In the Dead of Night

[Samantha McManus]

Sitting bolt upright suddenly, Samantha sucked in a breath. Her skin roiled for a moment in her distress, before calming again as she breathed heavily.

[Nailah Weaver]

Next to her Nailah was stirring as well, feathers rustling faintly. She didn't wake though, only mumbling in her sleep, sounding serious, almost agitated.

[Samantha McManus]

Getting her bearings about her, she looked to Nailah and leaned close.

[Nailah Weaver]

"There's an old voice in my head that's holding me back." she sing-songs, then pauses.


"Well tell her that I'll miss our little talks."

[Samantha McManus]

Samantha almost spoke up at that but paused, unsure if she should as she continued to listen.

[Nailah Weaver]

Apparently not, as she kept talking. She was obviously relating half of a conversation of some kind though. Meanwhile Sam could almost feel the Astral twisting around the Sphinx.

"Soon it will be over, and buried with your past."

It is hard to make out to begin with, but somehow this doesn't sound much like Nailah. It's much colder than usual.

"Your mind is playing tricks on you my dear."

[Samantha McManus]

She placed a hand firmly on Nailah's shoulder, and as she felt the Astral start to distort the flock tensed around her, her mind casting outwards.

[Nailah Weaver]

And suddenly there was the impression that they were somewhere else. Details are hard to make out, but there are two shapes sitting across from each other, unmoving.

"Don't listen to a word I say."
"The screams all sound the same."

both of them seem to say at the same time.

[Samantha McManus]

"I don't know who you are, but you let her go. Now."

[Nailah Weaver]

The two figures turn towards Sam, though it seems they're not actually talking to her but still each other.

"You're gone, gone, gone away, I watched you disappear."
"All that's left is a ghost of you."

[Samantha McManus]

"That was all the warning I'll give..."

Her mind lashed out at them, the flock pouring forth.

[Nailah Weaver]

Sam's attack would not really find any purchase in the sense of a foreign mind connected to Nailah. It did seem to cut her trance though rather abruptly.

"We're torn, torn, torn apart, there's nothing we can do."
"I'll see you when I fall asleep."

And with that Nailah bolted upright, almost yelling to get that last part out, somehow still talking with both voices simultaneously.

[Samantha McManus]

"...love? Love, speak to me. Speak to me."

[Nailah Weaver]

She rubs her head with one hand.

"What? What's wrong?" she mumbles, disoriented.

[Samantha McManus]

"I'm... not really certain, to be honest."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Did I have a vision again?" she asks, jumping to the usual reason to wake up in the middle of the night to a confused Sam.

[Samantha McManus]

"It didn't... it wasn't like a usual vision."

"I thought someone was attacking you..."

[Nailah Weaver]

She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"I dreamed... something." she mumbles, trying to hold on to the hazy memory. "Were you in my head?"

[Samantha McManus]

"I don't think I was. The Astral seemed to distort around you, and what you were saying... it didn't sound like you."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Why would someone try to talk through me?"

[Samantha McManus]

"I don't know. It didn't... didn't feel like it ought to."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Like what ought to? I haven't had many visions since... well since you let yourself be more aware of things..."

[Samantha McManus]

"It didn't feel like there was someone there... I couldn't reach their mind, love."

[Nailah Weaver]

"So there... wasn't anybody." she asks, still a little befuddled being being woken up mid-dream. "I do remember talking but that has happened before."

[Samantha McManus]

"And what do you mean since... do you think I'm affecting this?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"No I mean you never witnessed it happening like this, I think."

[Samantha McManus]

"So to you it was... just a vision?"

[Nailah Weaver]

"I'm not sure. I think so, but when they happen in dreams they're even hazier. I couldn't even quite tell you what I was saying."

[Samantha McManus]

"There wasn't only one person speaking. It was... almost a conversation."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Maybe that's just the shape it took? I once had a conversation with several people at different points in time, including myself..."

[Samantha McManus]

"You said there was an old voice holding you back, then you said to tell her that you'll miss your little talks with her."

"When it finally came into focus it was two people saying these things... but all jumbled together at once. I couldn't make out who they were."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Well, I can't say that that's making much sense to me. Not yet anyway..."

[Samantha McManus]

"There was something about... it being done soon, buried with the past. Then... being gone, being left only a ghost."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Rudra?" she says after a moment of thinking. "Though I'm fairly certain she's moved on. Maybe it was just a strange dream."

[Samantha McManus]

"Maybe," she said with a tone that still carried some doubt.

[Nailah Weaver]

"We'll keep it in mind, okay?" she says, noticing Sam's hesitance to let it go.

[Samantha McManus]

"...aye. I'm sorry, just... hair trigger, there."

[Nailah Weaver]

"Hey, no need to apologize." she says, reaching for the journal on the nightstand.