i can feel it”
a scream explodes into the room and your heart drops. something ancient echoes and you find yourself on your feet scanning. all you hear are bodies moving. all you see is blurred.
“fuck. fuck you. fuck, fuck!” someone is crying and screaming. your gut turns, their pain is excruciating. you look to your table and then run toward the voice. the band has stopped playing and you see one of their instruments on the ground, dented.
someone near the entrance is motioning to the crowd. “it’s ok, it’s ok. its Leah.” you look to the door. Husk and Slate are carrying a flailing person by the arms.
“hey. hey. hey” Husk is trying to maintain eye contact but Leah is exploding with grief. the scene blurs into shifting colors and darkness.
“no no no no” Leah is going limp in the arms of the two and Slate is trying to embrace them both. “fuck!” this scream seems to drain the last of their energy and their sobs turn silent. people on the street seem to be pulled into the orbit of the pain.
“can i get anything?” the person from the door looks to you and then the group. they force a smile and say “its all ok” to Leah or you or themselves. you hear music begin in the hall. you stand there for a long time. the street bustles with life and you listen to an owl.
“you ok?” Slate meets your eyes and you watch their distorted expression melt. you breathe and find your lungs burning. tears fall from your eyes and everything is sharp again.
---
something like a building is floating just ahead and slightly above you. its inverted body an impossible shape of light. the weight of it beares down on you and you can feel nothing else.
---
old striped cotton sheets cover you in the morning. a warm breeze embraces you and sunrays sprinkle across the apartment through rustling leaves. you turn to the kitchen and see Sun pouring batter into a large bowl. you watch their hands blur as they mix. the air smells like olive oil.
you pull century old spider silk trousers up around blue and white striped boxers. Sun motions for you to be quiet and you smile at them. they nod to the side and you follow the direction with your eyes.
a bag of coffee sits beside a manual grinder. you mouth “fuck yes” to Sun and rush to the counter. you read the coordinates on the bag and touch along the hand painted landscape on the front. you cant make out the name in the signature. the beans shift rhythmically in the turning bag. you think it says Lecia.
the aroma is overwhelming and you remember your time in the south. you look to Sun and then the three people curled around Leah by the two story windows. you try and do the math. fourteen? maybe eighteen scoops and five cups of water. you turn the grinder and the snapping gears soothe you.
---
holograms and morning light dance around you. under the lone tree you think of the coffee from earlier. the glass room feels like a dream.
Sun slaps their knees and smiles at you. you both hang in the moment. the transparent roof blurs the real sky with the holographic one. “lets play some music tonight” you feel your heart beating again.
“that sounds nice”
“meet me at the Hall in old town later? we’re replacing piping down the street” you feel an eyebrow trying to escape your face.
“didnt it take you a month to fix our hydro panels?” Sun laughs and a playful expression beams over you.
“to be honest, i still don’t believe they let you be an engineer” Sun turns to stand.
“im actually good at fixing things!” images of rain change direction mid fall. you both laugh. Sun looks up to the ceiling.
“i’ll see ya later?”
you pick a small orange strawberry growing just below the bench you sit on. you smile. it tastes like summer.
---
on the street you think about crying. you wonder if it will rain tomorrow and you see the ghost of someone you love on the tram. your heart drops. you breathe and close your eyes expecting the figure to disappear but it remains. they look out above you and then theyre gone. like missing the bus.
you feel dizzy. “you ok?” you turn to the small voice but everything is blurring.
“yeah thanks” you see a forest and then an old house at the end of a dirt road. a dog is sprinting six feet in the air. darkness. then another city. a basement apartment, a promise. you smell bread and face it.
“alright”
---
the letters read VOID cut from a block of bioluminescent coral. you feel around its edges and place it back on the wooden plank beside the bed. sweat drips from your forehead. you study each object in the darkness.
you turn to the bathroom door before it opens. “hey” you hear the light click off and their silhouette vanishes.
---
the wood clad walls seem to be breathing and the beer in your hand is cold. the synthetic diamond sprays light around the room as you turn it in your hand and the amber liquid inside appears incandescent. you let the bubbles fizz over on your tongue.
“can i ask you a question?” you look deeper into the amber, into the carbonation. something in there. you look at the bartender. their eyes grey with hazel cracks at the edges. you watch light dance across their green sweater.
“you ever imagine youre seeing someone that couldnt be there?” green and white blurring together, shapes stretch and bend on fabric.
a long pause. “late in the night, typically. do they talk to you?”
you look deeper into their eyes. “i mean can you miss people so much you make yourself see them”
you watch the bartender think this over. “sure. though ive got a few people i could miss a little more myself” they wink at you as voices and footsteps approach behind you.
