Love

The Skeleton

You hastily shoved your sandwich down your throat, not even bothering to ration it.

A few minutes ago, you had just met a talking flower. Talking being the key word. You convinced yourself you were hallucinating, that it was all some crazy figment of your imagination. It wasn't even that the flower was scary, although you remember its words to be slightly unsettling. To be perfectly honest, you weren't even sure why it scared you so much.

But right now, you figured you were either starving, dehydrated, or you had permanent brain damage from your fall, which was why you were promptly devouring everything you had. Maybe you're sleep deprived, or suffering from shock or trauma from falling down here. After all, talking flowers don't exist, right?

It's not real. It's not real. It's not real. This is a crazy dream. Really crazy. Insanely so. Just a dream. Just a dream. Just a dream.

After you washed down the last shreds of your food with water, you sat there on the ground, rocking back and forth, tears streaming down your face, until you fell asleep. 

-----xxx-----

Sans was snoring peacefully, slumped against the wall. He was supposed to be on human watch duty right now, but he honestly couldn't be bothered anymore. 

For ten years, his life with Toriel had been sweet. He laughed and joked with her, read books with her, talked to her, smiled with her. And for the ten years he'd been here, his nightmares appeared less frequently, and for a few minutes each day, he could take his mind off his guilt. For ten years, there hadn't been a single human in sight. So why would there be one now?

He didn't know it yet, but he would only be able to enjoy his ignorant bliss for a few more hours.

Somehow a high-pitched, annoyingly cheerful voice wandered into his dreamless slumber.

"...years since we've had a newcomer..."

He ignored it. He tuned out whoever was speaking.

That was a mistake.

-----xxx-----

Sans awoke a few hours later. He yawned and stretched for a few seconds before getting up to leave. Toriel would be cooking dinner soon, and he didn't want to be late. She was scary when she was upset.

While he was walking back through the Ruins, his mind drifted back to what he had heard in his dream.

"...years since we've had a newcomer..."

Heh, whatever that means...

And then finally, finally, he took in exactly what those words meant. Rather, he realized, he shouldn't even be hearing voices in this part of the Ruins unless Toriel had popped in for a visit. And that voice was definitely not Toriel's.

Shoot!

He could already feel his eye burning blue as he ran back to the entrance. He had only run this fast once in the past, and he'd appreciate it if this time, his efforts weren't in vain.

He quickly scanned the room he was guarding. No one was there.

So that must mean that someone's in there.

There was a small cavern that connected the entrance to the Underground to the Ruins. Because he didn't hear anyone walk past him while he was asleep, he knew that someone was in the next cavern, or in the one beyond it.

Taking deep breaths, he steeled himself for what he might see.

He stepped into the room, his first footstep echoing strangely. He took a few more hesitant steps before he heard a strangled scream.

Curled up on the floor, paralyzed by shock and fear, was a human child.