Stone City

1. Awakening

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"Hey, look at this big sis!"

I turned to Iues. She showed me a dreamcatcher. It has a clear bead in the center and the feathers connected to the circle were variations of black, gray, and white, "I made this!"

"Isn't that pretty?" I told her. I looked at the dreamcatcher again. My eyes went to her hands holding it. I noticed that her nails and hands are paler than the last time I saw her. She has a lot of red to brown dots on her wrist too and a bandage on her arms.

"Right!? Then, I want you to take this..." She held my hand and put the dreamcatcher on it.

"Huh?" I looked at her. She was smiling widely at me, "But you made this and-"

"No, this is my gift to you! You must accept it... besides, I feel like this dreamcatcher is of no use to me..." She smiled bitterly.

"And why is that?" I held her hand and squeezed it.

"For the past few weeks, I've been having nightmares, the same nightmares of these faceless creatures trying to get me, trying to get us...I'm so tired of seeing those scary creatures but there's nothing I can do. It's in the dark depths of my mind. No dreamcatcher can help me, big sis, you know?"

I was dumbfounded, I couldn't say anything to comfort her. Not like this, not with this condition, not in this place. I'm afraid she's not getting out of here for the next few months... or years... The same thing goes for me. We cannot go out of this facility. Not until we can get ourselves cured.

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"Are you all sure you want her to stay here?"

"As long as she is not a threat, why not? Pulcher and Iustus agreed to take her in," after saying that, the man yawned.

I tried to move my arms but I feel weak. Who are these people? And where am I?

"What if she's one of them?!"

Them?

"While she is not awake yet, we cannot make accusations and besides, if she really is, everyone is strong enough to put her down..."

A moment of silence ensued.

After hearing a yawn, I felt someone sit beside my feet, at the other side of this... I don't know... it's not a bed... "Why are you even so agitated? Do you, perhaps, know this young maiden?"

"I don't know that lass and I'm just reacting to a stranger! She is a stranger and we don't know anything about her!"

My head is kind of hazy and it hurts a lot.

"But you were also like her before you got here, a stranger..."

"What!?"

I slowly opened my eyes and I saw two blurred figures, a young woman standing beside me and a young man sitting near my feet. I repeatedly blinked to clear my eyes. I noticed that I was lying on a cold surface and my body was covered with a warm blanket.

"Oh good, she finally woke up. Don't blame me if something happens that will kill us all."

I fully opened my eyes and looked clearly at the two people standing beside me. The young man looked awfully bored and he had those very dark circles under his eyes. The young woman on the other hand looks so beautiful and has a mole beside her right eye.

"Where am I," I asked and turned to the two people, "Who are you?"

The young man and woman looked at each other. The young woman seemed irritated and I looked at her as she quickly walked away.