NiGHTs chuckled as they zoomed past me. Hoping it was just kidding about the river, I sprinted down the weathered dirt path. "NIGHTS I SWEAR, IF YOU THROW ME IN THAT RI—OH CRAP!"

The cliff was steeper than I originally thought. The dirt shifted, I reacted quick enough this time to stay on my feet. The sharp rocks on the surface of the hill dug into my skin. It was like a scatterbrained dance. Near the bottom, I skidded to a halt. Seeing that NiGHTs was still in the process of landing, I hurriedly tiptoed through my pain. This seemed unfair seeing as it has the advantage of flight. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've seen NiGHTs actually stand on the ground. Hunched over my knees, NiGHTs hovered next to me," You know I was joking, right?"

NiGHTs sure had an odd sense of humor. Wiping my face of sweat," N-no—like why would you say… but when we met you— just… I…what?"

It chuckled shaking its head dismissively," I say you look right knackered you daft cow."

Staring up at it, blankly wondering if what it just said was even actual English,"…What…?"

"C'mere, have a seat next to the river." NiGHTs' hands moved from its sleeves, grabbing my bunched up shoulders. I was wary, for sure. I refused to move an inch for the hands that were gently pushing on my back.

NiGHTs' eyes widened curiously,"…I promise you I'm not going to push you in." Its hands eased up on pushing me, and NiGHTs whispered to me. Even though we were clearly the only people for miles; NiGHTs still felt the need for this to message to just be for me," And you should know, the brave, handsome, rogue NiGHTs never ever breaks promises."

Without saying a word, I walked to the edge of the river and sat down.

NiGHTs floated to my left side," There you are," it had the same tone in its voice as a parent tucking in their child.

I swung a foot down in the river feeling the sleepy current moving around my ankle. Across the river laid some overgrown cattails, mixed with wild grass that would easily go up to someone's knees. I found myself studying the meadow carefully as if it was a place I once stood before.

"That's funny,"

I looked to Nights, who already had its eyes focused on me," What'd you mean?"

"It's hard to believe that a building was over there." NiGHTs raised its arm, pointing to field.

Upon further examination, there were large stone chunks that had been eroded away. I leaned forward a bit lifting myself with my palms. It was the first time I noticed the smell, it smelled of fresh cut green grass, and dryer lint. Seemingly two scents that would never interact with each other normally. Sudden bursts of joy reminded me of Saturday morning cartoons and sleeping in. I hope back in the real world it was a Friday night and I could sleep until well past the first light of dawn. My eyes drifted back to NiGHTs as it had this softened look on their face. It was probably thinking of more terrible pranks that wouldn't break their "no harm" rule. Its posture was precise but not stiff like it would spring back into motion rambling on about how pretty the cattails looked. It certainly was easily entertained.

"Does it remind you of anything?"

Replying with a shrug," Not particularly."

Heading ringing, I felt like I had this conversation before, I don't remember it exactly being like this. The memory teetered on the edge of my brain. I rubbed my temple. That building...

"QUINN LOOK OUT!"

My body was already four steps ahead of my mind, as I rolled out of the way. My back slammed into a boulder. Glancing to the shape my body left in the tall grass, there was a sharp blood red diamond shaped blade penetrated the ground where I was sitting.

"Stay back," NiGHTs growled," Hide!"

I scrunched up by the rock. Heart in my throat—the idea of safety was beginning to sound like a pipe-dream. That black mist that chased me through the halls of my school began to worm and writhe into my mind's eye. Was there more out there? I heard the sound of screeching gulls, I became absorbed in the large shadows of birds or at least bird-like creatures. Opening my mouth to call for NiGHTs, they gave me a sharp look before I could do so. My hands covered my mouth in an act of reflexive self-preservation. The paranoia of eyes staring through me began to stab into the pit of my stomach making my insides flutter… I took my eyes off NiGHTs to focus on the field and the hillside. In theory, I thought I would relax me.

There was a figure that made its way through the grass. Its face was blocked by the sun— covered in shadow. As the sun was now lying behind the trees and the sunset of this realm was rapidly approaching. I could tell by the silhouette it had two curving horns, however, the horns were more splayed out as if in the shape of a greeting-card-heart. The horns were blood-red with oily black stripes circling from the root to the tip. It was a creature like NiGHTs. At first, it appeared to be staring at the sky much like my NiGHTs— though as it began to point I realized it was guiding the bird creatures. The red NiGHTs was speaking in that same music language as everyone else did in this place. Low rumbling military bugles paired with deep bass cellos made my breath pause. I narrowed my eyes to the creature still trying to extract as much detail as possible and its face snapped down toward the waterline. It was staring at me this I was sure of. It raised a hand in a motion. My hand began slowly retracting from my face—what?

