CHAPTER SEVENTY TWO
[72]
song: nothing breaks like a heart by mark ronson

IT FELT LIKE THE BRIGHT LIGHT NEVER FADED.
Through her closed eyelids, the harsh glow shined, seemingly never ending.

At first, she could only hear her staggered breathing. In and out, heavy but quick. Then came a breeze, that swept past her so fast she felt goosebumps grow on her skin immediately. Then a few birds chirping in a familiar sound that reminded her of Winter.

Then, the loud ringing of a school bell.

Daisy's eyes shot open, staring right into the harsh sun. Her brain felt like it pounded against her eyes, begging her to shut them again, and she did, not yet adjusted to the light she was met with.

She didn't move for a few seconds, everything seeming perfectly normal and fine, until rationalization quickly came rushing back into her head.

She just saw the sun, when not even two seconds ago— she was staring at a meteor shower in the dark of the night.

A meteor shower that was supposed to take her home.

That sound of the school bell hadn't stopped, and she realized it wasn't in her head.

Reopening her eyes, this time with her hand out to help block the harshness of it, Daisy let herself gather her surroundings. But she felt too petrified to even look around, let alone move.

She felt freezing cold, hard concrete on her back. On her back. She was on the ground, on her back.

She moved her head to the left, still squinting. Concrete half walls surrounded her, the tops of leafless trees poking out from behind them. As she rolled her head over to the left, she tried to understand what she was seeing. What looked like an elevator shaft sat a few feet away from her, but that was it— besides a few dead leaves rolling around from the heavy winds.

She was on a rooftop.

She squeezed her eyes shut once more before reopening them. She used her elbows to help her get to her feet, still not processing the fact that she was on her back.

The school bell paused for a split second, before beginning to ring again. It was unnecessarily loud, and it made Daisy want to vomit from the way it made her feel. Like hearing an alarm clock in a movie.

She got to her knees, nauseous and dizzy. She let out a few deep breaths, looking around as the wind swept past her and blew her hair around her face. She straightened her back a little bit to peak out over the side of the rooftop.

Her breath hitched at the sight of cars. Lots of them, moving, with people inside of them driving. And they turned corners, and they came to stops, and they honked at each other- and they were people. Real people, real living people.

Then she heard talking, all at once, loud, fast paced talking- and giggles- and shouts. She stumbled onto her feet, not sure she was even controlling her movements anymore. Excitement and hope pushed her foreword as she stood up despite her wobbly knees. She stepped towards the edge of the rooftop, looking down.

Hundreds of teenagers piled out of the building she stood at the rooftop on. Pushing out the door, not paying any mind to personal space or common decency as they all went their separate ways. Some went to the bike rack, some lingered in their own groups and talked, some went straight to the parking lot.

Daisy's heart was pounding against her chest, her entire body shook with happiness. A knot quickly grew in her throat and she choked out a laugh, tears beginning to spill from her eyes.

But as that happy feeling came, fear followed, as she remembered that she should be sharing this moment with someone.

Daisy spun around quickly, her eyes frantically searching for him. First landing on where she just stood from, but he wasn't there. She began to walk around, her head moving around in a panic to search for him- although there weren't many places to be hiding on an empty rooftop.

"Kai?" She spoke with a sniffle, her smile still lingering.
She could only hear the chatter from the students below, and the strong breeze that she struggled to stay up against. "Kai?" She raised her voice a little bit, wiping her tears with her sleeve.

She didn't want to panic. She was so sick of panicking. This was supposed to be a good moment. She tried to keep her smile going, before it eventually trembled back into a real, genuine frown.

As she felt her chest begin to rise and fall in that familiar quick pace, she glanced over the rooftop at all the students still piling out the doors- before turning back around and quickly making her way to the elevator doors.

She sniffled as she clicked the down button, trying to keep her cool, although that choking feeling continued to creep up on her, stronger by every second.

After a few moments, the doors opened with a creek and she hesitantly walked in, turning back to face the doors as they shut behind her.

Silence resumed as they shut, the chatter of students coming to a standstill. Daisy felt herself stumble back, hitting the back wall of the elevator. She rubbed her throat, hoping that would bring some ease to the tightening sensation.

With closed eyes, she swallowed and tried to think rationally. She tried to think of possible reasons he didn't wake up beside her- but she couldn't. There was no 'he's probably just here,' or 'he's probably just there.' There wasn't any of that— she didn't even know where here was.

As the doors opened, her eyes reopened with a surprise. The talking refilled her ears, as tons and tons of people walked past the elevator in each and every direction.

She was frozen, not sure when it was an appropriate time to step out into the chaos. She kept wanting to throw up, dizziness never escaping her stomach, and the overwhelming feeling that crowded her head wasn't helping her case.

