Beasts of Old

*Alicia was in the kitchen,
cooking, and she dared to let her thoughts wander. She thought about her home.
Her family. Her friends. Hela. Elise. Pain. Crying. Creatures. She stopped
working and leaned against the counter, her breathing speeding up as voices
filled her head. Threats and nonsense. She shut her eyes tight and sunk to the
ground, starting to cry. She hugged her knees and buried her face between them.
She begged for them to stop or someone to help her, but it was too soft for
anyone to hear.*
The
Traveller:'''
  ( Soft footsteps echo across the
hall- the tiny pitter patter of a child's feet. After what seems like an
eternity, a floor length skirt gently swishes against Alicia's head. From above
comes a young, but familiar voice. )
Miss...?
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  *The woman winced
when the skirt touched her, covering her ears. She whimpered* stop...
please...!
The
Traveller:'''
  ( She places a tiny
hand on hers. ) Miss, are you alright?
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  *she jumped, crying
out and whimpering*
The
Traveller:'''
  ( The girl kneels down before Alicia,
her big brown eyes filled a warm concern. )
Miss, can you hear
me?
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  (Nope.)
*She cowered, whimpering* p-please...!
The
Traveller:'''
  ( Several minutes
pass, the girl studying her frightened counterpart. Slowly, she leans forward
and wraps her arms around her. )
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  *She stiffened,
then realized it wasn't a Creature. She opened her eyes for a second before
wrapping her own arms around the girl, shutting them again and whimpering.*
The
Traveller:'''
  ( Her grip tightens and she whispers
into Alicia's ear. )
Listen to me.
Focus on the sound of my voice and
only that.
The Creatures can't
hurt you, you know why?
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  *She sniffled*
Wh-why...?
The
Traveller:'''
  Because even nightmares get
scared and so long as I'm around, they won't dare hurt my friends.
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  *she looked at her*
r-really..?
The
Traveller:'''
  ( she pulls back and stares Alicia
directly in the eyes. )
Really.
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  *She nodded,
sniffling*
The
Traveller:'''
  But you're scared too and that's
okay. It's okay to be scared! You're safe and you can feel whatever you need to
feel right now.
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  (Alicia doesn't
fight the Creatures anymore...)
*she nodded, hugging her tight*
The
Traveller:'''
  ( the girl continues holding Alicia, rocking
gently. )
It's okay.
Everything is perfectly fine.
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  *she listened to
her voice and counted the rocking as if it were a beat.* 1... 2... 3... 4...
1... 2.. 3... *she calmed down after a few minutes*
The
Traveller:'''
  ( When she calms, the girl lets her
go. )
Better?
Alicia
Ghast:'''
  *she nodded* thank
you...
== Obtained From ==
Nightmare Fuel 2: The Return