I Stink at Titles

Chapter 5- I Meet a Touchy Boy

Chapter 5

Why was everything purple?

I looked around, blinking at the dark mist. It reminded me of the strange, high-pitched ringing noise you sometimes got in you ear; so easy to tune out but you still knew it was there.

I touched my shoulder and felt the mark throb. 

My feet moved, taking me towards a dark figure. When I got closer, I saw that it was a boy with floppy brown hair and brooding eyes. He was hot, no joke. So hot it just made you want to punch him in the eye and mess up the perfection.

"Finally," he said once I arrived, which didn't exactly help my personal image of him, "it took you forever to figure this part out."

"Not really. Where am I?" I looked around again, and noticed that rainbow fishes were swimming all around us. The questions that had been beating around in my head burst out. "Are you here about my mark? Who even are you? And what do you mean by it took me forever to figure it out?"

My attention went back to him, and his face got even more broody.

Before he opened his mouth, I pointed at him and said, "Do not reply with something even more vague, if that's what you were gonna do. I have been waiting weeks for some answers and I'm not going to let it get away from me."

"At least you don't beat around the bush," he said, and stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. "How do we start?"

I yanked down my shirt, checking to see if it was still there. Yep, it was. "With this," I said, "assuming you can see it."

He smirked, "What do you think?"

"Just answer me," I said. Honestly, what was it about a smirk that made you want to wipe it off?

He reached out a finger and gently touched the mark. I rolled my eyes but didn't step away. 

"On second thought, I don't think it's my job to tell you." He stepped back, the smirk getting wider, "as for where we are, have you ever heard of Dreamland?"

"No," I said, growing even more irritated. Didn't I tell him I didn't like vague answers? 

He shrugged, "Too bad, because they're what I specialize in." He lifted his hand and made a flicking motion, and the mist swirled to make the form of a pony. It galloped around us for a moment before disappearing. "Dreamland. Land of dreams. At least you would think that's what the name meant. But this is more like a...crossroads between your mind and the waking world."

He paused, and I took that time for that to sink in. I exhaled, feeling a knot of tension inside my chest loosen up. This information wasn't much, but it was something.

He reached out to my mark again, pushing my shirt fabric aside and tracing his index finger against the black lines. It was gentle, slow. I, for some reason, didn't want to push it away. The organ beating against my ribcage was being distracting. His eyes met mine, large and dark.

"One could get lost in here, if they weren't asleep. They would wander around, letting the ever-changing land drive them insane." His other hand went over my other shoulder. "You're surprisingly calm about this."

Stupid hormones, making me act dumb around these types of boys. Stupid dream state, letting me be too tired to resist these feelings. 

"Do you realize how much trouble this will give you?" the smirk morphed into a smile, as if he were delighted by this, "I'm going to have so much fun."