Day Six (Gary + Tabitha)

Gary, Tabitha, look for some Essences.

Gary bade farewell to the rest of the group and entered the forest in search of a fallen tree and some Essences. After wandering around for a few moments, he came upon several Essences sitting around a fallen tree. Man! That was easy! He figured he ought to return to the clearing and hope the rest make it back safely.

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Tabitha bade farewell to the rest of the group and entered the forest in search of a fallen tree and some Essences. She found absolutely nothing. She wandered about for what felt like hours, but was truly more like thirty minutes. Time trudges more slowly when one is left to their own thoughts…

So, Skitz is actually telling the truth, her thoughts began uncomfortably. And I just spent these years hating him for nothing. I shoved him away. I burned bridges with Gary. The birds’ song stopped. When she strained her ears, Tabitha could make out the sound of a brook far away. “And now I can’t fix it!” she growled before slamming her fists into the dirt. She looked at the small cuts on her hands. Was she really that fragile? “No. There has to be a way! There’s always a way!” The breeze stopped. Silence ruled. “No. No! No! I will not let this get me!” There’s the brook again! “But how…” She fell to her knees. “He’ll never forgive me! What can be done!” She began sobbing in her knees. She quickly came up to her feet when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “Who are--!!”

Tabitha turned to face herself. The person looked exactly like her. She opened her arms for a hug, and Tabitha accepted. As soon as she was in her doppelgänger’s embrace, the other one kicked her feet from under her and threw her to the ground. She looked up at her adversary, but they simply cast back a wide-eyed, benevolent look. Tabitha almost was deceived again, but she knew not why. She shook her head and rose to fight, wiping back her tears. She took a deep breath and tried to use her Empathywielding again. She stretched her hand out towards the other one and conjured her present pain. The attacker slowed to a halt as its eyes began to glisten. Tabitha walked up to it and put a comforting hand on its shoulder, about to try and get some information, but it turned into a luminous dark orange cloud and soared into Tabitha.

“Yes!” cried a familiar voice.

“What?! Who’s there?”

“Oh, sorry. It’s just little old me: Aleinya.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to see how you was doin’. Alecris said he saw you absorbing your Other Self in his Void Mirror, so I had to come and see it myself.”

“So you found him!” Tabitha ran towards the Alien with her arms outstretched for a hug, but quickly began to question the logistics of such an action.

“Yeah! He’s all right and apparently has been helping youins with your mission!” Aleinya performed what was likely a movement analogous to a human hug, but came to the same conclusion Tabitha did.

“So what does this ‘Other Self’ thing mean?”

“Uh… we’ve been warned not to keep spoiling things for you guys. Apparently Alecris’ intervention has already awoken the Witch of Myth. Even though… no. I should just stay quiet.” Aleinya sighed. “Actually, I should probably head back to where we’re holed up. Sorry, you can’t come. But know you are on the right path. In more than one way, if you know what I mean. Anyways, bye!”

Tabitha blushed, realizing that the Alien had overheard her internal struggle -- which was more aloud than she thought -- as Aleinya left the scene. Tabitha then decided to return to the clearing, figuring she had already found in the woods what she was supposed to find.

Day Six (Gary + Tabitha)