Halley went to bed that night after the twins had left.
In the morning when he woke, he wasn't in his room. Instead of a bed and blankets, he lay in a field with dark grass that moved with the gentle breeze. It was sort of cold and he found himself chilled to the bone.
"Hello."
Halley shot up and turned to see Luno sitting cross legged in the grass a few feet away.
"How did you sleep?"
Halley blinked.
"Uh...fine, I think." he said. "Where-where are we?"
"The Field of Dreams, darling."
"Field of Dreams?"
"It began as a side project of mine several thousand years ago." Luno said, then reached down into the grass. When he brought his hand back up, a small blue creature had climbed on. "I am sure you are familiar with dreams, yes?"
Halley stared at the little beast.
"I...I guess so. I didn't think they were little guys."
"Yes." Luno set the dream back in the grass and stood up, offering his hand to Halley. "Walk with me."
He pulled Halley up to his feet and the two of them began a stroll through the grass.
"Is this real?" Halley asked. "Like, all of this?"
"Of course. It is just as real as you or I. There are thousands of realms such as this, some belonging to cosmic masters, others not. This happens to be mine."
"Cosmic masters?"
"Gods. Deities. They go by many names. Each represents a universal concept or force, and Solano and I are responsible for ensuring no one cosmic master tries to upset the balance."
"That's the Railroad's job?"
"Yes."
"Jeez. Two guys gotta hold the entire universe together?"
"The very fabric of existence. It is not so bad, though. This is all Solano and I have ever known."
Halley pushed his hands into his pockets.
"I was kinda doubtful you guys would ever actually come back." he said, looking down at his feet. "I thought it was too good to be true. I guess I still do. This entire thing is just...unbelievable. You guys are what makes everything exist and you actually came back for me."
"Solano and I are exceptionally sensitive to energy, unseen forces, the unspoken, er..."
"Vibes."
"Precisely. The both of us see something in you. Something we have not seen in any human before."
"Really?"
"Many people in desperation have asked us to take them with us. Rarely do we oblige such a request." Luno said. "You asked the same question they did, but you were willing to learn. You did not want to escape, but emigrate. There is no place for you in your world, but there is one in ours."
Halley didn't know how to answer. He didn't even know what to think. They both walked in silence for a while, watching the dreams run around in the grass. Eventually, Halley started to shiver.
"It's...pretty chilly here."
Luno looked at him.
"Would you like my coat?"
All of the breath was taken from Halley's lungs. He felt his face flush, and it wasn't from the cold.
"Uh...I-I...well..."
Luno stopped and took off the long coat he wore, then held it out to him.
"Here." he said gently, helping guide Halley's arms through the sleeves. "I am unbothered by the cold."
The coat was about two sizes too big, but it didn't matter. It was heavy as if it were weighted intentionally, and warm enough to make the cold an afterthought. It smelled faintly of lavender.
"Thank you." Halley breathed. The two of them resumed their walk.
"Last evening, you mentioned your family."
Halley sighed.
"Yeah."
"You do not get along with them well."
"That's the long and short of it. I never have. My sister's a lot older than me and when she moved out it got worse. She's, like, ten years older. I'm not sure where she went. All I know is she disappeared and went no contact not long after moving."
"What of your parents?"
"They wish I was never born. Growing up they made it very clear that I was an accident. Just another responsibility."
Luno thought for a moment.
"There are no accidents, Halley." he said after a while. "It was no accident that you saw the Eclipse and decided to find us. It was no accident that you exist."
Halley sighed.
"I wish I could believe it."
"Why do you not?"
"I've been told the opposite my whole life! I wasn't really that good in school and I can't do anything right. Nobody's happy no matter what I do."
"You are wrong."
"Huh?"
Luno looked at him.
"Solano and I are rather fond of you, even if you have only spoken to us a couple of times. As I said before, you do not have a place where you are now. You have a place with us."
"None of this feels real. I'm worried I'm gonna wake up and suddenly it was all a dream and I made you guys up. I'll wake up and have to deal with everything like I normally do."
"We will prove that it is real." Luno said. "It will not do you any good to be impatient."
Halley watched a dream run away from them.
"I guess you're right. You said I've gotta earn it." he replied, then looked up at Luno. "What happens to the people that go crazy when they see you?"
"I am usually able to put them to sleep, and they wake believing what they saw was nothing more than a vivid dream. Others are...not so fortunate." Luno answered. "Some spiral into madness that consumes their thoughts. Their minds become so broken they are hardly human anymore."
"So then..."
"I do what I must."
"What's that mean?"
"The only merciful way they can continue to exist is in the afterlife. To ease their suffering, I must end their lives."
Halley frowned.
"You mercy kill them."
"Yes. It is not something I take lightly, nor do I derive any joy from such a thing. I only wish for those poor souls to become untangled after they pass on."
"Jeez..." Halley breathed. "I dunno how you guys can do it. I couldn't handle it."
"That is why you will not have the same responsibilities Solano and I do."
"What am I gonna do, then?"
"If you are willing, you are to be our station master. We will teach you everything you need to know."
"Jeez..."
Luno gently put a hand on Halley's shoulder.
"You are much more than you believe you are." he said, then gestured to a couple of dreams scampering around in front of them. "Dreams may look small and insignificant, but their importance to us is great. You have been chasing the same one for a very long time. Now you are finally able to catch it."
