Finally, Free

Chapter 3: Awakening

Fire was the only thing Dream could see.

When he woke up, he was in a chaotic room. Fire was burning everywhere and explosions occurred spontaneously.  The walls were painted an ugly yellow, with smiles etched onto them.

He himself was restrained by dark metal chains that wrapped around all parts of his body, which completely immobilized him. Just outside his reach was a button and a sign that labeled it "Water". Obviously, a press of the button would quell all the discord of the room.

The flames licked at his ankles, at his face, as if mocking him for his helplessness towards the situation. The constraints would tighten each time he moved, their sole purpose to torture him, both physically and psychologically.

And Dream would stare indefinitely at everything in the room. At the sign, mostly, for it constantly reminded him of just helpless he was, and at the smiles, which lied, and told him that everything was fine.

And as he was ripped apart from the inside and burnt from the outside, as his spirit bled out all of its colors and as the smoke stung his eyes, he would only helplessly hang from the chains that held him back, and wear a charcoal mask that smiled, always.

Had Dream bothered to listen, and to look behind him, he would have heard the song of birds and of the serenity that existed just outside a door. He would have found the key sewed into his sleeve and the other button, the one that released the chains and let him free. He would have seen the path that led outside, opened the door with the key, and walked to his friends and pets, and to the now lost and forgotten relationships.

But most importantly, Dream would have realized that the fire did not need to be put out, as it would die out in no time and pave the ground for the life of the future.

And he would have found happiness once again, and his long lost humanity, now buried and torn by the swarm of voices, screaming control, control, control.

But that's just the thoughts of an optimist, since Dream was already too far gone to return.

• • •

Darkness was the only thing Delusion could see.

Well, that's not actually the truth, he thought. There's also a chest with books and potatoes, a clock, a lectern, a cauldron, some glowstones and a random pool of water in a corner of the cell. Perhaps it was meant to be a toilet?

Speaking of the cell, what's with all of the crying obsidian everywhere? It looks horrible and just makes the place even more depressing than it already was. Add that to the fact that the only "exit" was a wall of lava, the situation's looking pretty helpless.

But at least it's something new, right? There are potatoes for when hunger strikes, and books to write in for fun. Seems like a few was already written in, although they're a little weird when you think about the setting of their creation...

But, like most ghosts, Delusion didn't focus on negativity for too long, so he just drifted around the cell, mostly confused but still not thinking much of it.

After some time passed, who knows how long, his mind began to wonder.

I wonder where George and Sapnap are... Delusion thought. And Bad, and Sam, and Alyssa, Ponk, and Callahan. Are they also t̴̄̂͘r̴͆̈́ǎ̸̯͈̺̞͇̀͜p̷͒͌̐͘ṕ̸̧͕̻͜e̴͌̊̄d̶́ ̶̼̗̤̇̋̾́͋̚l̵͗ḯ̶͆k̸͉̤̣̱͇̊̈́̽̂ȩ̷̱̫͚̟̓̍̑̍̈́̆͜͝ ̶͍̬̭͒m̷̈́̿e̵͌?

Suddenly, a headache sets in, knocking him off balance. What...just happened?

Fragments of scenery and flashes of color flickered in his mind. What is this? I don't remember this happening before...

But, of course, the thought does't stick for long, as Delusion quickly lost that thought and found a new way of passing time: counting the amount of glowing particles on the wall, which he proceeded to do so.

Glop, gurgle.

The lava behind Delusion, seemingly never ending, started to shift a little, which Delusion obviously didn't realize at all. After all, it sounds like that all the time anyways, so how could their be any notable difference?

And as the lava dropped completely, a man wearing a dark blue beanie and slightly confused expression stepped onto a platform, which began to move towards the "box".

Kch, kch, kch, klunk.

The platform clicked into place before the cell opening, and the man on top began to step into the confinement.

"Oh Dream~," He sang. "How have you been doing?"

A voice...?  Wondered Delusion. Well, this is new.

Delusion turned around, only to see a man he didn't recognize.

So, he asked.

"Who are you?"

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

(To be continued...)