River quietly crept into the commons room. It was asleep and contained. The only thing holding it back was a thin leather strap which could be easily broken. It held her pencil hostage intertwine with its silver trichomes. She didn’t know how it had possessed her pencil but she wanted it back, only if she could reach far enough to get her pencil with out awaking it. She stretched as far as she could over it carefully. She knocked over the symbol. It fell to the ground, but it didn’t wake it. River froze a moment and watched it sleep. Up, down, up, down, it rose and fell, it was still sleeping. River attempted again to free her pencil from the silver trichomes. It stirred. River jerked back. She watched it up, down, up, down, it rose and fell, and it was still sleeping. Taking a deep breath she tired again to free her pencil. It made a noise. She froze and looked down. The eyes opened.

Screaming River ran out of the room. It was awake.

“Preacher what the sphincter hell is going on? Did you give River one of your sermons? Is that why she ran out the room screaming like a monkey hopped up on drops? ” Mal asked as he walked into the room.

“I don’t know…I must of fallen asleep reading.” Book rubbed his face. “I should talk to her…I may know what is troubling her.” Book got up.

“Good. See to that. Can’t have her screaming like that. Hurts my ears.” Mal said as he rubbed his ear. He patted Book on the back and continued on his way.

Book knocked on River’s door. “River?” No answer. He called out again. “River I think…”

Simon comes up. “What’s wrong Shepherd?”

“I think I startled your sister.” He rubbed his fingers through his hair. Simon opened River’s door.

“River? She not here…”

“I might know where she might be.” Book headed for the cargo bay with Simon following behind him. He goes to her hiding spot under the cargo bay stairs. Book bent down. “River, I told you before its part of my order…”

“Thousands of silver trichomes. Like the Sirens calling out.”

Wash and Zoë come up behind Book and Simon. “What are