It Was Never the End DreamNotFound

Chapter 23

George POV

Dust clogged George's throat, making him cough. Tommy was no better off, his eyes watering as he struggled to rub dirt from them.

The flashlight nearly slipped from George's hand as he saw the massive rockfall blocking their exit. Maroon blood was seeping between the stones, forming a puddle on the ground. Part of the monster's wing stuck out from the rubble.

Icy panic slid down George's spine. He remembered catching Dream's eyes through his mask, the way Dream sounded scared for the first time as he screamed George's name while the ceiling caved in. George was relieved when Sapnap stopped Dream from nearly getting himself killed in the falling boulders.

George couldn't hear the others anymore. He and Tommy had ducked away from the collapse, only approaching when the dust settled. The rockfall was deathly silent. Did the others get caught in the collapse, or was it too thick to hear through? 

"Shit." Tommy's blue eyes were wide. "How the fuck are we supposed to get out?" 

"I-" 

"GEORGE! Can you hear me? Georgie?" 

George's heart thudded in his chest. Swinging his wrist to his face, he nearly cried as he saw the now green crystal. He was never more grateful for his invention. "Dream?" 

"Princess, are you two alright?" Dream's voice was shaking with panic.

"We're fine." George glanced at Tommy. "But I don't know how we are going to get out." 

"We're working on that," Dream reassured him. "I won't leave you in there." 

George blushed, ignoring Tommy as the boy rolled his eyes and muttered, "They're flirting. We're gonna die, and they are flirting. What the fuck." 

"What do me and Tommy do until then?"

"Stay where you are. We're going to look for another way in." 

"Okay, be careful." 

"You too." 

George watched as his crystal returned to blue. He felt a pang in his chest when Dream's voice vanished. This was the first time he was separated from Dream since they'd met. He hadn't realized how comforting and safe Dream's presence was. 

"Are we really going to sit here?" Tommy kicked a small stone, sending it clanging down the tunnel.

"For now." George sat down, gently twisting his bracelet. 

Two hours later, after a lot of complaints from Tommy, George rose to his feet. Tommy was already standing, pacing impatiently. 

"We should start searching for a way out, too." George admitted.

Tommy was more than eager, waving his much weaker torch in triumph. "FINALLY."

The tunnel stretched almost endlessly. After a few minutes of walking it began to branch off into other tunnels. Some of the branches were blocked off, others had gaping pits where the ground sank in. George suddenly realized why Dream told them to stay put. They could easily get lost or even killed in here. He'd already made up his mind to search for an exit, however, so he wasn't turning back.

Which also meant lying to Dream when the dirty-blond used the bracelet to communicate. Dream had been checking on George almost every minute. He wasn't saying much, just a simple-

"Georgie?" 

George smiled at the green crystal. "Still safe, idiot."

Shifting from green to blue again, George kept walking. He glanced at Tommy out of the corner of his eye. The blond boy was being oddly quiet.