Torments of Night (NC-17)

Briana sat bolt upright in bed breathing heavily and dripping with a cold sweat. Quickly turning on her table lamp, Briana swung her legs over the side of her bed and rested her head in her hands, elbows propped on her knees. After several calming breaths, she glanced at the clock...2:22am... "Always the same..." she said under her breath. Taking her glass of water from the table, she shakily brought it to her lips and drank. Setting the glass back on the stand, she got up and grabbed the hand towel she kept draped over the back of her desk chair and wiped the sweat from her face. Looking at her bed, she cursed under her breath, put the towel back and threw on her baggy grey hoodie which covered the white cami-top and her blue, green, and white plaid sleep pants to her mid-thigh. Briana didn't bother with shoes, and slipped from her room, shutting the door silently behind her.

As quietly as she could, she descended the stairs to the main room on the first floor. Seeing the fireplace lit, as it often was, she curled up on the sofa and watched the fire dance. Sleep was gone for this night, once again... With a sigh, her eyes began to well with tears...

Last edited by Briana Walker on Sun Jan 05, 2014 11:45 am; edited 1 time in total

.      Darkness, eternal and everlasting. For so long as there is a light in the world, Darkness would forever be there to encroach upon it, to surround it greedily trying to smother it. Tonight a man and his lady friend walked through the city, their love like a beam of light in a dying world. Of course such a beautiful light attracts the most morbid of Darkness. Taking a wrong turn could never be so terrifying, especially when you find yourself face to face with a Vampire, the creatures of Darkness whom thrive in the night, and the creature hissed with a wicked smile as it began to move closer to those paralyzed in fear. With ever step the couple could hear their heart-beats hollow, and their breathing shallow out of the sheer terror. With ever step, a second upon the closjk of their lives, the seconds that announced their impending doom.

      "Come now, cugino. Are you to tell me that there is no other prey you could find in this city?" A voice camre from behind the vampire, who snarled as it looked over it;s shoulder at it's "uninvited guest". Violet eyes flashed and a kind and warm smile upon the slightly black bearded young man as he stood there. His eyes closed and he opened his arms invitingly. "The birds are plentiful, there are enough stray cats to slake thy thirst. Why do you insist upon them cugino? I am disappointed." The voice called. The Vampire growled a little.

     "I would run if I were you little human..."

    "you think I am Human? Ah-oooh I see." The man said as he tapped the strange rose on his blaiser lapel. "You see I am not a human, I use this rose to mask my scent to those who are inclined ot smell the slight difference in me." He added.

    "Then what the Hell are you?" The Vamprie asked, his lack of control over his growing hunger meeting powerful conflict with his curiosity. It wasn't until the kindly smiling man's eyes opened, reveling the violet color with the dark intentions. However once the vampire saw the eyes, it was over. Once he looked upon the violet eyes, he felt no more hunger, no more curiosity, only a lack of his own volition, and a desire to do as he was instructed. The Vampire found himself at the will of another.

       "What am I? We are one of a kind, you and I." The man said a she approached the Vampire, revealing fangsof his own as he moved forward and sunk them into the vampire. The hunter had become the hunted, and with merciless haste the man had drained the vampire of his ichor and his own stored blood. The "man" ran his tongue across his teeth as his fangs returned to their normal human appearance. "Please be more careful children. Take roads by churches and find garlic perfume, my kind will leave you be." Without further warning the man seemed to explode into a swarm of bats that flew off into the night sky.

    The bats reconverged upon the doorstep of the Xavier institute, and when they became one, they revealed none other than Vitalè Muraro, The Forsaken. Much unlike the rest of his kind, Vitalè refused to allow his vampirism to change him, he refused to spend his days trying to smother the light within the world. No, instead Vitalè spent his days hunting his kin and protecting the innocent, and he even used his lifetime of wisdom to try and instruct others, which is why he was here now at the Institute temporarily. He was here to apply to be a professor and to help protect the youngest generation.

    Turning the knob Vitalè, walked into the foyer and made his way around the lower levels, eventually stalking the halls long enough that he happened upon a quaint little commons room, one with a fire still alight. He could faintly hear breathing, perhaps it was a student...they were not to be too active at this time, was something wrong? Quickly he fixed his clothing and silently walked into the room, his boots remaining silent upon the carpet as he walked around the couch, looking around aimlessly, trying not to alarm the person he spoke softly.

