Arthur's Note

Welcome my wonderful writers, resourceful readers, and faithful followers!

Hey guys! First off, thank you to my beta CaptainOzone. She's brilliant and you should all read her own stories.

I'm trying to keep this author's note short since most of them (especially last one) was so incredibly long. I want to thank all you reviewers (take some cake this time); all you new followers (the emails made me cry); and the new favoriters (I didn't stop smiling). You are all so wonderful, and I can't thank you enough for the endless support.

This is the next chapter, of course, and I will warn you beforehand that there is Het in this chapter and for the next few chapters following. I apologize if you don't like this pairing, but it is canon, and it is necessary for the sake of the plot. I promise, it's not just there for enjoyment - there's a purpose to it. Anyways, you are free to skim over that part now and in the future.

Remember to check my website whenthestormisthrough which is my TUMBLR url. I post chapter updates and some excerpts as well as all things Merlin on there.

In this chapter, Michelle is Nimueh. Tom is Cenrad. Colin is Merlin. Joe is Will. Laura is Freya. Sarah is the Lady Catrina (before the troll). And Richard is Gaius.

Big spoilers for 2x09.

Again, here's the usual. Enjoy the chapter, and please review. All reviewers get a cookie, and I try to reply to everyone of you :) I like to hear what you thought of the chapter, what you didn't like, any questions or concerns, your favorite parts, and any suggestions/comments about my writing in general. Reviews make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside, and it's amazing. It's like so addicting... Alright, I've kept you long enough, and if you bothered to read this, thank you.

Onto the chapter,

Erin

{Recommended Reading: Loyal 'Til the End by misti4492. This is such a great story, and it deserves all the recognition it can get. If you like stories by Captain Ozone or Stealth Dragon, I think you'll enjoy this one.}

WARNING: mentions of child abuse/drug and alcohol abuse

Chapter Seven
"Don't you worry, don't you worry, child.
You see heaven's got a plan for you.
Don't you worry, don't you worry now."
-"Don't You Worry, Child" by the Swedish House Mafia

The most important thing to realize about Colin was that he didn't cause the chaos; chaos followed him.

Some might classify his incidents as accident-prone or chalk it up to clumsiness. However, clumsy meant tripping over your own feet and falling head over heels down a staircase, booking a one-way trip to the emergency room and the dentist in the process. All people suffered from some type of an accident (at least) once during their lives. It was common knowledge that everyone exhibited chaos every once and a while as well, but for Colin, his life was nothing but one chaotic mess.

Being born with magic was just the first incident. Michelle gaining custody of him, attempting to kill him and take his abilities as her own, was the next chapter in his tale. Getting thrown into Tom's care was just the cherry on top of a sundae of misfortune. At seventeen, Colin was on a first name basis with his social worker. He knew that Sarah stopped by the local coffee shop before work everyday, treating herself to an iced caramel macchiato no matter what the temperature was outside. When someone was a part of your life for as long as Sarah had been in Colin's, you tend to learn a few of his or her habits.

Colin also knew that the coffee was a necessity because, if she could, Sarah would arrive drunk to work every day whenever she had to deal with his case. Sarah was in her late thirties, and Colin had been her responsibility since he was first thrown into foster system. Initially, she thought his situation would have an easy solution. She hoped to place in him in a loving home with a stable income and have the family adopt him within the year. However, things didn't turn out as originally planned. The first family returned him within the year and it continued, so on and so forth, until she met Michelle.

Honestly, Sarah thought that the older woman was a lifesaver. The foster mother had produced marvelous results in the system, and when she placed Colin in her care, she was desperate to see progress in his situation. Things went well for six years, and Sarah was prepared to close his file, dreaming of the progress lasting for another six. However, when Colin was twelve, Michelle died, leaving Colin and two other children without homes. The claim was that she attempted to murder Colin, but the police had their suspicions that the twelve-year-old had some hand in her death. When they closed the case, Sarah would not argue. She knew Colin was a sweet-heart; he wouldn't hurt anyone. He was naturally timid and a real introvert, but he never displayed any tendency to violence.

There was a reason, though, that no foster family would accept him.

She moved him through two more homes before they found Tom. The man was a single parent, and she thought, as Colin grew older, he would need someone he could engage with, someone he could learn the rules and trade of reality from. Tom seemed like a knight in shining armor for Sarah, so it didn't take long for her to place Colin in his care. She never heard from the two since. She made the routine check-ups, of course, and each time he seemed to be thriving under Tom's care. He smiled when she visited, offered the polite responses, and seemed to get along with Tom quite well.

