It had been a while now, and Haruka was back up to health - as much as she could be, at least. So it was time to do her part, and contribute to helping the group off this island.
Having found a treevee near a comfortable looking spot, she settled in to watch.
…
The surroundings here were warm and sandy, but without the ocean’s humidity. The trees were hardy and broad, providing shelter from the sun in the rocky landscape. But it wasn’t lifeless, not at all. Birds chirped in the trees, and small flowers determinedly decorated the ground. And there were two people - a Japanese man, and a girl easily recognisable as Haruka - walking together.
Of course Haruka easily recognised herself. And her father. And this place… her breath caught as she looked behind her. A birdwatching hide. Then this was…
She could stop it, this time.
The man stopped and looked around, and told the younger Haruka to stay under cover. “It’s probably a wolf,” he told her. “I’ll check it out. You stay safe until I’m back, alright?”
Where had it been? For all that this moment replayed in her head, Haruka couldn’t remember which direction she should be facing right now. Wait, that rustling…
A boy, no older than ten, crouched in a bush, his small hands tightening around a gun. She saw him, and knew. This was it, her only chance.
“Don’t panic, please, I see you, it’s okay - just, please don’t shoot - please, we can help you, we can keep you safe -”
The boy looked straight through her and jumped as the man looked his way, pulling the trigger. And then again, his eyes squeezed shut.
For the second time in her life, Haruka heard the sound of her father’s body falling to the floor.
…
At least her catatonic fear was the same both within and without the video.