   "A little early for classes, isn't it?" He asked, his thick Italian accent sure to come across as awkward. HE made his way to a seat next to the fire as he took it, he looked to the source of the breathing, with a smile on his face and his violet eyes fixated and focused.

Briana had been in the dance of the flames to the point that she didn't hear anyone enter the school. It wasn't until she heard a slightly familiar Italian accent and voice speak to her. A little early for classes, isn't it? Propping herself up quickly, a tear fell from each of her dual-colored eyes before she could wipe them away. It was the man from the hallway... "Sorry. I hope I didn't disturb you..." she said shifting how she was sitting so her back was against the armrest. Seeing his face lit by the fire, he had a pleasant smile and eyes a color she had never seen before. Getting a better look at his clothes, she gathered that he must have been out instead of being in bed like everyone else. "I didn't think there was any harm in coming down...." Briana said, looking at her hands she was absentmindedly wringing together.

"Coming down was not the harm. The harm is found in what caused you to come down." Vitalè said as he leaned back in the chair, resting his arms on the cushioned arms of the chair, and he looked at her with a half-knowing smile. Though he noticed a tear when she sat up, and that was how he knew that she was not exactly a 'troublemaker' or a potential issue for being up late this hour. Many people were driven from their beds restlessly, and many sought comfort in various areas of the school. After all, many of these children had issues and troubles pasts that made his seem rather minor.

     "So what keeps you up at this late hour, Signorina?" He asked her as he brought his right leg up and placed his ankle on his knee, bouncing it up and down without a real thought of it. She began shifting her hands together in an odd manner, wringing at them. Vitalè had learned enough from seeing how people behaved. Of all these meetings he noted that everyone was different...though more often than not the hand fiddling was a sign of nervousness or distrust. He hummed for a moment before clearing his throat and leaning forward. "Forgive me, Signorina. My name is Vitalè." He said, more formally establishing himself in hopes of a reciprocating introduction.

Briana could see the man make himself comfortable in the armchair he had selected to sit in next to the fire. He seemed to know that there was more to her being down there at this time of night other than simply wanting to be there. His question caught you a little off guard, and as she tried to think of how to answer it, he introduced himself. Bringing her grey-green eyes to meet him, a gentle smile touched her lips. "Briana. I'm Briana," she introduced herself back, "It's nice to meet you, Vitalè." Her hands stilled, now folded and calm in her lap.

His question still remained unanswered as to what was keeping her up. "Ummmm... It's nothing, really...." Briana answered quietly. She hadn't spoken to many about what tormented her at night. It was something hard for her to talk about, and even though she was used to it, in a sense, it still didn't make it easy to talk about. "Are you a professor here, Vitalè?" she asked the man, curious as to why he was there, if he wasn't a professor.

He listened to her, not convinced in the slightest in her simple excuse. He was not derailed however, he simply needed to gain her trust in order for her to speak openly with him. It would not be hard, humans were easily manipulated. Though He would not manipulate her, no. He was here to help the children, not break their wills and cause insecurity within them. She asked him the question of "Are you a professor here, Vitalè?" To this he smiled and nodded as he looked down to the floor.

"No, sadly. Not yet. I am here awaiting news on my application to become the professor of Art, or the Professor of Literacy. Sadly I'm not certain that I "make the grade" so to speak." Vitalè confessed. Humans, like all other animals, do not trust. They are like turtles, unwilling to share feelings and emotions, unwilling to show weakness because of the primal fear within them that warns them of betrayal. This is why people share information about each other, exposing their emotions and weaknesses. Their anxieties, their fears and their feelings. When one feels as if the other is "exposed" enough then they feel comfortable sharing information. It was a rather interesting innate feature of the mind, very deep seeded into the mind regarding trust. Vitalè took what he knows of the human mind and shared his anxiety with Briana, knowing that eventually he may have exposed enough of himself to make her feel more comfortable. Naturally he needed to keep his Vampirism a secret. Nothing keeps a human in their shell quite like telling them that you are a creature of immense power that preys upon them.

"Yes, I fear that I will not be accepted, so sleepless I am tonight, as I am many. Though that is not important. I like your eyes, they are unique. Contact lenses?" He asked, making idle conversation.

