Focus and Meditation

I walked over to Paws and placed my hand on her neck first to make sure she was still alive. She was still breathing, and still ****. Then, I turned my head to the Reality Ring on my finger. In theory, this plan of mine should work. Then again, in theory, a ring that can bend reality shouldn’t exist in the first place.

I closed my mind and tried to clear away my thoughts. If there was one thing that the Ancient Pangolin would say, it was that “Anything can be accomplished with a clear mind.” I opened my eyes and looked at Paws again.

To anyone else, she was just sleeping, peaceful and relaxed. No sign of the bloodlust or viciousness that she exhibited before. She looked calm.

Gently, I placed my hand on Paws and began to focus on the strange fogginess that I was in before. I closed my eyes and fixated on Friendly Paws. “Come on… Paws… Let me find you again.” Slowly, I felt the world around me shift and fade away. “Where are you?”

Then, everything vanished around me. I opened my eyes and found myself in the same gray fog that I did earlier. “Great, it worked.” I looked down and was terrified to see that the Reality Ring was no longer on my hand. I could still feel its presence and power, but I couldn’t see it. I tried to focus on it, but I couldn’t seem to channel it. “Guess I’m on my own for this one.”

Slowly, I began to take steps forward, not really in any direction. I just started moving in whatever felt right. I passed by areas of her mind, memories of her time as a hero, the battles she fought, the people that she saved. All of these ever-present in her mind. In fact, they were incredibly present.

As I began to make my way further and further out of this fog, I began to notice more memories involving her protecting people. But, something was wrong. All of them were distorted and twisted. It was still Paws protecting people, but something about it gave off a sinister feel. I clutched my arms around myself and kept moving forward.

“Friendly Paws?” I asked out loud, hoping that I’d hear some kind of response. “Wait, of course she won’t respond to me. Duh, she’s still out cold.” I tapped myself silly on the head. “Still, it’s so weird being in someone’s mind. But what’s with all of the fog and the weird memories?”

As I progressed deeper, a large platform came into view with stairs leading up. With caution, I slowly made my way up. I could hear the faint sound of something buzzing, almost like an old bulb left on. It got progressively louder and louder as I got closer and closer to the top. Then, as I reached the top, I saw a strange sight.

Suspended in the air by her wrists above her head was Friendly Paws, chained up and quiet. She didn’t seem to notice me at all. Her eyes were glazed over and she looked like she had been hanging there for awhile. She was staring ahead at a sort of chair.

Sitting in the chair was also Friendly Paws, but this one seemed more feral and untamed. There was an air of ferocity and **** that surrounded that one. However, she was also curled up in the chair. Thankfully, it didn’t seem as though she noticed me as well.

There wasn’t anything else of note on the platform. No devices or monitors or anything. It was just the two Friendly Paws, one barely awake and the other fast asleep. Once it was clear that neither was going to move or notice me, I began to make my way towards the cage.

“Psst, Friendly Paws. Is that you?” I whispered to the Paws in the cage.

Slowly, she turned her head as she blinked a few times. “What the?” she asked softly.

“Hey, my name is Hera Clarke. Big fan.” I gave her a little sheepish wave. “Uh, I’m here to save you?” To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what I was doing at all. All I knew is that one Friendly Paws was locked and tied up and the other radiated ****, so I sure as hell was going to free up this one. “How can I get you out of here?”

It took the Friendly Paws in the cage a few seconds to realize what was going on, then her face took on one of concern. “You gotta get out of here! Don’t let her see you! Go!”

“What? Who? Her?” I asked, pointing to the asleep Friendly Paws.

“No, not her, it’s-” The faint buzzing grew louder and loud. “She’s coming to check in. Quick, hide!”

Taking her advice to heart, I quickly looked around for any place that I could hide in. But, again, the platform was empty except for the chair and the cage. So, with very very limited options, I ran down the stairs and hoped that I was out of sight of whoever it was that Paws was afraid of.

