Coniferous | dreamnotnap

5. Eerie Explanations

Sapnaps fingers clenched the edge of the couch. His knuckles were white with the strain.

"H-how do you- why... you... what?" Sapnap sputtered incoherently.

"Calm down first, then I'll explain."

George grabbed Sapnaps hand, gently tugging him up. He stood up on wooden legs, and followed George to the dining table. George pulled out a chair and urged the shaken man to sit, which he complied to. George set down a cup in front of him, already full with a clear liquid. Sapnap hoped it was water as he wrapped his fingers around it and brought it to his nose. It didn't smell like anything weird. He took a sip. Water. He set it back down with a light, shaky hand and a thunk. Thunder boomed from outside.

George sat down across from him. He played with his glasses he'd set on the table earlier.

"So," he began, "you, Sapnap, encountered a Dream."

Sapnap tapped his finger impatiently.

George coughed. "It's a little... weird, to explain. And long. Just bare with me on this, please."

Silence.

"Well, first of all, I knew you were coming. I knew that because, well, the Dream told me... he could feel your presence long before I could."

Sapnap raked a hand through his overgrown hair. "So... you're in contact with it? You talk to it?"

"Him. Yes." George mumbled. "Um, this is the weird part. Don't interrupt me for this bit, please. It's a lot."

Sapnap nodded softly, drinking his water.

"Okay. Good. Well... Dream, this particular Dream, isn't like the other ones you may have heard of in stories. Not necessarily in his actions or... physical attributes, per se, but in the way he came to be. Uh, so I attempted this large scale spell, not long ago..."

George took a deep breath. The wind howled in his ears and threatened to push his hood off his head, but he pulled it down over his face. It was fine, he didn't need to see much for this spell.

A chant played out in his head, fast and practiced. He pushed it through his lips, letting it swirl with the wind.

A strike of lightning lit up the cloudy night sky. George saw his feet, and a shadow in front of him. He bit his lip, pausing in his chants. Slowly, he wrapped a hand around his neck, letting a different chant leave, one demanding control.

A second hand covered George's, longer and colder. His breath hitched.

A rough shove knocked him over. He fell to the ground, air being forced from his lungs, making for pained breaths. He looked up as another flash illuminated the human-like face of the Dream. If it were just a pacing glance, you wouldn't notice the bony, inhuman undertones. But George stared wide eyed in utter horror, he saw it all. Bile rose in his throat.

"George!"

George tore his eyes away. His eyes were fuzzy, darting around, looking for the voice that called him. He recognized it.

"Clay?!" He shouted.

"Get away from him!" Clay shouted. He came from behind George, jumping in front of him.

"I told you to stay home! What are you doing!?"

"Not letting you die, you dumbass!"

The creature let out a laugh and grabbed Clay by the neck, pulling him forward.

"No!" George shouted.

He threw his arm toward Clay and the Dream in a panic. Another flash, followed by a loud crack. George was pushed backwards from the exertion of the magic he'd put out. He screamed in pain, grabbing his burning wrist.

The wind never stopped howling in his ears, even as his vision darkened around the edges, even as he tried his best to see what he had done.

Only one figure stood there.

"I had merged him and the Dream together. They're one, but he's still different. During the day, he's Clay, but at night and during most storms... he's not. Says it happens when people are most vulnerable."

Sapnap blinked, processing.

"Okay... so you turned your friend into a Dream, but he's still kind of human?"

"More of a lover, really, but yes. I specifically told him not to bother you. He didn't listen, obviously. The evidence is on your face."

Sapnap brushed his fingers over the mark again. "At least I'm alive..."

George laughed without humour. "If he killed you, I'd kill him. He's not allowed to kill people. That spell I did was actually meant to control a Dream I'd detected in my area, and it kinda worked, after they merged. I can control the damage he does, but not where he goes or who he bothers. He could kill, if he really wanted to or had to. But he won't, because of me."

Sapnap let out a breath. "That's... kinda awesome. I wasn't actually in danger?"

"Maybe not as much as you thought. Did you hide your neck?"

Sapnap thought back to the hazy memory, and nodded.

"Then yeah, you weren't in much danger."

The once distraught man relaxed into the dining chair, downing the rest of his water. He kept the cup in his hand.

"So... where is he?"

"Well, when he came back this morning as Clay, it was obvious by the guilty look on his face what he'd done. Plus, I knew I'd find you today, so I sent him away for now. But it's storming, which is why I shut the curtains... and is the real reason I locked the door. He might come back as Dream, especially since he knows you're here."

"H-how does he know I'm here?" Sapnap leaned toward George.

"He's in Dream form. He just knows where things are. It's creepy, but I can't do anything about it."

Sapnap chewed on his lip, glancing at the covered windows.

"I don't think I ever want to sleep again, George. Thanks."

George laughed.

———

A few hours had gone by, the sun had gone down, and Sapnap was completely exhausted. He still felt anxious about the Dream situation, but nothing remarkable had occurred in his time in the house so far. The fear slowly drained out, leaving heavy eyelids in its wake. He was sitting on the couch, leaning against the back of it with George enthusing about some type of plant beside him. He read aloud the pages of his book, pointing at a little drawing of a mushroom. It was barely visible in the low candle light.

Sapnap tried his best to listen, but his head drooped every few seconds.

"Sapnap?" George whispered.

He opened his eyes when his name was called.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed?"

He nodded absentmindedly. He hadn't slept in a real bed in awhile. He voiced his thoughts.

"Well, come on then." George took his hand again and pulled him to a door that creaked open when he pushed on it it. George flicked his wrist, lighting a candle in the room.

"Go lay down. I'll bring your stuff in, then I'll be on the couch, if you need me later."

Sapnap grabbed his sleeve before he could leave. "Couch?"

"I don't have another bed." He laughed quietly. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. You're safer in there, anyway. Just lay down."

Sapnap nodded. He couldn't think anymore, too tired to do so. He pulled back the plush covers and crawled into their warmth, feeling relief flood his entire being.

He was mostly asleep, barely aware of George coming back with his things, and completely unaware of the un-closed curtains of the bedroom window and what hid beyond, in the night storm.