That night, as Frederick drifted asleep, his surroundings faded more quickly than usual. He had time to remind himself of his usual anchor points, along with the additional chill against his face from Amara turning up the fan, before the images drifted into view in his mind’s eye.

While studying their shapes and colors, Frederick questioned if he’d ever examined them in depth or reached out to them. He tried extending a hand, only to realize that he couldn’t feel his limbs. The revelation sent a jolt through him, and the mental images began to dissolve.

His rational side kicked in and reminded him of his objective. Taking deep breaths, he focused on slowing his heart rate and returning to his earlier relaxation. Before long, his breathing and pulse slowed until he didn’t notice either, and he resumed observing the darkness. 

The earlier images returned with more clarity. Visions of unusual locations and unfamiliar faces passed him, each one growing more vivid than the last. However, none of them showed him what he wanted, so he allowed them to pass him by without engaging with them. The process stretched on long enough that he questioned whether he’d ever find that familiar woodland lake or fisherwoman.

As if on cue, the images faded. Then, a familiar breeze brought with it the scent of pine needles and freshwater. Rustling and faint splashing followed soon after.

Frederick opened his eyes. Once again, he stood on the edge of a clear lake ringed by trees and grass. The missing cabin on the other side of the lake gave him pause at first, but he spotted it in the distance when he glanced over his shoulder. Based on the blue mixed with the orange-red gradient of the sky, he must’ve arrived earlier than usual. Hopefully, he hadn’t missed his chance to speak with the fisherwoman from earlier.

“Well, you returned sooner than I expected.”

Frederick jumped as the woman’s voice filled his head. When he stepped aside, the pins and needles sensation filled his body again. However, anticipating such a reaction prevented him from panicking, and it faded within seconds. 

He did one more scan of himself to ensure he didn’t have any other problems before searching for the fisherwoman. Like their previous interaction, she was standing where he had first arrived. She carried a fishing rod with both hands and had cast her line into the lake. A box of fishing equipment stood open next to her on an ankle-high boulder.

Unlike last time, a leather backpack hung from her shoulders. What had she packed in it?

“I like to bring snacks and drinks for when I go on longer trips,” the woman said. “It also helps to have more equipment in case I decide to travel further into the woods.”

Frederick flinched back. “How did you know…?”

“Magic, obviously.” She laughed. “Not really. I saw you eyeing my backpack, and to be honest, if I saw someone with a backpack for the first time, I’d wonder what’s in it too.”

The explanation made sense. Frederick chuckled at his earlier shock, especially when he realized the irony of the situation. Given that he was floating around her in astral form, that he would be baffled at her predicting his question amused him. Even if she had somehow read his mind, that no longer struck him as the oddest part of this interaction.

Eventually, Frederick became serious and said, “You mentioned that I returned sooner than expected. From what I can see, it looks to be the same time as when I usually get here, though it’s hard to tell without a watch.”

“Honestly, I’m not too sure, either,” the woman replied. “I’m more surprised you returned after what happened last time. I would’ve thought you’d want to avoid this place after such an ordeal.”

Frederick shuddered as flashbacks of plunging through the abyss flooded his mind. He focused instead on the mild breeze and sunshine to combat the phantom cold that threatened to encase him. Then, a question sprang to mind, and he grabbed the chance at a distraction.

“Humor me for a second. When I fell into the lake, how did it look from your side?” After another thought, he added, “Actually, how do I look in general while in this state?

Lian Hai paused to think, then replied, “It’s complicated. If I’m really focusing, I can see a faint silhouette of your approximate size and stature. More often, though, I just feel a presence. Last time, though, you just disappeared without warning and didn’t return. It’s why I’m surprised you’re back so soon.”

“When you describe it like that, I’m surprised you’re so calm addressing me,” Frederick said. “Also, I don’t blame you for being surprised. To be honest, I’ve also wondered whether coming back was a good move.”

“Then, why did you?”

“Because I don’t want to run away from something just because it scares me.” Frederick considered how to explain himself. “Call me crazy, but when I encounter something I don’t understand, my instinct is to analyze it so I can understand it better. Whether it be a problem in the real world, someone I don’t get along with, or this, I’m driven by a desire to learn.”

The woman nodded and returned to her fishing. Aside from the rustling pine tree foliage and occasional splashing in the lake, silence returned to the area.

Eventually, the floating bobber dipped under the water, and when she reeled it in, a long gray spotted fish with a light belly was biting on to the hook. Frederick expected her to lift the fish out of the lake, but she inspected it in the water before removing the hook from its mouth and letting it go free.

His confusion must’ve shown, for she said, “I already have more fish stored back in the cabin, and I don’t bother with freezing them unless they’re extra large.”

Since Frederick didn’t have much experience processing fish he caught, he just nodded. Even without knowing much, he noticed that the hook no longer had a worm. He walked over to the fishing equipment box and tried to grab one from a small container, but his hand phased through it. Aside from a faint sliminess against his fingertips, he had no results to show for his effort.

