Time After Time | Steve Harrington

044. Sherlock Holmes

"No, I'm scared!" Gwen choked on a sob, the tears now spilling as if a faucet had been opened. She took shaky breaths and continuously tried convincing him to stop, but he appeared as if he weren't listening. "Please pull over. I don't care about dancing! I just want you to be safe dad! Please!"

"We'll be more than alright, Gwenie," he tried to reassure her. "There. You see? I'm slowing down."

But the car kept going.

It was driving much faster and the windshield wasn't blocking the water anymore. The dimly lit roads became much darker and only the sound of the thunder could be heard.

"Dad!"

"I'm trying to slow down," he said, but his calm voice was now full of panic. He kept pressing on the brakes, but nothing put a cease to the speed. "It's okay. It's okay, honey. Your dad's got this."

Gwen clutched onto her seatbelt and cried even harder, the same way she did years ago. It was happening again. She was reliving the worst night of her life and couldn't save her dad. The torment of knowing what would happen made this much harder, because not even with her knowledge would she be able to change his fate. She was being forced to accept that this would happen and not even in her dreams would her dad survive.

"Do you remember this?" he suddenly asked.

But it wasn't his voice anymore.

It was someone else's.

Gwen stared at him attentively, "What?"

"Do you remember how I died? How I looked at you as I took my last breath?"

She didn't know what to say or what to do, so she remained silent.

He looked at her through the mirror again, but the warmth of his brown eyes were no longer looking back at her. His brown eyes were now replaced by a white color, so haunting and devastating.

And then, a clock started chiming from a distance.

"I know you do. I also know how you think about joining me," he calmly spoke, his eyes never once looking away from her. "Every night, every morning, you pray to reunite with me, so why are you afraid now?"

Gwen pinched herself extremely hard, hoping the pain would awaken her and she'd be back in the Wheeler's basement. The clock continued chiming, so she pinched herself even harder. Not even when blood dripped down her arm did she stop. She continued and continued, but the chiming remained along with the grim voice of the imposter.

"I miss you, honey," he told her, and made a sharp turn into an empty road. "And I know you miss me, but don't worry. We'll be together very soon."

"You're not my dad," she spoke up, tears streaming incessantly like her blood. "You're just a monster."

He chuckled humorlessly, "Then how do I know so much about you? I know your darkest fears, your deepest desires, and how much you seek the end."

"That's not true! I- I don't want..." she stopped herself, knowing there was an actual truth to his words, but wouldn't admit aloud.

"I'm here to help you... to make your wishes come true, so we can finally be together," he growled, and turned the car in the direction of nearing headlights. "You want this. You want to follow me into death."

The impact from the other vehicle sent the car out of the road. It spun uncontrollably for the longest seconds until crashing into the trees. She felt the pain expand throughout her entire body and expected to hear the chiming, but there was nothing. Only the sound of the alarm and her painful groans.