he amnesiac nodded, exploring the town would hopefully lead to answers for the both of them. "Likewise, maybe we'll find something useful." He smiled at mention of her name, and would take her hand in greeting. "That's a lovely name, I'm...hell, I'm not even sure who I am at this point." He followed her back out into the rain, the dread had lessened now that he'd found another person to explore with. They'd walk from the rural path to what was a more modern paved road, a downtown area with large older buildings lined up on either side of the street. "Hey look, lights." He said, pointing out the classic diner that seemed like something out of an old movie. Frost's Diner, inside there was a jukebox and other memorabilia on the walls, including old photographs of the townspeople. "Lumber, mining, guess this was a booming place in the early 20th century." He said softly, leaning closer to examine a photo of a group of loggers standing in front of a large lumber mill. A somber song was playing on the jukebox, the singer's bass-baritone voice smooth and powerful. "In our headlights, staring bleak. Beer cans, deer's eyes..." It took the dreamer a moment to realize he was softly singing along to the tune, not even aware of his own actions. "On the asphalt, underneath, our crushed plans, and my lies..." He stopped, surprised with himself. "Anything stand out to you?" He asked Renanta, walking over to the counter to rejoin her.
1:58
Renata was intrigued. “Memory loss?” She had seen a few documentaries about it, but didn’t know how he could get it back, but she did know a little. “I heard that it comes back to you over time in bits and pieces…” She gave a reassuring smile. But she made no qualms about walking with him. She hadn’t had company for a long time. But when the lights were pointed out, she got hopeful. Once inside, she looked around and… It certainly looked very old. She gazed over the photographs, only half-noticing the music on the jukebox. Yet it caught her attention when he sang. “I’m not sure… I’m not finding a speck of dust, though, so… How long has this place actually been abandoned?” She then noted. “And.. Apparently you remember something.”
2:08
Restless Dreams smiled softly, perhaps his fractured memory wasn't totally lost. "I guess so, it's not a bad song either." He said, listening to the lyrics that he somehow knew. Inspecting the tables confirmed her assessment, this place seemed very clean, not at all like some long deserted ghost town. He peered through a door that led to the back of the diner, on the other side was a long and dark corridor. "Hello?" He called out, swearing that he could hear something further inside the building. He walked down the hallway, it was mostly shelves of product and cleaning supplies, finally an office would catch his eye. It appeared to have belonged to the manager, there was even a photo of what he assumed was the employee's family. Movement in his peripheral startled him, thankfully it was just an old circular mirror. Rummaging through the desk drawers would produce a set of keys, perhaps they'd come in use. He started to leave, once again catching his reflection in the mirror. He began to chastise himself for his fear, but just as he did a horrific sight caused his brain to lock up in terror. A dark shape moved in the mirror, his own reflection, but there was something...wrong with it. The stranger grinned malevolently, causing the dreamer to stumble back and slam the door shut behind him. He remained pressed against the door, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart.
2:14
Renata seemed none the wiser about anything happening, only taking in the details. She even opened one of the plastic bottles meant to hold ketchup, looking inside and seeing that it appeared to be just fine. How odd… But then she heard the door slam. It caught her attention. Seeing him pressed against the door, his expression made it clear that something was very wrong, and the girl instantly seemed concerned. She walked up to him, only to take his hand and draw him away. “You should probably sit down.” And almost like a sixth sense, she had to ask. “Something weird happened, didn’t it?” She hadn’t seen this kind of fear over a snake or spider, or anything of this earth. She stared to him expectantly. She wanted to know.
2:27
Restless Dreams nodded weakly, trying to keep himself from losing it after his encounter with the shadowy doppelgänger. "yeah...what the hell was that?" He breathed, sliding down to the floor as she suggested. "There was something in there...in the darkness..." He struggled to steady himself, his hands shaking. "Something familiar and terrifying." He eventually stood up, content with leaving the fiend and the diner behind. "I found keys, I think we can get through the back with them."

The keys opened the back door and in turn a gate that led into a side alley, eventually putting them in a different part of the town. There was an unsettling sound that they could hear intermittently, like shuffling footsteps that continued when they stopped. "This place creeps me out." He muttered, glad to not be alone.
