“ I’ve done everything as you say, followed your rules without question.” The girl turned up the volume on her c.d. player as she sang along with the song. She crawled along the floor picking up all the used Kleenex and other assorted garbage to be jammed into her trash can. “ I may never know the answer to this endless misery.”

She continued to sing with the music absentmindedly, placing the song on automatic repeat as she moved to sit on the carpeted floor for a moment, leaning against a bookcase. Suddenly nothing seemed to be right, like her room shouldn’t exist.

This isn’t right! The girl looked down at her arms and noticed the old and still healing scars there. What’s happening? Shaking her head once to ignore the feeling that this entire scenario wasn’t right, she went back to straightening up her blue and white room.

“ River? River wake up.” Simon shook her shoulder, causing River to jerk her head off the pillow, eyes wide as she took in the look and feel of her real room on the Serenity. “ River, its time for your medicine.” Simon whispered, trying to get River off her bed and into the infirmary.

River just shook her head slightly and went to get off the bed and follow Simon silently into the shade.