craze // skephalo | HIATUS

Welcome to Dreamland

~Darryl's POV~

My eyes were met with his. They were blank, like an endless void, yet packed with such impact. My hands are still holding down to my bent knees, submerged under water. Zak lends a hand, reaching out. I take it, using it as support to get up.

Now, we're standing face to face. Something about this form of Zak is off. His eyes are much more lifeless. He has a devious yet calm grin and he seems to be a lot more rested.

His closed mouth grin opens into a smile. "Welcome," his voice echoes and with each one his voices pitch gets higher and higher.

"Welcome?" Unlike his voice, mine does echo. It comes out flat, monotone even.

I hear him puff a breath, the sound of relief and a smile widening. "Welcome home."

My heart spikes, caught off guard as I start looking around frantically. His voice is gentle. It feels me with a weird flutter, sending shivers down my spine. This conversation is slow yet so rushed. I look back at him - he's amused at my reaction.

"Home?" He nods. "This isn't home. And you're not Zak, are you."

Despite my confusion, his smile remains. "Of course I am! Of course this is," his arms rise to his sides slightly. It's the type of pose you see on TV where the villain is presenting something to one of the other characters.

A lot is happening at once. There's a threatening aura that I feel from this Zak. "Prove it."

His arms, along with his smile lowers. His lidded, vacant eyes blink at me, appearing disappointed. He takes a step forward, I take a step back. We keep doing this until I feel my legs unable to move. It doesn't take long for this Zak to take my hand and hold it against his cheek.

Even more than ever, his eyes narrow. His smile returns, toothy and devious. He takes my hand, slipping it between his hand and my jaw, my hand stuck in his control. He glitches into the Zak I knew, full of color and energy, he was standing right before me. "Don't you trust me?" This Zak - the easygoing Zak - looks genuinely sad.

When I say nothing but just stare back, he giggles turning back into the white-clocked, empty, dream version of himself. Entertained he drops my hand and as if I was dead, my arm is heavy and drops easily without me being able to control it.

"You don't look too entertained, bad boy."

"You haven't proven anything yet. For all I know this is just a dream."

Sighing, he swipes his index and middle finger the scene around us changing. The water below us drains and suddenly I'm in new clothes. A white collared, button-up shirt with thin, orange, evenly spaced out, vertical lines across it. A pocket on the shirt with the initials "F.F." Only now do my arms and legs start working.

We're at a carnival - a bright orange arch leading people in. The skies are pitch black, no moon, no stars. Only dim street lights lead the path and reveal rides and game booths on the other side. I look back at this dream Zak who hasn't changed before walking toward this fare.

I lean against a counter at the entrance. Zak stands by my side as we look at the other side together. "Where am I?" I ask him.

"Remember this place. When you wake up and go to school tomorrow, ask me about this place. Just say the words, 'Have you been to that carnival 15 minutes away? It's reopening soon' and you'll see."

"I don't even know this place."

Now we're looking eye to eye. "Not yet."

"Why is this place important?"

"Trust me. Ask me tomorrow and you'll believe me. He'll talk all about how he used to go to this fare when he was little."

I thought it over. There were two different versions of Zak, but this one kept talking as if there was only one. "And, yes," he starts to speak again. "We are the same person - just, I cannot exist on Earth, or your reality. So I'm talking to you here. Because I need something from you," he answers my unvoiced question.

"Then why can't you just tell me on Earth?" I ask. His fingers drum against his jawline in thought.

"My Earth version doesn't know about this. My version on Earth is quite pregnable. I've known you for quite some time now so I thought maybe you would be a good guardian I guess." He shrugs - it and the 'I guess' confuse me so I try to learn more.

"What do you mean by that?"

His hands shift, moving to my hair and ruffling it slightly. "I mean exactly what I said," he laughs. "There'll be obstacles, but I think you'd be good for it. I have a feeling you're the only one who'd be willing and a good fit."

I repeat, "What do you mean?"

"I want you to protect my form on Earth. I want you to be someone who'd be willing to do anything you can to," he starts to swirl strands of my hair around his finger. "..do anything in your power to get the objective done. Willing to go crazy lengths."

"What will I get out of this?" His hand rests. I stand up straight and almost immediately do we return to the white, wet, endless void.

He taps his chin with the same cheeky smile. "Let's not think about that. Let's think about what you'll lose if you don't," his hands move to my cheek, caressing and motioning in a soothing movement. I don't trust him, but when his second hand moves to my other, there's a weird static like feeling. Uncomfortable - but nonetheless, I kind of liked it.

"You'd be sacrificing a lot if you don't take it. Plus, I know you're quite fond of me. If you refuse to take it-" his voice turns sappy. "Who would be able to protect little old me?" he pouts before returning to a laugh.

There's an awkward silence as he backs up. It wouldn't hurt, I mean, tomorrow I'd be able to talk to Earth Zak and figure out if what this Zak was saying was true or not, and if he was, then I'd have to take it. I wanted to make a deal.

"Fine. But only if he remembers the carnival first."

His smile couldn't get wider. Once again, he's in my face, only a few inches away. It's almost like he got taller, just by a few centimeters, but I feel like he's now ever so slightly now towering over me. Now with one hand, he's holding both sides with my face, roughly holding it up as he leans in.

"Good boy."

——

feels kinda sexual writing that last line but the intent is just that he wants to make bbh feel like he's under his control (not in a sexual way)