Spoilers/Timeline: Right after "New Canaan"

"Blurry Meetings"

"Sofie."

Ben lay behind the curtain in Management's old trailer, his prostrate body jolted back and forth as the carnivale drove away from their last horrifying night in New Canaan. Candy-blue blood drenched the lower right of his shirt, right over where he had been wounded. Once again, half unconscious, Ben called out her name in his sleep.

"I'm here," she replied.

Ben opened his eyes, slowly focusing and taking in the sight of Sofie, sweet little Sofie in a white shift, sitting by his bedside, a black void looming behind her.

"It's a dream, Ben," she explained, amused at his confusion. Her fingers reached over to caress the clean skin where his wound had been. "Like Christ," she observed softly. "You're all right now?"

"Yeah, I'm a fine. I'm a… quick healer, " Ben explained dumbly, unsure if that was completely true.

Sofie laughed once, her fingers remaining on his flesh

"Sofie…what happened? Did you meet up with the carnivale all right? Brother Justin…he dead?" The events of the night were blurred and mismatched in his head, cornfields, blood, burning trees, and the last thing he remembered… "'Plunge thee deep'" Ben quoted suddenly. "Sofie—what's wrong?"

Sofie had that faraway look in her eye, the one she had used when her mother was a bit too controlling, the one reserved for sulking. "All you avatars care about is work," she mumbled. She was still a moment, thinking, before she leaned down to kiss Ben. He could feel the heat of her body above his, the stir of her breathe, the poignant taste of her lips, like honey and milk—she sure as hell felt real enough. But still the void surrounded her, both ominous and empty.

"We've only just begun Ben," Sofie whispered, less than an inch between them, and Ben could swear he heard a tremor in her voice. "Only just begun." She rested her head on his stomach like a child, and Ben stroked her hair with is blue stained hand.

"Shh, Sofie. It'll be okay," Ben whispered.

Sofie ignored him. "I do love you Ben. I love you so much somewhere my heart is breaking." Her words were matter of fact, earnest, and it made a shiver pass down his spine. "I'm sorry," she said, raising her head to look him in the eyes.

Her eyes were pitch black throughout with no white showing, which gave her face the look of something stone dead. "Remember that I'm sorry," Sofie said in a voice turned hard.

Ben bolted awake, alone in the trailer.