Briana's features softened as a touch of happiness touched her eyes. An art or literature professor... Now, that would be a class she would happily enjoy. "I enjoyed those classes when I went to school before I came here. I wish you luck... Should you get the job, you can expect me in your class," she offered. Hearing him tell of the worries that he wouldn't fit the bill for either subject surprised her. He seemed so confident and, really, to her, fit what a professor could be like. So many of them shared this issue with sleep, it seemed. Silus, Fallon, herself...

I like your eyes, they are unique. Contact lenses? Briana let out a small, light laugh. "Nope. All natural. Yours? I've not seen eyes like yours before," she answered him feeling a little more at ease as they spoke. He was easy to talk to, she found, oddly enough.

"Ah yes. My eyes are all natural. They are still very eehh....dispari? How you'd say.. odd." He said still wearing his calm and collected smile. "I quite like my eyes however. I like yours too. Blue brown and hazel are so plain. We're starting a new trend I think." He laughed, partially suggesting that odd eyes was becoming a more common trend. He took in a deep breath, coughing a little when he smelled the smoke. Stupid vampiric senseory can be irritating. Vitalè looked around, hearing faint tappings in the distance, it was foot steps. They were heavy and clumsy, not very subtle at all.

"Many people about this night mh?" HE asked the girl The poor girl likely hadn't heard them yet...not for another minute when kids ran past giggling and trying to sush each other as they ran past. He let them go, he didn't have any true authority and he didn't feel like trying to intimidate them back into line. There was another set of footsteps though, softer, more stealthy and careful... They were seldom, as if someone were pacing about. Too many people were up too early...it was...unnerving. A Vampire would love the chance to prey upon people this early in the morning, when others are in their deepest of slumber. "So, Briana. Tell me why you are here Signorina." He said, hoping to keep silence from killing conversation

Natural dusty violet eyes... Briana smiled and dropped her eyes for a moment. "Thanks. They are definitely unique, as are yours. Honestly, you're one of the first to say that mine are nicer than the normal matching set. Thanks for that," she said looking back up at him. She heard him cough lightly, and wasn't overly sure if it was to clear his throat or something else. At his question of others being out and about tonight, Briana shrugged. "Guess many like us have problems with sleep..." she started to say before seeing a small group of younger kids scamper by. "That or just want to be up and out of bed at this early hour," she said looking back at Vitalè. This was the first time she had actually ventured out of her room on a night like tonight.

So, Briana. Tell me why you are here Signorina. Briana swallowed as he asked her again why she was there this early. "It's my other power.... It tends to make good night sleeps few and far between..." she said with a shrug. Briana didn't know why she told him. Honestly, he made her feel like it was ok to talk about it. Like he wasn't going to pass judgement on her and her lack of control over this power of hers.

"I see..." Vitalè said as he leaned forward a little, seeming interested, yet somehow conservative. He knew that many mutants had nightmares, it came with the territory. Nightmares about not being accepted, about being hunted or murdered. Nightmares because you're remembering something in the past your powers had inadvertently caused...or even a nightmare that happened BECAUSE of the power. From what this girl was saying, her power was the cause of her situation. Vitalè wanted to help, but this was pretty deep seeded and if she trusted him already then the girl was going to be hurt in life. "Well Ragazza, I will not pry but I must ask. How long have you been here? Do you have any strong friendships, or any friendships with people who have a similar...eeehhh... situazione critica.... uhm...oh critical situation...or...plight?"

"I would recommend that you speak with someone about this. Is there anyone you know you can trust, or anyone you feel comfortable sharing this with? If you spoke about it you very well may be able to think of a way to deal with them...and from a first hand experience... admitting and sharing a conflict is a rather good way to at least releave your anxieties about it...even if you cannot truely ever 'fix' it. Only with one you trust though, I don't want you to pick a stranger form the hallway now." He smiled and let out a little laugh as he rolled his neck and yawned. Footsteps were soft, but approaching none the less.

Briana's eyes met Vitalè as he leaned forward and asked her several questions about herself and the struggles her power was having over her. "Ummmm... I actually just recently got here. As for friends...." Briana began to answer and paused. Did she have any friends? She thought she had a couple, but she didn't know if they would be counted among close friends. "There are a couple people that I would consider friends, but I don't know that they share the same problem with sleep as I have. Nightmares maybe, but nothing like what I have...." she finished.

