A little background: The word "experiment" used here has a very particular meaning. In a sense their entire relationship up to this point has been an experiment devised to test the boundaries of the "gifts" they've been given. It's hard to explain...
In short, they only meet a week before this scene occurs. And they've already been "intimate." Yes, yes, I know. Penny didn't guard her purity all that well. Whatever.
This is the first time they've seen each other since this happened. They really don't know each other at all.
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Through the bare branches of the trees near the forest edge, I see Will lying on the ground. His arms are spread out away from his body, and his eyes are open, staring up to the sky. For a second it crosses my mind that I should turn around and leave him alone. "Too soon, silly girl," a voice chants in my head.
His shaggy hair lays in all directions. This is the first time I've really seen his face, I realize. The smoothness of his forehead fascinates me. A bold desire to touch it moves my feet toward where he lay.
"Cloud animals?" I ask, stopping beside him and looking up to the cloudless autumn sky.
No answer. I prod his arm with the tip of my boot. "Or, just comatose," I guess again, wishing I had just gone back to the house and left him alone.
His mouth quirks into a half smile, though he doesn't look at me. "I'm redefining the meaning of time. And you're ruining the experiment."
"Hmm...So long as we're just experimenting," I say pointedly, and crumple down next to him, laying down just outside his reach.
I brace myself for the cold, but the ground still radiates the warmth of Indian summer. The wind rustling the leaves that linger on the tree tops just barely brushes across my face.
We lay in silence and I try not to look at him. I watch the sky instead, wondering what it is he's looking for. Soon, the quiet of the moment takes over, and my mind wanders to the things I've learned about myself since arriving on the island. Eighteen years worth of memories cloud my vision of the sky. I'm not the person I thought I was.
"Murderer!" My subconscious screams and I scrunch my eyes tight. I breathe in and out with deliberation, concentrating on the sound air makes as it moves through my mouth. But dread spreads through me like wildfire. The benefits of meditation refuse to take hold.
"You're ruining the experiment," Will murmurs. I open my eyes and turn to look at him. He's laying on his side now, facing me, his head resting on the arm that stretches toward me. The long shadow of a tree covers his face and I can't see his expression.
And as just like that, I am sinking into the ground at the same time I am flying. I shut my eyes again, feeling a different set of emotions too hard to process.
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Teaser was right...more, please!
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