oracle | bill cipher

part ii. | in the woods

You can't stop yourself from letting out a scream as soon as you awake. It rips from your throat before you can even register why you're screaming. You shoot up in bed, on full alert. Good thing you live alone and far from neighbors, otherwise someone might've reported they just heard a murder.

It takes a moment for you to adjust to your surroundings. Your heart is still beating erratically in your chest as you look around, remembering that you are only in your bedroom. Your sheets are soft underneath your fingertips, and luckily, your hands have yet to show any sign of being scraped up from falling onto the pavement. Good, then. It was all just a dream.

Letting out a relieved sigh, you fall back against your pillows with a slight bounce. You've been having dreams like this a lot lately - although, they're so vivid, you wonder if they even are dreams. They never end well. You always awake terrified.

There was a time when you were younger that you tried telling your parents about these dreams…it didn't end well. You learned to just stop talking about them.

Your face scrunches up at the memory. You don't want to think about that - not right now. You are in a better place now. You don't need to drag yourself back in a bad headspace.

Exhaling deeply, you rub your eye with the palm of your hand. Time to start the day.

_____________

"Okay, but like-" you pause to take a sip from your shake. "-how do you not have a phone?"

Across from you, Bill shrugs, using his straw to mix his drink around. "I just… don't need one, I guess?... Why? Is some stupid piece of machinery such a big deal to you?"

You've got the day off of work. You finally have a free day. Normally, your days off are spent relaxing, but you had some errands to do in town. While there, Bill had found you, and he had requested you spend the day with him. That's why the two of you are currently at Erik's Fountain Drinks, sipping on shakes.

"I just…" You shake your head, surprised. "How do you survive? Like, if you need to get ahold of someone, or if you need to look something up?"

"Well, I'd normally just go to someone's house," he states, giving you a look. "But someone doesn't trust me enough-"

"Hey-"

"As for the googling thing-" he waves his shake around, "-I just use the library computers. You know not everything revolves around technology, right?"

"Might as well be, now," you state with a shrug.

Bill rolls his eyes in amusement. "Eh, I might not have a phone, but I have something better." He gives an impish smirk and gestures with his head outside. "Come on, Curator. I've got something to show you."

_____________

"Holy shit."

"I know, right?"

"This is yours?" You circle around the motorcycle, eyeing it carefully. It's sleek and black - definitely well-taken care of. It looks far more expensive than anything you've ever owned. How rich is Bill?

He grins proudly, nodding. "Yep - all mine… so, you wanna go on a little joyride?"

You whip around to look at him. "What?! You mean it?!"

The blond rolls his eyes. "Uh, yeah. I wouldn't have brought you out here for no reason." He raps his knuckles against your forehead. "Try to keep up, Curator. Thought you were smarter than that."