The doors began to shut, but a hand reached out and stopped them before they could close all the way. Daisy flinched at the suddenness, and stepped back as a man in neat attire stepped inside, a black canvas bag on one shoulder.

"Students aren't supposed to be in the elevators." He nods firmly, giving Daisy a condescending look.

Daisy just stared at him, eyes probably suspiciously wide. She didn't know what to say, so she just stumbled out of the elevator, quickly getting swept into the movement of students.

People bumped into her shoulders left and right, knocking her back and fourth, taking no chance to apologize. She didn't know where she was, let alone how to get out.

Her eyes kept locking on others' in a panic, hoping that she'd bump into him. But she didn't, just more and more teenagers, with white wiry looking headphones in their ears, or their heads buried in the little game devices in their hands. They barely glanced at her- like she wasn't even there.

Daisy couldn't breathe, partly because of the horrible smell of body odor, partly because of the panic that was rapidly growing inside of her. Her head was spinning as she was shoved around deeper down the hallway, trying not to trip over anyone's feet.

She realized the wave of students were probably headed towards the exit, which was what she needed. She tried to hold herself upright, moving with the fast paced crowd.

They all piled out into the central hallway, where the large exit doors sat at the end. Daisy looked around, trying to get a better look of what awaited outside- but something else caught her eye.

Beside the doors, stood a glass encasement full of trophy's and old photos. But that's not what stood out to her.

'Gone but not forgotten.' She read.

As everyone was too occupied with making their way out of the building, Daisy made a quick dip out of the moving crowd as she stepped closer to the glass case- too afraid to breathe.

The quote was carved into a wood plank, where four photos lay beneath it.

Jenna Silvey. Thomas Joseph. Carol Lawrence.

Daisy Hendrix.

Her senior photo lay right beside each of theirs.

Smiling sweetly, her hair was curled the night before by her sister. She wore a black turtle neck, with a grey blazer on top of it, and her mother's pearl earrings she let her borrow for the photo.

She looked so different.

Gone but not forgotten.

Daisy clutched onto her stomach, for proof that she was still breathing. She heaved in and out, her world once again beginning to spin as everything began to make more and more sense. She knew where she was now that she had a moment to process it.

She was swept back into the crowd of students, and out the door. The cold air was a relief, and she gasped for it as she feared she'd topple over if she didn't.

She didn't even bother to step out of the crowd this time, she just turned around to face the building she just walked out of. The students moved around her, going about their day, as Daisy stared up at the words carved into stone atop the door.

'Wayward High School'.

One by one, familiarity swamped her brain. Everything felt so normal she could've sworn she was here yesterday. The school bell, the stench of the hallway- she was back home. She was in Wayward.

As someone slammed into her shoulder walking past her, she was yanked back into reality. Her feet picked up pace, carrying her faster than her brain could process as she pushed herself through the crowd, frantically looking around for something, anything that would make everything make sense.

"You good?" Someone asks, a bit of laughter in their voice as they look at Daisy with a confused expression.

Daisy looks at the guy, she probably looked completely insane but she didn't care. She inhaled sharply. "Have you seen-" she swallowed, catching her breath. "Have you seen a guy about 6 foot and with- with brown hair and blue eyes and- and- he was wearing um- a black shirt with a black jacket and—"

"Do you go here?" The guy interrupts her.

Daisy wanted to cry, she shook her head quickly in frustration and pushed past him, out of the crowd completely and into the parking lot- searching for him frantically. She ran her hands through her hair, trying not to cry.

She couldn't do this alone.

A honk from a car startled her, and she quickly stepped out of the way as she realized she stood right in the middle of someone's way. They drove past her and she followed the car out the parking lot where everyone else was going.

A few people were walking or biking home it appeared, and Daisy walked along with them to blend in, although her panicked expression might raise some suspicion.

The cars looked different, not as futuristic as she'd expect but still weird. She also realized the parking lot was bigger, they probably realized how many students came to class late trying to find somewhere to park. There'd always be someone in her first hours using that excuse.

Daisy glanced back at the school as she continued aimlessly walking. She didn't think her brain had actually processed what was happening yet- there wasn't time to do any of that. There was too much happening to focus on that, but she'd get to it.

When she realized she was walking down the same sidewalk she used to bike home on everyday, she came to a sudden stop. She felt her heart drop in her stomach as all of those memories came rushing back.

Freshman year, when Jen would bike home with her, and they'd go to the park before they went home, and smoked on the swing set together.

Jen.

She felt herself smiling, but it quickly faded as she realized she'd fully forgotten about Jen. She hadn't thought about her in years- her best friend. Just a blip in her memory.

