The Moon Child: A Reylo Fanfic

Chapter 2

"The quiet rhythmic monotone of the wall of logs fills one with the rustic peace of a secluded nook in the woods."

Gustav Stickley

Cold ice nipped at her fingertips. She reached forward, screaming toward the figure in agony as their warped body writhed against the stark white. They were immense in size, large and black. Frost tipped the ends of shaggy hair and Rey could not help but wonder who or what they were. She didn't press, however, knowing full well it didn't matter at that moment. All that did matter was the desperation to help them.

They needed her.

Then, they were gone.

She woke with a start to warmth spreading golden fingers across her skin. The sun peeked through the blinds, caressing her cheek like a lover's touch. She sat up slowly, her body unused to the mountain air. The clock beside her on the night stand read eight in the morning, a perfect time to go for a morning jog.

While she readied herself, her mind lingered upon the dream from the night before. Somehow, after a Coke and greasy food, she had still dreamt the same dream. She thought she had left it all behind in Oklahoma. She should have known better to believe anything could have been left behind. Old Ben mentioned dreams to mean something deeper. Maybe, there was something about the dream she needed to observe closer.

It had been so vibrant. Unlike the times before, she remembered every crystal of snow and every rake of cold air upon her skin. She saw the swaying pines above her head, the brush of their needles tickling each snowflake as they landed to blend into the rest of the cacophony below. It billowed and swirled as a sudden wind bit at her extended fingers.

The only thing she couldn't see was the thing she wanted to. A black form writhed in the cold, muffled screams attempting to pierce through the veil of her dreamscape. She tried desperately to reach the figure, to give it some sort of comfort. All she could do at that time, though, was watch and listen as it suffered. Her heart tore in two, her soul mortified at the lack of mobility her limbs held. Something was keeping her from aiding that person, if it was even a person.

Rey glanced down at her phone, the satellite powered weather application lay wide open to the world. In Elbe, a snow storm was expected to hit soon. Hours, she figured, but the sun gleamed so bright outside. She pushed a blind up, the fogged glass cold upon her fingertips. The window provided a view of the mountain top behind the line of caboose. She spotted swaying trees and clear, crystal blue sky. No clouds hung ominously in that direction.

She swung her legs over the fluffy mattress, feeling the thin carpet between her toes as she stood and stretched once again. Cracks and delicious pops sounded through her joints before she located her hiking clothing. A simple pair of running leggings, a pull over fleece jacket, a beanie, and her favorite pair of hiking boots were placed upon the bed and examined. The temperature on the app read mid-thirties. Her body was not adjusted to the altitude. Rey then figured, if she was right, that she would be burning up before she even reached the highest point of the trail. Therefore, her attire would suffice.

Of course, she had to take into consideration hydration. She remembered seeing a vending machine in the lodge office, reckoning it a good idea to at least have a bottle of water on hand when she needed it. If anything, a break from hiking could do her some good. Or twenty breaks, whichever she preferred and made the feeling of dying while walking go away. Physical exercise was a bit of a chore for the girl. A cozy fire and bed sounded better. The need to see her surroundings, to absorb the mountain air while she was there deemed far more enticing than the comfy bed.