She never noticed how Colin became more reserved, his smiles forced, and his eyes slowly dimming.

It was hard to pinpoint the reason that Colin fled, but when Sarah got wind of the news, she felt her heart thud loudly in her ears. Tom said he had noticed his ward becoming more withdrawn as days went on; he assumed that it was a phase. The police theorized that the teenager had entered a bad crowd, perhaps turning to drugs. It happened all the time, they said. The kids fall off the map on a weekly basis. Sarah knew Colin, though. He wasn't the type of kid to join a gang or dwell into trouble. However, when he was finally found and she dropped by for a visit, she found him with a broken wrist and bruises scattered about. He said he received them when a drug drop-off took a wrong turn, not that he'd admit it to the police. He had had negative experiences with them from the very beginning.

Still, Sarah didn't believe him. When she confronted him, his eyes pleaded for her aid. Tom was quick to reassure her that he'd give Colin all the rest necessary to make a complete recovery, ushering her out of the apartment as soon as possible. She caught Colin's expression before she left, a word of protest on the tip of his tongue. It was the first time she suspected Tom of abuse.

Like any social worker, Sarah worried about her charge more than anyone else. She had warned Colin to "not cause trouble" whenever he entered a new home. Colin always obeyed her directions to the par, but for some odd reason, the homes kept sending him back. He never showed any signs of ill treatment, so when she looked back on his odd behavior while in Tom's care, she often wondered if things weren't what they seemed in the relationship between Colin and his foster father. Perhaps if she read between the lines, she could decipher the hidden message that Colin had tried to tell her before Tom got in the way.

By the time Sarah set off to investigate the matter, two more children were placed in Tom's care. She couldn't do much to prevent the placement since she had no proof of abuse occurring in the home. Nonetheless, she scheduled more frequent visits to the foster home, knowing that while they may provoke Tom later on in the future, they also might just keep Colin floating above the surface.

In all, Colin knew his life was a chaotic mess. He knew Sarah recognized something, but he knew he couldn't speak up in fear of hurting the other two children or Santiago or the kind Richard. His life was one accident after another, but he tried not to let them affect him. He carried himself with his head held high, refusing to bow down to the ever-burdening pressure of life's many obstacles. He suffered through the trials to the get to the tribulations.

He wouldn't let the chaos affect him.

Nevertheless, it was important to understand that chaos followed in Colin's shadow, and on one bleak winter day in January, when the snow added to the already towering total, there was no difference. Colin wasn't surprised when the social worker who would deliver his two foster siblings – like a package one bought on eBay – turned up an hour late. Traffic was at a standstill, and the teenager even beat the city bus to the corner drug store on his way to pick up some groceries.

The arrival of his foster siblings had set Colin on edge since he first heard the news the night before. He had spent the entire morning arranging the spare bedroom for the girl, arranging the bed with a blue comforter and clearing out the closet of Tom's miscellaneous items. For his own bedroom (who he was sharing with the boy), he merely placed his bed on the other side, giving the other occupant a wide berth for his own belongings. Part of Colin was excited at the prospect of meeting new people, but the greater, more dominant part screamed that he needed to run, take the danger away from the helpless individuals that were unfortunate enough to be introduced to his life.

When time they arrived, Colin had formed permanent nail indentations in the heel of his palm after clenching his hands into fists repeatedly to control his anxiety. He calculated that by the end of the night, he'd have no skin left. The impending storm would only worsen them.

When the social worker introduced them, Colin knew his life would be forever changed.

Her name was Laura. The moment she crossed the threshold into the apartment seemed to be a missing puzzle piece to the enigma of Colin's life. His breath caught in his throat, and he inhaled her scent, the taste of strawberries on the tip of his tongue. It was as familiar as his name, yet he knew he had never encountered it before. It seized his heart, the feeling flooding his body, rushing through his veins as easily as his blood did. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew he wanted her to be a part in his forever.

Laura was beautiful to him. Her copper ringlets cascaded down her back, dusting her elbows, and as she moved gracefully across the floor, the light caught a few strands of her hair, highlighting their brighter shade. She peered at him with almond-shaped, chocolate brown eyes, an emotion akin to wonder crowding her features. She seemed drawn to Colin, the pull as strong as the bond Colin had fixated upon her. Laura was absolutely breathtaking with the rays of sun in her long mane and the stars of heaven's skies in her bright eyes.

