Taken

2 - A Parting Gift

Returning to the sterile room, Philip Darlan tapped his fingers against his thigh. The monitors had been going off for quite some time now. She'd gone well beyond the boundaries.
His phone vibrated in his pocket, alerting him to the message appearing on the screen. A smile played on his lips as he thought. Now, isn't that interesting?

-:- -:- -:-

        "H-how-?"
"No." Illya interrupted the trembling woman before she could voice the pointless question. "Don't ask questions right now."
Jessalyn nodded, confusion written all over her face as she kneeled on the plush living room carpet.
Watching the girl, she couldn't help but wonder who she was. The people in her dreams were always derived from those she knew in her waking life. This one, however, was like no one she ever knew. Could her subconscious have finally made a completely imaginary character? One who could pull her away from her worst nightmare and literally cull her fear away?
At that thought, the girl tilted her head to the side. The corners of her mouth quirked up in the barest hint of a smile. "So you noticed? Hm. Not many do."
She's kind of adorable, she thought, focused on the tiny dimples that had already shown themselves on her cheeks. Then she realized what she had said and snapped herself to full attention.
"How could I not? I've never been calm at that point in the dream. Even in the very first one, I knew what was going to happen. So when my fear started to fade, I knew it wasn't me directly."
Her little head bobbed. "Of course. You are a perceptive one, aren't you?" She turned away, her smile falling, eyes clouding over as she spoke more to herself than anyone else. "Maybe that's why he's having such a difficult time."
"'He'? Who are you talking about?" The young woman knew she'd been told not to ask anything, but she couldn't stop the words from spilling out.
        Looking back at her, the child sighed. That seemed to be her favorite form of communication. So much tired frustration in that little breath you would never have seen in her expression or heard in her voice. "I'm running out of time. Do you know a man by the name of Philip Darlan?"
        The reaction was instant.
        Every feature shifted into one of livid fury as her body tensed, literal heat rolling off of her prickled skin. She seethed.
        Unable to take the swarm of emotion, Illya flinched away, not surprised by the force of her anger, but by the sheer amount of it. She hadn't had time to dig far into her memories, and had braced herself as much as she could for whatever result his mention might illicit.
        A loud crack could be heard as the building's foundation shook. After a few minutes of trembling walls and swaying lights, the ground settled again. Sweat dotted the brows of both present, the smaller one's skin a fine shade of pink. "Are you done?"
          Jessalyn's mouth hung open, her eyes wide as she stared at the unphased girl before her. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry!" She reached for her, a golden hand encircling her cold thin arm.
        Illya snapped her head to look over her shoulder, a tugging sensation pulling on her shoulder blades. He was calling her back. She shrugged away from Jessalyn's burning hands.
        "I'm fine."
        The bright pink handprint on her arm said otherwise, but the young woman pressed her lips together and kept from apologizing again. What had she just done to her? Did she really burn her?
        The edges of the room blurred, fading from view as the dream weakened. For a flicker of a moment, the dark oak desk Illya sat in front of could clearly be seen through her torso. The child's grip on Jessalyn's mind was loosening. Soon she would wake up, and these last moments would be forgotten. She had to hurry.
        "Quickly, take this."
        The urgency in her voice jerked Jessalyn into focus. Without a thought she held out her hand, a thin band appearing in the air above and falling into her palm. She closed her hand around the ring on instinct.
        "You might still not remember when you wake up, but you will the next time you have a lucid dream. Don't you dare lose it and stay home tomorrow. All day." Her rushed words faded in and out of volume, quickly switching from almost yelling to a whisper as her image shivered and flickered out of focus. "You're being watched, so don't do anything suspicious!"
        The building shook again, much harder than in previous moments. Jessalyn hunched her shoulders, watching a crack race up the wall to the ceiling, running all the way to the bare supporting beams. The large chunk of wood groaned, straining to hold the roof at bay.
        "Listen!" the child said. She was standing now, her expression intent. "I'll be back. Not right away, he won't allow it. Two nights from now you will meet me here in this house. Got it?"
        Jessalyn nodded, her worried eyes wide with fear. Illya didn't waste anymore time or energy easing it either this time. Barely a second passed before she disappeared from existence.
        And didn't return.
        Jessalyn stood alone as the walls swayed. The ceiling squealed and the beam finally lost it's struggle to stay upright. She ducked down, knowing where it would land and unable to move her petrified legs. Her eyes squeezed shut, her body trembling as she braced herself.
        The heavy wood collided with her back— and disintegrated. When she opened her eyes, she gasped. The house was gone. In it's place, a bright field had taken root, colorful flowers blooming all around her feet. She laughed. Now, this was a dream she could enjoy.