D3 Don't Run

It took every ounce of self-control to keep her feet planted on the ground as the strange creature loomed closer with heavy breathing and deep-throated groans. All of her instincts shouted at her to run.

"Everyone's been running and hiding from you," Mira said softly, finding her voice. "But I won't run tonight, Grin."

The brute opened his beak and released a cry of rage as he raised his fists in the air.

"I know this isn't you!" Mira shouted, trying to compete with his dreadful noise. "You're not a bully, Grin!"

He grunted and continued to stalk closer with a menacing pose as he swung his arms through the air.

"You're afraid of hurting someone," Mira continued. "But you won't! And you have to be brave enough to believe that."

He was almost right on top of her, and Mira knew that if something didn't change in the next second, it would all end.

"I believe it," she said calmly as she looked up into his empty gaze and misshapen face.

Standing before her, he seemed to finally grow still, though the sound of his heavy breathing continued. But all at once, the expression on his face softened, and the mist faded in his eyes.

"My friend…" his slow, rough voice said.

Mira reached out and put her hand on his arm.

"You have many friends, Grin. And you're not a bully or a monster … no matter what your fears tell you."

In the same amount of brief time it takes to wake up from a nightmare, Grin suddenly shrank in form and was himself again, peaceful, yet protective. His eyes widened with realization as he was released from the curse, and then he looked down at Mira with a smile.

"Thank you, little friend, for not being afraid of me."

Mira breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, I might have been a little anxious, but I knew who you were. I just wasn't sure if you would listen."

"I heard you," Grin assured her.

But then his figure began to glow, and it wasn't the light from the moon shining around him. He looked down at his form with some confusion.

"I cannot stay," he said with regret.

"Take care of yourself," Mira said as he disappeared. "Wherever it is that you're going… I'd really like to go too."

She sighed and looked around for the invisible force that seemed to be drawing people in and out of this world.

"I do the work, and someone else is getting the credit for the escape apparently," she muttered as she walked back to the castle.

Mira's impatience faded as she remembered the other ducks, who still needed to be freed from the curse. She couldn't give up on them.

As she walked back into the castle and then into the dining hall, Mira scanned the walls illuminated by firelight.

"Duke? Where are you?"

At last, a shadow rose and drifted towards her on east wall.

Mira laid her hand upon wall, and the shape of his hand reached out as far it could to her.

"It took me some time to understand your fears, but I think I get it now," she said. "It's been hard for you to find those you can trust, and now that you've found friends worth keeping, I think you're afraid of losing them."

Duke's head seemed to sink lower.

"This curse has made you feel so alone each night. Unlike the others, you were left awake and aware of all that happens at night, but you couldn't do anything to help them."

He nodded.

"You're not alone, Duke," Mira said as her tone surged with the warmth of encouragement. "You didn't abandon your friends, and you can trust your friends to stick with you."

All at once, the hard surface of the wall grew soft and molten under Mira's touch, but instead of Duke emerging freely from the curse, Mira felt that this time, she was being drawn into the wall. And the sudden thought that she might be get stuck as a shadow occurred to her. Her instincts told her to pull back, but then again, what would that mean for Duke?

If you think Mira should stay beside the wall, select D3 Risk It.

If you think Mira should step back and keep talking to Duke, select D3 Pull Away.