Steam billowed from the cup of herbal tea beside her as Maya held her fingers over the keyboard. The computer screen shined bright in her blue eyes as she attempted to write a blog without sounding like a completely crazy person. Therapy had turned out to be a complete and utter failure, the therapist didn’t even want to see her anymore, he didn’t even give a reason! He didn’t have to though, she knew why he didn’t want to be around her, she made him feel uneasy, just like she did with all the others. People saw their greatest fears before them whenever she was around, and those fears always turned into plagues of nightmares.

So, she wrote the blog entitled: "I don’t think I’m the only person in my head…”. Being a recent fine arts graduate, Maya had to take her fair share or English classes, so her blog was well-written and descriptive. Even so, giving it a proofread really solidified that fact that she was definitely losing her mind. Regardless of the possible negative consequences, Maya posted the blog and sent her most private thoughts out into cyberspace. With a deep exhale, she stepped away from the computer with the hopes that someone, anyone, would see her post and be able to offer guidance and support.

[center]~~~ Some days later… ~~~[/center]

Maya busied herself by cleaning the shop and talking to the customers that stopped in. She had to make the conversations brief and keep moving, or else the voice would take over and cause trouble. Valerie, the older lady who ran the shop, was sitting behind the counter doing her daily crossword puzzle. For some unknown reason, Val was immune to whatever was wrong with Maya, maybe she was just too old to fear anything; Hell, the tough old broad didn’t even fear death itself anymore. Maya was just glad to have at least one friend still.

It was while Maya was gazing adoringly at Valerie, that her cell phone chimed with an e-mail notification. With the cleaning rag in one hand, Maya peeked at the e-mail with the other. It was titled: "I read your blog…". Maya continued reading with a mixture of curiosity and nerves swimming in her stomach. She was just over halfway through it when she dropped the rag and tears welled up in her eyes, [i]’I am here to tell you that you are not alone. There are others like you.’[/i] She wasn’t prepared for the rush of emotion that the sentence had brought, and Maya struggled to wipe the tears away before Val could see them. She failed; Valerie looked up with worried eyes, but knew better than to pry.

When Maya had settled herself enough to speak, she said “Hey Val, could I maybe get some time off? I –” she looked up with a little more confidence than before. “I have to go to Scotland.” The old woman’s eyes widened only slightly before she nodded with a smile. [color=f6989d]“Of course, dear. You’re young; you should see the world before you end up stuck in one place like me! Especially if this trip will get you back to being your regular wonderful self.” [/color] Val’s voice was warm and kind and honest, she was like the grandma that Maya never got to have. “Thanks, Val, you’re the best!” Maya said before heading off to book a plane ticket.

[center]~~~ Some days later (again)… ~~~[/center]

Scotland was one hell of a jump from Nevada, and that plane ticket didn’t come cheap, especially with such short notice. Thankfully, Maya lived a pretty basic, frugal, lifestyle and had stashed away a lot of the money she made from her art commissions for emergency usage. She figured taking a trip to Scotland in an attempt to avoid a loss of sanity counted as an emergency. And now, here she was, in the back seat of a taxi, driving down a dirt road in Middle-of-Nowhere, Scotland. The taxi driver kept flicking his eyes to the rear-view mirror, obviously uneasy. The cab pulled up to an ancient-looking castle and the cabbie spoke quickly, his voice shaking. [color=598527]“D-don’t worry about the fare, just please get out.”[/color] With a sad face, Maya stepped out of the cab and the driver spun away like a bat out of hell. Her dark purple hair was swept into a low side ponytail, but the wind still caught in its loose curls. Looking up at the castle, Maya didn’t realize until just now that she was – 

[color=662d91][b]“Scared? You should be.”[/b][/color] The all-too-familiar voice sent shivers down her spine.