Chapter Text
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Brown eyes blinked open, gazing unfocused at the space before them. The flickering specks of white were the only reprieve from the inky darkness that stretched into the distance.
What’s happening?
Jesse sluggishly moved her head around, and a seemingly endless void gazed back at her. The deathly silence was like a roar in her ears, unable to hear even the rustling of her clothes when she whirled her head around, desperately searching for any sign of, well, anything.
Where am I?
It felt as though she were floating in water, her body deprived of the usual gravity that grounded her every move. With every motion, she felt her body shift too, yet the same scene laid unchanged before her eyes.
“Hello?” She called out, but all that greeted her was silence.
Incapable of righting herself, she tried to focus on the sensations she felt. Maybe then she would at least be able to tell which direction was up.
Her brown hair gently floated behind her head, softly tickling the back of her neck. The inklings of a memory trickled into her head, but as if it were a distant star, she was unable to grasp it.
“Is anyone there?!” She shouted, and once again, the silence whispered back.
The prickle of the shirt she wore turned her attention down to her clothes and she pulled at the loose cyan collar. The brown overalls that she wore under armor were in pristine condition, as if she’d never worn them before.
But the peace did not last long. Like a skeleton’s arrow, a memory shot into her head.
“JESSE!” A shrill scream echoed in her ears and Jesse shuddered violently at the familiar voice.
The space around her neck constricted and she brought her hands up to it, gasping for air as it escaped her. Red and black flashed in her vision, piercing yellow and red eyes staring deep into her soul. Her lungs screamed for air. Her awareness slowly faded away.
In an instant, she was flung to the side and the world blurred. Whether from tears or speed, she couldn’t tell. The air returned to her lungs as she fell, the wind whipping past her face as she screamed yet no sound was–
“NO!”
Jesse’s eyes shot open, her hands grasping towards her neck. The sounds of heavy pants filled the once silent room, and some semblance of awareness filtered through her racing thoughts.
A soft red blanket covered her legs, patterned with embroidered characters and gifted to her by a close friend. The moonlight shone across the room, contrasted by the torch hung up near the bed to keep monsters away.
Jesse’s eyes flicked from the open window, to the empty armor stand with an orange pumpkin for a head, to the banners covering the walls with familiar yet distant places and faces. She was in her old home, safe from the dangers outside.
Her grip on her neck loosened, and the tension released from her shoulders, her hands dropping softly to the bed underneath. She stared unfocused at the roof, and once the walls no longer felt like they were closing in on her, took the opportunity to ground herself.
Pushing the back of her head into the soft pillow, and clutching the white sheets beneath her, no doubt scrunching them up, Jesse closed her eyes once again. The remnants of the night sent images flashing through her brain, terrifying monsters, evil villains, and the loss of friends all among them.
The breathing exercises taught to her by an unknown voice flowed through her mind, and despite the lump in her throat, she followed them the best she could.
In…2…3…4… Hold…2…3…4…
Out…2…3…4… Hold…2…3…4…
After what felt like forever, her breathing steadied to its regular rhythm, and her heart no longer felt like it would beat out of her chest. In the midst of it all, there was a soft snort from somewhere beside her, followed by the weight of something landing in her lap.
Groaning, she lifted her body into a sitting position, and blearily opened her eyes again to see a face staring up at her with concern in it’s eyes. But she could only vacantly stare, scarcely able to create coherent thoughts among her scrambled mind.
The remains of what her mind concocted trickled through the gaps that sleep left, unknown lands that she could only wish to explore, wondrous places rife for her to investigate, and people she’d never met filled her dreams. Amongst the terror and fear, joy made itself known, spreading across every second of her imaginary adventure.
Until the end. An entity with the power of life at his fingertips and her, a person who compared to her, would make her disappear with the clap of his hands. Yet there she was, ready to fight for it all, unknown and familiar companions by her side.
A moment of hesitation was all it took for everything to fall apart, for an unknown power to wrap itself around her neck, and for her to be flung to the side like a forgotten doll. It all felt so real, and yet…
It was all a dream.
A shove ripped Jesse out of her thoughts, and in the moments that followed, she realised she was not the only one in the room. She looked down at her lap where a pink figure sat, trying to pull himself out of the blankets he was tangled in.
“What is…”
A pig stared back up at her, and a single name rang through her mind like a bell.
Reuben.
Her best friend oinked quietly, eyes filled with worry as she continued to stare down at him. A drop of water landed on his head, and it startled both of them. The pig let out a quiet oink.
“...Why am I…crying?” She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and gave the pig a small smile, but the tears just wouldn’t stop falling.
Her eyes never strayed from the pig in her lap, and after a moment, she pulled him closer to her. A concerned squeal went unheard as Jesse’s tears began to cease, and her sniffles grew softer.
Reuben went silent, and after burying his head into her stomach, a comfortable silence enveloped the two. Following another bout of awareness, a twinge of guilt grew in Jesse’s gut, the thought of her best friend worried leaving a bad taste in her mouth.
“I’m sorry for worrying you Reuben, I just had a…bad dream.” She looked down at him and put on what she hoped was a reassuring grin. “Yea… just a nightmare.”
Reuben grinned back and oinked quietly, careful not to disturb the tranquility that encased the two. Jesse put her forehead to his and closed her eyes, letting the peaceful atmosphere wash over her.
She was here, safe, with her best friend, and that’s all that mattered.
“I’m just so glad you’re here.”
‘I am too,’ He oinked back, and Jesse’s smile widened just a little bit more.
The sun rose across the horizon, filling the cool treehouse with a gentle orange glow.
The light filtered through the trees, both shadow and light coalescing on the books that lined the walls.
The leaves outside rustled quietly with the wind, and the squawk of parrots could be heard in the distance as they woke.
A new day had dawned, as another was laid to rest.