TIME LOOP AT WORLD'S EDGE.

1774, NOVEMBER 28th, MONDAY12:00 pm.

Noche's boat was being yanked towards the waterfall at world's edge. If the world was flat then this was where it ended, for these falls were the only thing visible on the horizon. Going on as far as the eye could see, the only way to escape them was back.

In a flash of gold surrounded by black mist, Noche's Omni-Oar appeared in her hand in its wooden oar form. She slammed it into the tides just as they doubled in speed. Even with her augmented strength, it was not enough to out-paddle the falls.

Foghorns blared, the world darkened, and everything shook – it was as if she was stuck on railroad tracks as a train approached. In a last-ditch effort, she jumped into the waters and attempted to swim away. Unfortunately, her superhuman strength couldn't resist the pull this close to the edge.

Noche was shot out into the endless sky. She fell head first, parallel to the waterfall, screaming the whole way. Then, after a minute of falling, the world rotated and gravity pulled her to the waterfall. She splashed along its surface like a skipping stone on a lake.

The waters stilled and she laid on her back staring at the night sky. Her eyes were frozen wide open and didn't react as her little boat sailed up to her. She forced herself to blink, turned her head, and crawled back into the wooden thing. Rolling on its floor she continued to stare up at the sky and processed what just happened.

"What. The. Fuck. Was that?" Noche coughed up a mouthful of seawater. "This place really is like a dream. The fall ended before I hit the ground."

Rushing water broke the blonde out of her train of thought. She raised her head to another waterfall, the exact same as the one before.

"Oooooh no. Not again."

Noche shot to her feet and prismatic energy surrounded the boat. A sail and ropes were created and the blonde didn't waste no time in filling it with wind. It helped, for a moment. Gradually the falls became too strong for her. Bit by bit her little ship was pulled back – despite how much of a gale she created.

This time Noche got a good look over the falls before tumbling over. There was a small island with a lighthouse on it far, far below. It resided at the very bottom of this steep drop and was surrounded by mist spray. The boat tilted over and Noche screamed again.

In seconds, she found herself skipping across the ocean surface, again.

"Oh god damn it!" She shouted.

Noche floated on her back and laid there. A few moments passed before the boat returned and crashed into her head; she scowled. Flipping over she swam towards it and scrambled in – or she would have if her hands didn't slam across the ocean surface like it was a solid object.

She paused, her face scrunching up, as she stared at the water. Noche placed her palms atop the waves and pushed; she raised herself out of the liquid. Her knees held against a solid, gelatin-like sensation. The blonde rose to her feet and even though she almost lost her balance a few times she stood on water.

"Woah... This is cool," she muttered. "Ok dream world. Not bad. Not bad at all. I need to have shit like this happen more often."

With a grin on her face, she walked towards her boat, grabbed it, and dragged the thing behind her as she approached the falls. The ground moved like a treadmill, but now Noche was better prepared to deal with it. She neared the edge of the falls and searched for the island.

Once she found it, Noche threw the boat in its direction in hopes to see what would happen. It fell over the falls and vanished into the mists below. There were a few heartbeats where she lost sight of the thing. Just as Noche opened her mouth to complain, the boat slammed into her back with the momentum of her throw. Both went tumbling over the falls again.

The two bounced on ocean waves until they came to a gradual stop. Waves pushed Noche into the side of the boat as it bobbed in place.

"I hate you, so much," she muttered.

She climbed back into the little ship and sat up.

"This is fucking annoying. Every time I try I get nowhere," she growled. "How do I get out of this loop?"

Dark clouds welled above Noche as droplets of rain landed on her face.

"Whatever. Try a-fucking-gain."

Noche took out her Omni-Oar in wooden form and rowed towards the falls. She stood up as the current took hold. Mustering all the strength in her legs she waited. When the boat began to tip over the edge she jumped. The force of which sent the boat underwater as she took off like a meteor.

High in the sky, she found the island below her. It seemed like a straight drop, but halfway down the clouds of mist thickened. By the time she got near them, her view was completely obscured. She plummeted through the fog and slammed into ocean once again. Water crashed into her mouth, nose, and eyes.

Noche coughed and sputtered as she broke the surface of the waves. She scrambled into the boat and spent a good few minutes hacking up her lungs. When she regained her senses the falls were within reach.

"God damn it! How am I supposed to get out of this?" Noche spat. "What did Grasshopper say? Let the boat drift? Fine! Fucking fine."

The blonde didn't resist when the boat drifted towards the edge of the waters. She fought back against the urge to do something. Anything. This time, when the boat tipped over, gravity rotated with it. The waves carried her peacefully towards the island.

Noche crossed her arms and scowled. She was the kind of person who liked to act. Being passive was against her nature. Still, when her foot brushed against sand and she exited the boat, a wave of relief washed over her.

The waterfall mists cleared and the waters became visible. This place was like a small planet about a mile in diameter. Its waves made of a surreal cardboard-like texture. She stood on a small island with a single dirt path surrounded by cattails and at the end of this road was a massive gold and black lighthouse.

"The cardboard sea... How is this possible? It's like its own world," she muttered. "Did I really just fall off the edge of one world and landed on a smaller one?"

Noche took steps forward. At the base of the lighthouse was an ancient door made of warped wood, with nearby planks extending into the stone of the lighthouse. It was a door she had seen right before she awoke from her coma. The door she ran to right before she vowed to never fail again.

Baby Noche appeared from the cattails and approached the door. She stood on tippy toes to reach for the knob, but it was too far away. The little girl froze and turned to face the blonde – a swarm of crows slammed into adult Noche.

The world spiraled as she was pelted by crow after crow. There were an infinite number of the black corvids and at their heart a shadow formed. Creeps emerged ahead on the spinning path.Its many legs buckling under its weight as it inched towards the blonde.  

Noche couldn't react, she had to get to the lighthouse, but the monster was in her way and slowly approaching. Between the birds slamming into her she could open her eyes enough to see baby Noche was gone. That and Creeps was almost in arms reach.

There was a brilliant flash of light – a being of light. It radiated warmth and safety, its glow eradicated the crows and Creeps. As fast as it appeared it was gone. Noche stood there and her gaze lingered on the spot where it once was.

She bit her lip, scowled, and marched forward. Her hand reached out towards the door knob and small arcs of electricity jumped between her palm and the brass. She grabbed it, turned, and there was a small click.

The door opened to a desert of black sand, a single gray cactus, and a seemingly abandoned two-story wood farmhouse under darkened khaki skies. Noche scanned around and noticed she now stood inside this new realm despite not stepping through the door.

Her options were to either explore the black desert or enter this forsaken home. Needless to say, there was no real choice to begin with. The wooden planks groaned under her weight as Noche stood on the front porch. Unaware of the figure watching her from the broken window.