Inferno // dreamnotfound

o n e

The ear-splitting screech of the alarm clock made Dream lurch awake. He glanced over at the time though he knew it was 1 am. At this point, it didn't phase him; waking up in the early hours of the day. He was now an adult, living in his own apartment since he had to move out of the orphanage at eighteen. This morning, he wasn't going on a Task, but he had agreed to help with the training that commenced in an hour. He had pretty much become a legend amongst the children after numerous jobs done to perfection and never failing. He was the ideal hitman. So efficient and powerful.

When he turned his car onto the road of the orphanage, he turned off his lights. What was happening? His hands were trembling slightly - he was never good with public speaking like this.

"Hey, Dream!" Wilbur called as he let Dream into the dark hallway and led him downstairs. "So how have you been doing?" he continued. Dream just brushed his hand behind his neck and looked at the floor. Honestly, he had been kind of bored lately. Tasks didn't happen every night so what else was he supposed to do? He mostly spent his time training more on his own or filling in spreadsheets with data he couldn't care less about at his job. At least when he was being picked on at school, he had something to feel about, but now he was just closed off and no one really paid attention to him. He was only 21 but he felt like his life had basically ended since he knew that although he had the thrill of Tasks that most didn't, he would have to continue with monotonous jobs for the rest of his life to hide it.

"I'm fine." Dream replied airily. Wilbur just looked up at him, shook his head and continued walking.

"You'll be happy to know, I have a job for you that will take some time," Wilbur said while they were sitting in the back while the children settled down. "You see we don't actually know all that much about him, just a headshot and where he was last seen - working as a bartender at Luka's Bar, you know the one?" he asked. Dream nodded. "We need a few nights of just going to the bar following him home after et cetera so we can figure out the best way to get him. Killing the bartender at the actual bar is not the best circumstance," Wilbur finished this massive spew of information.

Dream felt his stomach flutter with excited nerves like he always got. But this time he was ecstatic, something to occupy his mind for a few days. "Okay, I'm up for that, when am I starting?" he asked. Wilbur just took out the usual brown envelope with all the information he needed. Enclosed was the headshot, address of the bar and the date and time he was set to start. 1st November. Tomorrow. Well, today technically. "Today?" Dream queried, heart, sinking at the lack of time he had to prepare. Now Wilbur nodded "Look, you've got this, the kids need us now, ok?" he patted Dream on the back and slunk into the room where the children were now deathly silent and waiting.

Sapnap was standing stoically next to Karl in the corner of the room which was keeping them quiet as Dream entered with Wilbur. They both smiled and waved at Dream as he entered and his anxious butterflies flew away. He was now in his element, explaining proper posture for throwing different weapons and tactics when using combat. There were a few sixteen-year-olds who were learning to use guns but Dream let one of the others handle them, he was not much of a gun fan. He knew how to use them but he avoided them unless it were necessary.

--

Back at home, Dream studied the headshot. A middle-aged guy with a face tattoo and a beard. Jesus. He would probably not be hard to keep an eye on. Dream climbed back into bed at 5 am for a few hours before he would have to wake up for work.

--

The next day at work, Dream started planning in his notepad for the night. He would probably tonight just sit at the bar, watching his mannerisms and then making note of the time he left, follow him home, make a note of the time he got home and observe when he went to bed and repeat this a few days in a row to see if it were a routine.

Seemed easy enough, right?

"Watcha doing, Clay?" Alex from the office was peering over Dream's shoulder. Dream hastily flipped his notepad shut and breathed out heavily. "Jesus, you scared me," he gasps.

"Luka's Bar? That place is a shithole, why are you going there?" Alex pushed. Ugh.

"I am meeting a friend, they suggested this bar," Dream replied nonchalantly.

"Ok, well tell your friend they should reconsider the location," Alex was still talking to him. Dream thought that the last sentence was a good I-am-about-to-leave sentence but Alex just continued to stand there watching Dream.

"So, Clay are you gonna invite me or what?" Alex pressed. Dream winced at his name as he always did. For God's sake. Dream thought about just replying with "what." but he wasn't sure if that would look suspicious. "Sure, we are meeting there at 9," Dream huffed.

"Cool, man, I was only kidding but sure, I'll be there," Alex shot at him with finger guns and walked off finally. Ugh. He could only imagine what a drunken Alex would look like and didn't particularly want to. Ugh. This night would be a nightmare.

(965 words)