The woman laughed. “That happened to me when I first started projecting. You’ll get used to it.”

Frederick brushed his hands against his pants, hoping to cover up his blunder, when a thought occurred to him. “Wait, when you say projecting, you mean astral projection, right?”

“Yes,” she replied. “You sound surprised.”

“I’m just surprised to find someone else who does it.” He paused to think, then said, “Though from what I’ve read online, there’s a sizable community of people who do. Guess I never met them in real life.”

“Or maybe they just don’t talk about it with random people because it’ll get them looked at weirdly.” The woman gestured around the woodland lake, which lacked people aside from them. “The reason I can talk to you now is because there’s nobody out here to judge me.”

Frederick nodded in agreement. Another lull entered the conversation, in which Frederick used the opportunity to see what else he could feel while intangible. Running his hand through the grass brought a smooth and chilly sensation, while the dirt felt rougher and drier. He was about to stick his hand in the lake before recalling what happened last time he came in contact with it.

Although the woman didn’t shift her position, her gaze followed him, and her scrutiny reminded him of why he’d returned.

He stood and said, “So, from what I’m hearing, you’re pretty experienced with astral projection and out-of-body experiences in general. It’s part of why I wanted to talk to you again.”

“I figured that was the case,” she replied. “I didn’t think you just wanted to hang out and fish.”

“Well, in the beginning, I did. I thought this was all just a recurring lucid dream and that it was a relaxing getaway.” Frederick shrugged. “At least, it was until last time.”

The woman stared with her eyebrows furrowed. He turned around to see what she was looking at and didn’t find anything notable. It then occurred to him that she was staring at him, likely due to a part of his response baffling her.

Eventually, he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“So, you’ve been astral projecting all this time but somehow didn’t realize until now.” She tilted her head as she continued scrutinizing him. “How does that happen?”

The question made sense. Had Frederick been in her position, he would’ve asked it, too. Unfortunately, he didn’t have any clue to the answer himself.

“I don’t know. I still don’t know how astral projection works.” He showed his left palm. “The only reason I haven’t dismissed it off hand is because of, well, a cut I got on my hand that couldn’t have come from anything in the real world.”

She studied his palm, then said, “You mean from when you slipped out of this layer? I’ve never heard of that resulting in any bodily injuries, but there’s a lot of stuff I still don’t know.”

Frederick tried and failed to decipher her reply. “...Can you explain what that means? I’m guessing it’s another term related to astral projection.”

“If I tried to explain, it would get too confusing. It would be better if I showed you.”

“By coming into the astral plane?”

“Yes.” She turned back to the lake. “Not right now, though. I still have some daylight to burn, and I don’t want to mess up my sleep schedule.”

The prospect of waiting a few hours stirred mixed feelings in Frederick. On one hand, he didn’t want to just hang out around her while she fished before delving more into astral projection. The irony of him doing that several times before without issue didn’t elude him, but at the time, he hadn’t realized he could travel around in spirit form.

However, he didn’t want to ask this woman to bend over backward for him when she was already helping him in her leisure time. Plus, he wanted to at least try learning about astral projection on his own before getting someone else’s help.

Eventually, Frederick said, “That sounds good. No rush. I can wander around until the time comes.”

“Sure. Just don’t wander too far.” The woman turned back to him. “You want to make sure you can see this area wherever you go. Be especially careful around bodies of water wider than you. You already saw what happened when you sank into the lake. When you’re inexperienced with astral projection, even a large puddle could drag you into a new layer without you meaning to.”

Although her explanations still confused him, he knew enough to avoid a repeat incident of the previous night. He was about to start strolling around the lake when a few thoughts made him turn back.

“Hold on. I have a couple questions,” Frederick said. “First, what’s your name? If you’re going to show me more about astral projection, I might as well know.”

After a pause, she said, “That makes sense. I’m Lian Hai.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Frederick.” He almost reached out for a handshake before remembering he was intangible, then considered how to phrase his next question. “For my second question, and I hope you don’t think I'm rude for asking, why are you helping me? You already said why you didn’t mind me hanging around, but I’m surprised you’re going out of your way to show me the ropes.”

Lian Hai went still and gazed out at the lake. Her expression remained impassive, but her sudden reluctance to respond made Frederick think he may have tread on sensitive territory.

Eventually, she replied, “I don’t blame you for wondering. Since you asked, I have reasons. I remember how disorienting it was when I learned astral projection. I made some stupid mistakes, and the fall out from them was a pain to deal with. I want to help others avoid doing the same.”

“That sounds like a good goal,” Frederick said. “Any other reasons?”

“Just one. I’m hoping this can be a mutual learning experience. Just like you’re curious about what I know about astral projection, I’m curious as to how you astral projected here multiple times without realizing what you’re doing.” She turned back to scrutinize him. “Either you’re a skilled liar, you’re in deep denial, or you have something strange going on with your spirit. If it’s the third, I want to learn more.”