"Over and Over Again" (Nature)

''“You don’t have to make trouble where there isn’t any, Annabelle,” Erica tried to reassure her. “I know we’ve only just met, but we will have to bond rather quickly in this scary new world.” She didn’t make eye contact with her, “You know that this place is a joke, right?” Annabelle spoke the harsh truth. “It’s not gonna last. You, Price, Steven, you’re all deluded. This kind of system just doesn’t work – not anymore. Stop trying to build a life where you can’t.” Erica stepped away from her, realising her attempts to connect were pointless. “Your mother’s worried about you. I can tell where she’s coming from. I have a daughter; she acts the same way as you do. Do you know how much a mother would do just to have her child say ‘I love you’ even once a week? No, scratch that, even once a month. Heck, once a year?” Annabelle didn’t care for what she had to say. Erica nodded, disgusted by Annabelle’s pride, “Evidently not…” ''

Annabelle awoke. She was startled to find herself back in the tent. Looking to her right, she saw Erica and Andy, and smiled at them. Then, she remembered where and when she was. After blinking a couple of times, the visions disappeared – there was no one there. It took her a few moments to realise that Keith and Cora were missing.

She dashed outside the tent in a panic, afraid she had been left behind, “Keith! Cora! Don’t leave me! Please! Where are you? Guys!” She was in a huge panic. “Annabelle! We’re here, don’t worry!” They were at the top of the small mountain with a pair of binoculars. Cora slid down to see Annabelle. She gave her a big hug, “Are you ok?” She nodded, “I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?” Cora looked startlingly at her. “I just wanted to sleep, that’s all. I’m fine!” Annabelle tried to play it off like nothing had happened.

As she trekked up to the top of the hill with Cora, Annabelle wondered what Keith was looking at through his binoculars. When they made it to the top, she took the binoculars from him without asking, gazing over. He snatched them back from here, “Good to see you up again, then.” He sarcastically remarked. “What are you looking at it? Something important?” While she didn’t truthfully care, she just needed to occupy her mind beyond Andy and her mother.

“Well, I’m not really looking at anything in particular. I am however trying to find a certain location. Notably, the area which that bomb dropped.” Now, Annabelle truthfully was curious, “Bomb? What bomb?” She asked, but he was still distracted by the binoculars. “There was an… attack, we think,” Cora answered for him. “Yesterday evening, the bright flash I saw, it was a real thing. I can prove it too, look down there,” She pointed towards the dead giant rat, which made Annabelle scream slightly. “Yes, it is exactly what you think it is. The only reason why it’s so large is due to Radiation. This whole area’s been covered with it.”

“Oh no,” Keith finally spoke to them. “What is it? Have you found the impact site?” He shook his head and gave Cora the binoculars, “Where am I looking at?” He pointed out, “The far end of the beach”. It took some time, but eventually she saw it as well. “What’s happening?” Annabelle was now the only one left in the dark. But now, she didn’t even need the binoculars to see it. There were two mutated animals, one was a lion, the other a lioness. “Look at the spine on the male one,” Keith pointed out, “Why is it so curved? And why is the side of his face so bulged out and swollen up?” They were beginning to look more mutant-like now. “Can they see us?” Cora whispered, believing it would make a difference – however, the wind only drowned her out. “Everyone, back down the hill slowly. Get back inside the tent…” All three of them edged back down.

“What do we do?” Cora asked in a panic while they hid in the tent. “We just have to sit tight,” Keith did his best, but he could clearly see Cora was scared still. “Cora, look at me. Look at me!” He tried to comfort her, “Nothing can get in here, ok? This tent is a safe-zone for us now!” Keith’s words set off another daydream in Annabelle’s mind…

''... “Please Elliot, you know I’m right!” Annabelle was begging him to convince the others to leave. “No, Annabelle. You guys aren’t leaving; you get to stay here now.” His wording had alarmed her. “What do you mean by that? Hold on, Elliot… You’re not leaving by yourself are you?” He didn’t answer, looking sheepish. “Elliot! If you’re going, then we’re all going. You know this place is going to fall eventually, that’s why you’re walking away. Why won’t you take us with you?” He looked solemnly at her, “Annabelle, I’m the reason why this place will fall. I stabbed Steven, I nearly got executed this morning. All I’m doing here is bringing unrest and misery. If I leave, the rest of you get to stay.” Annabelle couldn’t believe what he was saying, “You’re serious, aren’t you? You actually think that this place will collapse because of you, and not because of its own damn life cycle! Well, you’re wrong, Elliot!” He shook his head regretfully, “I wish I was, Annabelle. But my past, it says otherwise. Just um, pretend you haven’t seen me, ok? If anyone asks, you pretend like you didn’t already know I was going. Ok?” She stared at him, feeling completely betrayed, “You got us here Elliot. Just remember that…”''

 

… Keith held Cora and Annabelle tightly, noticing the shadow of one of the lions passing by the tent. Annabelle was stuck in her thoughts, so she was completely unfazed. Now however, she snapped back into reality, noticing the shadows of both lions on either side. “They know we’re in here!” Cora whispered amidst a panic. “No, they don’t,” Keith tried to reassure her, even though he knew the lions were about to attack them.

