This Running Dance

wake up

Gem would be lying if she said she wasn't afraid. Fear was supposed to be natural, to be normal, but this was anything but. Her heart was pounding and her lungs were collapsing and this was not natural. She had to run. Leave. Something was making her afraid, and she needed to get away from it, but her legs were frozen in place.

Sounds were going on around her, noises, sensations, things touching her exposed skin and she wanted to scream.

She needed to run.

"Gem- are you okay?" Xisuma tried to hide the growing worry in his voice, trying to be professional.

"Obviously not!" False nearly growled, her protective instincts flashing as she snapped at her admin, teeth bared.

"Falsie..."

"Sorry." Her apology was short and quick, and even though it was prompted by Stress, Xisuma could see the guilt in her eyes.

"It's alright, False." He nodded at her. "We should get Pearl. She knows the most about Gem's past, which'll help us figure out what triggered this."

She was running, heart pounding in her chest, like fists beating rhythmically on a table. She danced to this rhythm, letting her feet hit the ground with every beat of the drum locked away in her ribcage.

"Who are you!?" Was the first thing the stranger asked Pearl. If you asked her, it was a bit rude, but understandable.

'I'm Pearl!' She almost replied, before realizing that she had let a literal stranger into her hiding place. Gods, being a good person was inconvenient. She instead said, "Who are you?"

"None of your business," The stranger growled, trying to untangle herself from the thin blanket Pearl had laid over them. "Where the hell am I?"

"You're in my hidey-hole, the location of which might have been breached due to my goodwill in bringing you here," Pearl glared.

"I don't need your help."

"No, I found you passed out and bleeding in the middle of the woods because you're totally fine." Pearl rolled her eyes. She'd gotten too far into this now, she wanted answers. "Who are you?"

"I said that's none of your business." The stranger growled again.

"What are you running from?" Seeing the panic in the stranger's eyes, Pearl explained. "You're terrified, alone and don't even have a weapon. You are obviously running from something."

"Takes one to know one."

"What?"

"The pot calling the kettle black."

"Whatever you're trying to say, say it."

"You're running from things, too."

If Pearl had been alone, she would have screamed. Of all the people to try and rescue, this is who she got.

"Fine. My name's Pearl. I'm hiding because me and my brother and some friends of ours messed around with the wrong people, and they want to hurt him. He's in this new world, making friends and wants to invite me when he's sure it's safe."

"Thats..." The stranger trailed off.

"What, rather trusting of me to tell you that? I already let you in my home, I'm already in danger." Pearl snapped.

"Oh." She finally had the audacity to look a little bit guilty. "Uhm, my name's Gem."