Colin would give her the world if he could.

Joe followed his sister through the door. He cast an analyzing stare at his surroundings, narrowing his eyes at his future company. There was a hesitation in his actions; he looked about ready to jump in front of any danger to protect the ones he cared about. His blue eyes held Colin with a hint of apprehension as he analyzed his new foster brother, sizing him up in his mind, observing who would have the greatest chance of being victorious in a hand-to-hand combat. Colin didn't find him to be the least bit threatening, though, no matter how Joe tried to portray himself. He wasn't intimidating, but Colin knew he could be if someone endangered Laura. Waves of anxiety rolled off of him, and when he caught Tom's welcoming smile, the tide increased.

The social worker left after the primary introductions and Colin showed the two to their bedrooms, a sheepish smile on his face as he met Joe's glare after staring at Laura's retreating form a little longer than necessary. When he began the trek to his and Joe's room, he caught the younger boy casting odd glances over his shoulder as if he was mapping out the territory of the apartment in order to make a quick escape if necessary. Colin wasn't going to argue. He had done the same thing when he first arrived.

Colin pushed open the door, gesturing to the space that they would be sharing for their stay in Tom's care. "Welcome, I guess. Your bed's in the corner over there. I cleared out the closet, so you can put your things in there. I think that's about it…" Colin's voice trailed off, the tension settling in between the two occupants. "…I'm Colin, by the way."

He held out a hand in Joe's direction, but the blonde ignored it and ambled around the room slowly, craning his neck around the corner to the bathroom, spotting something of interest. Without a word, Joe entered the bathroom, coming out with a bottle of bleach in his hand. He met Colin's blue eyes with the utmost scrutiny.

"He's abusive, isn't he?" Though he phrased it as a question, Colin knew it was an observation.

"How… How did…?" Colin's tongue felt like sandpaper against the roof of his mouth.

"Please," Joe snorted, shaking his head as he threw the bleach into Colin's arms. "You think you're the first to deal with this shit? I was the same way. Bleach in the bathroom, rags in the corner, bloodstains-" He kicked the throw rug in the middle of the room with the tip of his foot, revealing a dark brown stain marring the white carpeted floor. "-On the carpet…" Joe shook his head as if he was unable to comprehend the situation. "God damn it!"

Joe threw himself onto his bed, laying his head in his hands, gripping his short blonde locks in frustration. Colin wavered, unsure of how to continue with the confrontation, but he eventually seated himself across from the boy, cocking his head in confusion.

"I don't understand," he began, "how you know about Tom."

Joe shook his head once more. "My dad was just like him."

"He abused you?" Colin asked softly.

A knock arose from the door, and Colin raised his gaze to meet the doe brown eyes of Laura. She squeezed through the slightly ajar barrier, closing it behind her. Silence followed her entrance as she crossed the room, plopping down on the floor beneath between her brother's legs. She reclined against the foot of the mattress, casually observing her surroundings.

When she noticed Colin's analytical expression and her brother's pursed lips, she shrugged and announced coyly, "Please don't stop the conversation on my account."

If Colin wasn't already taken back by these two, he was most certainly now. After a moment, he extended his hand to Laura. "I'm Colin."

"Laura. Laura Morgan, and this is my brother, Joe," she responded without faltering.

She was open to him, the exact opposite from her brother, and it only served in causing Colin to become more drawn to her. In the short time he'd known her, he knew there was something different about her. It stirred deep in his chest, moving through his body like molten rock, slowly changing the very core of who he was. It was as if Laura was unveiling a new part of him that he had yet to discover.

"Laura," he said, the name rolling off of the tip of his tongue like habit, and he couldn't help but smile at the sound of it. "It's nice to meet you."

She let a bright grin grace her features at his warm welcome, laughing lightly under her breath. "Nice to meet you too, Colin."

While Laura's expression was warm, Joe remained stoic. "Now that the formalities are out of the way, I'd appreciate it if we could return to the matter at hand."

"Of course!" Laura exclaimed, far too enthusiastic for it to be anything but sarcasm. Her voice too a cold edge to it. "We just can't possibly forget that we've been thrown into another hell hole."