“and hello dear- ah one more for the sad sack”
“dark for me”
“reversal doesnt mean anything”
“and me today love”
“hope you dont mind, old habit” someone from the crowd reaches over you and taps the hard of your chest. they seem genuine and uninterested.
“dark for me. its fine.” you meet the bartenders eyes.
“-no, you see. it must have been going backwards before. we just dont have the capacity to describe what before was like”
“everything was the same last year”
“they only announced the discovery last year, i dont think they know how long ago it started”
“drinks for my favorite engineers” the bartender slams the last beer on the counter and you think of a kick drum.
“im telling you! the council was saying its localized. its not affecting us”
“how about you?” the crowd turn. you think.
“it doesnt really matter does it?” the crowd groans. you laugh with the booing. “i mean that we probably couldn’t feel it even if we knew what to feel”
the older engineer takes a sip of their dark beer without looking up at you. “knowing how to feel?” slowly their eyes meet your own.
“something tells me its like changing the direction of flow in a river” the group likes this answer more so you sip from your empty beer, glowing.
---
in the Hall you look straight up, flickering candle light like ocean above you. a stomp echoes out and crashes down. in the emptiness you hear a noise and it propels you. you are drawn into it. the outside of your hand brushes along the side. the current is pulling you and you reach out. ringing and sliding. a flutter in the back of your neck. a crash. a scream. heavier. palm against strings, lighter. sharper. kick. kick. your chest pounds. something sour. you turn to face the current and let go. Sun is there and the bass seems to change the flow of everything. you follow and the sharpness expels in flashes and the drums pound and swing. you think of a winter night.
---
the wooden floors appear like leopard fur in the dim hallway. dark slush creating new spots with each step. you hear a drum pounding and you try to focus on your breath. corners of the hallway echo and rotate. a light spills from the side and you throw your weight toward it. your hand solid against concrete. grey shifting into a row of black rectangles. laughs echo around nothing. a door falls open and you through it. you gasp and spit and take a breath in the wrong direction. red. for a second you are no longer in the room. sweat pouring. every muscle in your body about to explode. more red, you snort through your nose. a heave, pain. a torrent. sweat drips from your forehead and mixes with the blood falling from your mouth. you hear a guitar.
Sakura is sitting cross-legged on the arm of an old couch. red light reflecting off tied braids through clouds of vapor. a hundred voices talking together. the room seems to go quiet. Nicki gives you an electric look from the couch and when Sakura meets your eyes its as if you have just fallen in love again.
“sorry” you rest your hand on their shoulder and the pain is gone for a moment before pulsing back.
“oh? we’re just sitting. you ok?”
“wanna go back in?” you feel all the heat in your body at once and Sakura is melting under your hand.
“lets go” the words are an aside for you. the air tastes like salt and you are standing together on the leopard floor.
---
Sun passes you a cup and you feel it in your hand without reaching for it. hydration calms your heart and you are engulfed in flames. you watch the lights dotting along the river. wooden sculptures against massive trees all the way down the mountain. ancient satellites sparkle in the night sky.
the garden is wild and bees provide a hum to the night air. flower petals seem to fall from vines which climb old trees spotted around you. “you wanna talk about it?”
Sun stares out with you and you are glad for their company. you wonder what Abra is doing.
“there you are” you feel a soft hug against your back. AB steps back, their long hair switching sides across their face. “i always love seeing you play”
you turn and words come easily. “its been too long” you watch two beautiful strangers float around like moths. “ive missed you” AB meets your eyes and then Sun’s.
“well you’re in luck. we’re playing tonight” they smile and you feel a weight dissolve into the night air.
---
Leah sits quietly beside you and you watch the band tune their instruments. you seem to be vibrating at the same frequency. AB taps pedals on and off. the crowd around you is new. the air crackles with voices and tests. “thanks for being there for me last night”
you dont feel ready to talk but you smile. “its hard” you say this to no one in particular. you take another sip of honey water. “are you helping with the pipes too?” Leah laughs.
“i met Sun at the library in the east end” you try to imagine Sun sitting long enough to read. you wonder where they are now. “i want to be strong like that” you think about the old pipes underground and you nod.
a breeze crosses the room and you watch an older couple chat with AB and the bassist. lights shift around them like reflections on water.
---
“i have a message for you from Sakura”
“play” the green light shifts and you watch Sakura lost in thought. blue light waving across the walls.
