"Doesn't she look beautiful?"
Virgil's voice again. The same line. The same place. The same girl.
I didn't respond. I just stared straight ahead, my mind spinning.
So it's real.
This isn't a dream. I've gone back again. And again.
I lowered my head, my thoughts racing for something—anything—that resembled a solution.
"Noah?" Virgil's voice pulled me back. "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing," I said quickly. "Nothing at all."
He looked suspicious, but not enough to press it.
"Actually… after thinking about it, I don't wanna go."
Virgil blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I don't want to go. To the beach, I mean."
"You're joking, right?" he said. "After everything, now you decide not to go? Now, in front of the bus?"
I nodded, keeping my tone flat.
Virgil groaned. "So I guess we're not going. Like hell I'm going alone. I'd get bored in five minutes."
We turned and walked away from the crowd. The sun was still rising, the air thick with heat and summer chatter. Virgil said goodbye at the corner, but I barely registered it. My brain was running a thousand miles a minute.
"So I got sent back in time…" I thought, walking alone now.
"There are two options here. Either I'm dreaming…"
I pinched myself—hard.
"Ow."
Okay. Not a dream.
"So, based on all the movies I've ever seen—and let's be honest, that's my only source of knowledge here—this whole time loop is probably tied to something. A trigger. And the most obvious answer?"
I stopped walking.
"My death."
I looked around—at the cars rolling by, a delivery guy biking past, a couple arguing across the street. All normal.
But my world was anything but.
Later That Day
I was lying on my bed, careless, detached. Watching a dumb comedy anime I'd seen a dozen times before. The laughter on screen didn't match the weird pit in my stomach.
The episode ended. I checked the time.
11:59 a.m.
"I don't know why this time freaks me out now…" I thought, half-laughing to myself.
Then I blinked.
And when my eyes opened—
"Doesn't she look beautiful?"
Virgil again. Same words. Same place. Same girl.
I turned to look at her. Then to him.
Then I turned my back to them both. "I'm leaving," I said flatly.
"Wait, what?" Virgil blinked. "What about the beach?"
I didn't answer.
"So it's not my death."
"That means... it's something else."
"But I know exactly what to do now."
[ THOUSANDS OF LOOPS LATER ]
I had done everything.
Watched every show, every movie I ever wanted to see.
Read every book I had started and abandoned.
Learned every useless fact I could fit into five repeated hours.
I even mastered opening chip bags silently.
I didn't risk changing too much. Didn't wander far. Because I didn't know when the loop might stop. And if it stopped, I wanted no regrets.
Then came today.
"Doesn't she look beautiful?"
Virgil's voice again.
God, I used to hate hearing that line. But now… it's just background noise.
Noah smiled.
"It's time," I said.
Virgil raised an eyebrow. "Time for what?"
"To get to the beach, of course."
He squinted at me. "Why are you suddenly excited? Wait—don't tell me. Are you pumped to see her in a swimsui–"
"Shut the f*ck up."
"Sorry."
We got in line. Virgil boarded. I stayed back.
"You're not getting on?" he asked.
"I forgot something."
I waited. Watched. Everyone boarded. Then I casually stepped on last.
The doors closed. The engine roared to life.
Just as the wheels turned, I shouted, "Wait—stop the bus!"
The driver hit the brakes.
I jumped out and picked up a bag I had "forgotten" by the bench.
"How did you forget that?" asked Virgil.
I shrugged. "No idea," I said, smiling awkwardly.
"Plan succeeded," I thought.
"The bus normally leaves at 7:00 a.m. and crashes at exactly 11:59. Virgil's phone is delayed by a minute. So if I can delay the departure by just one minute…"
I got back on.
We drove. Time passed.
11:59 a.m.
The truck sped across the highway—this time ahead of us.
No crash. No screams. No death.
I exhaled slowly.
"You owe me one," I said.
"Huh?" Virgil looked at me.
"You just owe me one."
"For what?"
I shook my head. "Never mind."
But the relief didn't last.
In the distance—a sharp whistle. Metal. Screeching.
A blur of silver.
It was a Train.
Impact.
Black.
"Doesn't she look beautiful?"
Virgil again.
I stared at him, jaw tight. The loop was still alive.
"I guess… it's time for Plan B."
[THE NEXT LOOP]
I stayed calm. Waited for everyone to board.
This time, the bus didn't even start.
The driver stepped outside, frowning.
"Looks like someone threw nails under the tires," he announced. "Trip's off, everyone."
Groans. Complaints. A few people cursed under their breath.
I glanced at Virgil. He looked frustrated—but not because of the trip.
Because of me.
* * *
On the walk back, he finally snapped.
"You wanna tell me why you did that?"
"Did what?"
"The nails. You put them under the wheels, right?"
I paused. Then shrugged. "Yeah."
Virgil stopped walking. "Why?"
So I told him everything.
The loops. The crashes. The plans.
"You expect me to believe that?"
"No," I said. "I really don't."
He exhaled. "I can't believe you made up this whole sci-fi story."
I looked across the street.
Two girls were laughing near the bus stop.
And then I saw him—a man sprinting toward them, knife in hand.
I didn't think. I ran.
Too late.
He reached her. One of the girls turned just in time to see the blade sink into her chest.
Her body fell like a puppet with cut strings.
And the moment the knife came out—
"Doesn't she look beautiful?"
Virgil again.
But I wasn't looking at him.
I was staring at her.
The girl in the white shirt.
Long black hair.
Same one.
The girl who just died.
My mouth was dry. My head was spinning.
Virgil nudged me. "What happened? She cast some magic spell on you with her face or something?"
I didn't blink. "That's a possibility."