>>20433346Sitting across from her, Andreya Clark squirms on her seat.
>"Aww, what's wrong, Mom? Why'd'ja stop playing?"Her mother smiles sadly. "We're nearly out of time, dear. You need to go back."
>"Already? I've only been her a couple minutes, right?"Her mother winces knowingly and looks to the side. "Ehh, well, time..... is convoluted. I think that's what they say, y'know? More here than anywhere. And we don't have much of it left." Her mother puts a hand on her knee. "But I'm glad I could see you. I'm so proud of the wonderful woman you've become. I wish I could have seen you grow up..... but we're here now. We had THIS time, at least."
>"Y-Yeah, and don't worry! I'll come back really soon, and I'll bring Robyn so you can meet her! You'll LOVE her, Mom, she's so--"Her mother scowls. "You certainly will not. Think about what you're saying, Andreya. You'll both absolutely take your time getting here."
>"Oh. Oh, yeah, h-ha-ha. Oops, yeah, that'd be bad."Andreya pauses as an unsettling thought crawls into her mind.
>"I'm not gonna remember this when I go back, am I?"Her mother laughs. "I don't know, man. I've been here THIS long, and nobody tells me how this shit works." She blinks again with a start, and her eyes start to water. "Oh. Oh, you're starting to fade already. Here." She reaches up for Andreya's red bandanna, in her own hair. "I sh-should give you this back, before--"
>"Nah, keep it. I got others, back, uhh, over there. Hang on to it. Until I see you again. So it reminds you of me, y'know?"Everything around Andreya's getting hazy. Her mother tearfully pushes aside the guitar, and they both rise up together, embracing in a tight hug. But then her mother melts away, so that it is like she is embracing a warm fog, and the idyllic fields are replaced with an eerie blackness. There is a pinpoint of light ahead, and it quickly grows larger as Andreya draws closer and closer, rising to the surface like she was submerged in murky water.
