Forum Thread

Lin thought for a moment.

"I'm not sure.

I would...probably want to see my sister again.

I wouldn't want to bring her back from the dead...she wouldn't want that.

I just want to see her."

Eclipse's eyes twinkled, and he put his hand on hers.

"I understand. Please drink the punch. . . Trust me. Please."

---

Lin sighed.

She drank it.

Isla had lied. Isla had not gotten lunch.

Instead, Isla was in the bathroom, curled up on the counter, her cheek pressed to the cold glass of the mirror. She watched her reflection's mouth move in sync with hers. The words that drifted off the reflected face, swirled, entered her ears, though no sound left out of the real or imaginary mouth.

Fault. Monster. Failure. Love. Hate. Borders. Fault.

She closed her eyes.

And opened them again. Her hand reached for the mirror and ran down it, before dropping to her side.

She cracked a smile. Oh Gods.

Isla's backpack fell from her shoulders and out hopped a puppet. She watched its reflection, emotionless yellow eyes staring ahead, and yet watching the creature which in truth lay behind her.

"Hey." Her voice was raspy, raw from crying. "Didn't... think you'd come out."

"I come whenever you need me," the puppet replied.

"Do I need you, though?"

"Of course you do, Isla. What else would you have done that day? Curled up? Continued wailing? A murderer asking for help?"

Isla closed her eyes. "I wish you didn't exist," she said quietly. "I wish I could've died that day instead. Or They would've taken me."

"But that's not the truth. Or does that concept mean so little to you, Isla?"

"Truth means nothing. Facts are there. Facts are real. But truth only exists in ones mind, a way of believing oneself to be in the right."

"But are not facts a part of the truth? Is the truth not comprised of facts?"

Isla opened her eyes. "That doesn't feel true."

"You don't feel like a killer either, and yet the facts contradict that. Does blood not stain your hands, Isla? Or does the truth wipe away that fact away?"

"...Is it so selfish to believe oneself to not be a part of an equation? Does not the self-deprecation in negative connotations wipe away any instance of selfishness? That should make it true... if this world is fair in any way."

"Isla, Isla..." he shook his head with a 'tsk'. "Why do you lie to yourself, Isla? I only speak the truth, the truth of which you cannot discern for yourself. You know this to be the truth. Your feelings- and the facts- coincide."

"I...don't..."

"Don't what?"

"I don't want this to be the end." Isla's voice was tremulous. "I don't want these people- No- I want these people- but I don't want them to-" she broke off. "I don't want them to..."

"What, Isla?"

"Nothing..."

"If you can't tell yourself the truth, tell me it, and I will tell you the full truth."

Isla didn't respond. Arrius waited.

"We should get back to class," Isla said. "The students... I can't be gone too long. Somebody might notice. Maybe prissy boy..." Her voice trailed off.

"No one will, Isla," Arrius told her. Isla nodded, waiting for the puppet's words. "But you're right. We must be getting back, soon."

"Yes." The puppet seemed satisfied at this conclusion and jumped into her pack.

A tingle started in Isla's fingers.

She could kill the puppet. Right here and now. Arrius could perish, and no more of these words would come. She knew that to be the truth.

But instead, she hiked the pack up on her shoulders and went to class. It was never good to be late.

---

"It should kick in a moment. . ."

Eclipse smiled as the Forkroot took hold in Lin's bloodstream. Her eyes closed as she passed out.

"It worked. . ."

Ecipse whispered. He placed his hand on her forehead and froze, his eyes rolling back in his head.

---

Isla arrived in the classroom and moved into her seat. She idly ran her fingers through her hair. "Hmm," she wondered aloud. "Wonder what happened to..." she trailed off.

Adrik was beginning to stir.

---

"So where do you want to go Jackie?

I suggest the forest.

Or...we could go...to...the village.

It's your choice."

He smiled.

There was a rushing sensation for both of them. Eclipse’s body was outside, but his mind was inside, inside Lin’s head. Or rather, she was in his. It doesn’t matter, as nobody knows where you really are when Eclipse takes you there. He blinked his eyes, momentarily blinded by the sunlight. There was a slight breeze, ruffling his hair and swishing the grass. He looked to his right, and Lin was standing there, eyes closed, chest unmoving. He hadn’t arrived fully yet. No matter. He imagined a classic red-and-white picnic blanket, and it was suddenly there. There was no fading to it, it was just plain and simple under his feet. That was the way of things in Tel'aran'rhiod. He stood quietly, Lin’s hand in his, and wanted for Lin to arrive fully into the world of dreams

---

Lin looked around her.


She looked slightly dazed.

"Where are we?"

She asked curiously.

Lin quickly removed her hand from Eclipse's grasp.

Her eyes darkened.

Eclipse smiled.

“We are where you wished to be”

He imagined Lin’s sister, drawing the image from her mind.

There was a block

He used all of his strength to pull it through.

And standing before them, blinking in the sunlight. . .

Was the soul of Katrina, temporarily taken from the underworld, in the form of her last seen body.

“Lin,”

She whispered.

---

Lin smiled.

"Katrina."

She blinked back her tears.

She sighed.

Katrina ran at Lin, tears streaming down her face.

"I m-missed you so much. . ."

Karina tackled Lin, a bear hug crushing her ribs.

---

"Same here."

Lin smiled.

"How's the Underworld been?"

"It's been. . . Strange."

Katrina sat back.

"Who is this. . ?"

She indicated Eclipse, a small smile appearing on her face.

---

"A friend."

Lin turned to her.

"Please. Continue."

"Well, not much. . . It's been lonely. . . I did find. . ."

She blushed furiously.

"I found somebody I like. . . His name is Aaron."

---

Lin smiled.

"Good for you, Katrina.

I'm happy for you."

"I..I'm not sure where to go.." Jackie blushed.

---

Priya shivered a bit, and finally came back to her body.

---

Seara laughed carefreely. "What? You flustered?" they teased, jabbing Grimm in the side.

---

*Grimm would explain that no one has ever said anything that had to do with Grimm and a date*

---