Barbara awoke with a start, mind hazy and vision blurred. No memory of the journey became apparent, and the young girl wasn't even sure it was the same day at all. Mind screeched at the obnoxiously bright room, and after a brief pan around, it didn't take her long to realise that she had been there before. Shining white tiles lined the room, reflecting the girl's panicked expression back to her. It was almost like a mockery; like the very walls were taunting her distress, calling for her, rooting for her capture. All Barbara remembered was her fight or flight defences kicking in, urging her to run and hide from the man before her. Holland had chosen flight, Brenner had chosen fight.
She knew she'd been there before. Maybe not physically, but mentally. It had felt just as real as it did now; the coldness, the dark corners, the eerie feeling that buzzed around like unstoppable flies. The only thing different was the loss of the drawing. The purpose of it had been fulfilled, so perhaps it was no longer needed. If something bad was going to happen, surely there would've been another drawing. Sydney was on her side, right? She would've warned her.
But after all that had happened, Barbara started thinking differently about her young acquaintance.
Maybe Sydney had led Brenner to Barb- but yet again, she could've been forced into it. Perhaps she didn't want to at all, perhaps she drained her energy to try and help Holland, perhaps, perhaps-
Barbara silenced herself. Being calm was the best possible way to be when trapped in a room, so that's what she became; calm.
Even though there wasn't a clock in the room, or any way of telling the time, there was a faint tick in the background. It never stopped, never failed. She didn't even know where it was coming from; or if it was coming from anywhere at all. Maybe it was her brain tricking her into hearing it, bored of the tense silence of the room. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't.
She didn't have to wait long though, because before long, a long, loud siren penetrated her ears. Something was happening, she just didn't know what yet.
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Tʜᴇ Fᴏʀɢᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ- Bᴀʀʙᴀʀᴀ Hᴏʟʟᴀɴᴅ
FanfictionA child at the age of fifteen shouldn't be worrying herself over such things, knowing that they could do no harm, but Barbara Holland enjoyed it. She loved the unknown, just as much as she feared it, and it was almost routine at this point in her li...