"We can always make a run for it," Joe murmured.

"No."

Colin's response cracked like a whip across the room, and it caused the brother and sister to turn to him in astonishment. He knew how it appeared. He was painfully aware of how they observed his every movement, noticing the twinges when he moved too far, the grimaces when he bumped his broken ribs, how he always placed distance between himself and Tom whenever they encountered one another. Laura and Joe hadn't even been in his home for three hours, but they had begun their scrutiny the minute they crossed the threshold into his world.

He knew they would try to escape, but he couldn't let them. As an experienced runaway, he knew that the streets were harsh. No one took pity on foster children, choosing to cast them out instead of offering aid so they could survive through the cold nights. The scenario in Tom's care was horrendous, and yet, it was still better than running away where life became bloodthirsty and was merciless upon the lost, broken, and afraid.

No, Colin told himself, he couldn't let them leave. Perhaps this arrangement wasn't the ideal one, but at least Joe and Laura could have shelter, food, and warmth – a place to grow, hope, and survive.

"And why not?" Laura questioned in confusion, scrunching her face together with irritation. "You want us to sit here and go through the same things we did before? Have someone hurt us, break us, kill us?" Colin wondered if the words were physically straining her. "I'm not going to-"

"You won't be hurt," Colin argued heatedly, narrowing his eyes in defiance. "I won't let him touch you."

"They always hurt you," Joe said, crossing his arms.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Colin finally broke it. "You mentioned your dad… He was-"

"Abusive?" Joe exclaimed in exasperation. "Yeah. He abused us for four years before killing our mom just last week! Need any further explanation?"

"Look, I'm trying to help-" Colin began.

"You don't have to be a martyr for our sake, believe me, I can do that all on my own," he shot back, jumping to his feet, Colin following suit. Laura joined the confrontation, placing herself strategically between the two boys in order to stop them from attacking one another if things escalated. "All we need from you is to help us get out of here. I won't live through this again; I refuse!"

"I'm trying to protect you!" Colin argued.

"How?" Joe asked.

Colin sighed. "The only way he's going to be stopped is if you lie low and don't interfere. He'll only go after me, I promise-"

"So you'll step up and be the hero? Get all the honor and glory?"

His vision seemed to darken as a voice echoed through his head. "No. You just want the honor and glory of battle! That's what drives men like you! Look, if you want to fight, then go home and risk the lives of your own people, not ours!" Colin cast a fleeting glance around the room, and when he noticed that Joe was waiting for his reply, he chalked it up to lack of sleep.

"You think this is about honor and glory?" Colin said, gesturing wildly to his right shoulder which was restrained in a black brace. "This happened not even a week ago when I came back. I was on the run for two months, and it got me nowhere! The police searched, and when someone finally reported me, no one gave a damn where I went. They sent me back to Tom, and the moment I get back, I'm pinned against the wall with that bastard's hands on my neck. So listen to me when I say it's not worth it."

He couldn't tell them the real reason as to why they couldn't leave. Tom would turn him in, reveal his abnormal abilities (No, he told himself, gifts. Richard said they were gifts). If word got out about his magic, he wouldn't be able to protect them; they'd be at Tom's mercy, alone in the apartment that had quickly become the seventh circle of Hell. He couldn't let them suffer the same fate he had.

"This." Colin stared at Laura and Joe, an apologetic smile on his face. "This is as good as it gets. Just… Don't aggravate him. Don't tempt him. Stay out of his way, and I promise you, it'll all be okay."

"You can't possibly promise that," Laura said, smiling wryly.

"I can."

"Do it," Joe directed, nodding at his sister. "Promise me that you'll protect her. Do whatever it takes. Don't worry about me. Whatever happens, make sure she's okay." He gripped Laura's arm with a tight grasp, reiterating his point. "She's my sister; she means everything to me. Promise me, Colin."

Colin took a few strides forward, holding out his hand in Joe's direction while looking at Laura. "I promise that I'll look after you," Colin vowed, his blue orbs piercing, seeming to gaze into the depths of her very soul.

There was a sudden rush, and Colin was pulled away from reality. He was thrown into a different scene in a different time. Laura's face was covered in dirt and grime, sweat gleaning under the flame of a torch. "I promised you I'd look after you, and I will, no matter what." There was a rustle of fabric, and he was leaning forward, watching her eyes falling shut as he blindly let his heart open. He pressed his lips against her own-

Joe's hand clasped his own, and Colin was thrust back to the situation at hand. He shook his head, as if in a daze, and struggled to regain his bearings. He didn't understand what he had just witnessed, but he would stay true to his promise. Joe and he were united under the single vow.

