Over the Falls

Chapter 24

Bill felt tingly. Not the kind of tingly he usually felt when he entered the dreamscape, whether it be his or someone else's. Really it didn't matter, they were all his.

This was a new kind of sensation, one he was not familiar with.

He isn't playing by my rules...

The world was like a maze of fuzzy memories, nothing was exactly concrete. Bill was used to that at least, the unfamiliar familiarness of this reality was comforting.

"Bill," Wirt's voiced echoed throughout the dream.

Bill turned around to see Wirt, the only concrete thing, the only thing in focus.

What is this, this isn't my dreamscape, this isn't my world...

"Where are we, Beasty?" Bill's voice wasn't worried, but his nickname was more a word than anything, not an insult, not a poke. Just a word.

Wirt cocked his head. "We're in the dreamscape, Bill, I thought you knew this place, I thought you lived here."

Bill shook his head and looked around. "No, something isn't quite right. I can't put my finger on it. Something's out of place."

Wirt looked around, a strange kind of sadness in his eyes. "This is what I've known. This is what's inside my head."

"It's...similar to mine," Bill started, still looking around as if the out-of-place-thing were in plain sight. "Just not quite the same."

Wirt shrugged. "Let's just get a move on. You're probably not used to having company." A small smirk appeared on his face.

Bill scowled but appreciated the light joke. He felt strangely unsettled. Maybe Wirt was a part of something different.

Wirt didn't have the time nor energy to wonder why their dreamscapes were different. He didn't want to know how many planes of existence there were, how many levels of nightmares.

The demon next to him seemed unsettled, but quickly grew accustomed to this dreamscape. He guessed it wasn't that different.

Wirt was more relieved for the company he had than he cared to admit, even to himself. The dreamscape, this dreamscape, was lonely, it was dark. Everything looked like you were looking into the dark with foggy glasses on, and only sometimes did the real things appear clear. Most times they stayed hidden.

It was a relief Bill was kept clearly in sight, in focus.

He's real... He isn't a nightmare, even if he is a demon. He's real, and he's here with you.

Wirt shook his head. As much as he was grateful for Bill's company, he wasn't about to hold his hand in the dark anytime soon. Even if that thought alone brought him comfort.

Stop it, Wirt thought. This isn't about anything but finding your brother. About not becoming something worse.

"That way," Bill said suddenly.

"What?" Wirt asked, realizing he was caught up in his own thoughts.

"Something is that way. I can feel it," Bill's voice was serious for once.

Wirt looked towards where Bill was looking. A slightly out of focus street in the dark, one lantern hung overhead on a pole. There was nothing special about it, in fact it felt empty to Wirt. The strange nightmare breeze blew his hair towards it.

Bill's eyes were focused on it.

"Okay..." Wirt said, not in any position to deny the demon. "Into the unknown, then."

Bill wasn't sure if it was the Beast, Greg, or something else.

Something was not right, and it was down that road.