“you know i want to.. they havent left bed in weeks. i cant leave them like this.” the voice trails and you watch the ghost. “and you know im barely hanging on, im worse than when i was with you. i cant- im never going to that fucking city again”
the hologram disappears and the noise from the road enters again. the room goes dark. you listen for your breath.
---
walking down the stairs the earth seems to disappear. Leah and someone you dont know are giggling and floating and you want to turn to see them but you are glued to the steps. you hear ABs laugh echo past you.
outside you feel distinctly alone and decide to leave. the ground crunches under your boots and you listen for an owl.
as you walk the air seems to pull you onward. dim light wanders the paths between trees and wooden buildings and the streets pop with occasional laughter or song. you stop as a crowd flows out from a gallery and into a small park where athletes are working out. you listen for the wind.
walking to the corner you find a Terminal empty and you poke your head in and say “tell Slate im here” the blue glow washes over you and you turn before it fades to green. you watch the park and the athletes. body builders sharing different techniques with the art show crowd. people playing cards. you lay on a grass bench extruding from the ground. soon you are falling through the earth.
---
when you wake up Slate is standing over you and the sun is rising below the trees somewhere to the east.
“so this is what you’ve been up to huh?” Slate pokes you with their foot. you listen to the birds punctuate the quiet of the morning.
“i was looking for you”
“and here i am” Slate extends a hand and pulls you up. their hair is shorter than before and when you come to stand beside them you notice a dry fragrance that disappears into the breeze.
“lets get this over with” you hug Slate as they grab you by the arms. slowly they turn you toward the park.
“when was the last time you got some exercise?” you laugh as Slate lets you go. “we’re in!” a crowd of deep voices cheer and you turn to see a new group of athletes working out in the park. you give Slate a look and throw your spider silk pants and shirt onto the grass bench you had been sleeping on. the black fabric shimmers in the morning sun.
---
before you can see the clearing you can hear it. the sound of drums and thousands of voices. the wet smell of the morning making way for spices and smoke. along the mulch paths tents and other temporary structures become more and more frequent. you look to a group of young pilgrims covered in symbols.
“LAST, RATE, ORANGE” you look to the earth and grab Slate’s shoulder. they look ahead, one hand in their bag.
“keep your head down” you look up to Slate and steady yourself.
“im sorry”
“for what? this is the fun part” Slate winks at you and you feel the ground steady beneath your feet. ahead you see the clearing: frenzied and celebratory.
a group of teens whisper to each other and disperse as you approach. “well they know we’re here now” the words hang in the breeze as you walk through them.
before long you can see the sea of people in full, covered in tattoos and clothing embellished with AI markings. it feels like a scream. you close your eyes. behind you a crowd grows, following you both.
---
in the glade the white bulb towers alone in the midday sky. you try to close your eyes before a bright spot sears into your flesh. you watch this crack alone in the darkness.
“its humming” Slates voice fades with the strike behind your eyes. you listen.
then you are right under it. reflective white material, sweating heat. you step forward as the building seems to notice you. a door lowers into the ground. you hear birds overhead and take a deep breath. Slate puts their hand in their bag.
a barrage of voices meet you, echoing around the darkness. your eyes adjust and shapes begin to appear in the darkness. the hush of a turning crowd crawls up your spine.
“who are you?” the sound meets you at the moment of exposure. a crowd, some seated at a table extruding from the wall. the same material as the outside, as everything. a low blue glow hangs behind the group where a terminal waits in stasis.
someone walks up to you apart from the group. “welcome, i am with the east City development and planning council” the room seems to wait for you to answer. “we noticed your conversation with the terminal. are you aware how odd this is?”
“im starting to” Slate sticks their other hand across your side and you feel your weight shift backwards.
“we’re from the council for AI relations and human development” the middle aged speaker gestures to a few others around them.
eyes fully adjusted you can now tell the crowd does not share a clothing style with the pilgrims outside. lab coats and fur coats, a bodysuit and denim. one in a leather jacket from hundreds of years ago. an inside out tank top that says CAONPY. “is this part of the gig?” the crowd glances between eachother and the tone of the room hardens.
“youre here because of the reversal?” the youngest one stands up from the wall. you meet their right eye and you notice a symbol tattooed across it.
DOWN. you turn away as the group murmers.
“im here because im depressed, i think” you look deep into the perfectly smooth floor. your reflection blurred and dark. one of the middle aged onlookers laughs. you look to the threshold beside the crowd and you feel the gaze of the room on your every thought. “what do you all want then?”
the laughing stranger smiles and says “research” their colleague nods beside them. “whatever it wants with you”
suddenly a rush. air sucked from the room like an airlock. Slate pushes you behind them and steps across you in one motion. a crowd from outside storms into the room.
