The Railroad

Chapter 27

"Wait, Dream stop!" George shouted above the screams of surprise from the other two people when they saw Dream draw his gun from the holster. The brunet quickly grabbed the hand, taking the gun from him. "I know them! These are some scientist friends of mine, Dylan and Hannah! They're siblings."

"George, what's going on?" Hannah said, looking to Dream every few seconds with a fearful expression. "A few days ago your dad just told us to pack up our things, and the next thing we know we're on a train and are on our way here. He said that you'd completed the cure and were gonna give it to us as soon as you'd worked out the tweaks, but he hasn't said anything else since we got here."

"Guys, listen to me. My father is lying."

"George..." Dream warned in a low voice, clearly not wanting to trust these two strangers with such valuable information.

"It's okay," the brunet assured him, though he was still very skeptical. "It's true that I have the cure, but I- we cannot give it to him, because what he wants to do with it is diabolical. He's planning to make you guys alter it so it will kill zombies, not save them! You have to help us, you have to-"

"Of course we'll help, George," Dylan spoke. "We can take you up to the lab, just tell us what you need."

"Thanks, Boomer."

"Boomer?" Dream asked, dropping his distrust for a moment so he could ponder.

"It's a nickname. Long story, let's just say he almost blew up the entire lab one time. Come on, we have to hurry."

The siblings led them back up the stairs, the way they'd come down from, until they reached level nine, the second to last floor. It was a mirror image of George's lab back home: completely white, the smell of chemicals in the air, test tubes and beakers filled with variously colored liquids lined up on tables and counters.

The three scientists immediately got to work while Dream stood guard at the door. He didn't want to use the gun, but he would for George. He didn't trust these new people in the slightest, but he knew George needed the help and if the other could trust them... he could allow them to help.

The blond could only make out a few words of their conversation, but they were scientific phrases that made no sense in his mind, so he eventually just stopped paying attention, instead focusing on watching the corridor carefully.

George trusted the two, but he didn't trust his father. He didn't trust that his father wouldn't attempt to get the cure out of them, so he still refused to tell them the missing part of the cure. When was he gonna tell someone? He didn't know, but he couldn't let something bad happen to all the zombies left because of him. So, when they finished the second dose of the cure, they completed another cure that wouldn't do anything.

"Dream!" George said excitedly. "We did it! We finally did what we came here to do!"

"Look at us, a power couple," Dream joked, taking George up in his arms.

What neither saw was that Hannah slipped the second version into her pocket, George having the first (now in a syringe), and went to stand by her brother at the door. She cleared her throat loudly, forcing both boys to be pulled out of their own world. George had his eyebrow raised in confusion, but Dream had his furrowed, knowing fully what was going on. He didn't have the mask, seeing as the guard would more easily recognize him with it on versus without, and felt very vulnerable.

"Hannah, what are you doing?" George asked, looking between the two and holding onto Dream's arm tightly.

"Her job," another voice intervened, one that made George entire body freeze.