“F̷͉͙͚̘͉̳̗̹͉̯̮̒͂̀̒̓̓̉͑́́̏̆̃͜ͅṛ̸̡̣̱͔̲͚͚̦̲͕͉͚̘͑̇̀̀̽̃̾̀͐̽̈̇̀͑̕͝͠ĭ̶̢̬̹̠̰͔̘̟̣̹̯̯͈̹̒͜e̸̩̻͊n̷̯̆͋̉̒̈͒̀̽̂̓̚͝d̵̛̛̘͇̖̬̖͚̜͉̮́͂͐̅̏͐̈́͘ļ̷͎̝̜̞̠̮̲͉̤̪̀̂̃̋̿ỷ̸̡̘̬͓̮͓̞̬͖͉͋̔̇͗̽͐͌̑̉̊̚͜͜ ̵̛̠͍͉̲̪̼̜͙̻̄̃͋͆͆̍́̏̂̑̄̈́̒͘̕ͅP̸̢̛̘͍̘͍̳̞̩̘̻͕̞̜̠̉̄̿̈́̃̓̐̓̊̒̈̀̕ḁ̵̬͖̗͉̒̅̈w̸̛̯̪̬̠̲̮̤̪̲͙̓̂̃̒̈̌̊́̋͘̚͘ş̵̛̻̌̾̃̓̈̌͑̾̽͂̆̇̚͝͝,̶̡̧̨̢͇̘͎̼̜͖̙͙͑̓̇̽͠ ̴̺̪̠̩̂͗͛̇̑̅̀́͌͒̈́̄̉̾̌̅̚s̷̡̧͖̺̳̼̣̈́t̴̰͆̐͛̔͑ą̵͖̪̺̗̣͉͕̻͓̙͍̘̖̖̀̆͊͂̓͋́̃͑͝ͅt̶̛̥̥̰͎̻͓̭͙̜̘̤̺̓̋̀̂̏̈́͋̈́͐̌̓̂̏̀̕͜͜͝ͅu̸̡̳̱͔̳͎͓̩̭͊͛̒ͅs̸̯͎̠̰̪͍̬̺̻̰͋͗̈̍͝͝͝͝ ̸̨̡̟̲͓̤̰̱͇̼͖̜̪͕̰̻͐̀̿r̷̪̦̱̼͒͊͆̎̈́̑̎͂͌̾͜͠͝ę̶̥̩̣̤͇̰͙̠̜͙̩̗̼̋̈́͆͆͝p̶̨̧͉̦͙̞̻̩̱̹̯̎̀̈͆̆̌o̵͎͚̠̦̺͚̭̝̘̯̦̳̙͒̑̒́̒͌̚͠͝ͅr̴͎̳̘̬͕̮͗t̸̫͕͗͌͑́͒̉̊̃̂̍͗͆̂͝͝.” I clutched my head in my hands as the voice echoed in my skull. It felt like nails in a blender, but I did my best to avoid screaming in pain.

“I dunno what happened,” I heard the Friendly Paws from the cage say. “She just kinda passed out. I haven’t really been paying much attention.”

