Receeding Tides (mcyt)

Chapter 22

Somewhere beyond a poisoned sea, under toxic air, a group of friends laughed relishing in their shared memories. Despite the world around them, they found solace in the littlest of happenings. The end of the world had its cons. It turned people against those they loved and showcased the worst skeletons in the closet, but on the off chance it brought people together, serene scenes like this don't last long.

Niki watched as George laid beside Dream laughing alongside Wilbur and Tommy as Philza forced their flames higher. The night air blew on her neck. Had she not been wearing a mask, Niki could've mistaken the present for the past. People thrown together under less than preferable circumstances sat around a fire as if they'd known each other since childhood. As lovely the moment was, she knew it wouldn't last. Would she ever mention this? Never. Nikki giggled as if nothing were wrong, and one by one her friends retired to sleep.

The eyes were the window to the soul, and behind Dream's there was nothing left. Niki stared at his distorted eyes without flinching in a serious, disappointed manner. Though he couldn't see the look she was giving him, Dream could sense her disapproval, and it unnerved him. The upbeat and somewhat quiet Nikki suddenly exchanged her optimism and care for honesty and tough love. Her voice dripped with rigid curiosity. She wouldn't accept a bullshit answer.

"What happened to you?"

Vague and Dream knew it. Niki could've meant anything, and he knew she meant everything. Dream nervously twirled a strand of George's hair around his finger and flashed an almost believable smile.

"It was just a bad week of Ash and a shit ton of assholes with guns. You'd've been surprised at how many people had bullets. I gave Tommy one at one point but he's never had to use it. Thank god."

Niki nodded, but she remained skeptical. His explanation sounded practiced and prepared. Did the Ash really steal his sight, limbs, taste, and almost his hearing in a week? Could it really progress that quickly? The Ash and its effects were still relatively unknown, and new things still popped up from time to time. Skin discolouring was only discovered as of the start of the year. But paraplegia? And the loss of three of the five senses? It was unheard of for the Ash to move so quickly in just a week's time. Niki wasn't dumb. She could piece together a backstory. Was it the truth though? She gambled it was.

"It was for George, wasn't is? When?"

"Huh?"

"You came to Europe a while ago. For George in particular." 

Dream faced her stunned at the accusation, "What-"

Niki held up a finger, "I'm not done yet."

Dream shut his mouth and clutched the hem of George's shirt as Niki recounted his life and mentality.

"You came for George a while ago. Months probably. But you couldn't find him. You spent so long here even though you knew about the Ash. Maybe not how severe it was but you knew it was killing you."

By the way Dream's eyes darted to where he thought Tommy was sleeping, Niki could tell she wasn't wrong. She glanced at the boy not wanting him to hear all of what she was saying. Even though she knew he probably knew most of it.

"You didn't want to be alone while the Ash destroyed your body and you probably just happened to hear about Tommy from somewhere. So you brought him with you for the company. What, did you tell him you knew where Wilbur was? Even though you didn't."

Dream turned his attention to sleeping George beside him. Niki sounded almost angry, but she wasn't. At the beginning at least. Now that she knew she was right, she couldn't help but feel that anger. It wasn't even hers. Niki felt Tommy's anger for him.