Baby Don't Stop

Chapter Seven

Ten is standing in a field of wild flowers. He takes a deep breath in and breathes back out. He looked around him but there was nothing or anyone around him. He looked down at himself. He was wearing a costume. All dressed up and fancy to go on stage.
Ten could hear the soft whispers of the wind. He started walking. Not in any general direction but just forward. Soon he was able to see something in the distance. As he sprinted forward towards it he could see it was a giant black swan.
Without hesitating he reached out his hand to pet its beak, somehow knowing it was friendly. When it laid out its nearest wing he climbed on it. One flap, two flaps of its wings and Ten was soaring with it through the air. He looked down below as they passed the plain of wild flowers and were soaring high above the rolling sea. The waters churned, tossing and turning like the water was fighting. When ten looked up at the blue sky it had turned dark and grey. Large winds gusted the swan.
"Where are we going?" Ten tried to yell to the swan. He could almost see a small island appearing in the distance. On any other day it would have been a beautiful tropical island in the middle of the ocean but right now the waves were threatening to take it under and into the depths.
"We are going there?" Ten didn't think that it would be a good idea for them to land there. But the swan dove down towards the island.
When it landed on the island the winds got faster and the waves got higher. Ten didn't want to get off the swan's back.
Over the howling of the winds he could hear the shrieking of some birds. He quickly searched where the sound was coming from. In one of the trees was a small cage and in that cage were two small Canaries. They were huddled together in the cage. Ten had to save them. If they stayed on the Island they would be swallowed by the storm. He jumped off the swan's back and rushed to the tree. He had to climb up it to get to them.
The poor screams of the birds as their cage was rocked to and fro in the wind, his hands kept slipping as he couldn't reach the small canaries. Ten turned to the black swan behind him. "We have to help them! Can you reach the cage?" But the swan stayed there and waited in the ever intensifying storm.
Ten just had to help the birds. He felt that's why the swan brought him here. He had to take them with him or free them from the cage. As he tried to climb the tree again he was shocked back.
The tree was now covered completely in bugs and insects. They were heading to the birds cage. "No!" The wind picked up to such speeds that Ten couldn't even get close to the birds let alone keep standing. He fell to his knees and clutched at the sand around him.
The bugs got closer and closer to the cage. Soon they were all over and landing on the birds. Ten could hear the bird's screams get louder. He had to help them he knew he did but he couldn't, there was nothing he could do. He knew that the bugs would kill the birds if he didn't help them but there was nothing he could do to get to them. He could feel with all his being, he had to save those birds.
With one more loud shout he feels the wind pick him up and throw him into the ocean.

Ten woke up with a start. He was covered in sweat. He couldn't catch his breath. Why was it so hot? Without thinking he threw off his shirt that he had been sleeping in. He could hear Taeyong getting out of his own bed.
"Hey, are you okay? What's wrong?" Taeyong comes and sits in front of Ten.
Ten is still reeling from the dream and doesn't realize he has tears streaming from his face. "I couldn't save them! I couldn't save them!"
"Whoah, whoa. Hey look at me. It's okay. You're safe." Taeyong reaches up and grasps Ten's face, using his thumbs to wipe away Ten's tears but more take their place.
Ten leans forward on to Taeyong's shoulder. He is wracked with sobs. And just stays there crying as Taeyong tries to soothe him by rubbing his back.
After a couple minutes Ten's sobs decrease to sniffles. Taeyong starts to stand up but stops when he feels Ten's hand on his own. Taeyong looks over into Ten's eyes and he looks so vulnerable and small. Taeyong knows that he can't leave his best friend right now. He might as well make himself comfortable.
Taeyong pushes Ten over and sits on the bed next to him. Taeyong lifts one arm up and around Ten to rub his back. Ten leans back and lays his head on Taeyong's shoulder.
"Who couldn't you save?" Taeyong asks Ten causiously.
"The canaries." Ten doesn't say any more and Taeyong doesn't want to make Ten upset again and just lets him lay there with his head on his shoulder.
As Taeyong hears Ten's breathing slow he thinks about Ten's nightmare, what as strange dream. He couldn't help but wonder if it was related to the stress he was currently feeling with all that happened yesterday. But he would think more about it in the morning. He could feel his eyes drooping as he slowly drifted off to sleep.