...Is there anyone you know you can trust, or anyone you feel comfortable sharing this with?... Briana's mind began to think about what Vitalè was telling her. She had never really thought of talking about her Precognition with anyone. It wasn't a mutation that many seemed to have heard much about, and those who have... Well, they just didn't seem to understand. There was someone that she might consider talking about it with, but she didn't know if she would be brave enough to bring it up to him. "I guess.... There is one that I trust enough, that I might be able to speak to about it...." she said quietly, still mulling things over in her mind. "You are a very wise man, Vitalè. You speak as if you've been in this situation a hundred times over," Briana mused with a soft smile. Perhaps he was right.... Maybe the time was coming where she was going to need to talk about this power of hers. If she was making friends, perhaps they will understand...

"Regazza, I have indeed been through this a hundred times." He said with a bright smile, and a little laugh. Though he could have told her that he was a hundred and six years old...that would have explained that much. Scared her off probably, but still...it would have been a great thing to put on his application. "Assisted student in overcoming adversity and conquering bad dreams...then scared said student of to have more nightmares and difficulty sleeping." Hey, it couldn't be that bad could it?

"Just remember. That you cannot change what you are Regazza... but WHO you are, and what you choose to be.... those have always been, and always will be that which defines you. You will be strong Briana....there is an old saying that.. "Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It is about learning to dance in the rain." Find someone or a few that you can dance with." Vitalè said with a smile as he heard footsteps growing ever closer. HE decided it would be best, for Briana if the subject was changed, in case unwanted or unfriendly ears were going to pry in. She had to deal with him on this morning, and for that she deserved some privacy from others. He thought swiftly and came to the conclusion that as she was not here long, here would be a perfect conversation piece.

"So this means that it is two of us who are new here, hm? What would you say you love most about this place?" He asked, keeping his wits about him for whomever would pass by.

"Perhaps you could be a counselor if the teaching things falls through," Briana offered lightly. If he was this good at helping her to open up, maybe he would be able to help many other mutants that have troubles here. As he gave her the best wisdom she had even heard about being a mutant, she couldn't help but smile. Her eyes softened as his words reached her. "You're right. I am who I am and my powers are a part of me. I will find others than can dance with me. I'm sure they are out there," she said, happily. Maybe Fallon and, in time, Silus will join her in the storm that they all are weathering.

Briana looked towards the hall as she thought she started to hear footsteps, but when Vitalè asked her about her thoughts about the school, she brought her eyes back to him. "I guess that makes us two of the newest additions to this place. I don't think I can pick just one thing to be a favorite here. There is just so much! But, I think just having a place to call home, whether I'm alone or not, is what I love most of all," she answered thinking about how nice it was to belong someplace. After two years of not belonging, simply having that was more than she could ever ask for. "Have you something you love most?" she asked, curious about his answer.

"Have you something you love most?" The voice came form the other room. It was familiar, though Silus couldn't exactly place it. He was distracted though, no one could really blame him. A bunch of noisy troublemakers passed his room, warranting him to walk out and throw a stapler at them, causing them to run away form the eerie glowing green eyes in the shadows of the night. He could have handled it better...but he was irritable. Then again, you would be do if you had the same goddamn nightmare every night. Then when you wake up you don't have any idea why you're sweating, panicked or even on a few occasions crying silently. Silus walked around the corner and stopped, looking into the room with the fire, rubbing the sleepy-matter or whatever from his eyes. He saw Bri there with some well dressed gentleman...Silus was just in those long-pants pajamas with hair thrown everywhere form tossing and turning.

The professor left after saying something to Bri, which allowed Silus to walk over and sit on a stray chair isolated from them, where he placed in an earbud from his MP3 player, and began listening to the song. He finally noticed the man left and nodded to the music and lifting ahand at Bri to say hi.

"Have you something you love most?" She asked him. He smiled, let out a little exhale and clapped his hands together, rubbing them together. He cleared his throat, leaned forward. The tapping of footsteps was so soft, quiet...but he could still hear them, and they were close. In fact, though he hadn't looked he was near certain they were at the Commons area threshold. He leaned forward a little, one narrowed eye, his expression like that of one who was offering up a secret.

"The Students." He whispered. A smirk on his face and pushing up off his knee he stood up and looked form Brio over to the young man standing in the threshold, right where he predicted he would be. "Good morning, Regazza." Vitalè said with that warm smile, before walking away, past the boy on the chair, wishing him a good morning as well.

