49 Just Like Mine

"What one thing?" Mrs. Jackson inquired. The way Lillian had brought her eyebrows together as she thought about her next words, it had intrigued the lady's curiosity in knowing more about the matter, or more specifically, the young lady who was sitting across her.

"I don't know how to say it in words, but I have been getting these nightmares recently. I mean from what I can recall." Lillian answered her slowly. She still found it weird talking about it out loud.

"What are these nightmares exactly about if you don't mind me asking?" The lady continued with her questions, trying to know more.

"About a young girl. I see a young girl in my dreams, and there's this lady with her. The woman is usually either scolding her, or watching her getting punished." Lillian continued.

"Do you think you know her? Any of the two figures you keep seeing in your dreams?" Mrs. Jackson asked, wanting her to be more specific with her descriptions.

"I think I do." Lillian took a deep breath in before she continued. "I think I know both of them, especially the young girl. She… she-" She stopped abruptly, not knowing whether to continue further or not.

"Lillian? What about the young girl?" It was Blake this time who had spoken up. He was quietly listening to it all, watching her from the sidelines, as he took down some notes in his mind. But he couldn't continue to stay quiet after seeing how she was trembling a little. She had her nails digging in his arm which showed how scared, and frightened she was.

"The girl…" Lillian trailed off again as she brought herself to look up at Blake. "I think the girl is me." She breathed out, finally saying it all out loud.

"Why do you think so?" Blake asked her as his eyes locked on her mistful eyes. For some unknown reason, he could feel her fear as he gazed into the bottomless green pits which were looking back at him.

"S-she has green eyes." Lillian gulped down a mouthful of saliva as she recalled one of her nightmares. "Just like mine."

"Just like yours." The words left Blake's thin lips, overlapping with the young lady's words.

Mrs. Jackson, who was watching from her place how the mind of these two worked in sync, could only smile to herself. She knew it wouldn't take long for Blake to find his perfect match. If the girl did choose to stay around here, or at the base, sooner or later, she would turn out to be his replica. Someone who was cold, and cruel, and had nothing to worry about.

"So, Lillian? You told me that you don't remember seeing anything from her past, yet you see yourself in your nightmares. Did I get it right?" She cleared her throat and asked her.

"Yes." Lillian bobbed her head up and down after shifting her attention back to the lady. "I only remember having it from last week." She clarified. "It's usually the same old dream with the woman punishing me, I mean the young girl. I don't see the other person's face clearly, but some maid is also there in the room." She explained it to her while keeping her words minimal. She didn't want to tell the lady about what followed next.

"What kind of punishment?" But she didn't know that it was of no use. She was still asked about the question she was dreading to answer the most.

"It's...it's…" She began, but quickly trailed off as soon as she started. It was hard talking about it before someone she barely knew. Lillian doubted that she would be fine talking on the same matter before Blake alone as well.

Every time she saw the dream, she felt like it was her who was being punished right there and then. And the fear of having to go through with it would wake her up. It was funny how she never found it painful.

"Can we not talk about this now, please?" Seeing how tattered she looked with her slight trembling, Blake spoke up in between, not wanting to let her or the doctor continue with her words any further.

"Alright. If that's what you want." The lady gave up straight away as she knew Blake had a point. There was no use of pushing Lillian any further in her current situation. Moreover, she had gotten enough information about the girl to tell what was going on with her.

"Lillian? If you don't mind, can I ask you about one more thing?" Mrs. Jackson asked her, giving her a wide smile. "Actually, it will be two things, but really minor ones." She corrected herself as soon as she realized her mistake.

"I think I will be fine with that." Lillian gave her a nod without thinking much over her words. As long as it had nothing much to do with her nightmares, she was okay with it.

"Did you also get a nightmare last night? And when you do get them, do you recall waking up with some pain?" The lady asked her, too careful with her choice of words. She wouldn't want to force her thinking about it too much.

"No, and no." Lillian shook her head frenetically as she answered her. "I didn't get any nightmares last night. To tell the truth, it was after so long that I actually slept well. And to your other question, it's a no as well. I don't wake up with any pain. I might be startled at times, but there is definitely no pain involved." She explained her initial answer to the lady without waiting for the lady to ask her.

"Noted!" Mrs. Jackson gave her a nod with the same smile before she began to pack her bag. "I will leave now. I will see you soon once the reports are out, Lillian." She added, getting up from her place. "Blake, won't you walk me out?" She passed her bag to the man who finally got his arm out of Lillian's grip.

Seeing that he had to hold the bag, Lillian had let go of his arm, though not so fondly.

"Sure." Blake gave the doctor a nod before he turned his attention back to Lillian. "You can rest for a while here then you can either find your way to Katherine, or do as you please. Just don't get lost in here. I will be busy for a while." He added only to get a couple of nods from her.

"See you later then." He continued with a smile before he began to follow the doctor out of the room which now belonged to Lillian.

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