Warnings: Delirium, kidnapping
Spoilers: For Eternal Diva
Set: Just before the events of Eternal Diva
Song: With You by Avril Lavigne

Delirium (Nina)

You wake up at the seaside.

Foamy turquoise waves lap at the white sand beneath you.

You sit up, blinking at your surroundings. You're on an empty beach, bordered by a forest and some grey stone cliffs. The sea seems... misty. There aren't any boats or swimmers out there as far as you can tell.

You're alone.

You can't remember how you got here- wherever here is.

Frowning, you dig your fingers into the sand, soft and fluffy as a pillow. It would be easier to go back to sleep and not have to worry...

"There you are, darling!" The deep voice makes you jump. You stumble to your feet and turn to see a man strolling towards you.

He's wearing a pink-purple suit with a shirt and tie. He has bushy grey hair, a big beaky nose and his eyes are hidden behind his glasses.

Do you know him? You take a small step away from him, but he calls to you again. "Come along now. We really should be getting back."

Back where...? You glance around the beach again. No one else is about, so you must have arrived with him. Right..?

The man has now reached your side. Smiling, he holds his hand out for you. His fingers are long and thin.

It's not like he's trying to drag you away...

Hesitantly, you slip your hand into his and you start to walk with him.

"Um, where are we going?" you ask.

He laughs. "Home, of course."

"Home...?" Do you live near the beach? You look around, hoping to see houses, a road or neighbours you might recognise.

How long have you been walking?

The man notices you are lagging.

"Are you getting tired? Do you want me to give you piggyback?"

You shake your head. "N-no... I'm not tired..."

He squeezes your hand. "Now, now- I really think you should rest-"

"No!" you cry. "I want to go home!"

He peers down at you like a hawk honing in on its prey. His grip tightens painfully.

You picture him- this stranger- pulling you into a car off the street. You scream and struggle and scream but no one can hear you.

Mum and Dad won't know where you are. What if you never see them again?

The strange man holds a sweet-smelling cloth over your nose and mouth-

"NO!" You bite his hand- hard enough to make him yelp and let you go.

You run. The man shouts behind you, but you don't dare look back.

There's no end to the beach ahead of you- just miles and miles of sand.

Your gaze flits to the trees on your side. You can escape through the forest!

Sand sucks at your feet as you turn. You gasp and try to wriggle free, but you sink even further down to your knees.

You can hear the man getting closer. "That's enough games now... It's time to calm down."

For a moment, you do as he says, letting yourself relax. You stop sinking.

"There's a good girl-"

You haul yourself out of the sand and hurtle into the forest.

"Help!" you shriek when you see someone standing in the shade of a tree. They look like a pirate with that pointy black hat and cape.

"Please... please help me," you gasp as you reach their side.

The pirate ignores you; they keep digging for treasure or whatever it is they're doing...

"I can help you!" You turn to see a blonde-haired lady, beckoning you deeper into the forest. She's pale and gaunt but her face is kind. "This way!"

Can you trust her? You don't know her- Do you?- but there's something familiar about her.

You glance from the lady to the beach.

The strange man is at the threshold of the forest. "Oh, are you playing with a friend?" His glasses shine through the gloomy trees. "Tell her you have to go now."

You go with the lady. She lets you pass her safely before staggering after you.

While the beach stretched on forever, the forest thins too quickly. The two of you emerge onto a grassy cliff-top.

Out here, there's nowhere to hide.

"W-what now?" you whimper.

The woman has stopped to catch her breath. "He's never... going to give up," she pants. "I have to do something." She swallows and points to the purple pendant on her skinny neck. "Can you... look after this for me?"

You nod uncertainly. She takes off the pendant and places it in your hand.

"Thank you," she whispers. "Stay here. I'll find a way to stop him."

She smiles softly at you before she ventures back into the forest.

"Wait," you call. "What's your name...?"

But she's already gone. You're left alone on the cliff, clutching the pendant, with the same question echoing through your head.

What's your name?