Laura was to be saved above all else.

Life wasn't a daunting journey. For the most part, Colin's life was a mediocre story that sometimes evolved into an epic tale. Life was all about writing stories, so when chaos threw an obstacle his way, he knew it was fate's way of writing a novel.

If there was one thing that Colin was not used to, it had to be the element of surprise. It was the bitter effect that chaos offered him. He had long ago accepted the chaotic events uprooting his life, but they always occurred in the most unexpected ways. Someone once told him that he would one day do great things, and he wished day in and day out that it was true. However, life continued to lie out these obstacles, making it nearly impossible to achieve any sort of greatness, causing his life to be positively tragic instead.

But, for the first time, it seemed as if life was giving him a brief reprieve. Tom hadn't so much as threatened him in the following weeks, and Colin found that it was easier to protect Laura and Joe than he originally thought. The trio eventually grew close, joined at the hip on most days.

Joe and Colin had developed an understanding between one another, knowing that they'd do whatever it took to protect Laura. For Colin, he wouldn't let her suffer at Tom's hands like he did, and for Joe, he was saving his sister from what he couldn't before. Colin never learned much about the duo's past – only that their father was abusive and ended up killing their mother in a fit of rage. He was now in prison while the two, with no remaining family members, were set out alone into the world. Joe didn't talk much, and Colin found he didn't need too. There was a mutual respect between the two, and it built a stronger bond than they could have ever expected.

Laura and Colin would converse in secret when the time allowed it, and Colin opened up for the first time about his past. She now knew about Michelle's attempted murder and his attempts to escape the foster system. He told her of Santiago's kindness and his brush with death, of his terror when Tom eventually found him, and of the hope that Richard offered. Laura knew almost everything about Colin except about his magic. That was a subject that Colin strayed far away from, never acknowledging its presence in the time he had known Laura and Joe. He refused to confront the issue since all who knew about his magic always left him. He didn't want to be alone anymore. It was coming to a point where he needed someone, anyone, to save him, and Laura was becoming just the angel he needed.

A month had passed before any of them realized it, and with it, Colin's expectation for the chaos faded away. He was living life contently, and for once, he didn't want it to change. Sure, he could do away with Tom and be perfectly alright, but so long as he had someone like Laura or Joe, everything would be fine. However, it was a known fact that chaos always thundered after him, regardless of the reason.

Everything that had fallen into a comfortable routine changed the moment he entered his dream world one night. There was nothing spectacular about that particular day, but it transformed his world as he knew it.

Behind closed eyelids, flashes of colors, faces, and voices swarmed throughout his head.

"She's only a girl." The rain pelted like iron bullets around an elderly man resembling Richard and himself as they brushed past a cage. "She'll still fetch a good price though." A young girl's haunting stare lingered in his mind, stealing away the warlock's right to even think. He couldn't sentence her to the same fate he had escaped from. Tospringe There was a bang of metal on metal, the shocked gasp echoing from the young girl inside. Unspanne thas maegth! The click of the cuffs sounded as well as their clatter as they hit the wooden floor. Bryne. He was leading the girl away, passing through the hallways of tunnels, darkness following, running from the enemy, a bounty hunter. Halig, his mind whispered.

The young girl wretched her hand out of his grasp, skittering back a few steps. "Why did you do that?" He cocked his head, unable to understand her question. "What?" She gestured towards him, her hands trembling. "Help me?" He resigned himself to a knowing smile. "It could have been me." There was a short beat of silence as he got her settled, tension rolling off of her in waves. "I'm Merlin, by the way." Toffee eyes hidden from view portrayed her hesitation as she murmured, "Freya." He smiled once more, handing over his jacket. "I'll see you in the morning… Freya." He turned to leave, and the girl showed her gratitude with a murmur of thanks.

The scene faded to black until he returned, food clutched in his hands. "I know what it's like to keep secrets." Her questioning gaze spoke volumes. "Does anyone else know you have magic?" He shook his head sadly. "Only you… And one other person, but, I don't think he understands." He laughed lowly as the beautiful candle flames danced through the air, a waltz of wonder in Freya's eyes.