2:46
Renata echoed the words, “Familiar and terrifying?” She didn’t know what he meant at all, but she knew if it horrified him so much, it had to be awful. As he stood, she nodded, willing to follow him. But she didn’t reveal what she was to him yet. Here and now? It would only add to his fear. “Oh? Then let’s see what we can find. If you want? I can stick by. I’m… Not scared of much. I’ve been through a lot.” She even stated far too calmly. “Someone.. Tried to kill me on the way here. I got away unscathed, though...” That shuffling sound put her on alert, as neither of them moved. She glanced to him and made a hushing motion. She listened more carefully. Was it coming closer? Further away? She had to know. She seemed far less on edge that he was, but what she had said could have cleared that up. But that wasn’t even the half of it.
2:56
Restless Dreams listened intently, more grateful for her presence than he could ever express. "I'm glad you're here." He said softly, feeling a pang of sadness and disgust at her next words. "Oh god...I'm just glad you're okay. We'll find the cops and file a police report, don't worry." He went quiet upon her signal, indeed that sound was getting closer. Suddenly he felt an unusual sensation, almost like a premonition, one that embodied a sense of danger. He pulled her into a side alley and behind a dumpster, the two crouched as something horrifying shuffled down the street. It was a female with very voluptuous anatomy, with doll like skin and long blonde hair. It was dressed in revealing clothing, and in "her" hands she wielded a boxcutter knife. She looked around slowly, her head moving in an almost robot fashion, before she vanished into an open doorway. "Who was that?" He muttered, afraid to find out as he sensed nothing but danger from the mysterious woman. His hand gripped Renata's shoulder tightly, and he was hit with more fragments of blurry memory. "She's after me...I just know it..."
3:02Renata
/nodded. “I… Really have nowhere else to go. But sure, we can do that.” She remembered the car. The plate number. The sick bastard’s face, especially when he cut her and she didn’t bleed. As he tugged her aside, she watched silently. Who or whatever she was? She wasn’t any kind of normal human. Perhaps Renata herself wasn’t even detected, considering she had no pulse and her breathing was only reflexive. Perhaps she didn’t need to? It was mostly a comfort she needed to feel like she was still human. But she knew deep down? She wasn’t. What if she was the same as that thing? Yet when he jumped to that conclusion, she tipped her head. “Do… You know why?” Just what the hell was going on here?
3:12
Restless Dreams shook his head, he couldn't explain it, but the woman simply horrified him. He knew she wanted to hurt him, he could sense it somehow. "I don't know, but that woman is incredibly dangerous. We need to avoid her at all costs." He stood up slowly, it was best they get out of there before she came back. "Let me try something." He said, retrieving the keys he'd picked up earlier from his pocket. He touched them gingerly, willing his mind to work like it did before. Suddenly he saw it, flashes of imagery. An old car, a hotel lobby, was this a lead? "Come on, I think I know where to go."

They'd soon find the place he'd seen in his clairvoyant vision, an old hotel that overlooked the streets. Inside the lobby it was warm and lively, and much to his surprise a handful of people sat inside. "Woah, you two look like a mess." The single staff member said, the russet haired man looking them up and down. He appeared to be in his 40s, with kind eyes and a weathered smile. Three others were playing poker in the lounge, not seeming to care about the state of their town. "What's going on here? Where is everyone." The dreamer asked, the staff member seemingly surprised at his words. "Going on? Well the storm is pretty bad but there's nothing to be so jumpy about. Why don't you two take a room and get cleaned up?" He suggested, walking over to the desk and retrieving a key off the hook. Room 2C, second floor read the tag. The dreamer looked to Renata with concern, unsettled by the sudden change of scenery, even if the warm lighting and safety of the building was a welcome change. "Some folks left their luggage behind, feel free to take anything in your size." The staff member said, handing Renata the key.
3:27
Renata was rather confused. What he was doing baffled her. Was he psychic? How did he know what to do? She was well aware the woman was dangerous. She was armed and dangerous, and Renata was pretty sure she wasn’t even human. She wasn’t really sure she could even do much against her, even though she couldn’t exactly bleed. But when he seemed to have an idea, she nodded. She was eager to go somewhere else after that incident.