It raised a single finger and began to draw it back. With each draw back towards itself, my heart went further into my windpipe until I could feel a pulse in my eyes. Attempting swallow down I could hear a voice now.

"Hey!"

NiGHTs quickly zipped directly in front of me— blocking my view of the red creature," Are you okay?"

The question floated about but all meaning was lost to me. As my heart pounded it was counting off how many years that terrifying experience had shaved off of my lifespan.

"Quinn are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost," NiGHTs was smiling but it looked forced— NiGHTs was scared too.

I was honest as I had no reason to deny what I had seen," There was… there was another you on the hill…it was red and I—"

"Sh-sh-sh, It's okay… it's alright that flock of colossal starlings have passed," NiGHTs assured.

I blinked," But I saw, NiGHTs I saw someone. We're not alone out here. Look behind you for the love of god!"

"Of course not, of course, we're not alone you saw those giant toads right? All the wildlife out here—"

"I'm not talking about some mutant field mice! There was another— There was another YOU!" My voice squeaked insistently, pointing behind NiGHTs. I rose up bumping it out of my way to show the other creature to NiGHTs.

"All I'm seeing are the leeds," It dismissed, though it slitted pupils were still skinny meaning NiGHTs was also on guard. Furthering to humor me NiGHTs floated back up to the cliffside," I don't see nothin', goes to show that there's only one of me to go around."

"Those shadows on the ground they were too narrow— and they didn't have any feathers to be some generic forest birds!" I pleaded.

NiGHTs rolled their eyes," Tell you what'll help your milquetoast attitude, We need to find your red ideya."

I shook my head still not letting this be dropped," You're not listening to me!"

"Well If I remember correctly visitors without their red ideya typically see things that aren't there, they're haunted by either their waking nightmares or… something else," NiGHTs said cheekily attempting to stir me up even more. Arching their clawed hands jokingly like they were one of these supposed manifested creatures," I suppose you gone off the bend then?"

Being in no mood for jokes I balled my fists to my sides, "I'm not crazy."

"Didn't say you were Quinn."

I shook my head," How do you even know my name anyway?" Crossing my arms I eyed NiGHTs suspiciously," I don't remember telling you."

"Well, it is your dream, right? Why wouldn't I know?" They seemed to have recovered, or at the very least aggressively put a pin in the discussion. Hopping over the stones that lead to the other side of the riverbed.

"It's creepy," I asserted under my breath.

NiGHTs kicked the apart of the debris from the demolished building musing," See this was the school up the hill," it said matter-of-factly," That old one from the 1960s, it was a high school. It had multiple floors and they didn't clean up very well so there were tons of these bricks and cinders laying about."

"… Yeah, yeah I remember that." I hesitated to agree as I held my own head, raking my the stray hair on my forehead back. There was an empty lot up the hill from my house it still had the original foundation and you could see the flooring in patches of the grass. My favorite thing about it was that there was a half sunken locker that I used to sit on as kid. I used to have picnics in that field with my mom, we stopped going because it became a hotspot for the homeless and my family was worried. I scratched my head" …Why do you remember that?"

NiGHTs interjected another question before I had any more time to think, "Have you ever thought about flying, Quinn?"

"…My grandad was in the Navy… he taught me a little bit about helicopters." I was having trouble keeping up, both physically and conversationally," Why do you ask?"

Spinning around with gravitas, NiGHTs extended a hand toward me," I thought it was about time we dualized."

"What?" What would Dualization have anything to do with flying? I felt myself crossing my arms. I stood myself upon a rock so for once we could be on equal footing.

Groaning NiGHTs condemned me," For having the Blue ideya you sure are slow on the uptake aren't you?" It shook its hand wildly at me," We have a better chance to find the rest of your Ideya if we take to the sky."

I held my hands up signaling the Jester to stop," What are you— There's more than the one Ideya?"

"Of course there are!" NiGHTs exasperatedly poked my chest," Every human has several Ideya— just so happened you got stuck with the bum one."

"What's wrong with being logical?" My foot slipped slightly against the smooth surface of the river stone.

"There's a problem with being cold and calculating—" NiGHTs poked me again, drilling their nail into my skin," Being too lost in your own thoughts to act, that's why we need to find the Red Ideya. Bravery."

Brow furrowing, I hated to admit it but NiGHTs was right. This entire time I had been caught up in my own head and paralyzed… it was like that in my nightmares too. I was a bit tired of feeling helpless for one night.

"See I thought it was strange— all visitors have their Red Ideya because it's the strongest.. its raw determination and perseverance of the human soul." NiGHTs sounded actually serious for the first time tonight," If you didn't have it on the way down here it's all too possible you lost it before the nightmares began."

The prospect of being abnormal was nothing new but it was still just as frightening.