The girl saw the man and immediately her eyes widened in fear and confusion. The cloth that she had touched slipped from her forehead and fell to the floor, leaving a wet streak in her hair and exposing her secret. This was not her main concern, however, as the man raised his hands to show her that he meant peace and began speaking. Without a second thought, the girl struggled to slide away from him, but her arms were so weak that they trembled as she pushed herself back until her head touched something hard. Her chest heaved as she stared at the man, fear plain on her face as her eyes darted around the space to see if there were any other threats.

He had black shaggy hair and kind golden eyes. His voice was gentle and soothing, and something glittered above his head. Every time the girl tried to focus on it, it faded away, but once she looked at something else, she could see it floating there just out of the corner of her vision. It looked like a golden ring, made of light...a halo?

But all of this was less concerning than the fact that the man looked familiar. She had seen him before, and not just before on the road. She could feel her third eye rolling violently in its socket but willed it not to open. How much had the man seen...?

Then she saw the water and a drop of it rolling down the side of the canteen. The man's fingers had left an impression in the metal, so she could tell it was cold. Her mouth and throat and eyes and nostrils ached for it, and she could not stop herself from reaching for it while she pushed herself into a sitting position.

The girl reached forward slowly and snatched the water from the man's hands quickly, careful even in her haste not to let their fingers touch. She grasped the canteen in both hands and gulped down the precious liquid, closing her eyes in satisfaction as it touched her tongue and filled her mouth. It was delicious and beautiful and her body immediately felt regenerated by its addition. Before she knew it, the container was empty, though she was determined not to waste a drop and tilted the canteen all the way upside-down over her open mouth to savor every drop of it.