Episode 6 (Serena Season 1)

Everyone meets back up in the lobby by sunset, and for once, it's nothing but good news.

Logan found even more canned food in the kitchen for dinner,

and no one fell through the floor.

But what I'm happiest about is the bedrooms.

Clyde: "There's enough rooms for us all to have our own bunk, so pick whichever door you like."

Logan: "We might need to do some cleanup later, but the beds seem nice enough to sleep on."

TK: "I'll take anything not made of rocks at this point."

Arthur: "I think we should all take the chance to get some sleep."

Arthur: "The last few days haven't been very restful."

Serena: "I agree."

MC: "And we can eat breakfast together in the dining hall tomorrow morning."

Clyde: "Good idea."

Clyde: "Now let's get some shuteye."

I end up taking the bedroom at the end of the hallway,

brushing all the dust off the blankets and fluffing the pillows back up.

Once those are set I can't help bouncing on the end of the mattress,

feeling how soft it is,

and I let out a laugh of glee right as Serena walks through my door.

MC: "Oh!"

(Oh my god, did she just see me do that?)

(With my luck, yes.)

Serena: "Having fun?"

MC: "It's... a really comfortable bed."

MC: "Did you need something?"

(I have to admit,)

(the last thing I expected when we picked out our own rooms was for Serena to come to mine.)

Serena: "I need to check on your leg one more time."

Serena: "Make sure everything's closed up cleanly."

MC: "Oh! I think it's alright."

MC: "It hasn't bothered me at all today."

Open surprise plays across Serena's face, and she takes a step back before hesitating.

The emotion is swept away a second lter, replaced by her usual cool expression.

Serena: "After all the walking we did in the jungle, I'd like to be sure."

MC: "Doctor's orders, huh?"

Serena: "...Something like that."

I scoot to the edge of thebed and start rolling up my skirt,

hoping that doing it myself will prevent a blush,

but the second Serena drops down to her knees in front of me,

heat rushes all the way up to my hair line.

My only saving grace is that her eyes are on the bandage.

Serena: "Mm."

Her fingers brush over my skin and I bite my lip,

trying to figure out how to keep some fraction of my dignity here.

MC: "You know, eventually we're going to have to trade off."

Serena: "What do you mean?"

MC: "You've seen my legs so many times."

MC: "Fair's fair."

Serena rolls her eyes,

but I catch a hint of a smile breaking through that analytical focus.

Serena: "Seems to be healing fine even without stitches."

Serena: "I doubt it'll scar."

MC: "Well, that's good."

Serena: "Your shoulder okay?"

MC: "Yeah, it was just a little bruised up."

Serena: "You're lucky."

Serena: "This isn't really the optimal place for medical care."

MC: "I don't think it's luck."

MC: "It's just you."

Serena's brow knits, expression unreadable for a moment,

and strips away the tape holding the gauze in place,

balling it between her hands as she stands up.

Serena: "You should get soms sleep."

Serena: "I know you were waiting for a real pillow."

MC: "I'm pretty sure moths have eaten half of these, but I don't even care."

MC: "This bed feels like paradise."

Serena: "Then I'll leave you to it."

A. Stay with me, Serena.

B. Good night.

---

Serena: "Good night."

MC: "Night."

She tosses the bandages into a small trashcan by the doorway,

taking a step across the threshold and then going still.

Mu stomach does a little flip at the pause, wondering if Serena is going to turn back around,

but she straightens her shoulders before drawing the door closed with a firm click.

(I wasn't imagining that, right? She just...)

(Who am I kidding? It's wishful thinking.)

But that doesn't stop me from curling up in bed,

imagining what might have happened if Serena did come back inside.

---

I pass out almost instantly, drifting through dreamless sleep,

until a loud noise suddenly tears me awake.

Scrambling to kick off the blankets, I look everywhere around the room,

trying to figure out where the sound is coming from.

It's an insistent sort of scratching, making me cringe each time it passes over glass--

(Glass!)

MC: "The window."

MC: "But I'm upstairs, what could be--"

Gulping down a panicked breath, I slip out of bed and inch my way towards the curtains,

cringing every time there's another angry scratch.

(It's just the wind knocking a branch around or something.)

(What else could be up here?)

I steel myself with that thought and yank back the curtain,

only to come face-to-face with a giant bird, its talons swiping against the window.

When it sees me, there's a feral screech,

the bird slamming into the glass like it's going to break through.

MC: "Oh my god, oh my god..."

MC: "Go away!"

It doesn't respond to my scream except to hammer at the window again,

and I yank the curtains shut, dashing past the bed and out of the room.

(It's just like the capybara! What's with the animals in this place!?)

MC: "I just need to get some help."

I run down the hall to the room next to mine,

pulling the door open and rousing the sleeping lump under the sheets.

When Logan sits up, I take a surprised jump back,

getting a full view of his bare chest before the sheets slip even lower.

Frantically putting a hand over my eyes, I stammer a quick apology.

MC: "You're not Serena."

Logan: "Nn, wha--"

Logan: "She's... on the other side."

MC: "Sorry!"

He grunts something incomprehensible back at me while falling back against the pillows,

and I scramble out of Logan's bedroom to find Serena's.