The hotel seemed so out of place compared to the dreary streets and how eerily silent the rest of the town was, but this was fine. She replied calmly. “Yes, I’m.. Afraid we were both caught in a little downpour.” She laughed, trying to pretend nothing bizarre had happened. The storm, hm? What they encountered wasn’t really that impressive in her book, but her metaphoric book was making less sense as more pages were being written. “That sounds like a good idea. Thank you.” She accepted the key, but gave her companion a strange look. Wandering down the hall, she only whispered to him, “This feels… Too convenient. Did you notice he didn’t ask for pay? Nothing is free. I feel like this is some kind of trap…” She was suspicious, too. She paused at their door. She didn’t know if she wanted to open it or not. And though it was supposed to be vacant, she rapped her knuckles on the door, listening for any response.
3:38
Restless Dreams nodded in agreement, wary of the staff member. "I want to say small town hospitality, but I can't be too sure. I didn't get any warnings from him, so maybe that's a good sign." He was relieved to get out of the rain, he was caked in mud and soaked to the bone, his clothes were beginning to chafe his skin. "I'll keep an eye on things, if it looks bad we leave." There was no response, thankfully the room was empty and seemed secure. There was a bed and some furniture, an old TV that was playing a black and white cartoon about an anthropomorphic goat, and a bathroom with a tub/shower combo. The amnesiac began to rummage through the room, finding a button down shirt and jeans that seemed close enough to his size. "If you want to get cleaned up I'll stand watch." He offered, using a chair to barricade the door just in case the manager was shady or something. He shed his jacket, and much to his surprise noticed something he hadn't before. Bandages on his wrist, when peeled off they showed a nasty scar on his wrist, and more importantly a hospital wristband. "Adrien Winters...I guess that's me."
3:39Renata
(I'll be a moment.)
Restless Dreams
(take your time)(
4:02Renata
Of course she wanted to get cleaned up. But she didn’t accept anything in the luggage. She was still lugging around an unnecessarily large backpack, and strangely enough? She kept most things in plastic bags. She pulled a few out, picking a few articles of clothing. Was everything she wore grey or black? “I… Did this because I didn’t know what elements I would be in.” She explained a little more. “Some things came up and I had to get away from my family and friends. I didn’t think they’d understand.” She was a runaway. Someone was probably looking for her. However, not like this. When he discovered his name, she chuckled. “Well, that’s one mystery solved.” She took some travel-sized bottles out of her luggage. Shampoo. Conditioner. Bodywash. She had definitely come prepared. She took her clothing selection into the bathroom and closed the door. The water began to run. She was glad to have a shower, really.
4:09
Restless Dreams listened to the water run, his eyes drifting from the black and white TV to the door occasionally, the steam that came from underneath fascinating him. He felt that strange sensation again, like a yearning that he'd long since repressed. His eyes drifted again, finding something surprising on the TV. A cartoon man in a suit was looking directly at him, a smile on his face. "Heya buddy, you starting to remember?" The man asked, causing Adrien's heart to skip a beat. "Who are you?" Adrien asked uneasily, afraid that he was losing it again. "I'm your friend, don't worry." The cartoon man replied, waving a gloved hand playfully. He moved in that odd rubbery way those old cartoons did, pouring himself a drink from an antique brandy bottle. "We've got some catching up to do. But for now you'd better avoid that crazy broad with the knife, as smoking hot as she is." He gestured to his side, seemingly at the door. "Anyway...I think I'm losing you, go out there and do what you do best." With that the cartoon returned to normal, leaving Adrien in a daze. He stood up slowly and walked towards the bathroom door, pushing it open and slowly stepping inside. He stared at the woman through the shower curtain, a dazed look in his dark brown eyes. It was if he was detached from his own body, tugging it along with strings.
4:16
Renata really was enjoying the shower. She missed the feeling of the hot water pounding on her back. The lather of the shampoo in her hair. The sound of it falling on the wet floor and rinsing past her feet was… So nice. But she got this feeling she was being watched and was almost afraid to look. Don’t look. She told herself. Whatever you do… Don’t look. Against her own advice? She looked. “ADRIEN! WHAT THE FUCK!?” She was furious. And here she was, thinking she could trust him. She lobbed a bottle of shampoo at him. “Get out. NOW. I’m almost done!” She covered herself to the best of her ability. If she were capable of blushing, she would’ve been beet red.