“W̶̜̄̓̀a̴̧̨̧̧̛̗̹͙̳͉͖̼̗͐͊̾̊́̿̈́͋̈͛̊̂̿̂̚̚ͅk̶̛͇͔̮̻͎̦̼͗̈́̔̎̈́̊̽͘͝ȩ̷̛̛̪̦͈̩̘̠̬͙͉͔̼͖̝̞̯͑͒̾̀̑̎̇ ̵̧̝̺̩͓̳̗̲̯̗̘͙̍̒̓̇̏̉̃͊̀͜͠͝u̸̧̡͈̮͍͈̞̭̪̺̥̥̖͑̍̊͜͜͜͠p̵̨̡̛͖̲̭̥̫̬̳̝͙̱̓́͋͊̕̚͜͝,̷̢̢̙̩̬̱͎͉͙̤̻͙̘̥͖̦͆͐̓̇͌̑̿͌̄̆̽̄͌̐͜ ̷̛͚̂͆͒̄̀̓́F̷̢̛̳͓̞̫̩̜̙̩̟͒̓̔̋͋̆̆͑̓͘̕ȓ̷̢͈̪̳̰̹̬͔̖̰̥̳͕͋̏̉́͗̍̅̍͛̀͗͂͝ͅį̵̤͕̱̙̬͔̳̝̞͐̎̇͑̽́̃̅͗̓̒̆̎e̶͕̍͠n̴̢͍̱̗̳̞̫̦̻͇̗̖͋̀̐̊̆͂͆͗ͅd̴̡̛̮̮̮̲̥̘̗͚͕͍̬͔̀̀̇̑͗͋̄̏́̈́͒̅͐̕l̷̬͔̲͠y̷̱̥̭͚̯͍̖͙̜̩̻̞̔̈́͒̆̂̉̀̂̄͘͠͝ͅ ̴̧̺̜̗̤͎̺̻̬͉̘̗̼͍́͜͜P̴̥͛̂́̉͒̂̀͛̀̈́̀̿́̀͛̚a̷̙̱̩͍̹̾̓̓̄̆̽͛̾̀̿̇̎͊͊̂͑͝w̵̰͉̄̌̾͑s̸̢̬̼̮̞͊̌̔̒̍̈́͌̍͒́̋̽͒̀͂̚!” There was a pause. “I̷̞͕̞̬͈͓̫̳̲͇̤̫̓͌͒̽̿̔̃̄̕̕͝ ̷̨̛̖̜̜͓̱͎̫̠͓͓͍̦͔̖́̉̄̓͌̂͐̉̈́͋̿͒̕͝ö̵̡͎̺̫͉͍͖̞̖̆͊̊ř̸͎͕͇̳̲͎̜̩̙͍̩̮̏̿̄͛̿̌̀̇̐̋̆̓̊̅̕͜d̶̨̧̫̻̜̰̮͍̀́̈́̇̕͜ę̵̻̂̽͜͜r̶̞̦̹̻̦̼̤̯̠͌̔́̎͒̎̓̍͐͠ ̶̧͕͈̮̜̱̺͌̎̽́̇͂̊̀͑̾͊̔̾̕y̵̛͚̪̲̞̣̪̦̹̜̟̅̏́̿̉̌̌͆̽́̆͌͝ͅǫ̴̧̡͚͍͍̟͚̪̯̻̳̩̇̋̾̄̐̆̍͒̈́̕͜͜ͅͅu̶̡̹̳̺̞̘͚͓̭͔̭͇͖̅̈́̏̽͌͑͊̒͆̈́͂̋̕͝͠ ̴̢̡̛͇̫͉͕͉̼͈͙͍̹̅̂̾ẗ̸̻̳́̌̒̒͐̅́̏̆̅̚͠͝ó̵̠̌͝ ̶̥̀̍̓̍͑͝w̷̧͕͉̖̪̩͚̗͈͉̲̺͑́͛̈́a̸̢̨̧͎̫͙̖̣̗͔̱̣͍̞̾̒͑͒̽̈́͂̃̊̈̎̈́͊̈́͘͝k̷̡͚̺͕͙̜̪͙̙̲̹̳͔̠̳̭̰͌̎͐͒̈́͋e̷̢̽̿͋͊̑̋̄̔͒̅̚͘ ̷̛̟̜̞͓̮̜̗̰̩̩͖̼̓̍̉͠ú̴̢̞͔̮͎̣̼̣͚̯̭͍́̓̀̀̓̓͘p̷̢̛͍̰̠̫̟̪͚͖̰̲̖͍̣̉͊̆̈̃͒̐̈̈́͌̍̌̑̚͜͝͝.” Again, there was a pause. “I̶̧͚̼̚ ̶̡̛͉̖̗͕̟̹̬̟͔̯̥̼̪̱̃̋̄̄̈́͗̀̐͛̈̽̈́̐̕͠ͅs̴̡̢̛̙͍̩͍̞̺̪̻̱͙̫͑̎͐̿͂̐̑̓̀̇̓͘̚̕̚e̷̡̟̣͈̤̪͍̒̽̚ȅ̷̮̞̙͚͇̔̀̋̔̀̊̂̿̇.