Now, he had to man up, and save his two allies. “Hold each other tightly,” Keith whispered to them, as Cora held on to Annabelle for dear life. Keith reached down to grab his hunting rifle, carefully aiming it at the male lion. Quietly, he primed the bolt. As he prepared to squeeze the trigger, the lioness ripped into the tent from behind, catching Keith off guard. As he was distracted, the male lion ripped in from the other end. The lioness’ sharp claws gripped into Annabelle, and pulled her out of the tent. Cora tried to grab her, but let go out of fear.

Through the tear made by the lioness, Keith slipped out after her. She noticed the lioness dragging her to the ground, where there was a lion cub. Oddly however, this cub appeared to have two faces merged into one. It’s two noses melted into each other, as did it’s two mouths. The two inner eyes had collided as well, making a singular third one. “Father forgive me,” Keith pulled up his rifle, and shot the cub. The female lion dropped Annabelle from its teeth, and turned around, viciously glaring at Keith. The male lion was twice his size – like the rat – and towered over him with big dark red eyes, looking down with a devilish face. Keith tossed the rifle down to the tent for Cora’s use. “Come on then big boy, let’s see what you can do,” Keith threw his hands out, prepared for the lion to ravage him. It brushed him with its’ sharp claw, sending him tumbling down towards the female. With her paw, she stopped him from rolling any further. She extended her sharp claws, raising them up in preparation to dig into Keith.

Annabelle had completely zoned out of everything happening. She gazed up into the sky, with even more memories flooding back to her…

''… “Quickly! We could be the last people to ever see this!” Erica rushed Andy and Annabelle awake to show them something in the sky. “You see that up there? That bright light?” She pointed to a glistening object amongst the stars, “That’s the International Space Station!” Now, Andy and Annabelle were both as overwhelmed as Erica to see it. “Look at it drifting off! I doubt there’s any human life up there, or any life at all actually, but the station itself is still running! At least, for a while longer anyway.” This prompted a given question from Andy, “But hang on, hasn’t it been like two and a half years since anyone step foot up there?” She nodded, still gazing at the object, “You’re forgetting that there would be some astronauts up there on Day Zero as well. Perhaps maybe three to six months they lasted up there. The power could run out any minute now…”''

 

… “Annabelle! You ok?” Cora blocked her sight of the sky, as yet again she came back into reality. “Huh? Oh, yes… Where’s Keith?” Before answering, Cora helped Annabelle to sit up. She was slightly alarmed by the giant lioness corpse, as its’ eyes were still open. “It’s ok! It’s dead.” Annabelle lowered her guard again, shivering slightly at the sight of the dark red eyes, “Why are they like that?” Annabelle asked, not even needing to refer to the eyes for her to understand the question being asked. “Well, I can take a guess. Something to with Radiation.” She laughed lightly, but Annabelle’s original question still hadn’t been answered, “Where’s Keith?”

Cora paused momentarily and then shook her head, “I think the lion won…” Annabelle leant her head back, “Another one in my memories,” she cryptically whispered. “I mean, we don’t know for sure,” Cora tried to find the silver-lining, “Maybe he somehow bested the lion and I just didn’t see it.” Annabelle thought she was being ridiculous, but then she looked past Cora, as her face began to light up, “You’re right…” She nodded, prompting Cora to turn around.

Although Keith’s shirt had a claw mark torn through it, as well as the scars from the exact same strike beneath it, he was very much alive. “I knew you’d win!” Cora jested, “How did you do it?” He tried to smile, but winced upon doing so due to the pain he was in, “It was simple really. He pinned me to the ground and prepared to rip my head off, so I pulled out my knife and ripped his throat first.” Cora could’ve done without the graphic imagery, but nevertheless was grateful that her friend had survived.

Not too much later on, the group had begun their trek in order to find the nearest city. Everyone was silent for their own reasons: Keith because of the pain he had sustained, Cora because the lion encounter had riled her up still, and Annabelle because she finally realised the truth about. “I’m a monster…” She stopped abruptly, as Keith and Cora looked at her. “I killed the wrong people… My mum told me so… I should’ve listened…” She was backing away slowly. “Annabelle? Are you alright?” Cora edged towards her, Keith stood back, afraid that he would provoke her into doing something stupid.

Annabelle looked to Cora, and smiled warmly, “Yes… You helped me realise that… You’re a good girl, Cora. A good girl…” Annabelle pulled out her knife and placed it against her throat. “No!” Cora grabbed Annabelle’s arm, and twisted it, forcing her to drop the knife. “I’m sorry Annabelle, it’s for your own good!” She tried to release herself from Cora’s grip, but couldn’t. Looking on further down the road, she saw a vision of her mother again. This time, she looked disappointed, shaking her head at Annabelle…

-The title is referencing Annabelle's hallucinations, and how she keeps on seeing the same people "Over and Over Again".