Dreamcatcher

14

The History of Dream Catchers

Rowan Williams, 1998

Large Groups of the Dream Catchers' Victims, page 79

1996 - 1997, Barin State

...

~ Household of Twelve in Maywell, seven murdered, five missing

~ Ten schoolchildren in Wrells County, ten murdered

~ Couple in Epess Oaks, two missing

~ Two girls in Walspark, one murdered, one missing

~ Five boys in Tulvilles, four murdered, one missing

...

The list ran long enough for Aerial to doze off into a half-asleep, half-awake state. Perhaps she should've gotten a wink of sleep the night before, but instead she gathered a large pile of dreamcatchers taller than herself. Regret filled her mind instantly. She sighed.

"For someone so revengeful on the Dream Catchers, you sure seem to dislike your readings," Chase whispered, flipping through his comics. He was already halfway done with a classic-looking one, and now he sat judging the yawning girl across the library table.

"It's just a list of people, not even their names. How the hell am I supposed to figure out which areas consist of the most victims?" Aerial's voice was a little too loud, for a librarian sitting a few feet away proceeded to harshly shush her. "Oops..."

"Poorer and more-populated areas have more dreams, I think. The sad part is that we live in a pretty rich state." Chase flipped through his comic book, gave an unsatisfied sigh, and proceeded to set it down beside him. Boredom filled the two teens' minds. "We could go out of town. If you want to find more dreamcatchers, that is."

"...Are you helping me with my dream?" Aerial felt like laughing, but that meant another harsh "shush" from the librarian. "Remember the first time we met? I felt like punching you after you tried to stop me from taking dreamcatchers."

"I too felt like punching you, though I don't doubt you still feel the urge to." Chase smiled, and a dreamy expression formed on his face. His blue eyes twinkled a little. "But still, Aerial – wanna go out of the city with me?"

"...This just feels like you're asking me out."

"Hell nah. I'm just trying to be a nice person. Besides, I could use a break from the neighborhoods," Chase replied. "By 'neighborhoods', I mean Venus. I definitely need a break from her."

Aerial couldn't help but smile at the proposal, and Chase took the long hesitation as a yes. He knew her well enough, and Aerial had a tendency to not immediately agree to events she actually was interested in. However, if she disliked an idea, she made sure to tell him outright.

"Y'know, yesterday when you came home after your dreamcatcher spree, V asked me about what you were doing. I told her about it, and I expected her to accept you since your dreams somewhat align." Chase's smile dipped down a little into a line. "Honestly, I think she dislikes you more 'cause of it."

"She judges me based on the lint on my shirt, which was technically her shirt before. The second I walked inside your house, I'm pretty sure we had a salty relationship."

"V can't help it. Your dream's big, and she cares about what'll happen to you and me."

"Like two years ago?"

"Like two years ago." Chase puckered his lips in deep thought. "She treats me like a child. She thinks I'm the most traumatized from what happened, and she's too blind to see that she's actually the one affected the most. She drowns in her sorrows so much that she can't tell she's underwater."