Humans do exist!

Could I Ask for a Favor?

*image is from VaguelyCosplay on Insta! Fantastic cosplayer showcasing Jina in this look! Vaguely also does characters from StarWars, Monster High, DC Comics, Avatar the Last Airbender, and so much more. Go check out her work and give her a follow!*

Over the next few days, the flow presence seems to follow me around. It doesn't come close, but when I'm alone, it feels as though something is watching me from afar. It's eerie, knowing you're not alone but at the same time, knowing no one is actually there.

The flow isn't always around, it usually only shows up during prolonged periods of time when I'm not around the others. While I'm sleeping it's the worst. After a while it's easier to ignore but my lack of proper rest is starting to show. I'm late to things, always tired, chores are slow....

Yawning, I adjust the carrying pole across my shoulders. I'm helping Nai'o with some work around the farm, currently by filling the water troughs for the Ormuu. The heavy buckets tied to the carrying pole, slosh around as I walk. I'm so tired I can hardly focus on whatever it is Nai'o is rambling about.

My eyes close for only a second, just a second. I stumble on a hole in the ground, starting to fall. My eyes shoot open from the sudden change and I yelp. Nai'o turns, hearing my stumbling. Alarmed, he sets down his own carrying pole in the blink of an eye, and helps me steady myself.

He catches me as I fall, grunting as I crash against his chest. The buckets I had been carrying tip and spill, rolling a bit cross the grass.

"Woah, hey now. Careful there, bud. You feeling alright?" Nai'o gives me a concerned look while trying to hold my up right in his strong arms.

My speech is slurred and slow, the words melting together despite my efforts to act as normal as possible.
"Ye..aghh... I'm gooooo..d.. jus lil tired lately...."
My eyelids feel heavy, starting to droop as I look up at him lazily.

"Why didn't you say so!? I thought you've been acting off for a few days. I should've never asked you to push yourself today! Let's get you laying down." He effortlessly hoisting me up onto his shoulder before quickly adjusting to a bridal carry figuring it'd be more comfortable.

I try protesting but don't get far before Nai'o shushes me, gently pressing my head against his shoulder. He speaks softly to me but I can hardly register what he's saying. He takes me into the family house and lays me of the couch. I don't remember anything after that.

At some point in my slumber, I groan, bothered by the whisperings in my ear. The sound like human voices. Thought their words aren't easy to make out, it sounds like they're discussing something regarding me. There's a strange slow pulsing to the presence. A tingling mildly uncomfortable feeling that washes over me in waves.

Sweat rolls down my forehead and I feel clamy and feverish. I make my way through a heavy fog that swirls around me, heading towards where the voices are coming from. They move and shift around me getting me turned around and confused. Eventually, I come up to tall looming figures. They're dark and hold an ominous presence. The whisper, backs tuned from me.

White eyes snap their heads in a 180, boring holes into me.
An echoing hollow voice composed of a choir of 100 let's out a gurgling yell.
"YŒU §ĤOUŁDN'Ť BE HƏŘƐ"

Frightened, before I can react, I'm shaken awake. Taking quick heavy breaths, I frantically look around the room, not recognizing it at first. My gaze settles on the face to the person who had shaken me awake. Delaila, Nai'o and Auni's mother, gave a fairly concerned look.

"Are you alright dear? You're pale and sweating. Nai'o brought you in to rest a few hours ago. I heard you having some kind of intense dream." The sweet and hardy mother spoke to me as though I were her own. Hardly able to articulate, I manage to croak out that I was fine and just had a nightmare.