#stbrp: prompt contest

[juniibug]

as she felt the heat of the sun bearing down on her, marlyn shook her head once more to keep herself awake. keeping a close eye on the sky above her and the water around her, she glanced once or twice at the person across from where she sat. there was something about them that stirred a lost memory, one that she hadn't allowed herself to think about for years now. was it the way their hair fell over their eyes? or perhaps that vacant look on their face as they too kept an eye out for a rescue or their death in the form of another kaiju.

"you can't stop staring at me now, i won't bite."

hearing them pipe up, marlyn quickly looked away as she blinked back the memory once more. already she could feel her hands beginning to shake, whether it be from the cold or from the fear that was slowly creeping its way in she wasn't sure. then it hit her, the tightness in her chest as the words resounded her head just like they did all those years ago. the memory had taken over her once more and she fought to control her breathing. it wasn't until she felt a hand suddenly on her shoulder that she lashed out, waving her fist in every direction to back the person off.

"woah, woah. i'm not trying to hurt her, just to check if you're alright."

as her eyes connected with the face of the stranger she only saw the face of the man that had taken so much from her. there was a part of her mind that shouted at her that this was all a trick of the sun, but a bigger part of her mind screamed out that it was happening all over again. that once more she was a lost seven year old being pushed backwards by her elder sister, katelyn. the man before the two of them had a look of hunger on his face and not just for food either. as she watched the stranger's hand reach out for her once more, it was no longer their hand but that of the monster who reached for her sister. all she could do was stand their in terror as she watched what befall katelyn and then it was as if instinct was taking over.

she reached down to pick up a loose pipe, an oar from where she truly sat, and swung the pipe at the man's head. a loud crack was heard at metal and skull were connected. marlyn screamed out for her sister as she felt strong hands grab hold of her and shake her back to reality.

"dammit woman! snap out of it!"

the memory was gone, reality was back. marlyn's focused in one the scene before her: a stranger across from her with a trickle of blood on the side of his head where she had hit him. the sun bearing heat down from above her and an expanse of ocean around her. in the far distance she could barely make out the thudding sounds of an incoming helicopter. "i...i'm sorry. i don't know w..w..what came over me. the he..heat must have fried my brain."

"whatever, though, i have one question. who's katelyn?"

and there it was, the name she hadn't spoken or thought of in the past seventeen years. "she's my si...she was my sister." that's all she wanted to give, not wanting the rest of who or what had happened to her beloved sister be known. the knowledge she held herself was already troubling for who would want to be around a woman who was called a murderer at the age of seven?