I woke up to a dark room and a feeling of coldness that felt unfamiliar and unsettling, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed the silhouette of a woman sitting upon the window frame.
"Hnnh~. What time is it?" I asked, stretching tiredly as I sat up.
"I'm not sure," Cameron answered, standing up and moving tentatively to my side at the bed.
I scooted over, making room for her, but as she sat down, she made no effort to get into bed beside me.
"It's dark here," I noted, and she nodded.
"Stone walls. They don't have that glow dust thing that the grove trees have," she explained. "You wouldn't be able to see at all down the halls if not for the torches."
My mind instinctively went back to the assault we'd planned to make on this fort, but as my eyes rested on the darkened outline of Cameron's form, I dismissed the thought.
"How long has it been since the fight?" I asked.
"That was this morning," she answered.
"Any word from the tracking team?"
Cameron shook her head, and I noted that she seemed fairly despondent.
"We'll get him back," I said, reaching for her shoulder; but she recoiled at the touch, so I withdrew the hand.
Cameron let out a sigh, then took the hand and brought to her lap.
"He removed the effect of the hypnotic suggestion," she said, and I bit my lip nervously.
"Oh?"
She nodded.
"It doesn't change how I feel about you," she quickly clarified, and I nodded.
"But it did change something," I suggested, and she nodded in response.
"When my mom left, I felt cold and alone. She left me with a man I barely knew, who wasn't even my real father. It was... confusing. At first, I barely spoke to him. I mean, what was stopping this person from just throwing me out onto the streets? He owed me nothing."
She took a deep breath, putting a little pressure on the bridge of her nose, before continuing:
"So, one day, we talked... and it was kind of nice. Reassuring, really. He said that he was sure my mom would be back and that everything would be fine again. And for a while, it really felt like if everything was alright. I got to talking a bit more, and eventually, I felt like I had a real father. He would hug me, and hold me, and I'd feel so safe and protected in his arms that when he suggested that we sleep together, I felt kind of happy, because I always felt so scared and alone in my own cold, little room."
I sat upright, and scooted forward, moving to the edge of the bed so I could look into Cameron's shadowy face as she spoke.
"So, it never really occurred to me as anything strange, the way he touched me. I had no idea what appropriate or inappropriate meant. But as I started spending less and less time with him, he seemed to become more and more insistent that we spend time together. Being physically close. And by the time it turned into something I couldn't stand... I dunno, I felt like I was complicit? Like if I was the one who started this kind of relationship in the first place."
"He was grooming you..." I said, and she wiped away a tear, letting out a little laugh.
"I know that now, yeah; but at the time I was just a stupid little kid. He gaslighted me into thinking I'd begged him for that kind of closeness. Acted as if I was the one who really always wanted it and he was hesitant and resistant. There are people in my family who still I think I seduced him, or something like that," she said, letting out another bitter laugh, and I took her hand and gave it a squeeze, as she continued:
"You know, I thought this was all over. The last... what is it, three weeks? It was so nice, being with you. Feeling safe without my body constantly having knee-jerk reactions to being touched every single time, but I tried to lie down beside you today... I wanted your comfort, your warmth. I wanted to give those things to you as well. But every time I closed my eyes, I felt this... anxiety in my chest, and I would wake up in a panic."
"A natural reaction to trauma," I said, and she nodded, sniffling a little, and wiping away a tear.
"Yeah. It's just... I lost my son, Nate. Our son. I feel like if a part of me was ripped out, leaving this empty, gaping hole... and I can't lose this too..."
She began to cry, and as I offered my shoulder to her, she moved in, hugging me, and I caressed her back soothingly as I held her.
"Hypnotize me again," she said, her words slightly muffled as she spoke them into my chest. "I don't want to feel like this."
I bit my lip, as I studied her.
"I'm not sure I know how to," I said. "Maybe the princess can, but my suggestions so far have been a bit... simpler, in nature."
Part of me also wondered if it'd be better in the long run for us to work through this.
I mean, the mere fact that her PTSD resurfaced immediately after the effects of the suggestion had been removed indicated that the problem had never been resolved, didn't it?
And who knew how else this trauma might manifest itself in the future if left unresolved?
Cameron turned to face me, and took my hands into hers.
"Please, Nate. I don't want to feel this way right now. Please?" she begged, and I swallowed with some difficulty, then nodded.
I took a deep breath, then extending my threads to her core, I paused.
"Try imagining a pathway between us, between my core and yours," I said, and she nodded, and as the pathway began to form between us, I gave the suggestion some thought.
You feel safe, protected, and loved by my side. No memories of past wounds resurface. You do not associate my presence with that of anyone, or anything, that brings you discomfort or harm.
She shuddered a little as I finished the suggestion, and as I pulled her into my arms, she cried.
"Oh, thank God. I thought I lost this," she sobbed, and as I moved back on the bed, she finally crawled up beside me.
As I gazed into her core, however, I felt as if my suggestion had only been planted into the forefront of her consciousness, and I suspected that the effects would not last very long.
Maybe we would have to pay Miriam a little visit after all...
Cameron, however, was quickly off to sleep, and as I lay there, stroking her back soothingly and just enjoying the feel of her in my arms again, I quickly drifted off to sleep myself.
I woke up to the same darkness as before, however, and noting that Cameron, while asleep, was a little off to her own side, I decided to get up and stretch my muscles a bit.
Sleeping for as long as I did, I felt quite well rested and ready for another epic battle if need be, but as I headed out the door and stepped out of the room, I suddenly realized that I had no idea where I was.
Casey... where are you?
I thought, reaching out to her with my desire to talk to her, and to my surprise, a door down the corridor opened up, and the shadow of a face poked out from the darkness.
"Nate?"
Her voice was a low whisper, and I quickly headed to the room.
She looked me up and down, then quickly ushered me in, wrapping her arms around me as soon as the door was shut.
"You're up. You're okay!" she said, as she held me tightly.
She didn't openly sob, but I heard a sniffle, and I could sense relief emanating from her.
"Told you. I had no intention of dying here."
"Fucking liar," she said, shoving me a little.
She led me over to the bed, but as she tried to pull me close, I resisted, keeping a little space between us.
I shot a reluctant look back at the door, and she bit her lip nervously.
"Sorry," she said, scooting a little way from me, and I nodded.
"Did the search team turn up anything?" I asked, and she shook her head.
"We picked up the trail at a waterfall some way west of Kleiner Hein, but it seems they followed the river south and out of the forest. Once they got outside, the trail went cold."
I let out a sigh.
I had more or less already accepted that I would never see my son again, but I knew it would take a much more concerted effort to convince Cameron that we had truly done all we could.
"How dangerous would it be to send a team into the towns?" I asked, and Casey frowned.
"Do you really believe they'll be able to track Ethan down?" she asked, but as I shook my head, her expression shifted a little.
