I13DT - Dreamwalk With Me

by **Haley Crusek** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:02 am

Haley nodded and did so, with all her might.

by **The Book of Sins** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:09 am

"There's nothing to flee from. You left what you call the Astral when you stepped outside. Well, almost. You're never that far from it, though you lack the proper ways to bring your thoughts all the way out here." it says, probably referring to Steve's sort of translucent raygun and Haley's not-quite-there appearance.

by **Steve Jones** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:59 am

Fuck.

Steve began to panic but choked it down. He was tired of fear. Besides, it occurred to him that beyond a few cheap scares this thing hadn't actually done anything.

"Then were in some kind of borderland, great. I suppose there are pig men about too or do you just want to talk us into servitude like a civilized monster?"

Why am I taunting it?! Stupid, stupid, stupid!

by **The Book of Sins** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:05 pm

"So many preconceived notions." the voice says and a pair of eyes opens in the darkness. Then another. And another. They rise from the ground and slowly move into view, maybe a couple yards away from the two. A human head on a huge snake body, nestled between two serpent heads.

"What do they teach kids these days?"

by **Haley Crusek** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:57 pm

Haley did all that she could to keep from trembling as the creature slinked towards them.

Shit, we're not even in the Astral? That's like...worse... she thought to Steve.

by **The Book of Sins** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:14 pm

"Please, don't be alarmed." the creature says, stopping as it senses Haley's fear and leaning back on it's massive snake body, making it's heads retreat a bit. Then again, if Haley had ever seen a normal snake she'd probably know that they do just that before they strike. The creature doesn't though and instead continues to talk. "The veil parts both ways but it ripples, distorts. I am certain you've seen it before around the lighthouse. Or heard the birds of the headmistress. I merely wish to talk for you have been lied to, kept in the dark by those worshiping the light."

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:30 am

"You sure have a funny way of saying hello if you just want to talk."

by **The Book of Sins** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:29 pm

"You must understand how hard you are to reach. Many have granted you protection in this place of refuge."

by **Haley Crusek** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:41 pm

Haley clutched at the "bolo tie" Nailah had given her. "We probably have the protection for a reason...what do you want with us?"

by **The Book of Sins** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:14 pm

"Only to help you see and understand. Set you on a path of enlightenment if you wish. They may protect you, but how much have they really explained to you?"

by **Haley Crusek** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:18 pm

"Enough..." She lied.

by **The Book of Sins** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:26 pm

The snake makes some odd convulsions that look something between laughing and regurgitating a previous meal.

"Of course. But there are still books in the old library in Maldon that contain answers for those who care to seek them out, despite their best efforts to set them ablaze." the creature points out, turning it's heads towards Dower House for a moment.

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:12 pm

Yeah, let's go check out the Necronomicon and sprout tentacles.

"And if we don't want your kind of enlightenment?"

by **The Book of Sins** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:25 pm

"That is your choice and your choice alone. Though it's no more dangerous than reading your history textbooks. I merely offer the other side of the story for you to draw your own conclusions. The only danger is blindly believing what you read."

by **Haley Crusek** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 6:57 pm

"What's in it for you? Why are you so interested in our 'learning?'" she said with air quotes.

by **The Book of Sins** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 7:44 pm

"Maybe you're more clever than you let on. You ask good questions. Not all knowledge is pleasant nor black and white entirely. I'm a manifestation of that. Long ago they used to worship me, your healers still adorn themselves with my crest at times as long forgotten tribute to the knowledge required by doctors and as a sign of fertility and health. But the Children of the Sun betrayed us, slew us over and over and turned our symbol into something to be feared. Ask the old man on his golden throne in the holy see and he will still tell you of the lies they spread to billions. Before burning you at the stake for the witches and warlocks that you are. Of course today that doesn't happen anymore. That was when there was still a battle raging. Now they won and instead of the stake and flames they have the rest of the world to drive the demons out from their land. Is that not why you are here in this place of refuge?"

