It took me a few moments to realize that I was awake. The darkness of the room felt so strange, so surreal. What the hell had that dream been about? Did it start off as a nightmare only to end up like that? Even now I couldn't remember too many details, like most dreams the more I tried to remember the less I actually could two things did stick in my head. That Scarlett moon, it both terrified me and calmed me looking over at it. The other was that woman, a woman that felt out of place in this world, a woman who felt so familiar.

After pondering the dream I decided to finally get up, my throat burning begging me for water feeling dryer than the Sahara. On top of that my foot itched like crazy. Throwing off the blankets I jumped out of bed only after remembering my sprain.

I braced myself for the pain but instead felt a dull ache. Something else weird had happened while I slept. My foot though not perfect yet seemed to have recovered far faster then it should have. I was overcome then with a moment of bewilderment. It seemed like the last few days had been nothing but a wild ride.

I looked over at Rosary, still sleeping in her shell-like looking bed, her peaceful face bringing a sense of calm relief as I remembered the terror and fear of yesterday.

“Please mommy go back to how you used to be.” She mumbled in her sleep, tears dropping out of her closed eyes. It was sad and pitiful. I wanted to embrace her, but instead decided to let her sleep, leaving the room in search for something to quench my throat.

I stared at the glass of water on the table having seated myself at our usual spot, my head still processing the night. Had I gone over my head? That creatures voice rang in my head.

Traitor.

How the hell was I a traitor to that thing? There was so much that I needed to remember, and so much that I needed to learn about this mysterious world. A sense of wonder and dread eclipsing the thought

“Where were you Daniel?” A voice demanded breaking me away from my inner world. I looked up from my glass of water to find an upset Emma glaring over at me, eyes bloodshot as if she hadn’t gotten any sleep.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean where were you last night?”She asked.

“I was sleeping?”

“You weren't sleeping when I checked up on you. Both you and Rosary were gone.”

“Oh…” I responded.

Standing up from my seat careful to put as little pressure on my sore foot as possible, more so to not push my luck rather than from any real discomfort, I took Emma by the hand.

“Let's go somewhere a little more private," I said.

She didn’t argue with that, and we made our way upstairs; passing by a couple of the occupants of the other rooms on the way up, one of whom already had a mask over their face. Not wanting to disturb Rosaries sleep I brought us over to Emma’s room, closing the door behind us.

As soon as we were inside Emma sat on her bed and watched me, patiently, something that seemed odd to me, Emma the girl with a short fuse and no-nonsense attitude waiting for me to talk. I hesitated; remembering what Pan had told me, “Don’t tell anyone about what happened,” but I felt that if anyone was safe to tell it was Emma. Not only was she not involved in anything here, but she had also been dragged into it, so I told her.

She sat their, listening and when it was all over she sighed. “I was so worried that something had happened to you, Daniel. I couldn’t sleep, last night, I went to see if you were awake, only to find out when I knocked that your door was open and you were gone.”

“I know it's none of my business what you do Daniel, but I feel like you’re trying to avoid me, I wish you would rely on me more." She said, her eyes looking downward as she spoke.

No, that’s not true at all, all I wanted is for her to see me as something more than just the mess that I had become. I didn’t want to worry about her or have to rely on her anymore. I still felt pangs seeing her face, the feeling of a little me struggling in a cage, clanging against it saying ‘No I love you.’ But I, of course, am not telling her that, how could I?

“I…” I pause trying to think about what I want to say, trying desperately to find something to say that would help her feel better without revealing what I truly felt.

“I”m sorry Emma,” is finally what I came up with. She shook her head, a lonely look in her eyes, an affirmation of what I already guessed, that what I had said hadn’t been the right thing to say.

“What had you wanted to talk about?” I asked her trying to change the subject.

She looked up, her eyes a storm of green, eyes that usually so confident and bright now dark and broody. “I’m worried, Dad usually calls me every night, It’s been three days now. What if he freaks out? You know how overprotective he can be.”

Yeah, I remembered, he also had a bit of a clingy side to his daughter too, something that his daughter seemed to share though she called it having to be stubborn for her friend.

“Plus Sebastian and I were supposed to go out, I wonder what he’s thinking right now, also I don’t know what to think about this place we’re in. I feel so lost, usually praying to God helps but it’s hard right now."

I could see that she was worried, I’d forgotten how close she was to her dad and aunt, hell my mom rarely spoke to me and my dad ditched us, it was hard to remember that not all families were like that. I needed to find out how to bring her back to our world. Our world? Was it really a place where I belonged? As dangerous and crazy as this world was something about it felt right. A feeling that the other world didn't give.

“The man named Pan, he might know something. Maybe he can tell me what I’ve been doing wrong.”

She looked at me and smiled, a bittersweet smile that made the fluttering in my stomach start right back up. “I’m sorry for always being so pushy, I’m glad that you’re trying to be helpful, but I also think you should worry a bit more about yourself. How do you know that they are telling the truth?"

It was something that hadn’t crossed my mind, but now that it came up it was something that festered though I pushed it aside remembering the very real warmth and excitement they had at seeing me again. I wanted to hope that something like that couldn't just be faked. Emma hadn’t seen that, so of course, she’d be suspicious.

“I’ll be careful, I’ll make sure that we get home one way or another, it’s possible I know it is I’ve done it before.”

I wrapped my arms around her, surprising both her and myself in the process. Blushing for a moment I tried to let go but she hugged me even harder, sniffling a little.

“I love you, Daniel, even when I’m feeling the worst you always bring me up. Even for all your moodiness life would have been so much worse without you, I’m glad God brought us together as friends.” She said and gave me a warm gentle smile that almost tempted me into kissing her… Almost.