He left soon after, coming back to find her tear-stained face looking up at him. "What's wrong? Did you think I wasn't coming? I promised I would." She sent him an apologetic smile. "I scare most people away." His smile was grand compared to hers. "Well, I'm not most people."

They sat back, reminiscing on their respective pasts. "My family died." He cocked his head in confusion. "Have you been on your own ever since?" She nodded, and he vowed, "Well, you aren't alone anymore. I'm going to look after you. I promise." She shook her head, rejecting his offer. "You can't look after me. No one can-" He interrupted her statement with a hysterical edge to his voice. "I don't think you understand! I've… never known anyone like you."

Their hands clasped together, he pulled away. She pulled back, her grasp tight. "Merlin, I've never known anyone like you either."

He brought food again. She was sad again. He spoke a single word, the spell creating a flicker of hope. "That's not strawberry," she commented as he conjured a single rose, the flower of love. "It's the right color," he answered with helpful laugh. "Why are you so good to me," she said with a questioning stare. "I like you. With you, I don't have to hide anything," he announced, smiling brightly. A helpless shake of the head. "Merlin, I'm not like you-"

Running. Running. Running.

The faint echo of feet disappeared. "I can't go back in that cage." He refused to allow it to be so, and he reiterated his promise. "I promised you I'd look after you, and I will, no matter what."

"You really don't know how special you are, do you?" She cast him a quizzical look." Being different is nothing to be scared of."

Her eyes started to shut as he leaned forward, blindly letting his heart open. He pressed his lips against her own. She parted hers slightly, drawing towards him, yielding to the soft strength of his kiss that engulfed her, gaining in strength until she found herself wrapped up in him, body, heart and soul. It was a split second, but a moment of their possible forever. His lips spoke of hope and love; hers spoke of forever.

They pulled away, the candlelight reflecting in their eyes…

"Merlin, you have a good life here." His hopeful gaze danced with a carefree grin. "We'll go somewhere where no one knows us, somewhere far away." Her sad smile answered. "I want that more than anything." His laughter rang clear, their minds painting a future together.

"A few cows."

"And a lake."

He carried a purple dress. "You look like a princess." Her face crumbled. "I'm not. I can't take this." He cast her a saddened expression. "I don't understand." There was another shake of the head. "You keep doing all this for me; I don't deserve it." His selfless prodding pushed her to agree. "We can leave tonight, as soon as it gets dark, and we'll be together."

They had their dreams, but the indecision, her hesitance of the truth. Would it work?

The kiss, stealing away his right to even breathe.

"Colin."

A bastet. "No, you're wrong. Freya is just a girl."

He had to reach her. She was gone. "She doesn't deserve to die… I just hope she's safe." There was a flash of the sword, the whine of a cat. The nightmare began. His hand was on her head, the soft stroke easing her panic. "You're safe now." His worry spiked ten-fold as he took her in, her pained cries, her soft sobs, her story. "She cursed me to kill forevermore."

"Colin!"

He made another promise. "I'm going to make you better, Freya." She gave him another shake of the head. There were a lot of those. "The wound's too deep."

"Colin, wake up!"

He carried her to a serene, still lake. "You remembered." His soft gaze, his shaking hands cradled her. "There must be something I can do, someway to save you." She set her face, eyes fluttering, "You already saved me. You made me feel loved." She exhaled, shoulders heaving, warm breath on his face. "I don't want you to go." He pleaded, his loving nature vulnerable to all. "Someday, Merlin, I will repay you. I promise." Her last heart beat.

"Colin, it's Laura! Please!"

The loss, the agony, the fire… Westiray. Wecce on saebat baelfyra maest.

His heart breaking, his magic flashing. Through golden eyes, he watched her leave him.

Forever…

"Colin!"

He bolted upright, drenched in sweat, shoulders heaving forward as he struggled to regain his bearings. "What? No… Freya!" He stammered as everything spun, tilting off balance. His world became slippery, and he fought to keep a grasp on reality.

"Colin," Freya (No, no! Laura. She's Laura! Who's Freya?) repeated, her voice louder and clear, ringing with clarity now that he had emerged from his dreams (Nightmares).

Colin awoke fully, seeing the dull light of the morning flood through the window, his vision swirled ever so slightly as he tried to adjust to the grand scheme of things. Nothing made sense.

What had happened? Who was Freya?

…Who was he?