The falls

chapter 28

The waffle city around them felt like a strange blend of surreal and eerie, the vibrant dreamscape suddenly tinged with the dark realization that Bill was indeed lurking somewhere nearby. Jessica, Neomi, and Lilien moved cautiously through the syrupy streets, their eyes scanning for any more of those backward messages. The dream had already thrown them enough oddities, but this new revelation had all of them on edge.

Neomi was the first to spot another frosting-scribbled message plastered across the side of a waffle tower. "Over here!" she called, pointing.

Jessica approached, her mind already racing as she studied the backwards letters. "Alright, let's reverse this one."

With a bit of effort, they unscrambled the message, piecing it together until the words became clear:

**BILL WAS HERE**

A shiver ran down Neomi's spine as she read the words aloud. "Bill... was here. So, that means he was actually in this dream, but he isn't controlling it right now?"

Lilien furrowed her brow, her sharp mind working through the implications. "If Bill *was* here, then why isn't he pulling the strings? He's not exactly the type to lurk in the shadows if he's got control of a situation. He likes making his presence known."

Jessica nodded, still focused on the wall as she spotted another message scrawled not too far from the first. "There's more," she said, motioning for the others to gather around. She quickly worked through the backward letters again, her fingers tracing the looping frosting until the second message became legible:

(Yo, I haven't seen a dreamscape like this since that shooting star's prison bubble. I hope me and this person can strike a deal.)

Neomi's heart thudded as she read the words, instantly recognizing what Bill was referring to. "The shooting star... he means my aunt. Mabel . Bill's talking about the prison bubble he trapped her in."

Lilien's expression tightened. "So, Bill's been in a dream like this before. But look at what he said—'this person.' That means he's not the one running the show right now."

Jessica's eyes narrowed as she absorbed the implications of the messages. "Exactly. Bill's here, but he's not the one in control. If he were, he wouldn't be surprised to be in this dreamscape. And if he's hoping to strike a deal... then someone else brought him here, just like us."

Neomi crossed her arms, her mind swirling with confusion. "But who? Who has the power to drag us—and Bill—into my dreamscape? This doesn't make any sense."

Jessica frowned, deep in thought. "There are powerful beings beyond Bill. Beings that can manipulate dreamscapes, minds, and even reality itself. But if Bill doesn't know who's behind this... then it's someone who's playing a dangerous game."

The waffle city felt even more oppressive now, the syrup streets and waffle buildings taking on an unsettling tone as they realized just how precarious their situation was. Bill wasn't in control, but he was watching. And whoever had brought them into this dreamscape had the ability to control not just them, but Bill as well.

Lilien glanced around nervously, her voice tense. "So what do we do now? We've confirmed that Bill is here, but we don't know who's really behind this. And if Bill's trying to strike a deal, that means we're running out of time."

Jessica's face hardened with determination. "We have to get out of this dream before Bill can make any moves. Whoever brought us here might be trying to warn us, but we can't let Bill twist this into an opportunity for himself."

Neomi, despite her fear, managed a small, defiant smile. "We've dealt with Bill before, right? We can handle this. But we need to figure out how to wake up."

Lilien nodded. "Agreed. But how? We don't know who's pulling the strings, and we don't have control over this dream."

Jessica considered the waffle city around them, her mind racing for a solution. "The messages are clues. Someone left these for us—maybe they'll leave us a way out too."

Just as she said that, a faint rumble echoed through the dreamscape. The syrup waterfalls began to thicken, slowing to a halt, and the waffle buildings trembled as if something massive was shifting beneath the surface of the dream.

Neomi's eyes widened. "What the heck is that?"

Lilien scanned the area, her heart pounding. "Something's changing. We need to move—now."

The ground beneath them shook violently, causing waffle debris to crumble and fall from the buildings. Jessica grabbed Neomi's arm, pulling her toward the nearest alleyway. "We have to get out of the city—find some place where we're not surrounded by these buildings!"

They sprinted through the syrupy streets, the shaking growing more intense with each step. Waffle towers began collapsing in on themselves, the dreamscape warping as if it were on the verge of breaking apart entirely.

As they ran, Neomi couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Not just by Bill, but by something else—something far more ancient and powerful. Whoever had dragged them into this dream had an agenda, and they weren't about to let them leave without learning more.

Jessica's thoughts raced as she led the group through the twisting, collapsing streets. They needed to wake up before whatever force was controlling the dream could trap them here—or worse, let Bill gain the upper hand.

"We'll find a way out," Jessica muttered to herself, more as a reassurance than a statement of fact. She could only hope that the mysterious entity behind all this was on their side.

For now, though, they had no choice but to keep moving, leaving behind the crumbling waffle city—and the unsettling messages Bill had left for them.