She squeezed her eye shut, trying to shake that feeling from her- although she knew it was inevitable. The prison world had side effects, and memory loss was surely one of them.

She remembered biking to the gas station to stock up on snacks, or on autumn days, where she head straight home to the smell of her mom making chili.

Her breath hitched. Her house was only a few blocks down the road.

It felt as if she'd truly just gotten out of a long day of school, and she was making her way back home. She kept walking, trying to ignore the rational part of her brain telling to stop.

She wanted to go home. She wanted to take her shoes off at the door and plop her backpack down besides them. She wanted to go straight to her room and shut the door. She wanted to turn on her stereo and listen to music. She wanted to hear her sister yell from the other room to turn it down. She wanted her mom to burst into the room and ask her how her day was.

And when she saw her house, completely remodeled and looking barely recognizable- she remembered she couldn't.

The house was previously a pale yellow, with white shutters and a huge oak tree out front- where a tire swing hung from a branch. But now it was a deep grey, with the tree cut down, leaving only a stump. There was an added on garage, with a basketball hoop out front and a green minivan parked in front of it.

She didn't have time to feel sad, as she quickly remembered that she was dead. She wasn't supposed to be here- and she certainly couldn't be seen by anyone.

As the front door of the house opened, she quickly stumbled back and hid behind shrubbery that stood at the edge of the sidewalk.

She wished she didn't expect to see her mom or someone walk out that front door, because it wasn't her. Just a random woman and her young son walking out to the car.

Daisy felt rage. She wanted to shout and tell them that this wasn't their house- that they can't be here and they certainly couldn't change it the way they did. But she didn't. She stayed hidden until she couldn't bare it anymore.

Kai's house still stood right next to hers, although she didn't know if she could still call it Kai's house. It looked like a completely different building, and she had reason to believe someone knocked it down and built something new.

She walked towards the center of town. Using her hair to cover her face as much as she could. She wasn't sure where she was going- but she needed to find Kai.

Her lips trembled from a mix of freezing air, and the knot in her throat that continuously battled to cry. She stopped a few people on the street, asking if they'd seen anyone who fit his description- but no one had.

She didn't let it get to her- it'd be almost impossible for anyone to identify someone they'd probably just glanced at on the street.

But soon that contentless was replaced with the idea that he might not have come back with her.

Something could've gone wrong.

Maybe she was the only one who got out- and he's still stuck there, alone.

Maybe he only sent her back, maybe he could only muster so much power to send one.

Or maybe he woke up before her, and got out of Wayward before she could follow.

Daisy shook her head. He wouldn't do that, maybe twenty years ago he would- but not now. She wouldn't even let herself begin to believe that was the case.

The town itself still felt the same, despite a few changes of locations for a few shops or restaurants. The signs that hung above businesses looked very different, and she wasn't sure she liked the change.

As she walked down the sidewalk amongst the few people walking with her, she caught glance of the police station that still sat at the corner of town.

If anyone knew how to find someone based off a description, they'd be in there. But she couldn't, because they'd probably recognize her immediately. The girl who was presumed dead twenty two years ago, and magically reappeared without aging a day. That'd go over well.

Instead she went to the church. The same church her family had been to almost every Sunday. Heading to the cemetery that sat behind it, she knew she had to see it for herself.

'Daisy Hendrix
1972-1990
Sister, daughter, friend.'

It didn't hurt as bad as she thought it would. It was just weird, staring at her own grave. She sniffled, her nose running from the cold air. As she looked around at the other graves, she felt a bit of relief in knowing she didn't recognize any of the other names.

Her heart only ached because she knew her family would always think she was dead- and she would never be able to see them to tell them the truth. It had been too long, it wasn't fair of her to appear out of nowhere and stir everything back up. Especially considering her story was not one most would believe.

She sat by her grave, back leaned against the headstone. She wanted to pass out. Not only was she physically exhausted, but she felt if her heart ached any further it'd shatter.

Seeing Wayward after all this time and being reminded of all these things was painful- and she questioned if she was even really here or if this was all just a bad dream.

She felt awake, she felt the blistering cold and the bittersweet feeling of being alive. But why? Why was she here, and why wasn't Kai?

One second they were in a cave in Mystic Falls, both holding onto The Ascendant- and the next- she's on the rooftop of her high school.

She didn't know her high school had a rooftop, and she certainly hadn't been up there-

She cut her thoughts off, sitting up straight as realization hit her like a fast train.

She'd been on that rooftop only once. Twenty two years ago- on Valentine's day.

As she thought she was meeting her final moments, she lay in that exact spot on the rooftop she just awoke on- but instead she was sent to the prison world.

