Warhorse

7

Luna was having a hard time wrapping her head around everything; her mysterious savior, who up until this point had never made himself known, was telling her to leave town and never come back. Then there was the guild board messing up so drastically—something unheard of until now.

"Hey, Clarice?" Luna looked to her friend, needing answers.

"What's up, Luna?" Clarice turned and smiled warmly at her.

"Does Hemlock visit people in town often?" Luna asked.

"Rarely. He mainly stays in his hut all day and night. Why do you ask?" Clarice had a look of concern on her face.

"I saw him in town yesterday... He told me to leave town." Luna was still mulling over his words in her head.

"That's odd... What was he doing?" Clarice asked.

"I saw him at that old abandoned well near the town center," Luna remembered the well and how its darkness called to her.

Clarice looked at her for a moment, a look of confusion on her face. "What well?" she asked.

"The well at the town center, inside that old decrepit building. How have you not seen it?" Luna said, now confused herself.

"There is no well at the center of town, or anywhere else in town for that matter." Clarice looked at Luna with a smirk, as if Luna had made some kind of joke.

"Yes, there is! Here, I'll show it to you." Luna said, standing.

"Please do! I've never seen a well in town before. Unless they added it overnight." Clarice chuckled a little.

Luna walked through town with Clarice close to her, the townsfolk waving to her as she passed by. Luna waved back and kept walking. The two arrived at the center of town, but Clarice was right—there was no well here. It was just a small patch of grass, with a few benches around for people to sit on. Even the decrepit building was gone.

"What the hell? It was here yesterday! I saw it!" Luna was beyond confused.

"Are you feeling alright, Luna? You sure it wasn't some kind of dream?" Clarice asked, looking at Luna with concern.

"No! I'm sure it was here! It was real; I know it was!" Luna felt like she was losing her mind; now buildings and other structures were disappearing, with no one else remembering them.

"Could it be possible you dreamed about there being a well here and mistook your dream for reality?" Clarice asked, placing a hand on Luna's shoulder.

"No, that can't be it. Cloud it?" Luna was beginning to doubt herself—was there really a well here?

"It all sounds so fantastical. Hemlock met you in town near a nonexistent well and told you to leave town? No offense, Luna, but I am having a hard time believing that was real." Clarice had a deep worry in her eyes.

"No... no, you're right; the proof is right in front of me... there is no well, but still... it felt so real." Luna's shoulders fell as she looked around the spot she thought the well was.

"Let's get back to the clinic; you still need to take it easy." Clarice took Luna's hand and led her back to the clinic.

"Oh, can we stop by Ms. Baker's shop first? I haven't seen her around in a few days." Luna motioned in the direction of Ms. Baker's shop.

"Who? Luna, what are you talking about?" Clarice looked confused again.

"Ms. Baker? She owns the bakery here in town?" Luna's heart began beating a little faster.

"There is no Ms. Baker—not one that lives here at least. And Floran doesn't have a bakery. Are you sure you're feeling alright, Luna?" Luna's heart dropped into her stomach when Clarice said that.

"You... you're kidding, right? Ms. Baker, the sweet old lady who owns the bakery? The one who gives out free pastries to the town? No, you aren't going to convince me she doesn't exist! No! Come with me; I am going to show you!" Luna was practically dragging Clarice down the dirt roads.

Luna turned the corner to the bakery, but she froze. Where the bakery stood just yesterday was nothing more than a small tree surrounded by lush grass.

"No... no, no, no! This isn't right! It was right here! Where did it go? What the hell is going on around here? This is so..." Luna held her hand over her mouth; she felt sick.

"Luna, let's get back to the clinic." Clarice was talking to her in a more serious tone.

"No, Clarice! This is wrong! I didn't just imagine Ms. Baker! I'm not crazy! Why can't you remember? What's wrong with you?" Luna was starting to shout louder and louder, drawing the attention of the surrounding townsfolk.

Some of them came up to Clarice, asking if Luna was okay and if Clarice needed some help. Clarice reassured them, and the people looked at Luna with worry before walking away. It didn't help Luna's current position.

"Why is everyone looking at me like I'm crazy? I'm not crazy! I know that there was a well in the center of town! I know there was a bakery here! I know that Ms. Baker used to live and work here!" Luna backed away from Clarice, taking a more defensive stance.

"Luna, let's go back to the clinic; you need to rest. You clearly aren't doing well, please." Clarice was talking very gently as if Luna were a wild animal that needed to be contained.

"Stay back! Don't touch me! This is insanity, and I won't be treated like I'm crazy!" Luna was beginning to enter her fight-or-flight state, panicking more and more as Clarice approached.

"Luna, stop!" Clarice shouted, and Luna froze.

"W-What?" Luna's panic fell away.

"Luna, please, I'm begging you; come back to the clinic. Please." Clarice was pleading with her eyes; her voice was shaky, and her hands were trembling.

Luna looked at her friend, her heart aching; she was scaring her. She relaxed and approached Clarice.

"Alright, I'll go with you. I'm sorry for scaring you." Luna was still panicking internally, but she wanted to keep her friend calm.

The two walked back to the clinic in silence. As they did, Luna could see the townspeople looking at her with concern and worry. When they arrived at Luna's room, Arden walked in with a small bag and handed it to Clarice, looking fearfully at Luna and leaving wordlessly.

"What's in the bag?" Luna asked.

"It's your medicine, just to help make sure that you don't have residual pain while you sleep." Clarice was back to her normal cheery self, despite the previous hour's events.

Luna took the medicine from Clarice, laid back on the bed, and waved as she left the room.