The young witch in front of me reminded me of Crystal too much.  Her personality, her strawberry blonde hair, even the way she wore her blouse with every button buttoned, and her neck tab in perfect order.

I Can't look her in the eyes.  After living on a ship with a person as long as I did, everyone becomes family; especially those of us who almost made it back.

"Trillion, can I ask a personal question?"  She exhaled, and began stumbling over her words as she continued, "you don't have to, I'm just curious."

"it's alright."

"Your nightmare three nights ago; do you remember it?"  She asked.

"I remember the gist of it, not many specifics."  I lied.  I remember every second of that dream.  How could I forget a dream where my grandmother is dressed as the leader of the pirates, and I pelt her with hailstorm, until she dies; how could I forget the look on Crystal's face in the mirror as she punches the enchantment needles through my skin, with sick, sadistic, pleasure.  That's when I knew it was a dream.  Worse, seeing her face when I spaced the idiot who put this damn ink in me.  The only other person to make it as long as I did, and she was lost in the end.  I remember every single detail of that dream.  But this witch doesn't need to know that.

"I see."  She slumps slightly.  "My study in school was dreams.  I've never spoken with someone about a nightmare before, so I was hoping; well never mind."

"I kept seeing faces of people I cared for on the bodies of people who hurt me; that's all I remember."  I lied again.

her eyes looked up at me from the floor, slightly surprised.  She nodded once, and left; our session, for seeing if my wild talent lies within the discipline for the witch's school, over.  

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

I lay in peaceful silence for a few minutes, listening to the creaking of the air vent as the metal constricts under the frigid air being forced through it.

A short man entering the room without Beth or the doctor put me on guard, and I readied my hailstorm spell, waiting to see what he would do.

with him standing on the floor, his head was barely above my feet in the bed.  Despite being short, his body, arms and legs, were perfectly proportioned for an average sized human.

"Cautious; I like that.  We could use that.  But that's not what I'm here for."  He sits in the chair that Susie vacated minutes ago.  "I'm Cory Dunn.  I'm here on behalf of Corvalax, and they want you to walk them through Ponder Sound's newest landmark.  When you're up to it."

"Why?"

"the engineers have already said the ship shows signs of extreme aging, parts that should have lasted decades in peak conditions are so worn out that they barely count as scrap; and the changes to the bridge; so that only one person was needed to fly it, instead of the normal six; and then there is the strange shaped metal that was added to the photonic capacitors..."

"don't touch those!"  I said involuntarily.  I almost lost the hold on my spell in that instance.

"... Thank you for making my point.  The engineers want you to walk them through your changes, and explain them."  He stands and sets a business card on the meal tray that still holds my breakfast, and lunch, for today.  "For when you're ready."  He says, and leaves.

I recall my spell, and decide to actually try and eat something.  I grab the breakfast tray, and stare at the fluffy waffle for only a second before I pick it up with my fingers, and devour it.

As I eat, I feel the runes on my back flair.  Helping my body process the food quicker, and more efficiently than it would have otherwise.  I take a bite of the bacon, and spit it back out.  It's disgusting; verging on rotten, I know it's just food preferences changing, but still, I used to love bacon.  The eggs tasted almost confectionary sweet, but they were good.

a wave of euphoria washed over me suddenly, and I fell asleep.  Deep, dreamless, wondrous sleep.