somnium

finale.

It had been quite a while since Piper had actually seen Fear. Her anxiety had gotten much better over the past weeks and months until, before she knew it, it had been almost a year.

She stood now before the lake once more. And she actually let herself smile. I never imagined I'd get here, she thought. 

"Hey."

She jumped, and turned to see Fear standing next to her. 

"Fear!" she said, breaking into a smile. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat and returned her gaze to the lake. "What are you doing here?" she asked him, curiously. "I'm not afraid."

"I know you aren't," he said, one corner of his mouth tilting upward in a slight smile. "I'm not here for you. But I thought I'd stop and say hello." He turned to look at her. "You've been doing really well, haven't you?"

"I suppose you already know the answer to that," she said, shyly. "I haven't seen you for quite a while." She frowned somewhat. "But I still feel nervous or afraid sometimes. Why don't I see you then?"

He turned his own gaze to look out across the smooth, flat surface of the lake. "I'm part of your past," he said. "You've moved on. You've overcome your fears. Yes, sometimes you still have them, and I still bring them to you. But you face them on your own now...Spectacularly, if I may add."

She watched as he turned once more to face her. "You don't need to see me anymore, Piper. You are strong enough on your own."

She felt warmth bubbling up inside of her, and a sense of pride. She'd done it. She felt like she'd passed some sort of non-existent test. At the same time, though, she felt sadness. "I couldn't have done it without you, you know," she said, taking a step closer to Fear. "You saved me."

His dark eyes turned to her face. "No," he said. "I only helped you see that you had it in you to be brave. That's all."

"So will I not see you again then?"

He shook his head. "No, you probably won't. I'll be here, of course, when you're afraid, but you won't see me."

"What if I try to jump into the lake again? Would I see you then?"

Fear laughed shortly. "You won't try, and I think we both know that."

He was right. She took another step toward him. "Thank you, Fear," she said. 

He was silent for a few moments, before he turned fully around to face her, holding out his hand. "Will," he said.

She gave him a questioning gaze. "Your...name? 

He nodded. She smiled, and shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Will." Abruptly, she dropped his hand, and hugged him tightly, catching him off guard. "Really," she said. "Thank you for everything." 

He recovered from his surprise at her hug and wrapped his arms around her, returning her hug. "You're welcome, Piper."

She stepped back and grinned. "So what now? You're here to visit someone else?" He nodded. 

She looked around, curious. "Who?" Her eyes roamed over a elderly lady feeding geese, a young mother and her blonde haired child scurrying up the path toward the lake, a young man about her age with his face buried in a book, and a girl she recognized (but had never talked to) from one of her university classes.

Will smiled mysteriously. "I suppose you'll have to see."

He straightened then. "Best of luck with everything in your future, Piper," he said. "You deserve to be happy."

She smiled somewhat sadly at having to say goodbye to him a final time. "Goodbye, Will," she said. He was looking at the lake. She turned her gaze to look out across the water at the point he had been watching. By the time she turned back, he had vanished. 

She turned her gaze back across the lake, remembering the day someone had grabbed her hand and saved her from herself. 

"Er...Excuse me..."

She jumped, and turned around, to see the boy from the bench, his book clenched in his white hand. He looked nervous. "Yes?" she said, smiling reassuringly at him.

"I...I just noticed you come here a lot," he said. "I...guess I just wondered if you might...want to go get a coffee?" He gestured to a small shop across the road from the park.

For a brief moment, she was almost sure she caught a glimpse of a man clad in dark sweater and pants, watching from the bench where the man now talking to her had been sitting just moments before. She could have sworn she saw him wink, and raise a hand in a wave, before fading from view. 

Her eyes turned back to the young man in front of her. She looked up at his face, meeting his blue eyes. He had wispy blonde hair sticking out somewhat haphazardly from underneath a knitted stocking hat. "Yes," she said. "Yes, I'd like that very much."

He grinned, looking relieved and very happy. She fell into step with him as they walked toward the coffee shop. "I'm Piper, by the way," she said.

"Ethan," he said. 

"Nice to meet you, Ethan." She closed her eyes momentarily, taking in a deep breath of cold autumn air, before opening her eyes once more. In that moment, she felt like the future was full of infinite possibility, and she was alright. She was Piper, she had learned to deal with her anxiety, and her depression, and she was alright.