Perception {Dreamnotfound}

2 | Trust Me | 2

-Returning to the present day...-

~~~

-George's POV-

"Good morning sunshine."

My eyes fly open at the sound of someone's voice. On instinct, I reach to my left for my axe. In distress I realise it's not there, and I'm not laying on the wooden floor like I was when I passed out.

So who saved me?

"Uh... hello?"

Oh.

I'm met with someone staring into my eyes, unnervingly close to my face. A boy, roughly my age, maybe a little younger. But taller, definitely taller.

Most of his face is hidden by a mask. A white mask, with a smiley face drawn on the front. It's a little unsettling, especially when I can't make up my mind as to whether it's a friendly or threatening smile. Either way, it's creepy.

You must've saved me.

The boy impatiently rams his boots into my leg, sitting on the grass opposite me. There's little slits in his mask that barely reveal his eyes. I'd guess they were green, but I'm not sure.

The rest of his outfit probably matches. A similarly coloured hoodie, the zip open to reveal a presumably white sweatshirt beneath. It's covered in blood, as are his grey trousers. Boots which could be brown, ideal for traversing the forest with. He's definitely equipped, whoever he is. Probably experienced.

But his clothes are so bloody.

"Are you just going to sit there like an idiot or prove to me you aren't one?"

He stands before me, offering me a hand up. I debate whether I should take it for a few seconds before remembering he did just save my life.

Unsurely, I clasp my hand around his. He smiles, gently pulling me to my feet. My legs feel like jelly beneath me, barely capable of holding me. The stranger seems to notice, helping me sit back down again.

"Oh my god you're short" he comments snidely, lowering me back to the floor. I lean myself against a tree, watching the boy tower over me. He sits beside me, rummaging through my bag like it's his.

"Who the hell are you?!"

The boy turns to me, halfway through lighting a match he stole from my bag. His look is hollow, staring at me like I'm crazy. "Did you hit your head or something?"

As if taunting me, the left side of my forehead suddenly begins the throb. It distorts the forest, an area of the woods I don't recognise. So we must've left the western sector.

The stranger approaches me, leaning in to examine my face. For some reason, he doesn't seem cautious at all. Then there's me, quivering from the sight of the stranger before me despite what he did.

"Maybe..." I mutter, rubbing my forehead and pushing him away. He's close, far too close.

Hurt registers in his eyes for a second before he drops it. His legs curl up beneath him, discarding the match back in my backpack. "Alright. So tell me shortie, what do you remember?"

"I-" My forehead throbs uncontrollably, causing me to wince in pain. The other boy moves towards me again in concern, but I push him away. "I- was attacked by my hunter..." I begin, trying to recall what happened. "And you saved me. You broke in and saved me from them."

He watches me unsurely, like I'll collapse again at any second. Sadly, he's probably not wrong. I could easily fall back out of consciousness just as quickly as I fell into it.

"Alright..." he nods slowly. "So why are you being so mean to your saviour?" Despite the mask, I can tell there's a cocky smile on the face hidden behind.

I scoff, watching him unsurely. "Why are you being so nice to someone you just met. And why the hell did you save me?!"

The boy shrugs, brushing off my questions absentmindedly. "What's your name then?" he asks, watching me with those pretty eyes.

"I-"

He saved your life George...

"I'm George" I awkwardly extend a hand in greeting. "And you are?"

"Dream. Nice to meet you George." 'Dream' takes my hand, shaking it with a little more force than necessary.

"Dream?" I splutter. "Okay, funny. What's your actual name?"

Coldness fills his eyes suddenly, freezing the warmth that resides there merely a few seconds ago. "My name is Dream. Drop the conversation."

I let out another scoff, disbelieving of this idiot. "You expect me to trust you when you won't even tell me your name?"

'Dream' suddenly stands, taking a few steps closer. "I just saved your life you ungrateful idiot!" he snarls, biting back more venomous words he's clearly desperate to say. I appreciate the effort at least.

"Alright..." I sigh. "Sorry. And thanks, you didn't have to save me."

The warmth slowly returns to his eyes. "Better. You're welcome. I know it's weird, but just go with it." He rummages through my bag, pulling out my feeble collection of medical supplies.

"And please, before you do, don't ask me about the mask. It's a trust issues sort of thing."

Alright then.

He turns away, going shy. "Plus it's nasty. My face is covered in scars." Sympathy I didn't know I was capable of having floods me, heart going soft for this poor boy. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you're pretty anyway-"

Don't say it don't say it-

"-Well, you have pretty eyes at least."

Goddamnit George...

Dream turns back to face me, searching among my things for something. "You got a thing for green eyes?" He laughs, pulling down his hood to reveal the hair underneath.

I don't know what colour it is, but it looks pretty light. Messy and unkept, but still somehow presentable. Dream flips his hair, despite it being cut short. "I'm also a blonde. Perfect, I know. Please try not to faint."

Oh my god...

He's obnoxious, but in a funny way. It's kind of cute.

"Why're you so confident?" I ask shyly, suddenly really wishing I also had a mask to cover my face. It suddenly makes sense to wear one after all. He shrugs, raging in my bag and pulling out some bandages. "Dunno. Guess you've got to have some fun somehow."

We sit awkwardly, Dream trying to organise my things as I try to organise my thoughts. I was attacked by my hunter, and Dream stepped in just before I died.

Is my hunter dead?!

"Dream did you kill my hunter?!" I ask nervously. My image of my hunter is blurred, I was falling in and out of consciousness the whole time. He was pretty tall, taller than me at least. His clothes were odd too.

He shakes his head bitterly. "No. He escaped just before I got to him, but I think I injured him pretty badly."

Slowly, I look up and down the bloodied clothes. "Yeah, your clothes kind of... suggested that much."

"Yeah..."

Silence drags on, forcing one of us to speak up. Dream decides to break the silence first. Sitting opposite me and handing me over the bandages.

"Alright then Georgie. Let's get to know each other now that we're here."

Georgie.

"Alright" I force myself to smile. "You can go first."

I'm putting my faith in someone. It's been so long since I trusted anyone even slightly. But here I am, forced to trust this idiot.

At least he's a cute idiot.