@no-gambit
After several hours, Dani’d given up on the hope that the fog would lift and made the reluctant decision to head back into it. They needed warmer dryer clothes as they were hesitant to start a fire big enough to dry off with visibility so low. They’d thought they were on the way back to Magnolia’s but given that it was a path they were still learning - not yet familiar - it was really anyone’s guess where they actually were between the Farm and her house.
The voices seemed like they’d gotten louder the thicker the fog got and no amount of ignoring was making them go away. Dani’d given in about three minutes ago to covering their ears and narrowing their focus on their feet and immediate surroundings to avoid running into things which is the only reason they spotted the figure off to the side.
At first, Dani just noticed a small child which immediately sent their heart dropping with panic setting in because where they lost? Where were their parents? Did they get separated? Did they need help? They’d gotten as far as kneeling in front of them before scrambling to their feet in horror. No. Another island trick. This had to be a trick.
Their eyes squinted shut as they held their breath for one, two, three, four beats before exhaling it out and nearly startling out of their skin at the small face still there and upturned towards them. No. It couldn’t be. Helen was long dead by now. She wouldn’t be a child of five still running around the island.
Not real, not real, not real.
But then the voices all around them sharpened - disciplinarians, tutors, horrified foster parents, teasing other kids - this was Dani’s past before their admitted past. The past they never talked about. Why was the island showing them this now? Half the voices caused a yearning so deep into them they couldn’t find words to describe it but the rest was trying to retreat and withdraw the same way tiny Dani learned to in order to fit into this world.
“No, no, no.” They mumbled.
They turned away from the child before they caught themselves even doing it and nearly burst into relieved tears at the sight of a figure who’d taught them the hard lessons - but with understanding, with acceptance, with knowledge - it wasn’t okay to be Dani everywhere…but it was under her watch. Dani’d missed her. They took a few steps towards her before remembering this was the fog’s doing and not real.
Each time they thought it - it felt like the voices grew louder - and they drew back again at the sight of another figure from their past started taking shape next to Mrs. Beau. “Not real.” Dani whispered. “It’s not real, it’s not real, it’s not real.” They were an adult. Grown adult. They weren’t a kid anymore and yet it felt like they were helpless to prevent being transported right back into mindset and find themselves all of five years old again.