“so which of you is it” a young stranger stands backlit by the sun pouring in from the door. thousands of dark figures fill the overexposed view. you hear drums in the distance.
you find yourself falling with great force. Slate pushes away from you. they pull a long thin blade from their bag which extends from a turquoise handle. you hit the ground. pain.
you stare into yourself blurred in the white ceiling and breathe nothing. you gasp and turn over. a crack in your neck - an explosion. chaos. the room now a chemical reaction. legs above you, screams.
you roll to your side and see a dark object reflected in the white floor. blue light cutting across rising smoke. darkness. you feel yourself lifting with the navy plume and hear a voice say “can you hear me?”
---
DOWN. you close your eyes. you are being pulled across the room and feel the cool wall against your side.
“wait here” DOWN. you breathe and cool air fills your lungs. you cough. Slate stands over two spouting fingers and a horrific scream. blood covers the white floor in a long line to the entrance.
in the doorway, crowds are pushed back while others storm in. GOD HEART, LOST, UNDER, LISTLESS. you see Sakura through the symbols. their face sullen and dark. you blink and cough. they turn away into the crowd. nothing. black.
when you awake you are seated against the wall and Slate is arguing with people you dont recognize. you grab the back of your neck and wince. “what the fuck” Slate turns to you and smiles through a frown.
they nod in the direction of a group of doctors. you watch as they reattach fingers to the passed out figure. you see now that they are around your age and in the blue light seem almost angelic. “you alright?”
you try to sense each part of your body, one by one. adrenaline vibrating through your viens. “i think so”
---
“we dont have long now that the word is out” the old council member is crouched down beside you. “are you okay to continue?” they stare into your eyes. their concern comforts you.
Slate’s voice hovers in the background, arguing. you hear Husk and other familiar voices like instruments competing for the lead. the entrance is covered arm and arm with people who are not dressed like the pilgrims or the council members. over to the side people are disassembling the gun and debating its origin.
Husk walks up to you and extends a hand. “are you up for this? we’ve got a team here now” your vision blurs, focusing on the extended arm. you grab their hand and are lifted with ease. you feel your heart pounding. you are covered in sweat.
the room is full wall to wall. eyes lay heavy on you. you take a long breath. your heart pounds and your vision blurs. “might as well”
the far door which has remained closed since you entered the room seems to hear you and starts to open. you look to Slate, then to Husk who puts their arm on your shoulder. “i’ll be here watching the door” they smile at you. Slate comes to your side and nods. someone yells about removing Slate and their weapon.
“thank you” they dont look to you but continue scanning the room. they gently bump their shoulder against yours.
---
passing the threshold, you are reminded of the concert from last night. you think of Sakura. their face blank and cold across the frenzied crowd. “have you ever spoken with one before?” a younger council member turns to you but Slate doesnt let them approach. you almost dont hear the question but you answer anyways.
“no” you stare up to the ceiling but you cannot find one. an infinite expanse of space. your words do not echo here. you look to Slate who is scanning the room beside you. you feel something you cannot place.
a sound like a great horn turns and pops out of existence as suddenly as it appears, far above. a bass resonates in place of an echo and you are the only person left in the room. “Slate?” you turn to no one. again the horn from above, producing a note that seems to slowly change. you say “hello?”
blinding green shifts into individual leaves, rustling softly in a cool wind. behind them white light. you watch as it becomes impossible to discern between the leaves and the full complete color behind them. you hear the horn again, this time it comes from within you and you laugh.
the space before you contracts to a point where it seems infinitely big and the colors produced unreal. you reach out to touch the threshold but find you no longer can feel or see. sound rings out in a steady chord.
it becomes extremely clear that you are not this body. you watch it change at you. three dimensional flesh surrounding something which extends in every direction.
you stare out into the white room and feel a hand on your shoulder. “yes?” Slate is there and the crowd has returned as if from thin air.
---
for a second you feel tears clouding your vision and the room seems to distort inversely to them. you feel as if you are falling from a great height. flashes of blue fill the room, then a pattern like stars. an explosion.
Slate looks to you horrified, one hand on your shoulder. “there’s pieces of you on the rocks back there”
they stand as if waist deep in a great river. blinding light. fire and heat, sound completely eclipsed by pain. only pain.
a door slams shut. rain falls down over you.
end of part two : prosopagnosia