Mirana drums her fingers against her thigh as Nyla parks her car outside the farmhouse. The woman turns to look at Mirana who is deathly pale as she stares at the house.
"We can go back," Nyla says.
"No, I can do this," Mirana says, pushing open the car door.
"Mirana, there is no shame-"
"Necesito hacer esto," Mirana says. "I have to"
As they approach the front door, Mirana's steps falter slightly. The creaking of the door and the distant memories of the barrel send shivers down her spine. Nyla places a comforting hand on Mirana's shoulder.
"Take it one step at a time," Nyla advises softly and Mirana nods.
Mirana's hand shakes as she reaches out, grabbing the doorknob before pushing the door open. She stares at the table as images of Lucy being tattooed flash through her mind. Her eyes move to blood stains on the floor before looking at the two chairs that sit in the corner of the room.
"You okay?" Nyla asks.
"It feels bigger," Mirana says. "It felt so small before"
"That's because you know you can walk right out of this door," Nyla says. "Because you're not captive any more"
Mirana stands in front of the window she had spent so much time staring out of when bound to a chair. Waiting for her death at the hands of a psychopath.
"You run like hell,"
"I'm not leaving you,"
"Go now, watch the trip wire, saw it when I came to being carried in"
Mirana's eyes move to the front door, following the movement of memory Lucy's retreating figure. Her eyes move to where she had then killed James before Caleb subdued her once again.
"Mirana?" Nyla asks, frowning when she gets no response. "Mirana?"
Nyla follows Mirana as she begins to walk out of the house and across the dried-out fields. Nyla bites her lip nervously, noticing how numb Mirana is. Her movements seem automatic as Nyla pulls her phone from her pocket.
"He's going to kill me," Nyla mutters to herself, lifting her phone to her ear. "Bradford, it's me. Yeah, I'm with Mirana. I'm worried about her. Where are we? About that, we're at the farmhouse-"
Nyla pulls the phone away from her ear as Tim shouts at her down the phone.
"I'm aware now it may have not been the best idea but she asked me not to tell you," Nyla says. "She wanted to come here- She's not a child, I can't tell her no. Alright, I'll tell her you're on your way"
Nyla hangs up the phone, taking a deep breath. She turns to Mirana, who seems lost in her own thoughts standing by the large hole in the ground where she had been buried by Caleb.
"Tim's on his way," Nyla informs her gently. "Just take your time, Mirana. We're here for you."
Mirana nods, her eyes still distant as she sits on the ground, her feet dangling into the hole in the ground.
Nyla joins Mirana on the ground, sitting beside her. The two women share a quiet moment, the wind whispering through the fields around them. The sound of Tim's approaching car grows louder until he parks nearby.
Tim runs over, his concern evident. "Mirana, are you okay?"
"She's not talking," Nyla shakes her head. "I think she's reliving it all and she won't come back until she's ready"
Tim crouches down beside Mirana, his eyes filled with worry. He places a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Mira, I'm here. Whatever you need, whenever you're ready, I'm here."
Mirana remains silent, her distant gaze fixed on the hole in the ground.
Nyla gives Tim a reassuring look. "Just give her time. She'll come back when she's ready to face it"
"What do we do?" Tim asks Nyla. "She's basically catatonic"
Nyla glances at Tim, concern etched on her face. "We stay with her. Support her. Talking might not be what she needs right now, but our presence matters. Sometimes, just knowing that someone is there can make a difference."
"Should we take her to Lucy?" Tim asks Nyla.
"It can't make it any worse," Nyla replies.
Tim nods, acknowledging Nyla's suggestion. "Alright, let's get her to Lucy."
Nyla helps Tim gently lift Mirana to her feet, supporting her as they guide her towards the car. Tim opens the door for Mirana, ensuring she's settled in comfortably before getting in himself.
︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵︵‿︵‿︵‿︵
Tim bangs his fist against Lucy's apartment door and Lucy answers the door, a confused frown on her face.
"She's in the car and I can't get her to come out," Tim says. "She isn't talking, I don't know what to do"
"Did you propose?" Lucy asks and Tim shakes his head.
"She went back to the Dyer Family Farm," Tim says and Lucy's eyes widen as she grabs a jacket before sliding on some Ugg boots. "And the spot where she was buried"
Lucy rushes out the door, Tim on her heels as they leave the apartment building. She looks at Mirana, who is still seated with a distant expression.
"Mirana, sweetheart," Lucy says gently, opening the car door. "It's okay. I'm here for you. Let's go inside, okay?"
Mirana doesn't respond, her gaze fixed on some unseen point. Lucy shares a concerned look with Tim, who's standing outside of the car, then places a reassuring hand on Mirana's shoulder.
"Come on, Mira," Lucy encourages. "We're going inside. You're safe."
"It was so dark," Mirana murmurs as Lucy squeezes in the passenger seat with Mirana, pulling the door closed to give them some privacy from Tim's watchful eyes.
"The barrel?" Lucy asks and Mirana shakes her head.
"Death," Mirana whispers. "It was dark and quiet. Peaceful. It was kind of nice"
"Mirana, what are you saying?" Lucy asks.
"I don't know if me coming back was meant to happen," Mirana says. "I took a life so I owe one"
"You took a life?" Lucy asks.
"I killed James," Mirana confesses and Lucy's jaw hangs slack.
"No, Caleb-"
"It was me, one of them would have come after you. I needed you to be safe,"
Mirana looks down, fiddling with the hem of her dress.
"I don't even really remember it," Mirana continues, her voice filled with a mixture of confusion and remorse. "It was like... instinct. He was going to follow you and hurt you, and I just reacted. I shoved a plank of wood through the back of his neck, there was so much blood"
Lucy reaches over and takes Mirana's hand, offering a comforting squeeze. "You did what you had to do to protect me. I would have done the same for you. Are you punishing yourself for killing James?"
"I told Caleb it was a life for a life, I killed James and Caleb was going to kill me. Caleb was alive, you were alive," Mirana explains. "I tipped the scales and they never rebalanced"
"Mira, James would have gone down fighting," Lucy says. "He would have died just like Caleb"
Mirana looks at Lucy, her eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. "I know, but it's like I disrupted the balance, Lucy. I cheated death, and I don't know if I should have. It's sick irony that I'm currently forming life inside of my body"
"You're pregnant?" Lucy asks and Mirana nods.
"Seventeen weeks," Mirana nods.
"You don't even have a bump!" Lucy exclaims.
"It's very small. Due to the persistent exercise I do, it means I have a strong core which can minimise a bump," Mirana says and Lucy rolls her eyes playfully.
"Only you could be pregnant and still stay in perfect shape,"
"What if I'm a terrible mother?" Mirana asks.
Lucy continues to hold Mirana's hand, offering support.
"We can talk to someone about this, Mira," Lucy suggests gently. "A therapist, someone who can help you navigate these feelings."
"I've been to therapy, Luce," Mirana says, her voice tired. "Maybe it's just something I need to figure out on my own"
"You don't have to face it alone," Lucy says. "We're Twisted Sisters now"
"How very Christina Yang of you," Mirana smiles at her.
"Want to come up for some tea?" Lucy asks and Mirana nods.
"Yeah, sounds good,"