Back in the real world

So it's been a while since I've posted, sorry to keep everyone worried about me.

It's Maya by the way, I'm back from my temporary stop in the worlds worst out-patient center.

Nothing against Paul, my stomach feels like he actually made my wound worse somehow... even if it's fully stitched up like a professional did it... That raises questions really. I guess I can't stay mad at him for what happened.. I mean I kinda get it now, why he's doing what he's doing.

I've seen what the Sanctuary is, and I'm being told it's okay to spill the beans on what I know about it.

I woke up about a day or two ago, I was out for... shit days now.. Paul was sitting in his reading chair thumbing through some E-book on his tablet, when he noticed I was up he set the tablet down and just looked at me through his one good eye, he wasn't wearing the bandages at the time, I could see the scar where his eye was, his arm was still slinged but he was able to hold the tablet in his arm, which was impressive considering his arm was broken a few days before.

"I'm glad to see you awake hon..." He says, not smiling.

I had a hard time replying, he felt... just so frankly unreal, I know Manic had posted about how... freaky and unreal he seems, but experiencing it was something different.

"Yeah.. I... Ow..." I winced... I guess I was still recovering

"You still need to rest Maya, that weapon almost went clean through you, we barely got you put back together"

"Who's we?"

"Don't worry about it."

I didn't push at that one, Paul must of had access to someone with some medical skills needed to fix me up.

"Paul.... Where are we?" At this point, the layout of the room was the exact same as the layout of his apartment, down to the finest details, but looking out the window I only saw a sort of mist, like a perpetual grey fog that stretched out as far as I could see, no end in sight.

"This is my Sanctuary. My resting place when I'm not out in the real world, where we are at, is basically side-steeped between Planes of existence, in the mist between worlds... I guess a good way of explaining it is the Astral Plane, though I'm not sure that fits. I know here's safe, here my needs are met, I can rest, and rejuvenate, for my trips to the real world, so I can get what I want from there"

"You mean like revenge? I mean that's why you ended up in Pittsburgh right? because of Ryan?"

Paul smiles and sits by me in bed  "Actually, I wanted to go somewhere safe when I left the path, yes I wanted revenge, I wanted it so bad that I actually ached for it in my very soul... but at that point, I wanted to be safe.. and here I am, I'm outside of our own world, I'm beyond even the Slenderman's reach, a tiny world, created by my own will alone"

"That just happens to look like your apartment"

"Well I did feel comfortable there" He half smiles and hands me a bottled water

"Paul this place isn't real, this isn't your real apartment, this is a mock up, a set, like some kind of stage play, you may feel safe here, and I do too, but Antonio's still out there, and he's alone now, we need to go back there and find him, bring him here, regroup and decide how were going to stop Ryan and-" Paul cuts me off sighing

 "Maya, here we don't have to worry about it, not right now, I wish I could bring Antonio here, but he's a proxy, he's far to tied to the Slenderman to live here, hell my weapon can't even be here because, this place is Antithesis to the weapon, and Proxies as well" He stands up and paces back and forth waiving his good arm about. "Besides why the hell should I go back there except to kill Ryan, that world *Killed* me, I *Died* in that world... at this point the whole damn world can go to hell as long as I can keep the two of us safe"

I pulled myself to my feet, and slaped Paul hard "Fuck you Paul!, Fuck you! Antonio is our friend, and what of Lucia, and Manic, I will *Not* Abandon the two of them, or anyone we know, to stay in this... Dollhouse you made for yourself."

I give him the sternest look I can muster grabbing my guts in extreme pain "Send me back... you can have your so called 'Sanctuary', I'll take the real world any fucking day of the week"

Paul guides me back to bed, and gets me comfortable, I can tell he's deeply hurt... he just says one more thing that day, before he steps out... I later find out this was to talk to Manic... I guess now that I'm caught up that Manic explained how tired and worn out he was, I guess I know why, I mean he must not have slept at all while watching over me.

He got back a few hours later, he sat back down in the chair, I pretended to be sleeping at this point, I just didn't want to deal with his selfish ass, I felt like a prisoner at this point... I was wrong of course...

All he did was sit back down in the chair and started reading that book again... A while later I fell back to asleep

***************************************

I woke up the "Next" day, to a scream, Paul had fallen asleep at some point, and he apparently didn't have a great dream... I woke up, looking around Paul was no longer in the room... I got up. much easier this time, my wound healed a shocking amount over night, and found splashing water on his face in the bathroom... his arm was out of the sling, he noticed me in the mirror... with his one eye and he just said one thing...

"Bad dreams...."

I just nodded and went to the kitchen to get something to eat.. I was pretty damn hungry by that point...

Paul joined me later and sat down... he had severe bags under his eyes and I could tell he only went to sleep, not because he wanted too, but probably because his body forced the issue...

"I thought about what you said last night Maya" He looked at my sternly "Maybe I do need to spend more time out there, Ryan won't kill himself while I hide in here... I need you to rest one more day, then I'll send you back,  and this time.... I'll be there as well..."

I smile at him, even if he still creeps me the fuck out with that "I'm real but not real" shit about him.

"Okay Paul, we'll do this together... the three of us, we'll beat Ryan.... together"

***************************************

Paul is behind me, his arm heals unnaturally fast, though his eye is not healing at all, he told me it was the price he paid for being able to do what he can now do, I'm just about to call Antonio... were getting the team back together... and maybe.... Just maybe, we'll win this fight. I know Lucia sent me the invite to crash over at Antithesis, although Paul seems inclined to pass on it, something about how he has no place there.... I'm tempted to take her up on it, even if I'm not a proxy....