Sandman (Book 1)

Chapter 10: Work

Welcome back to Sandman everyone :) I'm glad you're enjoying this I work on this story a lot. Please remember to VOTE and COMMENT it really means a lot to me and I like talking to you guys in the comments. XOXO BUTTERBALL

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Nathan-

After dropping Sam off at home I went off to go complete my work for the night. My 'job' is not easy and my job is not fun either. I basically spend a lot of time in multiple people's heads trying to find out what horrifies them, what relaxes them, and how to do one or the other. Once I've seen you I know everything about you.

"So tonight we're going to Dover's Hospital for the Criminally Insane," I said as I looked at a piece of paper I had printed out.

Theo appeared beside me and let out a whistle, "You know I like crazy people brains right? It makes the nightmares taste sweeter," he told me smiling.

I glanced at him, "Why did you come out earlier?" I asked him.

Theo never came out when it was light outside but once the sun went down he appeared.

"I came out because it was dark, and it was getting darker," he said like that explained everything.

I bet dad never had it this bad.

Theo chuckled, "Oh trust me your dad had it much worse, the only reason you have it this bad is because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself at ten years old."

I let out a sigh, "Stay out of my head," I mumbled as I stood up.

"I would if I could, I have learned more about teenagers and high school than I ever wanted to. I swear your thoughts are like an unorganized filing cabinet. Organized that shit right now it's getting annoying," he told me.

I jumped off the roof of the building I was standing on, the moment I did my wings appeared on my back throwing glowing, white, feathers up into the air.

"You know you could have said something before you jumped, I mean what you have done if I had decided not to follow you?" Theo asked me as he flew up next to me. His wings were black similar to a crow or raven wings.

"Well since you know what happens when the chain between us runs out I knew you would follow," I told him.

"You mean that I chain you up somewhere?" He asked grinning.

"Just leave me alone," I muttered.

Breaking into the mental hospital was easy for us the hard part came when we were inside.

We stood in the security room where at the current moment two guards were sitting down in front of a row of monitors talking.

Theo looked around the room slowly, "I like this room it feels cold and comfy," he said smiling.

I looked at him, "I thought a room also had to be dark for you to like it."

He shrugged, "As long as it's not bright I'm not picky," he told me.

There was a scream and I looked up to see that one of the guards was now looking at us and pointing.

Shit.

It was rare, but there were certain people who could see me and Theo when we were working, it tended to be people who had things like sleepwalking, lucid dreaming, or if they knew about the curse.

"Let me take care of it," Theo told me.

He walked forward until he was face to face with the man who could see us. Then Theo looked the man in the eye.

I watched as the man's whole body stiffened, he began whimpering, his face turned pale then he suddenly ran out of the room screaming.

The other security guard sat there for a moment confused then he took off after his friend. "Hey, where you going?!"

I glanced at Theo, "Did you really have to show him, his worst fear?"

He smiled at me, "It got rid of him didn't it?"

Theo opened the door and walked into the hallway without waiting for my answer.

"I'm going next door to eat the dreams of a girl who apparently wants to fuck, Santa Claus," Theo told me.

I shuddered and glared at him, "I did not need that image in my mind!" I snapped.

"You didn't need the image, I got to see it! I didn't know you could even use a candy cane like that without breaking it!" He snapped back.

I rolled my eyes, "Just remember to leave her alive when you eat her dreams okay. There's a reason sleep paralysis exist," I reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah I'm not dumb, I know the difference between scared and dead," he grumbled.

Theo raised his hand over the lock on the metal door. A black, shadow, like mist, came out of his palm and covered the lock. There was a screeching and groaning sounding as the metal was destroyed, then the mist disappeared.

Theo opened the room door and walked inside shutting it behind him. I turned back to the door I was standing in front of.

I didn't like the dark for multiple reasons, one of the reason being that unlike Theo I didn't thrive in it, in fact sometimes it drained my powers.

I raised my hand over the lock on the door in front of me and allowed my powers to come out. The marking on my back began to burn and tingling as it usually did when I used my powers.

Glowing, white mist came out of my hand engulfing the lock. My back started itching and tingling, suddenly it felt like a giant centipede was crawling across my back and onto my shoulder.

I just shudder and forced myself not to scratch or hit my shoulder because the curse marking wouldn't like that. Especially since it had just moved from my back to my right shoulder.

I let out a sigh when the lock fell off and the pain stopped.

"Finally," I whipped as I opened the metal door.

When I walked into the small, barren room I saw a thin man pacing back and forth. He was dressed in a hospital gown and slippers.

The moment I stepped into the room the man looked at me and for a second I froze until I realized his eyes weren't focused on me but on the door.

Does he think the door opened by itself? Oh, wait he's a paranoid schizophrenic of course he does.

"Get out of my room, Catherine! I've said sorry already!" He screamed.

I carefully walked over to him, his eyes were darting around the room frantically searching for something only he could see. I snapped my fingers and in the distance, there was a long ringing sound, similar to a giant clock bell.

The man's body began to relax as I manipulated his internal body clock. He slouched slightly, his eyelids drooped until finally he just fell asleep standing.

The ringing stopped and I smiled, "Not bad," I whispered.

"Yay, more crazy brains," Theo said as he walked into the room.

I looked at him, "Please tell that you didn't kill that poor girl."

"Nope, but then again kill is a large term with many definitions and details," he told me.

"Theo," I warned him.

He let out a chuckle, "Don't worry she's fine, you'll see for yourself in a minute," he reassured me.

A second later I heard a very loud, female, scream then a crash. Theo began laughing at the noises.

"Arachnophobia, you gotta love it," he told me grinning.