Reaching Salvation: Post-Acer Part 12

"Ah, what's wrong?" Neo asked as he came back into the room.

Heidi shuddered, continuing to sob.

Neo went over to put a hand to her back. I wonder if Joey's right...

Nathan frowned slightly before sighing. "How old are you as of now, Celeste?" The adult asked.

"And what is this place?"

Behind Kira appeared Melaney is a thin shadowy cloud. "Hi..."

OOC: Oh shoot, I'm sorry Ra and Neo. XP

"I-I'll get some ice and a new glass to put it in!" Simon said, taking the mug and inwardly chatising himself for not being helpful.

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Celeste frowned, wondering why the strange man would ask that. "I'm almost fourteen... and this is where I live. Well, it's near where I live."

Nathan nodded at her comment. There were still some things he could do with Telepathy even if he couldn't show off his flows. In Erika's mind Nathan's features began to change and he soon looked like he had on the day of the storm all those years ago. Both himself and Erika were roughly the same age.

If she had any subconscious memory of him this would at least jog it slightly and then he would work out in which general direction he had to explore.

"It's a beautiful place..." Nathan muttered.

"Sage is w-worried about you..." Kira sighed, her gaze flickering back to the shed. "I-I'm sorry, but c-can you find Joey...? Th-The shed almost collapsed on Sage, a-and I'm holding it up..."

Celeste looked over at Nathan with a confused glance. I feel like I know him... but I've never seen him at school or anywhere else before...

"Yeah. My Dad always says that we're really lucky to live where we do, not everywhere in the world is as nice as this." The girl replied, before her stomach made a noise. "A-ah!"

Nathan let a fake smile form on his face at her stomach's noise. "A tad hungry there, Princess?" He asked in his usual arrogant manner.

Nathan began scanning the surrounding area for dark spots or things that shouldn't be there.

Celeste turned around with an angry look and was about to let out a "go fuck yourself, Flow bastard", but bit the retort back. 'Flow bastard?' And no, Celeste! You can't use bad words like that... but why was I...?

"Don't call me Princess, please." She finished lamely. The forest overall looked pretty, normal, too normal.

"I apologise, Celeste." Nathan answered, putting emphasis on her name his eyes never leaving hers. "How about we walk through the forest to find something to eat?"

He was beginning to pick up an eerie feel to the area.

Celeste looked a little suspicious of the boy, but felt like it would be rude to say no. If anything funny happens I just kick him where it hurts and run. "Okay... I'm sorry, but what's your name again?"

"Nathan. Nathan Stanton." The boy responded holding his hand out for her to shake. He'd been holding off on his British accent but he needed to jog her memory somehow. Maybe this would help.

"Celeste Knight." The girl moved to shake the boy's hand, her expression looking a little spacey for a moment. When it did Nathan could feel his hand being squeezed very tightly. Celeste snapped out of it though and released the boys hand. "Guessing by your accent you aren't from around here, right?"

Nathan noted the squeeze and also her expression. But he pretended to shrug it off. "Nope, I come from England." He answered with a cocky grin. "But don't believe what you've heard from fairy tales. We don't all live in emerald green towers." He put emphasis on the last three words before gesturing at the forest.

"Do you come here a lot?"

With those words Celeste pictured such a tower in her head. Slightly clutching the side of her head while making it look like she was pushing her hair back she gave the boy a smile. "Yes. It's a really nice place to walk around or read in, and even better to play games."

"Games?" Nathan asked with intrigue. "What sort of games?" He began to lead the way as they walked.

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OOC: PM coming your way, Rand.

"Yeah." Celeste nodded. "It's usually for little kids, but whenever I'm watching my cousin's they pretend they have these powers and-"

Flashes of greenish light and carnage pass through the girl's mind.

OOC: Okay.

"What kind's of powers?" Nathan pushed his eyes lighting up slightly. "Cause when I was little I always used to pretend with games like that. People who could control things with their mind, or use darkness powers... or make illusions."

Celeste stopped when she heard the word 'darkness' her eyes flashing with a mix of terror and anger. Her face looked pale.

"Illusions sound good... I'll have to use it the next time we play." The girl joked, but her voice was strained.

A flash of white streaked behind a tree.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked as he saw the girl go pale. That was when he saw the flash of white.

"Did you see that?"

"I-" Celeste caught sight of the white streak. "Is that a rabbit...?"

She didn't know why, but the girl felt herself being pulled towards it. Celeste started to walk in the direction it was heading. "Let's go see what it's doing here."

The sky above that was once a clear true blue was starting to turn cloudy.

Nathan frowned upwards at the sky with a slightly fearful look before turning his gaze back to Erika. "Yeah, let's do it." He said calmly, following after the girl.

The two of them cotninued to walk deeper and deeper into the forest, following the rabbit. As they walked the trees seemed to get taller and bend in weird directions, as if part of a warped scenery painting.

Celeste's face looked troubled, but the girl pressed on. She felt like she had to find that rabbit and... and... she just had to find it.

A rumble could be heard from the sky, the wind blew strong through the trees.