What Dreams are Made of|| MAGICANIMALCLUB

I Stood By You

2 Years Later
...
Stampy's POV

I lay in bed with Sqaishey beside me. She was asleep, her hand was stretched over my chest with her small golden engagement ring glimmering in the light.
Her head gently rested upon my shoulder as I wrapped my arm around her, gently stroking her wrist with my thumb.
The light was dull and there was a warm haze in our small and cosy bedroom.
To the oblivion of Sqaishey, for the last few years I had had a lot of trouble sleeping. Dreams had been something I regularly discarded, I never remembered nor tried to remember them.
It was only when the topic of how I met Sqaishey arose, that for some reason I remembered various scenarios, yet couldn't put my finger on how the others appeared.
We met from YouTube, I found her channel and invited her to stay. That is how we met.
Yet..
Sometimes I can almost recall bumping into a girl in the lashing rain, seeing her look at me and collapse, then bringing her in.. I could almost picture it in my mind. That was her; that was Sqaishey.

Somehow; in my mind, the two of us had gotten engaged years ago- in a strange house in a strange place.
I had to be reminded that Squid and Nicole were still together, I constantly forgot. Sometimes I feel nauseous just thinking about Squid, hence why I often distance myself from him.

Sometimes I feel like this whole world is just a dream. This whole reality, this house, this fiancé, this job, this money. It feels like I was living in my parents' house playing games and having a bad job, and then I blinked and here I am; famous.. successful.. me.

After hours worth of wondering, I finally fell asleep.

When I.. when I guess I woke up.. I was in some weird place.
Sqaishey was there. She was in bed beside me.. but it wasn't my bed.
We were in a huge modern looking bedroom, with glass windows which overlooked a swimming pool and the sea.
I almost recognised this place.
"Joe." Whispered a voice.
I turned to see Sqaishey looking at me. Her hair was long again, and that blonde streak she used to have behind her ear was back.
I couldn't speak.
She hasn't looked like this in years.. what's going on?
I felt pain in my lower leg as I gradually sat up.
"W-what's going on.." I breathed, my eyes wide and confused. "Where the hell am I?"
"Joe... it's me.. we're home.." She soothed, touching my cheek and gazing into my eyes.
"N-no this isn't home." I muttered, standing up out of bed onto the cold tile floor.
"Joe.. I know you're not well, I know that you're going through a really hard time but you've just got to settle." She told me, but I looked back in concern, looking to her hands.
"What happened to your ring?" I asked her,
"What do you mean?" She asked, holding out her left hand where her silver ring with a diamond glimmered in the light.
Oh of course..
I began to walk out the door, walking down the steps and looking at all the different rooms. Doors that lead everywhere.
I know this place..
"Joe.. Joe please sit down." Said Beth, walking down the stairs behind me.
"What happened..." I whispered, entering the kitchen which I seemed to know completely.
"You attempted suicide, Joe. You've been on medication for months." She told me, "this is the first time you've left your bed since.."
"Since..?" I urged,
"Since David died.."
"David who?" I asked,
"David Spencer.. Squid."
I gasped.. he's not dead.. what? When did this happen?
"W-what.."
"He died in a car crash, Joe. Don't you remember? The day after Lee." Reminded Beth.
"Lee?"
"Can't you recall anything?" She asked before shaking her head and sitting down on the sofa by the sea. I sat down beside her, feeling sick.
"Joe.." she began, "you killed him."
"Who.." I breathed,
"Lee. You shot him. Tell me you remember that at least." She spoke sternly, her eyes ruptured mine.
Then I started to sink in.
I recalled that pivotal moment..
Lee was on his knees.. I stood over him, a gun in my hands pointed to his head with tears surrounding my face and his.. I asked him to give me one reason not to kill him... then I shot him. I shot him stone cold dead. He was seventeen.

"Oh my god.." I breathed. Looking up at Beth. I remembered it all. My eyes began to well up with anxiety. I had never felt so lost in my life.
Beth pulled me into an embrace,
"Please let me go home.. I can't stay here please let me wake up.." I whispered.
"Joe, you are home." She told me.
"Then where's Ori? Where's Alyx? Where's the birds? Where's my family? W-where am I?!" I cried,
"Joe? What are you talking about?" Asked Beth, gazing with worrying eyes into mine.
I tried blinking. I just needed to wake up. I needed to get home. This wasn't real, this couldn't be real.
"Just go back to sleep, Joe." She whispered to me. Linking her hands with mine and lying me down on the sofa.
I began to close my eyes as she kissed my forehead, and whispered softly in my ear, "I love you."

I was back home.
Sqaishey looked normal. She had short brown hair and her real engagement ring remained on her finger as her eyes slowly opened and looked up at me.
"Morning." She said to me.
"Morning." I replied, staring out into space. Feeling shocked.
"You okay?" She asked me.
I nodded, looking back down at her as she gently kissed my lips.
"One more sleep." She giggled, looking over at her beautiful white wedding dress in the corner of the room hanging on the wardrobe.
I laughed, wrapping my arms around her even more, "it's gonna be amazing." I told her, trying to express some enthusiasm, but really, just trying to tell myself that the dream was just a dream.. nothing more. It wasn't real.