She came back where she left off, and that meant Kai did too.

Daisy stood, hundreds and hundreds of possibilities filling her brain as her feet started carrying her out the cemetery. He could be anywhere, she wouldn't even know where to start. His family moved out of Wayward after Daisy 'died', so the chances of him being anywhere around here were slim to none.

He never mentioned where he was when he was sent away, but he definitely knew where Daisy was. She started her trek back to the high school- hoping he was smart enough to make the same connection she just made.

Of course those sour thoughts kept trying to reach the forefront of her mind. 'He left you. He's not coming back. He found a chance to get away, and he took it. You're on your own.'

But as hard as they pried their way through crush her, she let herself be hopeful- because she knew Kai.

High schoolers still lingered in the parking lot, all in their sports uniforms as they awaited for their rides home from practice. Daisy hadn't realized how much time had passed since she awoke, as the sun was now in it's earliest stage of setting.

Her heart beating rapidly, she wrapped her arms around her for warmth as she squinted up towards the rooftop of the school. She looked around quickly, hoping to see him standing up there.

When there was no sign of him, she shook it off and made her way towards the front doors. She probably just couldn't see him from here- or maybe he was sitting down.

She pushed open those heavy doors she pushed open every day for school, that familiar smell reentering her nose, as she made her way down the now significantly less crowded hallway.

She tried to ignore the feeling of her lips trembling, trying to convince herself it was because of the cold and not the fear of being abandoned.

She clicked the elevator button. Stepping back as she waited for the doors to open. She crossed her arms, tapping her foot anxiously on the tile floors.

A heavy, shaky breath fell from her lips and she flung her arms out frustratedly as the elevator was taking too long. Instead of waiting, she quickly turned to the right of the elevator to the staircase and started making her way up them.

As heavy stomps fell on each step, she wondered if she should've just waited for the elevator- as she didn't take into account how ridiculously out of breath she'd be when she made it to the top.

As she round each corner of the stairwell, she felt herself getting more and more excited to see him standing there waiting for him.

But as she pushed open the doors, she was met with the familiarity of the empty rooftop.

She stumbled out the stairwell, once again looking around for him frantically. "Kai?" Her voice cracked, as she realized how stupid she must be to think that'd he'd be here.

Instead of letting that pained sorrow refill her lungs, anger took it's place. She was mad. Mad that nothing ever went her way even though she thought she'd done everything right.

She ran her hands through her hair frustratedly, yanking and pulling on the strands as she clenched her jaw to stop the screams she so badly wanted to let out.

She never thought the real world could feel lonelier than the prison world, but here she was.

She brought her hands to her neck, that painful knot beginning to form in her throat, and she fought the tears that wanted so badly to spill from her eyes again. You'd think after all she'd been through she'd come out a stronger person, but she wasn't. She was just as weak and frightened as before- maybe more.

As she felt her eyelids fall heavy, and her legs want to give out and let herself crash to the ground- the elevator door dinged.

She spun around quickly. It felt like years before those elevator doors opened, and all she could do was sit there and wait. But as they slid out of the way, Kai stood behind them.

With zero hesitation, the both of them ran to each other and collided into a tight hug.

Kai had never clung onto someone with such desperation before. She was freezing, and he felt her shiver under his touch. He held onto the back of her head, burying his head in her neck as he fought back the urge to cry.

Daisy wanted to sob into his chest as she wrapped her arms around him. She hadn't realized how cold she was until she felt his warmth.

He pulled away quickly, examining her face with frantic eyes. "Are you okay?" He says worriedly, as he looks at her red, puffy eyes and swollen lips.

Daisy sniffles, nodding quickly. "Where were you?" She asks, not breaking eye contact with him in fear it might rip her away from a good dream.

"I- I don't know I was in the woods somewhere in Portland. When I made it out the woods and realized where I was and why- I knew you'd have to be here." He spoke quickly.

Daisy let out a deep sigh of relief, smiling up at him. He brought a warm hand to her cheek, as he worriedly wiped a tear that fell from her eye. "Why are you crying?" He asked quietly.

"I thought you left me." She said the words with ease, as the worry that she felt only moments ago was now just an afterthought.

Kai narrowed his eyebrows at her in worry. He hated the thought of her waking up here alone, thinking that he'd abandoned her. He shook his head. "Never."

a/n
hi !
i'm sorry if this chapter was like totally boring ? i realized while writing it that ppl might be pissed at the lack of kai but i felt like there were a lot of things daisy had to figure out by herself this chapter if that makes sense ? like there were a lot of emotional ties in wayward that needed being tied. ( not all of them are tied yet dw ;) ;) ).

either way i hope you enjoyed !! more soon hopefully.
- j