(Vitalè has exited the topic)

The Students. Briana's smile caused half her lips to turn up at his answer. A good answer for one that aspires to be a professor. She really did hope that he would get hired on. As he got up and bade her good morning, Briana answered back, softly, "Good morning. And, thank you," and followed Vitalè as he walked out of the main room. While Vitalè left, she noticed someone she hadn't even realized was there: Silus. He raised a hand, waving at her, and she smiled, raising a hand of her own and waved back. Thinking about what Vitalè had told her before he left, she motioned for Silus to join her near the fire if he wished. Maybe, just maybe, she could talk to him as the man has mentioned might be a good idea. Maybe they could help each other...

She motioned for him to join her by the fire. Well why not, he always could liten to music some other time, right? He popped the earbud out of his ear, put it back in his pajama-pants pocket and made his way over, plopping down with a sigh. He had a half-asleep smile and nooded at her before rubbing his eye again.

" 'Sup Bri?" He asked her with a little yawn. "Little early isn't it?" He asked, he began running his arm, the burned area looked fine because of the cream, a little gross but nothing permanent as far as damage went. He also had taken the time tonight to wrap an ace bandage over his tattoo's before he wandered out into the open.

Briana made room for Silus on the sofa by shifting slightly where she sat. She noticed he hadn't put on a shirt when he got up, which didn't bother her. In the dim light, the slight pink that colored her cheeks wasn't noticeable. Returning his smile, she answered him with a small nod, "Hey, Silus. It is, but it's nothing I'm not used to. Why are you up so early?" Seeing him rub his arm, she noticed that it healed nicely thanks to the cream he had used on it, but then her attention was drawn to the ace bandage on his arm. First burned and now something else... "You look to have healed nicely. But, what happened here?" she asked, pointing to the bandage and raising her duel-colored eyes to him. She was glad the burns healed well. Even if he had put her up to what brought them about, she still felt a pang of responsibility for him getting hurt.

.      "I-uh. aha." Silus started with a little laugh, it died off at an almost groggy tone. "I uh... Have this stupid dream. I'm pretty sure it's a night mare and I'm pretty sure it's the same one...ever single night. The problem is, I wake up in the morning and have no idea what the heck it was about...like... I LITERALLY CANNOT remember. All I know is that it's enough to wake me up and keep me up." He said with a pathetic laugh. It was one of those "It's crazy and pathetic" laughs that was more of a little groan at the same time. It wasn't long before he found his burns noticed by the young woman. Her concern was touching, but Silus wasn't used to it. It really shouldn't have...but it...sorta creeped him out a little, having someone actually care.

   "Well uhm...First, I was born. We got that one. Then Stuff happened...more stuff happened... More stiff, then I came here. I met the weirdest person alive who had these two different colored eyes...then I met you and everything was good." Silus said, he suddenly jerked back and looked over his shoulder as he sat back with a confused look and let out a little huh. "Wait...Never mind... It was a Husky... no wonder I failed the bio-test. I thought it was one of those really hairy exchange students." Silus laughed a little, then he thought it over for a second. "Sorry...It's early and my humor isn't exactly normal...even when I'm awake... I uh... well nothing happened, I just pulled something in my bicep so I Aced my shoulder to give a little more support, ya' know?" He asked. He WANTED to say that he pulled something in his shoulder, but for some reason Bicep came out. He had to think of that extra support thing on the fly. Not bad, not his best though. His eyes narrowed and he looked almost accusingly at her.

   "So...this is normal for you too huh? Nightmares or just general insomnia?" He quizzed her. Trying to change the subject from his groggy tired-person humor that may have accidentally offended her.

Nightmares.... She wished her reason for being awake at this early hour was so simple. Briana would gladly take nightmares over why she was disturbed from her nightly rest. "The same dream every night? It's interesting that you don't remember it. I mean, normally it's just dreams that people don't remember and nightmares that they do," she commented with a small yawn. Briana remembered about how he didn't remember his past, at all, and wondered if, perhaps, this dream of his might be along the same lines as his phantom past. But, she didn't try to press the issue further as she listened to him explain what had 'happened' to his upper arm in his own way.

Briana heard him tell about meeting her and wasn't too sure how to take it. Everything was good... Did that mean she actually made a difference for him in some form? As he sat back and looked over his shoulder at something, Briana tried to see what he might have seen. When he spoke again, her attention was drawn back to him. ...I just pulled something in my bicep so I Aced my shoulder to give a little more support, ya' know? Briana couldn't help but grin a little. "Working out a little too much there, slick?" she teased. "I understand, though. At least it's nothing too bad. I hope you get on the mend soon," Briana said with a small smile.

