Contacting the Lost


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain was reading a book on lordly etiquette a few hours before sundown when she felt it; her connection to Mirage’s friend finally solidified. Rain had started to worry that the woman''s transformation had rendered the link unusable after days of it being an unstable mess.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Sitting the book on her table, Rainy on her couch and closed her eyes, pulling herself through the connection. After a moment where time seemed unreal, Rain found herself floating once again in someone else’s dream. However, unlike Mirage’s peaceful dream, this one was anything but.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain was in a small room filled with the ck mist of her library. She could hear the sounds of people in the fog shouting in pain and begging for help, punctuated by roars and the wet sound of tearing flesh.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain could recognize a nightmare when she saw one. She couldn''t remember thest peaceful dream she''d had. It made her heart ache to think of the woman forced to suffer in this ce, unable to avoid sleep like Rain.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Flying off at top speed to search for the woman, Rain quickly found her huddled in a corner, face tearstreaked and hopeless. Despite the sounds, this room was tiny and held neither exit or beast. Only a woman trapped in her fear.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Drawing close to the woman, Rain forced herself to form a body. She didn’t dress it in the ck costume of Tyix; instead, she just wore her favorite green dress. Hopefully, some color would help in this bleak dreamscape.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The woman didn’t notice Rainnd next to her. Her eyes were ssy as though she had given up on trying to interact with the world. Rain crouched down next to the woman.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Are you alright?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Nothing.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain reached out and shook the woman''s shoulder.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The woman''s eyes snapped to Rain and dted in fear. The woman scrambled back from Rain, a wordless whine emanating from her throat as she tried to push herself into the wall as though she could merge with it and gain a few more inches of distance from Rain.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain froze, hesitant to cause further distress, but the woman needed help, and Rain was the only one who could offer it. Trying a different tactic, Rain smiled, and in a soft voice, as though she was talking to a frightened animal, Rain spoke to the woman.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It''s okay. I''m here to help. I promise I won''t hurt you. You’re going to be alright.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">As Rain spoke, she slowly approached the woman, ignoring how her whimpering increased as the distance decreased. Soon, Rain was again next to the woman; Rain crouched down.


    <span style="font-weight:400">How could shefort her? Rain really wanted to give the woman a hug; however, the woman didn’t look like she wanted anything to do with Rain. So Rainpromised and gathered the woman''s hands up and sped them between her own.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“You''re going to be alright. My name’s Rain, by the way, what’s yours?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“R-river.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain was shocked by the one-word response. She hadn’t thought she would actually get an answer.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It''s nice to meet you for real, Ms. River.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">No response.


    <span style="font-weight:400">The woman was aware of Rain and could speak. The problem was she was too scared to do so. Rain couldn’t do anything about her aura, but maybe she could do something about the dream. If it was possible to change her body, then perhaps...


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain focused outward on the world around her; she would try starting small. She focused on the sounds of people being eaten alive and willed them to go silent. Nothing happened. Reaching further, Rain gripped the dreamscape with her mind. Rain was connected to this ce through her skill; it was a part of her, and she could control it.


    <span style="font-weight:400">She tried again, and the world went silent. Rain could feel a burning in her head behind her eyes as though she was lifting something heavy with her mind. She ignored it; her n was working.


    <span style="font-weight:400">mping down harder on the world, Rain once again exerted her will on it. This dark and suffocating room wouldn’t do. Rain forced it to change. Slowly, the darkness faded, and the room''s walls and ceiling dissolved. Flowers sprouted up from the floor, and a bright blue sky appeared overhead. A table and chairs sprouted from the ground with tes and tes of Rain''s favorite desserts.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain had turned the dreamscape into a replica of the Estom Manor greenhouse - with the small addition of a table of snacks. Now, this was a proper dream. Unfortunately, Rain felt like someone had driven spikes through her eyes. The pain in her head almost caused her to pass out.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Could you pass out in a dream?


    <span style="font-weight:400">Ignoring the pain, Rain turned to the woman.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“That''s better. Do you want to sit and talk?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The woman said nothing; she was too busy looking around in wonder.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Wanna sit down and eat with me? This jelly stuff is really good.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">The woman looked at Rain and wearily sat down across from her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Are you Lady Tyix?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Yep.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Why me? Why did I get cursed? Why are you only nowing to see me? What do you have nned for me?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain was taken aback by the barrage of questions.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I… I’m sorry. I tried to warn you that the books could be dangerous. I didn’t want... I didn''t know that this would happen to you. I’m sorry.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Tears had begun streaming down Rain''s cheeks as she sat there, listening to the woman. Though Rain had convinced herself that it wasn''t her fault - that she had only provided an option and the woman had made her own choice - sitting here now, being med by the woman whose life had be a nightmare due to Rain’s actions, it became much harder to tell herself that she was meless.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Before she knew it, Rain had be the one huddled in a ball and whimpering, trapped in her own prison. When she felt something warm and soft wrap around her hands. Opening her eyes, Rain saw the woman crouching next to Rain''s chair and sping her hands just like Rain had done for her moments before.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It''s okay, don’t cry. I didn’t mean to me you. It''s okay.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">Theforting words made Rain feel better, and the feeling of someone willingly holding even a small part of her sent warm feelings through Rain. She wanted to rub her cheek on the woman''s hands, to savor that feeling of human contact, but that wouldn’t be right. Rain wasn’t here for herself. She was here for the woman.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Thank you.” Rain said through watery eyes. “If you want, I could tell you everything.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Okay, tell me everything, Lady Tyix.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Let''s sit down, and please don’t call me Lady Tyix. My real name is Rain.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Got it, Lady Rain.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“Just Rain. And what was your name again?”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“River.”


    <span style="font-weight:400">“I hope we can be friends, Ms. River.” Rain said, sitting down and sliding one of the jellies towards her.


    <span style="font-weight:400">Rain had been telling the truth when she said she would tell Ms. River everything. After all, the woman couldn’t speak. She was the perfect secret keeper. The question was where to start. After a bit of thought, Rain decided that the best ce would be when she got her ss. It wasn’t like there had been much of note in her life before that. Rain hoped that by exining her ns to someone older than herself, she might be able to get some help. As much as Rain wanted to help everyone, sometimes she felt like she couldn’t do it alone.


    <span style="font-weight:400">“It all started when I gained a ss…”