I don't expect you to believe this but you're safe here. You can do whatever you want and no one will stop you, though it'd be good to have a way to communicate if other people needed you to give them space or something.

There it is. Communication program. Okay. Well, there's worse things they could do.

She doesn't write back; she waits for them to start.

They don't.

...maybe they want her to leave her hiding place first? She's not sure she wants to cooperate that much. On reflection, though, making them come here if they are willing to leave her alone if she cooperates would be worse in every way.

She goes and sits just outside it and waits, tense and watchful.

People pass by, singing! There are still street vendors. At the appropriate time someone comes by with food, smiles to see her out of her hiding place, sets it down, and leaves.

Being around people is still overwhelming and painful. She ignores the food; when no one else has approached her after another hour, she goes back in, writes a note, and curls up trembling.

What do you want from me?

Nothing. I don't expect you to believe me about that.

Yeah, she doesn't.

Who are you?

My name is Rúmil. I work in the palace here. I was a prisoner in Utumno when I was younger so I asked people if I could communicate with you. You said you're not from there but you react as if you experienced something similar.

I was

I

It

I'm

If I tell you you'll send me back.

I guarantee you I would never do that, but I do not expect you to believe me. I don't need an explanation. Expecting you to react as if you were in Utumno has worked pretty well so far so we can just keep doing that.

Well.

Can I ask you about Utumno?

Of course.

How did you get out?

The Valar found out about what was going on there and tore it down and freed everyone. I didn't believe I was free for a long time but I mostly do now.

I don't know about Valar.

Back where I was, her handwriting is very shaky, almost illegible, if you let them make you what they want you to be they'll let you go.

She's curled up and unresponsive again when they find this one.

There's nothing I want you to be. Promise. 

The Valar are powerful magic beings who make sure that there's enough here for everybody. I've asked them not to bother you because it seems likely that you'd find them very scary. 

It takes a couple days for her to pull herself together enough to respond.

Why?

Because they're powerful?

They tore down Utumno.

Yes. They are very good and I am very happy to know them. If you want to meet them you can.

What are they like?

What kinds of things do they want?

They want Valinor to be a nice place to live. They are - very strange, because they are a different species and don't know how to be like people, but they want to be people we can feel safe around. They would probably offer to help you but I do not know how much they could do, and they would not do anything if you said 'no' or got scared and didn't say anything.

Okay.

I think if they tore down places where I'm from people would just put them back.

They also took the person who built it and made sure she could never hurt anyone again, and they invited us here to Valinor where we'd be safe from the other people who'd been responsible.