Issue 1 Downtime

Haley lay on her bed still pissed off from her encounter with her English teacher earlier the day. She madly tapped away text into a journal app on her phone, but soon found sleep overtaking her. Her phone rested on her chest and rose and fell slowly with her breaths.

((Open-ish, but mostly for her new-found Astral friends who most certainly have innocent intentions for Haley))

It's quiet and dark in her dream, but not uncomfortably so. More like being snuggled up in a whole lot of blankets.

"Hello there..." a familiar voice sounds in her ear. It's muffled, seeming to come from everywhere around her.

Haley stirred and blinked her eyes open, looking for the source of the voice. "Hello?"

"Impressive how you faced off against the Sphinx." the snake's voice says, sounding amused and maybe like it's making fun of Haley a little.

Haley bristled a bit. "That bitch is scary.

....And doesn't seem to like that I talked to you. Says some things are for our own good. So she took the damn book. I don't get what her deal is. So maybe you were right about them."

"Of course I was. I know their kind. They know what's best for you, even when they're wrong."

"It's annoying. I'm not an idiot. Hell, I bet I'm stronger than them, I just don't have the practice yet."

"You may well be. People always fear those who are stronger."

"That makes sense...I mean...she got straight up angry and mean when she found out about you."

"Of course she did. How else are they going to keep you under their control."

"Well they aren't. I'm tired of people bossing me around."

"Taking off their symbol was a wise choice. I can show you how to change it to keep them at bay if you wish..."

"...you could do that?" she asked sitting up with interest.

"Of course." Patterns take shape and float in the darkness, showing the lines etched into the back of the amulet. A moment later a handful of new ones appear, disrupting shapes and creating new ones.

Haley snagged the amulet with her TK and pulled it gently towards her. She examined it closely before looking back at the creature. "So what will this keep the assholes from doing?"

"It'll block their scries, obscure you from her visions. They will not notice unless you let them see what you've done to the amulet."

"Good. Dumb bitch. What else can I do? I want payback."

"Patience! One step at a time. You shall have an opportunity soon if you wish to take it."

"I do," she nodded eagerly.

"Fix the amulet and keep it close. I will be nearby..." she snake says as the dream slowly fades away.

Haley awoke and sat up in her bed. She found herself clutching the amulet tightly in her hands and she scowled at it. Narrowing her eyes, she rearranged the amulet with her TK as the snake had told her.