[time seems to slow right down around him. one moment he's staring at the swirling vortex that has never meant anything good before, the next, there's a body falling through and barry forgets how to move. how to breathe. her face is one that haunts both his dreams and nightmares. memories of a happier time, a better time, overlaid with those of the single worst day of his life. of the time that he'd paid the ultimate price for being too slow.]
...Iris...
[her name escapes on an exhale, barely audible above his own breathing. above hers. but even as he staggers towards her, even as he drops to his knees beside her, he can't force himself to touch. to destroy the illusion he knows he has to have brought on himself.
(she's wearing the same thing she wore that night. she looks exactly the same. this isn't real. this isn't real--)]
This isn't real. You're seeing things. [the words break, breath hitching as he tries to hold back the tears burning his eyes already. his hands come up to grip the back of his head, fingers digging in to his hair in an attempt to will away the images. this isn't the first time he's had a nightmare like this. but it's certainly the first time its been this vivid.]
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...Iris...
[her name escapes on an exhale, barely audible above his own breathing. above hers. but even as he staggers towards her, even as he drops to his knees beside her, he can't force himself to touch. to destroy the illusion he knows he has to have brought on himself.
(she's wearing the same thing she wore that night. she looks exactly the same. this isn't real. this isn't real--)]
This isn't real. You're seeing things. [the words break, breath hitching as he tries to hold back the tears burning his eyes already. his hands come up to grip the back of his head, fingers digging in to his hair in an attempt to will away the images. this isn't the first time he's had a nightmare like this. but it's certainly the first time its been this vivid.]