̷̡͈͔̩̤̤͗͊̊͌̆͋̑̉̀͝͝ ̸̛̼̩̹̙̭͙͔̻̘̹̓̃́̀̈́͋͐͜͠T̴͖̰͇̣͕͎͈̘͕̻̖̦̭̞͌̋́͑̃͂̒́̈́͝ḩ̴͖̣͖̰͈̗̫̪̟̯͈͔̩̞̝̘͋̍̏͊̄̆͠ȩ̴̺̘̙̏̆́͗͋͊̒̐ň̴̨̛͍̦͙̲̝̞̱͖̾̍́̌͘͜͝,̶̡̭͇̺̩̬̖̹̰͎̱̮͋̽̀͐ ̷̗̦͍̩̮̘̥͇̺̆̀̊̾̐̑͋̃̐̎Í̸̖̟͔͚̝̬̝̱̹̄͌̆̈͠ͅ’̶̧̛̪͉̭̦̞͇̫̞l̶͔̥͇̹͚̥̤͕̪̍̍͐̈́̔̀ļ̸̧̹̲̥̜͈̦̗͖̤̯̖̞̮̩̈́̃͋͐͌ ̴̜̠̝̘͇̌̋̋̅̃̔̊͒̆̈́͘h̴̢̧̩̰̖̼̅̂̍́̄̐̑ą̴̬̪̰̹̦͙̯̤̳̠̊͆̕v̸̢̛͎̲̗̹̙̮̪̫̘̳̜͈̲͜ͅȩ̵̛̦̣͇͖͕͙͊̓͌̓̆͆͂̉͂̀̃́͘͜ ̵̢̫̳̙͍̺͔͌̓͐̓̎̋̇́̾́͘͝͠t̷͖͐̂̓́͆͐͌̊͊̾̇̀̅õ̴̢͕̱̪̳̼͙̘̙̩͈̯͌̒̉͜ ̸̨̨̳̺͇̲̯͎̳̻̖̤̙̯̣̆̽̃̓̓̒͒͛̆͛͘͝ͅs̴̯͓̮̯̹̠̤̖̣͋̇̉̈́̃̉͐ė̵̢̢̪͖͉̫̬̦͇̱̙̟̣̿̒̅̽̅̉̌̎̉͋͆̚n̶̢͚͍̙͍͚͎̤͚̭͚̣̬͙͔̹̻͗͑̒̚͘͝ḑ̷̨̧͚͈͖̟̗̼̞̰̙͎̤͔̑ ̵̧̲̰͍͔̜͓̰̠̭͈͙̩̂̒̎́̽̆́̿̆͊͂͜ͅs̶̡̛̗̩̣̣̯͚̪̘͚̖̟̪͎͐͂͘o̷͎̹̬̘͋͐̒̅̿m̶̟͍͕̱̩̗̋̾̈͑͆̍͗͋͗̅̃̃̆̓̑̕͜͝ę̷̛͎͔̻͎̩̳̭͚̗̊̐́̈͜͝͝o̶̧̨̦̹̰͓̼͚͔̦̬̓̌̆̔́̕͜n̸̡̧̘̗̣̬̲̻̘̭̼̩̗̤̝̏̋̇̍̈̾͆̃͒̅̆̎̉̀͂͛ͅe̵̝͓͂͐̌̌̿̽ ̷̨̡̧̠̫̘̭̟̣̼̲͂̄̐̈̑̇̈́͜ò̵̜̺͎̩̦̖̦̬̻̮̼̗̐̆̈́͒ứ̵͎͓̘̲̑̐̋̒̋͘̕ţ̵͎̣̮̝̙̊̍̆̔̔͝ ̷̞̖̰̖̭̓̆̿͠t̷͎̺͉̪̯̻͕̖̥͚̓̀̏́͛̂̅̕͝ô̷̥͈̆̆̃̏͂͝ ̷̛͇͔̣̹͍̈́̀̊̎͋̈́̚͝g̵̢̭̤͍̠͚̝̘͇̩̲͓̞͉̓̽̀̈̀̓̃̒́̓̅̉̈́̀̓̌͠ë̴̡̨̡͓̤͔̣̜̠̤̝̹̬̘̐̀̆̀̂͋͑̀͝t̴̬̺̭̦͔̎͑͛̂̎̅̊͋̒̀̈̓͛ ̷̧̡̟̰̪̪͔͕̠͍̪̼̤̃́͂̆̓͒̓́̽̈́̇̓̐̉͑̕͠y̶̗̖͇͓̦̘̝̘̙̜͍̜̠̠̅̾̓̈́͂͑͒̓̇͘͜͝͝ộ̷̘̺̎̈̓̏͂̄̚͘u̴̡̢͉̠͚̘̩̩͚̱̓̆̂̎̍͜.