Silus' next set of questions caused her smile to fade. Dropping her eyes, she clenched her jaw a couple of times thinking about how to answer him. Vitale had told her that talking about it with someone might help. Silus had shared his plight with the night with her, perhaps it would be alright for her to tell him about hers. Taking a deep breath, Briana told him, "It's neither really. My other power tends to run amock during the night. Not every night, but it might as well be. I have what they call Precognition..." She raised her eyes to him was a sheepish smile and tried to read what kind of reaction he might have.

Last edited by Briana Walker on Mon Dec 16, 2013 10:30 pm; edited 1 time in total

Silus' eyes shut, his mouth raided as his lips curled in and her shook his head a little. He looked to her and lifted his hands and dropped them onto his lap again. "That sounds like...one of the most awesome things ever." He said, looking at her, almost questioning her. Then he tilted his head to the side, arching an eye as if he suddenly came around and saw the issue. "Then again...they said the same thing about my power too." He sighed, remembering that he hated himself for his basically unholy power. He gave a slight chuckle before looking up into the fire.

     "Are you alright?" He asked her, he looked from the fire back to her. He was kinda worried about her. If he was right then precognition was a pretty freaky power. He could only imagine what it must be like...to see the future and to know that nothing you did could change it. Oh God, what if she actually saw her own death? That'd drive me nuts... He thought to himself for a second. "I-I'm uh.... I'm sorry you have to put up with that." He said. He really wasn't sure what to say...but once he thought about it..he felt terrible for her.

Briana's eyes grew wide as she heard him say that her power sounded awesome, and she looked away with a small smile. She certainly hadn't been expecting that kind of reaction, but it was better than being called a physic freak or any other names she had been called when people found out about her power. But then, a change came over him. He had heard that same thing about his power. However amazing they were, both of them had their drawbacks...

Are you alright? Briana's eyes lifted at his question that was filled with concern in its own way. She took a shuddering breath and swallowed before nodding slightly. "I'm ok. The night-visions are the worst," she said looking towards the fire. "With nothing to distract my mind, they just kind of hit full-bore and all you can do is wait until it's over... It's hard sometimes... Like tonight...." Briana explained, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her cheek on top of them. When he apologized for her plight, a small smile touched her lips and a single tear escaped her grey eye. Lifting her head, she gently wiped the tear away, and shrugged. "Guess we both have our own battles to wage with our powers, huh?" she said with a light laugh.

"Are you ok? Your nightmare, I mean. You ok?" she asked, returning the same care and concern that he had offered her.

Last edited by Briana Walker on Mon Dec 16, 2013 10:36 pm; edited 1 time in total

"I am not alright...I am a very, very tired freak of nature. Oh? You mean the dreams..." He said, his groggy humor still taking over him, he was amusing himself at least. He leaned back and took in a deep breath, looking up to the ceiling. So how exactly was he going to describe it. Try as he might, there was no real "analogy" for him to use about his situation. How could he do this in a way to make someone understand? Then it finally hit him... a few years ago when he was at the hospital. "Well eh. Let me put it to you like this. Three or so years ago...before I was a total... 'badass'...I volunteered at the Hospital. Geriatrics...old people. We had this one lady with dementia...and she kept telling us that...she was waiting on her grandson. Well eventually her daughter in-law came in and gave us a picture of her grandson in a coffin. I was told, whenever she said she was waiting for him...I had to show her that picture." Silus said. He was careful to make the word badass a half-thought word, and he started to chew on his tongue. He hated telling this story. He could still remember the old woman screaming every time he showed her that picture. "I showed her..and she asked me "why would you play such a mean joke on me? Why are you so mean? Then she'd just...cry. She would cry and cry and cry...and then she'd stop. She'd COMPLETELY forget what she'd heard. Then I'd have to tell her again...and she'd cry again...then she'd stop." Silus said. He paused, at this point poor Bri was wondering what exactly this had to do with him being alright.

