barbarism (dreamnoblade)

chapter thirty five

Mmm angst, so so much angst.

|||Tommy POV|||

Tommy knows something’s off the moment he wakes up on his own accord. Tubbo is sound asleep next to him, chest rising and falling in slow and steady movements. 

Tommy shuffles out of bed and stands up, footsteps abnormally loud in the strangely silent room. Maybe he just woke up early?

He walks out into the hallway, closing the door gently behind him. His bare feet chill against the stone as he peers into the passing rooms, the pitter patter of his footsteps echo all around him. Even from here he can see the sunlight seeping underneath the front door, and he is filled with even more confusion.

Where was Wilbur? Normally he was woken up by his older brother in the mornings, one of the only habits his strange brother had kept after their exilement.

“Wilbur?” Tommy calls out his name, the sounds of his feet getting louder as he paces throughout the entire place, but he still couldn’t find him anywhere.

After getting no response he starts to panic, goosebumps littering his skin. He doesn’t realise how loud he was being until Tubbo shuffles into the room, rubbing his eyes and smothering a yawn.

“What are you doing?”

“I can’t find Wilbur! He would’ve told me if he was going out for this long! He always does!” Tommy raises his voice and feels it crack under the pressure, he goes to leave the house when Tubbo follows. Tommy looks back confused but Tubbo just gives him a faint smile.

“I’ll help you, you don’t need to search for him alone.”

”I- thank you Tubbo… Now let’s go!” Tommy grabs him by the hand and pulls Tubbo after him, who stumbles to catch up.

The sun has only just begun to rise in the sky, melting the blackness of the sky into warm oranges and yellows. The colours of the sky never quite blending together, as if it was just layers of wax. It was a rather lovely sight but Tommy’s thoughts were clouded with anxiety. 

He doesn’t know where to go, maybe the nearby town was the best bet. He couldn’t think of any other places that Wilbur would go late out at night. So he walks until the familiar gravel path appears in view.

With the pace they are taking it doesn’t take long for them to reach the town, but what he doesn’t expect is the crowds of people hanging around the outskirts of the town.

Tommy stumbles past, hand still grabbing Tubbo’s.

“What’s happening? Why is everyone out here?” Tubbo asks Tommy but he can’t answer, the timing leads him to think that this could link to Wilbur’s disappearance, which scares him. Mustering up the courage he looks for the less threarening person, he taps them on the shoulder.

“What’s going on here?” Tomy tries to put up a brave and polite voice but it's unusually high pitched for himself, he mentally curses himself.

The person turns around to stare at him, dull brown eyes piercing his. The man unnerves him and Tommy considers leaving, but before he does they speak up.

“There were three murders, ‘pparently they used explosives 'n such.” The man stares back, “I saw it, y'know? They were following a man in a trenchcoat. And from the way they were dressed I’d place bets that they were from the cult.”

“C-cult, huh?” Tommy feels his body go cold. There was a possibility he was referring to that cult, the one the his brother came from.

“They’ve been more vocal, nearby disappearances and dead animals. I know those bloody bastards when I hear them!” The man seems to be getting angrier, Tommy backs up and drags Tubbo away, who stumbles a few steps behind.