Not Even Real | Dream SMP School AU

50 - Once Upon a Dream

"It began 3 years ago, in my last year of high school...

I was the perfect person. Good looking, popular, and smart above all. I was a genetic lotto win! It was as though nothing could go wrong in life.

I was even more fortunate to have a caring family. A mother, a father, and two younger siblings. I loved my family with all my heart. They were my world. I would do anything to try and help them.

I'm pretty sure that was my downfall.

You see, my brother was a very... outgoing person. He always did his best to have an adventure. He was also a very impatient person. Mixing the two attributes was extremely dangerous, he always got himself into trouble, and I was always the one to get him out of it.

One day, while we were waiting for our parents to be finished with a school meeting, he wandered off. I noticed only a minute late and took off after him. At first it was just mindless fun. Then we kept running. 10 minutes. 15 minutes. 20 minutes.

Obviously I was tired, but he wasn't. I did my best to keep up with him as the time passed by slowly. 30 minutes. 40 minutes. 50 minutes.

An hour passed and I had lost sight of him. I was tired and sweaty. I finally collapsed, breathing heavily and loudly. My heart was pounding harder than it ever had before. My body was trembling with exhaustion. I looked up to see my brother laughing as he ran further away.

My vision blurred, my head spun, and then it all went black.

...

Augh... my head... what happened..?

I awoke to see a dark shadow standing over my body. A jolt of fear coursed through my body as it leaned in closer. From every direction, a voice spoke.

"Y0u... you will d0 nic3ly..."

It was like sleep paralysis, the way this creature controlled my body. I was unable to move or speak. All I could do was sit in silence as this creature reached out for me.

The shadow placed a hand on my head, it's smooth, glass-like skin sending another electric shock through my veins. My heart skipped a beat, then 2. I couldn't breath anymore, but at this point I was half way to acceptance.

I think I knew that I was going to die. I knew that I was going to be reduced to nothing but a memory. But as the life drained from my body I was still trying to fight.

"H0st... a n3w hos7 for th3 dem0ns of th1s f0res4ken scho0l. I w1ll fin4lly hav3 a b0dy. F1nally..."

One of the shadow's claws stabbed through my skin. I yelped in pain, feeling the blood in my arm pooled onto the floor. 

N... no... please...

"P- please..."

The shadow paused for a moment, the energy it gave off changing for only a second. It knelt down beside me and listened close.

"Wh4t was that?"

"I... I- *cough cough* I don... want to... di- *cough* what are you- doing to me?"

It thought for a while before answering.

"I am 4 h0stless be1ng. Y0ur body i5 perf3ct for m3 to u5e."

"But- *cough cough* why me?"

"B3cause... Y0UR B0DY 1S P3RF3CT!"

The booming voice of the monster shook the hall. I looked to the side and realized that the surrounding corridor was dripping with a black ink-like substance.

"What... what is *cough* that?" I asked, shakily holding up my arms 

It turned around to look at what I had pointed at. While it was distracted, I thought of an escape plan. I was about to initiate it when the monster turned around and stabbed another one of it's razor claws into my chest.

My vision went blurry, once again...

Blurry...

Dizzy...

Dark.

And then that darkness turned into a spacious dimension of nothingness.

I could feel something once again, like a cold chill slowly creeping up my spine. I tried to turn, but was unable. I was still immobile. But now... now I was different. And I heard that voice in my head again.

"H0w d0 you l1ke it h3re?"

"I don't... oh... that's the point, isn't it..."

The voice laughed again, it's static tone drilling into my skull. I wanted to cover my ears, but still couldn't move.

"I'v3 nev3r h4d s0meon3 el5e in th3 v0id! I didn't kn0w it w4s pos5ibl3!"

That was the only piece of information that it ever gave me about the void. It didn't know it was possible to have someone get into it. That also meant... it didn't know how I could get out.

And so for the rest of my time, I had been trapped in the void without a way to leave. I've been there ever since. But this year... something happened. Someone... strange came to Sunny Anderson High School. Someone... named Ranboo.

I don't exactly know what about them drew me to them but I know it was important. I'm sure you've both seen some of the weird things going on in this school, and if you'll work with me, we can fix them."

Dream breathed a sigh of relief as though he'd been holding in his story for years.

I really have been holding that in for years...

Tommy and Toby sat speechless, thinking for a long while about the information they had gained.

"What happened to you after you got trapped in the void?" Toby asked, his head tilting to the side in confusion.

"Ah, I don't really know. The whereabouts of my physical form are unknown to me at this current moment. As for... this version of me... I suppose I gained control of my body in the void after a while. I'm still not sure if I have a form that people can see though."

"Okay, what about your family?" Tommy questioned.

"My... family. I don't really know. I remember who they are, sure... but where they are... I don't know anymore." Dream looked to the floor, a wave of sadness washing over him for a moment.

"S- sorry... uh- Oh! What about Clay?" Toby exclaimed.

The name made Dream look shocked. His expression went from sad to happy to confused within the span of a second.

"Clay? Clay Anderson?!" He mused, his voice brimming with anxious happiness.

"So you do know him?" Tommy asked.

"W- well... yes. Clay Anderson is... he's- if he is the person you're talking about then Clay...

Clay is my brother."

Tommy and Toby blinked in shocked confusion.

"What?! He's- you're- WHAT?!"

Dream nodded happily.

"He's my younger brother! The one I was chasing in the school. Why, are you friends with him?"

The two boys glanced at each other, nervous.

"Uhhhh... I wouldn't say he's our... friend per se. But we do know him." Tommy said.

"Oh wonderful! Perhaps we'll have to meet him sometime so I can... tell... him..." Dream's voice slowed as he remembered the circumstances.

"Ah, never mind. Back to the task at hand though-"

"No- wait," Toby interrupted Dream before he could go on another tangent "Me and Tommy are really tired right now. We appreciate you telling us about your story but can we just... live for a bit before more weird stuff?"

Dream took a step back and nodded, understanding.

"Of course, sorry. Oh- I'll... bring Ranboo back too. And once again, thank you for everything. I will talk with you later. Farewell, Tommy and Toby."

As Dream finished, closed his eyes and sat down. The two boys sat down in front of their friend as he returned to consciousness. 

"Augh... oh... owww..."

Ranboo blinked slowly, his head feeling heavy with exhaustion.

"Uh... what did I miss?"