    "The nurse eventually told me 'don't feel bad'. I asked him ya'know.. "How could you say that? She's crying, she's hurt!"... he just smiled at me and sighed...and you know what he told me... he said "Si. Every time you tell her that he's gone...that's the first time he's died. Then she forgets. He's dead and then suddenly...he's alive again. If she can't remember that he's dead...then she's still living in a world where he never died." That made me feel a little better, but still...Loved that old lady...when she died...I stopped volunteering." Silus said, finding himself off track again eh pulled himself back, trying to salvage the conversation. "I understand it now though...I am practically the woman with dementia. When I go to sleep, my mind tells me the truth..my past. What happened. It makes me scream and sweat, thrash around...even more sometimes...but when I wake up...I've completely forgotten about it...it's like I'm living in a world where my past never existed...just like she lived in her own world where her grandson never died...." He explained it. Thinking about it now he was sort of blessed that he had to forget whatever it was that kept him up at night. True he'd love nothing more than to be free of these night torments that came back to him every single night. Though he now sighed, trying to push the current memories he had from a few years ago to the back of his mind.

     "What I'm saying is...I'm fine. I can't remember what's happened in my nightmares, so they can't haunt me." He concluded. Then he started nodding. He wasn't smiling, his face was almost...blank, emotionless, but he turned to look at her and nodded a little. "In that respect...you got it a lot worse than me.... by the way...you never answered me." He added at the end.

    "Are-You-Alright?" He asked again, more or less firmly insisting upon an answer. He didn't even know why he was worried about her...maybe because he knew that his past haunted him on his sleep...he could only imagine with her and how her precognition could haunter her in her waking life.

As Silus told his story about his volunteering at the hospital with in the geriatric patients, she was a little puzzled about what it all had to do with his nightmare and whether or not he was alright, but she let him continue. She was willing to bet that in the end, there was a reason for his story. In the end, she wasn't disappointed. It was like he had a form of dementia, himself, with not being able to remember his nightmare....ever.... Briana envied him for that....

By the way...you never answered me. Are-You-Alright? It was the first question he had ever asked her that really showed he wanted a sure answer instead of just the generic 'yeah, I'm fine' kind of answer. Truth was she wasn't alright, but she didn't want to burden him with the trials of the visions she had been having. Briana sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. Opening them, she nodded a little, before her face changed, what seemed like fear and sorrow filling her eyes. Looking away, she shook her head fighting back tears thanks to the vision he had that night.

"Tonight.... Tonight's vision.... There is a dark man. I feel ominous with him. Leery.... Like he's very dangerous. He followed someone, I don't know who, but I keep seeing green. Nothing definite, but the color keeps coming up. Same with another man. This one feels less dangerous, but still has a touch of danger about him. Purple.... I see purple flashes with him," she started to tell. Everything felt so disconnected, but that was how her visions were: feelings, colors, bits and pieces....

Looking up at Silus, her eyes welled with tears as she continued. "The dark man... He takes the one he follows. Both dark men fight....." Briana's voice hitched as she reached towards the end of the vision. Clamping her eyes shut, tears escaped her eyes and streaked down her cheeks. She clenched her hands into fists as she relived the vision. The magazines on the coffee table next to them began flipping their pages as Briana's telekinesis shot out and interacted with them as she fought what she had seen only an hour or so ago. "So....much violence.... Blood..... It's everywhere....." she said, breaking down and opening her hands, hid her face in them. Briana began to tremble as she cried quietly. This was one of the visions that ultimately made her hate her precognition mutation so much.

Dark men, one of them a stalker and colors. No wonder the dreams scare her so much, they don't really tell her anything, and when you see dark men and random colors and you're left by a bad feeling... Silus thought this as he listened to her, she stopped and then seemed to suddenly...break down. Not what Silus had intended. He felt bad about it as she started to cry and her voice got that sad tone to it. Her fist clenched and Silus' head shot to the left, looking at the coffee table where magazines were flipping. Was she doing it accidentally? Was the vision THAT scary to her? Silus had no idea what to do. He ran his hand  through his hair, looking around, slightly panicked. Sweet baby jesus what did I do!? he thought as he tried to think of a solution to the issue. Normally what do people do to comfort others?

     "Hey, Hey, HEY!" Silus said, trying to be insistent. He placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling her towards him a little. He tried to slide next to her and put an arm over her, trying to get some form of reaction. Silus didn't have friends, and because of this he didn't exactly have the social graces to calm someone down. "Bri, you're right here. You're here on the couch, by the fire with me. I've got you, okay? Don't think about it, just let it go...live in the present, right here...let go of the past and forget the future...just..be right here." He said, trying to calm her down, hoping that something would get her to stop before she got too far into the vision that he found the coffee table itself floating.