Reality

Definitely Not A Dream

Chapter 2

Oliver awoke to the sound the rain hammering against his window.  He sat up slowly, rubbing the crust from his tired eyes distant thunder rumbled outside. The storm has darkened the sky enough that He couldn't quite gauge if it was actually morning or late evening. His alarm clock was flashing a dim blue, meaning at some point the power had gone out. It was a Sunday thankfully, so he didn't have to worry about classes, however he had decent amount of homework he'd procrastinated on that was due tomorrow.

He sighed softly, swinging his sore legs over the side of his bed, feet twitch a bit as they met the cold floor. As he stood, he had to grip his dresser quickly as his body protested the movement.

Why the hell does everything hurt so much?

He straightened before slowly moving towards his bathroom. As he reached the doorway his mind returned to the events of last night. Oliver eyes the shower suspiciously and went about his morning business as quickly as his aching body would allow.

That had been a dream, just a dream. He thoughts rationally, and he probably had kicked around in his sleep, thus explaining why he was so stiff this morning.

Yeah, that's all, just a weirdly realistic dream...

He padded back into his room, pulling some discarded clothes from his floor, he needed to do laundry but couldn't find the motivation to actually get it done. His clothes didn't smell that bad anyway, or so he told himself. So he threw on a dusty  grey hoodie and pair of torn black skinny jeans that had definitely seen some better days, before walking into the apartments kitchen.

He opened the fridge for moment,  questing eyes glancing at the two lone containers of applesauce and half empty bottle of expired milk.

Damn it...

He sighed, he'd finished off the last of his food supply two days ago, and there was no way he was settling for applesauce now. Oliver groaned as he realized this meant a trip to the store. Which mean going outside...Which meant dealing with people.

He tugged on a pair of old sneakers and grabbed his thing wallet, hoping he had enough to at least get some ramen noodles, before heading out. The campus bus didn't run on the weekends so he was left walk down the rain beaten street by himself. His clothes were quickly soaked by the onslaught of rain, and his hair had even begun dripping colored streaks down his neck.

Note to self, don't walk in the pouring rain after dying your hair. He tugged at one of his blue locks, watching the colored drops it made roll down his fingers before getting lost in the rain.

His eyes flickered up as flashing lights cut through the rainy haze, a firetruck speeding past him with siren blaring. He watched it meet with another a block ahead of him, where a few cop cars were also parked, blocking the road. As he walked nearer he realized the storm and caused a large tree to fall in the middle of the road, and all traffic was being re-routed.

Just my luck.

Oliver pushed his hair back before turning around to go a different route. By this point he greatly resembled a drowned rat and unfortunately for him, the only route that had sidewalk cut through the park, which mean a high chance of getting muddy. He tried to walk carefully to avoid the worst of the muddy puddles, but the storm was becoming a flood pretty quickly and it only took one careless step to send him really into one of the many muddy puddles around him.

His hands flew out to catch him as once again, they caught nothing but water. Oliver had seen videos of people falling into deceivingly deep puddles before, but this wasn't the same thing. No, he knew this water, and as broke the surface he once again found himself in the same lake, the familiar grassy shore and surround forest greeted him as he began to swim for land.

He stumbled onto the grass, the swim having been more difficult with his water logged clothes and sore muscles from the night before. However at least new knew where he was this time, well, maybe not really, but the familiar setting kept him from panicking.

"You came back."

That familiar smooth voice startled him upright, his eyes immediately finding the familiar, though still strange, man from his dream the night before. The man was already walking towards him, scanning over his new attire with a curious expression but ultimately keeping eye contact.

Oliver stayed still this time, his brain assuring him he had been dreaming last time, but the circumstances leading him here today were fighting with that theory now. He felt the mans fingers brush against his sopping wet hair, causing him to flinch a bit and sudden touch.

"This can't be real right?" He mumbled to himself, but the stranger had still heard him, keen eyes assessing the question.

"I know I am real, and I can feel you, that means you are real." He stated, matter-of-factly  before continuing, " I waited for you, because you disappeared last we met, where did you go?"

So this is actually happening?

Oliver had to admit that everything was much too intense to be a dream at this point, every sent and sound, not to mention the touch of the man in front of him. His brain shorted for minute as he realized what the man had said.

He waited for me?

Oliver's eyes widened and he could help the blush that crept up his neck to settle on his cheeks. He hesitantly looked away before answering.

"I, uh, I went home, I think." He murmured.

"Your home is in the lake?" The stranger asked curiously.

"Ah no, I don't know why I appeared in the lake. I don't think, um, I think I'm not from this, er, world?"

God he sounded like a dumbass right now, the man probably thought he was crazy.

"Another one..." The stranger whispered to himself, but Oliver caught it, heart picking up speed a bit.

"There's someone else?! W-where are they? Can I talk to them? Please I-I don't understand what's happening!"

Oliver's sudden rise in voice and hopeful panic caught the other man by surprised, but the desperate tone of Oliver's voice cause the others features to soften, his mouth forming a soft but sad smile.

"Many years ago, another emerged from this lake, like you did, confused, like you are now. She was older than you though, and only wandered the shore briefly before disappearing again. The elders thought her a lost spirit, and claimed this lake was a sacred place."

He spoke softly, watching Oliver's face as he realized he would get no real answers.

"I'm...I'm not a spirit though"

Oliver whimpered out, dropping to his knees in defeat. He was so sure it had been a dream before, but the reality of the situation was dawning him all to quickly now, and his mind couldn't take it.

He briefly wondered what his mother would do when she couldn't contact him, if she would even care.

He let out a light sob, collapsing against the stranger, who he dimly realized had crouched down in front of him, before passing out entirely into warm arms.

***** Author's Note *****
Alright two chapters in one day, got those creative juices pumping lol. Anyway hope you enjoy :)
(Unedited)