Isolation

Chapter 43

Sara growled and slapped the wires that tangled in her hair.

"Why the hell is it such a mess down here?"

She weaved through the wires and turned on her flashlight. She was going to find that creature, even if she had to skip meals. She wasn't hungry, anyway. She fought the wires until she was back where the mess started. The wires were still attached. She searched along the wall until she found it. There was a hole eaten away in the wall where she saw it before. She felt so stupid. I could have stopped it. She would still be alive.

"Sara!"

She pointed her flashlight at the voice. It was Tim. He was trying to get to her, but he was getting tangled in the wires.

"I'm glad you're here. You can help me. There's a lot of ground to cover, so if we split up, we can--"

"Don't worry about the creature right now. Come back to the crew. Everyone is terrified."

"I can't. I have to find it."

He broke himself loose and met up with Sara.

"You're not okay."

"Of course I'm not. I'll feel better when I find it and destroy it."

"No, you won't."

She crossed her arms.

"I thought you, of all people, would understand what I'm doing. I'm angry! Why aren't you?"

"I AM ANGRY!"

She jumped. Tim had never spoke to her like that before. Tim rubbed the back of his head. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm angry. At the Drax. At losing our home. At Maria's death. I'm angry about all of it, but I've been here before you, Sara. I know what happens when you let your anger become your judgement. You miss a lot. You forget what's important, even when it's right in front of you. It makes you blind."

"I'm not blind. I can see clearly."

"No, you can't! You're down here, all alone, with a crew scared out of their pants, and you disappear to do this on your own! You're becoming reckless! It's going to kill you."

He grabbed her arms and shook her.

"I can't lose you, too!"

He winced and started crying.

"You need to face this. The creature isn't your enemy, here. It's your heart. You open yourself to everyone, and it gets you hurt. I know because I was just like you when I was a child! Killing that creature won't bring your family back!"

"Tim, you're scaring me."

"You should be afraid! That's what I've been trying to tell you ever since we boarded this god-forsaken vessel! I don't want to scare you, but the truth is anything can happen, whether we want it to or not. Killing the person, or thing, responsible won't give you resolve. It's not a physical fight. It's psychological. The abyss you keep staring into will eventually look back, but I'm not letting you fall into its pit of despair."

He put Sara's head on his chest.

"What can you hear?"

"Uh... Tim, you're really freaking me out."

"Shut up and listen. Do you hear it?"

"Yes. I can hear your heart."

"Do you feel it?"

"No, you're wearing clothes."

"That's not what I asked. Can you feel it?"

Sara didn't understand, but Tim wasn't letting her go. She groaned and gave in. She listened to his heartbeat for a few seconds.