̴͍̞̯͆́̅̈́͊̏̒̔̾̃̓̀̀͝ ̷̧̢͉͍͇͔͕̩̯̘͇͖͚͕̝̭̹̉͐͐͐͛̀͊Ș̴̛̻̹̪̲̖̠̈͗͛̀̈́̄́̈́͛̃̾u̷̝̱̘̼̘͚͚̹͠p̴̧̗͕̯͕̺̖͖͕͑p̵̬̞̹̠̞̮͖͎̻͇̮̤̙̯̫͑̃̂͋̽̓̈́̅͊͆ò̸͍̩̳̯̺̣͔͈͒̂̀̍̈́̔̿̿̏̐r̷̤̙͙̠̙̘͙̖̺̩̆̿̈́̎̉̉̇͗͊̌͆̏͘͝t̵̖̭͓̺̍̓ ̶̖̑̍͊͆͑͋͑w̵̡̯̗̗̫͓̱̩͍͓̞̳̫͖̪̬̳͑͑̾̿͠i̶̡͓̣̯̭̣̯̰̖̰͔̬͆̐͒̄͑̊̽̒͗͌̔̎̀ͅl̴̙̱̜̹͍̙͎̖̪͓͉̝̒̕ļ̵̡̢̦̹̬̰̖̒̓̈́͝ ̸͙̘̯̺̜͎̞͕͈̕b̵̹̯̟͎͚̙̪̏͒̊̌͌͜ę̴̢͍̤̳̩̤̻͉͖̱̜̞̗̬̤̥̈́̌̉̍̋͋̇̂̑̾̃̅̍̚͝͝͝ ̶̠͒̎̃̌͛́̋̇̅̈́͆̽̆̊̕͝͝ͅd̸͕̓̾͛͝͝ͅi̷͚̜̬̜͍̟̗̝̻̰̙̳̙͂͜s̴̛̛͖͙͙͔͔̮̦̗̪̣͓̲̻̞̐̉̊̾́̊̈́ͅp̴̡̡̝̜̬̹̜̍̉͒͐̋̒̿̾̎̏̉̆̌̀̕a̷͈̜͈͆̋̌ť̸̺͙̗̟̻̰̬c̶̡̢̡̖̲̖̼̰͖͗͋͒̓̋̆̐̇͝ḩ̴̳̩̝͕̮̺̹̪͈̦̠̦̟̫͑̽̈̈́͌̅͗̎͋͆̌͜͠͝e̴̼͖̫̖͚̦̞͚͖̭̻̍̃̈̂̅̂͛͠ḑ̶̧̬̪̱̘̞͔̣̹͈̫̱̲̌̈́͝ ̷̡̛̛̮̭̻͈̻̺͎̠̹̣̯͒͗̾̃́̋̀̋̒͛͛̕͝ͅs̸̨̢̛͔̝̓͌͒̆͒͑̿̓͌̆̿̂͘h̷̛̲͎̠̣̥̜̻̭̄͋̉̎͛̅̏̆̆͆̅̕͝͝o̸̡̢̡̢̪͍̖̙͔̱̥͍̰̐̔̓͑̿̄͊͂͒̉̓̓̍̕͝r̵̡̦̟̳͖̪͎͈͔͓̖̫̳̲̋̈́̈́̿̌̇̅̀̓̄̔̅͆̓̔͝t̴̤̙̉͗͆͜ļ̴̬̰̻̖̀̄̅̌͑͑̄y̷̨͇̾͌͒͝.” Then, I felt the presence of the voice leave. I crawled up a little just in time to see the Friendly Paws in the cage turned to me.

“I don’t know who you are, but if you’re from the real world, then please. Protect my body. And be safe. I don’t know who she’ll send, but I trust you.”

“Wait, what’s going on? Tell me!” I shouted out to her, but it was too late. She gave me a faint smile before the fog encroached on the platform, engulfing everything in gray.

The next thing I knew, I was back on my couch, I felt rested, Paws was still passed out, and it was now morning.