Eddie was nervous. He couldn't help it. It was like the game they used to play - trying to be the first back to the light. Except this time, there wouldn't be a race. They'd just stay and stay. His panic and paranoia had got better with a few ports, just as it had got better when he'd gone out searching for Travis.
But in the end, the dark still made him panic. Made him wish there were at least walls around him and his dad down the hall. Or, more recently, Jane nearby. He was determined to fix it, though, because he hated the idea of not getting to help Victor first. He didn't trust anyone else enough except Jane to rely on, so he had to rely on himself.
Here he was, clutching his merit book tightly as he opened the door to the CES, and couldn't quite see Jane fully in the semi-light, so walked towards where he thought she was and called out, tentatively, "Jane?"
"I'm here." She walked up beside him and reached out to take his hand. "It's alright." She was gentler than usual with him here, mostly because she knew that what he was feeling was true fear. And she didn't want to make it worse for him right now.
She had seen what had happened to those out in the darkness too long. And here, it wasn't even dark yet. They still have half an hour of light left. "I found a place to stay for the night, so just follow me. And don't hit any of the trees." Luckily, the CES had behaved to become just a generic forest. She had already searched the area for any Yateveos, but it seemed like a Previous forest, which is what she wanted.
He took her hand and held it tightly. His nerve was starting to get to him, but he just kept a tight hold of her and followed along, holding out his other hand to keep the trees at bay, "How safe is it? The place you've found, that is?"
"Stop worrying," she said softly and led him to the area she had prepared. It wasn't anything special- just a few blankets on the ground and a bag- but it would at least give him a definite area to be in.
He looked over what he could see of the area - less under the cover of the trees than out in the clear, but he supposed it'd all be the same in the dark. Just one black wall.
He sat down, feeling the blanket under his hands, and looked up for her, "Will there be a moon?"
She looked up and over before shrugging. "Not much of one. It's there but I don't think it's going to get much brighter." She sat down beside him, putting a hand on his leg.
"I'll stay here for a few minutes and then I'm going to walk off. Not far. You'll still be able to touch me if you need it. And I'll just keep moving away slowly, alright? But I'll never, ever be so far away that you can't call for me. I swear." She took his hands in hers. "And I'll be watching for animals and such. So nothing will come after you."
"Oh, right." He looked a little despondent and nodded up to her, gritting his teeth in determination.
"You swear you'll be able to hear me? You swear?" He moved his hand down to touch hers for a moment, and then after a long stretch of silence, of him waiting and staring into the dark, he turned to her and said in a small voice, "Please don't move."
He knew she had to, but the fear was already starting to win.
"I swear. Trust me, Eddie." She went silent when he did and then, with his plea, she flinched a bit. There was a deep set compassion in her voice, as Jane really wasn't heartless. Not at all.
"I have to." She let go of him and stood up, but only took a step back. She knelt back down again and reached forward to put a hand on his arm. "See. I'm still here."
He took a long, deep breath and told himself, "You're still here. Yes. You're still here."
He paused, "You'll keep the monsters away, right? How are you going to keep them away?" He knew the point was irrational, but at least he was thinking about it rationally. It didn't stop him from clutching the bottom of his tie nervously.
"There are no monsters, Eddie. I can see it all. You know that, don't you? I can see you, trees and grass. That's it. Nothing else." She took another step back.
She kept silent for a few moments, letting him talk himself through it. Another step back. "I wish you could really see the stars, Eddie," she said casually. "They're beautiful, really."
He looked back at her nervously and a little disbelievingly, "I'm sure. I'm sure, but... but... it's so dark, Jane. So so dark."
He shuddered a little and hugged himself, telling himself to pull it together, to keep it together. The blanket was like his white line on the road. Just stay there, it'd be okay.
She sighed. "I know it is." She took another step back, but hit a tree before she could go too far. Frowning, she walked around it, still trying to keep an eye on Eddie.
"But the night isn't as scary as you've been taught."
And then the worry kicked in, "But it's hardly safe. People go missing. Travis died out in the dark. Even if it was them, he died out in the dark. Where nobody can see anything, where... anything could happen..." He steeled his voice a little and hugged himself just a little tighter, "Travis died out in the dark."
"You're not going to die out in the dark, Eddie. I won't let it happen." She tried her best to sound confident of that. Because, here, she was confident. She could see in the dark. She could look out for him.
"I'm still here." She walked off a bit, though keeping him in her view.
But in the end, the dark still made him panic. Made him wish there were at least walls around him and his dad down the hall. Or, more recently, Jane nearby. He was determined to fix it, though, because he hated the idea of not getting to help Victor first. He didn't trust anyone else enough except Jane to rely on, so he had to rely on himself.
Here he was, clutching his merit book tightly as he opened the door to the CES, and couldn't quite see Jane fully in the semi-light, so walked towards where he thought she was and called out, tentatively, "Jane?"
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She had seen what had happened to those out in the darkness too long. And here, it wasn't even dark yet. They still have half an hour of light left. "I found a place to stay for the night, so just follow me. And don't hit any of the trees." Luckily, the CES had behaved to become just a generic forest. She had already searched the area for any Yateveos, but it seemed like a Previous forest, which is what she wanted.
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"It's safe." She let go of his hand. "Sit down."
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He sat down, feeling the blanket under his hands, and looked up for her, "Will there be a moon?"
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"I'll stay here for a few minutes and then I'm going to walk off. Not far. You'll still be able to touch me if you need it. And I'll just keep moving away slowly, alright? But I'll never, ever be so far away that you can't call for me. I swear." She took his hands in hers. "And I'll be watching for animals and such. So nothing will come after you."
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"You swear you'll be able to hear me? You swear?" He moved his hand down to touch hers for a moment, and then after a long stretch of silence, of him waiting and staring into the dark, he turned to her and said in a small voice, "Please don't move."
He knew she had to, but the fear was already starting to win.
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"I have to." She let go of him and stood up, but only took a step back. She knelt back down again and reached forward to put a hand on his arm. "See. I'm still here."
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He paused, "You'll keep the monsters away, right? How are you going to keep them away?" He knew the point was irrational, but at least he was thinking about it rationally. It didn't stop him from clutching the bottom of his tie nervously.
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He shuddered a little and hugged himself, telling himself to pull it together, to keep it together. The blanket was like his white line on the road. Just stay there, it'd be okay.
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"But the night isn't as scary as you've been taught."
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"I'm still here." She walked off a bit, though keeping him in her view.
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