Clay Was Taken

Chapter 9: Friends

The sky was dark as night could be, and gloomy as a storm. Clouds covered any stars behind them. Strong gusts of wind shook even the strongest trees and tore some of the few leaves left on them off and into the sky again. 

Dream stood at the doorstep quietly, not knowing if he should go in, even though he'd lived there for several months now. He stood there plainly, preparing to look and act like nothing had happened. Trying to prepare himself to act like he hadn't committed a murder. 

Finally, he opened the door. Inside it looked as dirty and messy as it always had. It was comforting. Dream let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Things would be okay. Things would be normal.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. 7:48 PM. Not that late, but a lot later than when his friends were expecting him to be home.

But he was home. Home! Finally. 

Dream couldn't help but grin.

He walked just a bit further down the hallway into the den, where Majda and Apple were sitting, talking. 

"Hey, guys." Dream said, interrupting the steady flow of words that were being exchanged.

"Dream!" Majda smiled.

"Yeah, hey Dream. Welcome home, I guess. So where the hell were you? You were supposed to be back, like, 2 hours ago?" Apple said, with mock anger in their voice. They were just joking, trying to have fun and stir up conversation. Dream knew that, but it made him anxious anyways.

"Shut up. I'm not that late!" Dream tried to copy Apple's playful attitude. 

Majda giggles. "But really, Dream, where were you? You really should've been back-" Majda checks her old and barely working watch, "-about an hour ago. What were you doing?" 

Her voice is loving and sincere. She really doesn't need an answer. But Dream didn't know that. His hands felt clammy and his mind wasn't working well at that moment. He feels extremely anxious, but he needs to keep calm and out of suspicion. 

So he laughs half halfheartedly and says "Don't worry, I was just caught up in the view. The weather was lovely, and the sunset was beautiful."

Majda tilts her head slightly. "Really? It's been rather cold today, and you hate weather that isn't boiling hot.  But if you say so."

She and Apple turn back to each other to talk again. 

That's it. They weren't going to question him further. Thank god.

Dream started walking towards his room, until he bumped into Zada. Zada, the one who'd sent him outside in the first place. Maybe, in some way, you could say that this was partially her fault.

"Dream! Thank god. I thought you'd been like, I don't know, murdered in the streets or something. Oh my god." They hugged him tightly. He only barely managed to hug her back.

"But you are okay, right? You're okay?" Zada quickly questioned, and started looking over him for wounds.

"No, No, I'm okay! Nothing... Nothing happened!" 

Zada knew him well. "Really? Really. So why were you late?"

About a million thoughts ran through his head. What could he say?

Of course he stuck with the lie he'd told Majda and Apple. "I was just admiring the sunset. It felt really nice out today. 

"Dream. I'm not fucking stupid. You don't care about nature at all. Where were you? What were you doing? Just tell me!"

Dream felt his temperature flaring. Why didn't she believe him? What did he do wrong?

"I was really just watching the sun set! Why is that so hard to believe?" He said, struggling to keep his voice calm.

Zada took a deep breath, looked at the ground, and then back at Dream. "Alright, Dream. if you say so."

An awkward silence filled the room. They weren't used to having arguments.

"Where's the hammer, then? We sent you outside to buy one."

"..."

"Dream?"

"Uh- I couldn't find one. And that's why it took so long. I went to a lot of stores, all over towns, but I couldn't find one anywhere. I'm sorry." Another lie. 

"Oh. Okay. I'm so sorry, then. I didn't mean to get mad at you earlier. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, it's okay. I'm sorry too."

Dream turned to leave, thinking the conversation was over and he could go to his room and sleep and never come out.

"Um, by the way, can you give me the money that I gave you back?"

God dammit.

"Dream. Please. Stop lying to me. Please. What's going on? Just tell me. Whatever it is, I can help you. I want to know. What's going on?" There was a lot of desperation in her voice. Everyone had depended on her for so long, and she loved everyone with all her heart. She just wanted to help.

Dream had been around her long enough to know that he couldn't keep something as big as this from her forever. 

"Zada... I saw a boy. He knew me. He was from my past."

He took a deep breath.

"...Did he recognize you?"

"Yes. He did. He wanted to bring me home with him." He bit his thumb. Was he really about to tell her this? "And I ran away from him. I ran into the woods behind our house. I ran. He... He followed he. I- I was so scared... And then he cornered me. He- I.. I-"

Tears started falling down his face.

"I- I killed him Zada. I killed him."

A small gasp escaped from her lips. Of any of the possible things that could've happened, she never thought that he could kill someone. She never would have thought. 

"Dream. I... I don't know how to... I mean-" She bites her lip"- You're... a murderer now. I..."

Dream looked at her again. "I know. I know. I don't know what to do." He tugs at his hair.

Zada looked at him, and feels pity. She doesn't know what was going through his head at the time, but he's still her friend. "Dream, I'm going to need to tell the others about this. They would all want to know. We're going to talk about this. Like a family. And together. But you'll be okay." She paused to think. "Now go to your room and just... stay there for a while. Don't come out, not even for super. Please. I'll bring your food in. Just stay there. Please."

He forced a grin. "Okay."

Things definitely were not going how he would like things to go, but he would be okay. He would be okay. Zada would make sure of it.