I open her door a little more quietly, but she stirs the second I come in,

brushing hair back out of her face and blinking slowly.

Serena: "? What time is it?"

MC: "Late, but this bird just attacked my window and I think it's going to break it--"

Serena: "Slow down."

Serena: "What are you talking about?"

(Okay, deep breaths.)

MC: "There's a giant bird trying to break into my room."

MC: "I can't sleep with it scrathing at the glass."

Serena: "The windows are locked, aren't they? It can't just fly in."

MC: "N-no, but it's super loud and freaked me out."

Concern flickers across Serena's face before she rubs the last of the sleep from her eyes,

letting out a heavy sigh.

Serena: "Are you hurt?"

MC: "I'm just tired of cute animals trying to kill me."

MC: "Can I stay in here with you?"

Serena:  "..."

A. I'll go right to sleep.

B. I could crash on the floor.

C. It's a REALLY big bird.

---

A. I'll go right to sleep.

MC: "I'll go right to sleep, I promise."

MC: "I was completely zonked out before the bird showed up."

---

(My first real night of sleep in three days and some random animal has to ruin it.)

I'm not sure if it's what I said or the dedicated puppy eyes I direct Serena's way,

but after a long moment of silence, she moves from the center of the bed to the left side,

leaving plenty of room on the other half.

Serena: "Get in."

Serena: "I'd like to be asleep again before sunrise."

Holding in a cheer, I climb onto the bed and slip under the covers.

Serena immediately turns over, eyes closing before the only thing I can see is her back.

Within moments, her breath falls into an even rhythm,

but the realization that we're in bed together makes it that much harder for me to fall asleep.

(I wish I could read her better.)

(Or find some sign that I'm not barking up the wrong tree.)

I wake up staring at an unfamiliar ceiling and groan, throwing an arm over my eyes.

I'm about to turn and snuggle back under the covers when I realize there's someone else in the bed,

and last night comes flooding back to me.

(Right.)

(I slept in Serena's room.)

(I was out like a light.)

(It feels like I could sleep a hundred hours and it might not be enough.)

After a moment, it becomes clear Serena is still asleep,

and remembering what she said about having trouble with it,

I sit up as carefully as I can, trying not to rouse her.

EVery breath is slow and deep,

body free of tension in a way I usually don't see when she's awake.

(Peaceful.)

(Maybe she's having good dreams.)

(...I certainly had a few of those myself.)

Even from a distance, I can feel Serena's warmth radiating through the sheets tangled between us,

and fight the urge to look away when a matching heat climbs up my face.

With her hair spilling across the pillow like the purest ink,

I'm almost hypnotized by how beautiful she is.

(If I'm crushed by a crush, does she have a cure for that?)

(...Rein it in, .)

I lean forward without thinking, letting the sight of her wash over me.

Serena's hand rests about the comforter, fingers slack,

the same ones that put my shoulder back in place, wrapped my leg up with precision.

She stirs, snapping awake fast enough for our eyes to meet instantly.

I jerk back a little, drowning in embarrassment as Serena sits up,

tossing her hair back over one shoulder before staring right at me.

Serena: "What were you doing?"

A. Stretching.

B.Thinking about breakfast.

C. Going back to sleep.

---

B. Thinking about breakfast.

MC: "Thinking about breakfast."

MC: "I don't even know what time it is, much less how long we've been asleep."

(At least the latter half of that is true.)

---

Serena's raised eyebrow is infused with scathing skepticism,

but she sighs and shoves away the sheets,

trying to arrange her torn skirt back into some semblance of order.

I'm desperate to change the subject, fumbling out the first thing that comes to mind.

MC: "This resort probably used to be gorgeous."

MC: "I can't imagine what it looked like before everything was overgrown."

Serena: "I'm not sure it's any different than your average tourist trap."

Serena: "That is, besides being on an island no one's ever heard of."

MC: "But that can't be right."

MC: "Someone had to build all this, didn't they?"

MC: "And this isn't like the ruins."

MC: "It's way newer."

MC: "I'm just trying to think positive, I guess."

MC: "If people were able to find this place and build a whole resort,"

MC: "then maybe someone else can find us."

Serena: "...One would hope."

Serena: "If nothing else, it's a roof over our head right now."

MC: "Exactly! And that's great, except for the... giant angry bird part."

Serena: "So that wasn't a bizarre dream I had."

Serena: "You really were attacked by a bird."

MC: "I mean, it didn't get in, I think..."

MC: "But I'd have to check the other room and find out."

MC: "Also, I should apologize to Logan again."

Serena frowns, blinking in confusion.

Serena: "And why is that?"

MC: "I might have run into his room first and he wasn't wearing any clothes?"

Her dry chuckle catches me by surprise, but it's nice to hear Serena laugh again,

even if it's at my expense.

Serena: "He should be grateful someone's looking."

MC: "Pff. You really don't like him, do you?"

Serena: "I'm not a fan of men who assume they automatically have my attention."

(Well, that's fair.)

MC: "His drone's cool, though."

Serena: "Tell that to Clyde."

Serena: "He makes a face every time Hope comes up."

(Considering what he told me on the boat about technology replacing his job, I can guess why.)

My growling stomach is all the impetus I need to get out of bed,

but it's my heart that flutters when Serena immediately follows, falling into step with me.