Just a dream (I can feel you staring at me)

Chapter nine: a real nightmare feels like this

He just stared at the phone.
The plastic felt slightly warm under his fingers, as he slowly held it up to his ear again.

“Vance?”

No answer.
Of course not. The person had hung up. And Vance was sleeping in his room.
He shook his head.

What the actual fuck.
“What the hell..?” he whispered.

It was definitely Vance's voice. But.. Finney felt his fingers go numb, losing his grip on the phone.

No.. Vance was in his room. Along with Robin, Bruce, Paperboy and Griffin.

It hadn't gotten into his head exactly what it meant since he realized he hadn't dreamed it.
It meant not only that he had lost his only friend, the one he never wanted to lose and who seemed stronger than life, but also the phone.

He could talk to them.
He could talk to dead people.
He was special.

He took a deep breath and then hung up the phone himself. Gwen was forgotten for the moment as he walked back to his room with firm steps and cautiously opened the door, just a crack.

Yes. Vance was still asleep on his bed, Paperboy and Griffin next to him, although the former would really rather be somewhere else.Bruce was still sitting on the floor, Robin still where he was before.

His warm skin seemed to glow in the incoming light, which made Finney smile slightly.

But then he turned away, shaking his head.
How the hell could Vance have called him? He was sleeping, yes, but he was alive.

It made no sense.
He sighed. Nothing here made sense when you thought about it, but still. They had certain rules, and this call clearly broke those rules.

He could communicate with the dead, but Vance was alive.
They remembered certain things, Robin more than the others, like in the calls.

So this confusing thing followed rules.

So they had a certain basic framework.
But Finney didn't see how that call could fit in there.

Maybe.. he looked back at the phone. How could that be possible..? Maybe he just imagined it..?

It was childish to explain things like that, Finney knew it.
And yet it calmed him.

He knew he hadn't dreamed.
He couldn't fool himself anymore.
The boys, with whom he - apart from Robin, of course - had nothing to do, were now lying or sitting in his room like a small tight-knit group.
That they all remembered at least part of it didn't help either. He couldn't deny that something had happened.
That it had happened..

But it made no sense-
The door rattled as if someone was trying to force it open.

was he here no No no. Why-why would he be so offensive? That would be stupid...

"Finney? Are you there??"

Gwen It was just Gwen.

Finney exhaled in relief, feeling the sudden tension drain out of his body.
Immediately he started moving, careful not to make too loud a step.

It was a habit he couldn't break easily. Whenever he knew that the person who was sleeping was easily angered, he made sure to make as little noise as possible.
He was pretty good at it.

He paid no attention to the telephone, which he passed briefly. Finally it didn't ring.

"Psst Gwen, we have company." Arrived at the door, in front of which he could only imagine an indignant looking Gwen, he informed her directly.