Shae’s scenes came back to here. She was more or less awake now, laying upon her bed. It was the soft feather cloud like mattress in the cottage. Not her modern bed from a box, which she couldn’t complain about if she were being honest. It’s just that the bed in the cottage was so darn comfy. Between that and the heavy feather comforter, that always seemed to keep her just the right temperature, and the mattress it felt like you were wrapped in a warm could floating free without a care. Which was bad for two reasons. First, you never wanted to get out of this bed in the morning, or after a nap for that matter. Second, it meant at least part of what she went through was Not a dream. While her eyes were still closed, feeling the warmth and comfort the bed afforded her, she let her thoughts wander a bit. This day was turning out to be bonkers. She had only been at her uncles for less than two hours. Soooo many things kept coming at her. It was just too much in the end, it’s no wonder she feinted. Like someone just kept mashing her insanity button.

Being in bed meant her uncle had found her at some point. She couldn’t hear anyth… no, someone just took a pull on his pipe from the area of the table. A sound she had heard many many times from her uncle. There was also the soft whisper of his tobacco aroma in the air. So, he hadn’t been relaxing long. Or maybe the air was magically purified Ha… ha ha… No, no, calm down. Let’s just keep things on an even keel.

With a calming sigh Shae opened her eyes and looked toward the table. Sitting in the chair across from her pack was her Great Grand Uncle Darian, in all his glory. Relaxed, pipe smoking, soft smile… Like everything was just… normal. She felt like she wanted to strangle him for a moment.

“I see you have started to come to your senses, though to be honest, the look you are giving me right now is a bit disconcerting.” He finished with a small pull from his pipe. Waiting for her patiently.

With another sigh, she closed her eyes for a moment. There had to be a rational explanation for all of this. At least he was here, and she could get answers, with a calm discussion. Rather than having her very sane, very rational, normally very durable mind bitch slapped!

“Again with the face, come, have some tea and we can talk together like adults. I know you have had a trying few minutes here, but honestly I thought you’d be a bit more flexible than this” He pulled on his pipe again eyebrows raised just a touch. He looked a bit less relax, more rigid, like he got when she was asking silly question to bide time. Or when she was being obstinate about something she really shouldn’t be.

‘Ok, get your shit together. It’s just another exercise. And that was just another excuse to get myself moving in a more positive direction’ she thought a bit more calmly. Sometimes, when he seemed more stern or maybe strict caring, his presence seemed to enwrap her, giving her a mental shoulder to lean on.

Her face softened, her muscles, that she didn’t even know were bunched and wound tight, started to melt into a more natural calm. She didn’t slump into herself; she was just a lot less rigid and on guard. This was her uncle after all, not the bogey man.

“Good, good. There’s my favorite Niece. Calm, flexible, strong.” He nodded with a stern but caring look in his eyes. They just had a soft lilt to them, yet firm and rigid. Like he would keep her safe even through a hurricane.

She pushed the comforter off her, swinging her legs and starting to rise when she noticed there were two teacups steaming on the table that were NOT there a second ago. She sat back down staring again, feeling pulled thin again.

“Come!” he said a lot more sternly and with a little command. He was losing patients. “There are just some things you are going to have to accept that are real. And if at the end of the day, if you just want to go back to the city, back to your calm mundane existence, well I will just wipe your mind clean and drop you off at home!”

His eyes were alit with an inner fire. Something she had not seem before. He’d never gotten this upset before. He way trying to pull her toget…

“Wait… did you say you’d wipe my mind?” Her face showed surprise, and fear.

“Mmm, I did. Now come. Have some tea.”

His eyes shone just a bit brighter, she felt compelled to move towards the table. In fact, she was already moving, even before she knew her brain was engaged. It did not feel like she was using that itsy part of her brain that controlled her motor functions. Her body was moving of its own accord. It felt weird, and a bit invasive. ‘Was he doing this?’

“Uncle…”

“Oh shush and come sit. I need to move this along. I cannot just sit here all day while you mope about a few strange things. I am a very busy man after all. Though I can give you the rest of the morning.” He leaned a bit forward while saying, still sitting upright, keeping perfect eye contact.

She started to feel a forced calm. Like a weight was pushing down on her fears and doubts. Allowing her to move forward with a lot more confidence. She began to move of her own will again, just like when she zombie stepped earlier. Moving over to the table she put her pack onto the floor. She then took a seat across from her uncle, holding his gaze. Her head stutter stepped as she looked down to the teacup, dark tea still steaming. More calmly than she felt she had to right to be, she wrapped her hands around the cup to take a sip. She did, noticing the cup never got hot enough to feel like it was burning her. She was hoping for a bit of a shock to unblock some of her thoughts. But the tea was hot enough to give her that wish.

Once again meeting his gaze, he began to speak calmly. In a controlling but not domineering way. He never looked down on her. At most, he got a bit disappointed, before re-encouraging her.

“Now my dear. I am going to tell you a story. Just sit back, drink your tea, and let me tell it to the end. Then we can have a Q and A after. Ok?”

With a small nod and a not so small jump as a pen popped into her hand, and paper onto the table before her.

He leaned forward when she seemed to take it more in stride. ‘Either she was starting to accept… Or I broke her’ he thought.

“Oh well, either way, you will get your answers and you will either choose the rest of your life, or I will have to send you home… Fixed” He relaxed back into his chair, taking another draw on the pipe.

Then he began to spin his tale.