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:08 pm

"No light sent us here, only the darkness in human hearts pretending to be. No book taught me that. A knife did."

by **The Book of Sins** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 8:22 pm

"Yet you still use their words, their terms. Light, dark, who has taught you what those words mean? What to associate with them? That knife didn't hurt because it pierced your skin. It hurt because the motivation behind it was pure and righteous and you know it. I can see it in your eyes when you talk of it. They thought themselves a champion of light. Does that make you a creature of dark?"

by **Steve Jones** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:08 pm

"Get your eyes checked then. Believing one is righteous doesn't make one so, and it hurt because the guy who you mocked me with the fucking fake corpse of betrayed me to him."

by **Haley Crusek** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:11 pm

"I sure as shit didn't come here of my own free will."

by **The Book of Sins** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:44 pm

The snake-thing laughs again and doesn't stop for quite a while.

"Belief is everything. Belief turns a lowly carpenter into a god. It turns lead to gold and thoughts to arrows. It draws swords from stones and blood from enemies. It binds the world together. It hurts because that betrayal speaks more than you have words for. You may not like it but the truth is that the wicked don't see themselves as evil. In their eyes they are the shining knights, slaying the dragon. And if water can be wine then the wicked can shine as brilliantly as the sun. You don't belief them to be righteous and thus we come to a crossroads many have faced before, a battle of minds and souls over who will be cast in the role of villain and defeated and who will get to call themselves the hero."

It pauses for a moment to look at the two teenagers.

"I am not keeping you, nor did I drag you out here by force. If you wish to chose blissful ignorance I won't intervene. You are free to leave at any time."

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 10:49 am

"I just want to know one thing. Was it you I met before? Through the gazebo?"

by **The Book of Sins** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 1:37 pm

All three heads focus on Steve for a moment. "You went through the gazebo?" it says, sounding surprised. "All by yourself?"

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:00 pm

"I picked the wrong arch, but yeah. What I met was surprised too. Why is that so special?"

by **The Book of Sins** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:06 pm

"I'm just surprised you made it back. After something like that it's no wonder your fears ring so strongly through the veil. I apologize that my presence pulled something through."

by **Steve Jones** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:29 pm

"What was that dead place?"

by **The Book of Sins** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:44 pm

"A festering wound, of sorts. You should stay far away from it."

by **Steve Jones** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 3:09 pm

"I intend to."

by **The Book of Sins** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 5:25 pm

"Good. And think about what I told you. Make up your own minds." the creature says as it slithers back into the darkness of the night.

by **Haley Crusek** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 5:57 pm

"...how the fuck do we get home?" she asked Steve after a moment's silence.

by **Steve Jones** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:45 pm

"Back inside... maybe? If we're astral projecting outside then finding our bodies might work."

by **Haley Crusek** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 1:37 am

"Yeah...lets...do that I guess..." she said hesitantly, turning towards the school.

"Maybe...we should stay closer on the way back?" Haley held out her hand.

by **Steve Jones** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:28 am

"Good idea," Steve readily agreed, taking her hand before leading the way inside.

by **Narrator** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 1:40 pm

The inside of the building is perfectly normal. Still rather quiet and dark though. The same is true for the common room. No zombies, no bizarre game-show, no message in the cracked screen of the TV.

by **Haley Crusek** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:42 pm

"Are...we actually at school?" she asked looking around, puzzled.

by **Steve Jones** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:40 pm

"Well it said we were between our reality and the full astral... so..."

Steve tried feeling for minds.

by **Narrator** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:00 pm

Haley's mind is right next to him, of course, and a little further away are the quiet minds of the sleeping students.

Beyond that the dorm building and Dower House is less quiet, filled with the fluttering of birds and the loud crackling of (astral) flames in the distance. It almost feels like he could feel the heat radiating from them if he concentrated on them enough.

by **Steve Jones** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:12 pm

"Crap, we are awake," he groaned, but froze, "Do you hear that?"

by **Haley Crusek** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 8:31 pm

"Great, I broke another expensive piece of electr--" she groaned, before she stopped, also suddenly aware of the crackling flames accompanying the usual flutter of birds she usually heard around Sam.

"Yeah...what...what the hell is that? Is something on fire? I like...feel it too..."

by **Steve Jones** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 9:04 pm

"Yeah. Me too. But... it's astral... I think."

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