4:21
Restless Dreams didn't move, even when the bottle of shampoo hit him square in the face. He simply stared, feeling something stir deep inside of him. The shampoo bottle began to spin on the floor, as if some unseen force was manipulating it. "I...I don't feel right." He said softly, his eyes moving up and down her body, taking in every single detail. "What's happening to me?" He asked, unable to take his eyes off her body. The shampoo bottle burst open, squirting liquid all over the floor. The lights flickered a bit, and he could feel the dull pain in his head throb.
4:27
Renata wanted to be angry at him. She didn’t want his eyes on her naked form. It was embarrassing. But it became clear to her that something much worse than that was happening. Despite not liking what she had to do, she stepped out of the shower and guided him to sit down on the closed toilet seat. “Just… Sit down. Close your eyes. And… Breathe in… Breathe out.” She kept one hand on shoulder, letting go only to wrap a towel around herself. She could forgive him. Just this once. Because surely, he wasn’t quite right, was he?
4:33
Restless Dreams let Renata guide him, sitting down and following her directions to stabilize. "Right..." He said, exhaling after a deep inhale, focusing on her to bring him back to their world. He touched her bare arm, noticing the cooling flesh after being in the warm, shower, but not minding. She'd receive flashes of a forgotten life this time, a man who greatly resembled Adrien was pleading with an unseen person, enduring their verbal lashing out while remaining calm and reasonable. She could feel hurt, emotional damage inflicted by someone he cared about. Repressed feelings of desire, a need for intimacy, fear of losing someone and at the same time wanting them to pull the trigger and remove him from their life. He suddenly look up and their eyes met. In an instant he stood up, pushing her against the wall. He stared her down intently, his heart beating like a machine gun firing off its magazine. He felt...different, not like myself. His hand caressed her face, the flesh cooling his skin.
4:43
Renata grew dizzy when the visions played out in her mind, somewhat unstable. She could feel everything. and her eyes watered. She wasn’t even sure if she was capable of crying anymore, but she certainly could. She felt pity and sorrow for this person, but was this actually Adrien? When her grey eyes met his brown ones, everything was blurred by tears, though they hadn’t quite rolled down her cheeks. But pushed against the wall, she let out a shocked gasp and froze in place The caress of his hand to her face caused her to turn away, and she took hold of it. “Adrien…” She spoke calmly. “I need you to tell me what’s going on. Now.” She had no idea what was going on with him, but… There was no way to explain this.
4:47
Restless Dreams shook his head, seemingly to faze in and out of the trance. "I don't know...I have these horrible memories, but they're like broken glass." He slipped back in, his cold eyes staring her down. It was as if with each pass they were from dark brown to...black almost. He placed a hand on her shoulder, moving it lower before yanking down the towel she wore. He started to move further, but then his eyes lightened and he stepped back. "Oh my god...I'm so sorry..." He felt his head ache further, as if he was struggling to keep himself intact. He was incredibly aroused, as evident by the bulge that had pushed into Renata's leg before he stepped back. "Stop it!" He yelled angrily, suddenly the mirror cracked, as if some unseen force had impacted it.
4:56
Renata did her best to understand, but it was an entirely foreign aspect to her. But she could tell he was fighting to keep whatever was taking over. She felt some level of sympathy for him. Or she did. Until the towel had been stripped from her. But he didn’t do it. Whatever it was did. “Adrien, please…” She grasped for another towel before she felt a bulge press into her thigh. Before he could even yell, she took his shoulders and shoved him away, fleeing from the bathroom and pulling her clothes with her to get dressed. She was both confused and angry. She had no idea what was happening, but she knew nothing like this would have happened if she had just got off somewhere else.
5:01
Restless Dreams fought to keep whatever it was at bay, the horrible thing that wanted to harm his friend. The walls of the bathroom began to dent and rupture, as if they were being pummeled by a sledgehammer. The shower rod collapsed and twisted, and the toilet tank ruptured open. "Renata?" He called out, feeling the loss of control subside slowly. "I'm sorry, but whatever that was wasn't me." He kept the door closed with his mind, just in case the damned thing tried to make another attempt to control him. "Just...get out of here...I don't want to put you at any further risk." He sank to the bathroom floor, the anger burning out into a dark nothing, an empty void that was all too familiar to him.