One-shots [Reqs: 5]

A Lifetime Of This

Dream peered over his knees, gaze on the small insect that ambled through the smelly straws of hay. It's tiny little legs fumbled as it struggled across a particularly long straw. It paused, trembling, before its spotted back split open and its wings slipped out. The little bug reared onto its back legs, waving its first two limbs in the air, its antennae twitching. The wings shifted, disappearing beneath the tiny shell of its back. It dropped back down, continuing its trek, although it turned to creep towards Dream. He gingerly, hesitantly, reached out, nudging the insect. He held his pinkie in front of it, keeping his hand still. A faint smile tugged at his expression as the ladybug latched onto his hand and scuttled to sit on his palm.

Dream gave a hoarse noise, raspily whispering to his new friend. "Hello, friend.." The little bug spun in a circle, antennae tapping his boney hand as it began to explore. Dream's toes dug into the straw in an attempt to keep from rocking along with the train as it jerked. He lifted his head slightly, squinting through the darkness. The train was slowing. Dream ducked his head again, chin tucked against his chest. He curled his fingers, uncasing the little bug in a fist, careful to avoid crushing it. He held his fist to his chest, gritting his teeth. His ankle cracked as he forced himself to his feet. The air was thicker once he reached his full height. Dream's balance adjusted after a moment of standing, hay shifting under his feet. Free hand stuck out, he cautiously stepped past his fellow stowaways, the straws crunching softly under his bare feet. His outstretched fingers bumped gently against a cool metal item, reflexively curling around it. Dream rubbed it, finding that it was merely the boxcar door frame. He shifted, searching along the cold walls for a hole. Surely, the rust had eaten a hole somewhere...

He managed to find a significantly large one, big enough to fit his hand. Dream shuffled over to it, peeking out at the slowly brightening world. He couldn't see so well through the heavy wall of fog, but he could spot a faint red glow. The train was going northeast, he concluded. He pulled away, still gripped onto the doorframe. Once the sun rose fully, he could wake Jennifer and Loren. Already, the boxcar was starting to brighten from weak sunlight that snuck through the thousands of holes that dotted the walls. Dream gasped as the train jerked again. He'd forgotten!

Quickly, he hurried back to where he'd been sitting before. He knelt, gathering his things and putting them in his tattered bag. One of the straps had long since torn off, lost and gone forever, leaving him with one thin strap that gave an odd noise when Dream slung the bag over his shoulder. There was a loud screeching, the train stiffly moving to a stop. The boxcar was filled with dim light, allowing Dream to spot Jennifer. He made his way over, nudging her awake. Precious seconds ticked by as she woke far too slowly. Dream shifted anxiously, wincing as he put weight on his ankle. He nudged her harder, whispering her name. He glanced up at the door, watching it nervously. The train operators could show up at any second. He abandoned his task of waking Jennifer, darting over to Loren. They woke up as soon as he poked them. "Dee? What- Did the train stop?" A clang from outside answered for Dream. Loren's eyes grew wide, the rabbit monster leaping to their feet. Dream stood with them, chewing his fingers worriedly. "Dee, wake the others, quickly." He jumped, nodding and rushing about, rousing the rest of the group. Lily was the last to wake.

She yawned, blinking up at Dream in confusion. "Drew?" He didn't bother to correct her, scooping up the four-year-old girl. He had to open his hand and release the ladybug to do so, watching the insect sadly for a moment before hoisting Lily and holding her so that she sat on his hip. His ankled screamed in protest as he hobbled over to Loren. "Where..?" There was quiet murmuring behind them, the other children chittering anxiously. Loren's ears twisted, a grim expression on their face. "I'm going to open the door, and as soon as I do, you and everyone else are going to jump and run. Follow the sun, I'll find you." Lily whimpered as Loren pulled away. "Lorn..?" Dream shushed her, pulling the black hood of her raincoat over her head and pushing her head into his shoulder. Her small hands tangled into his dirty shirt, the child falling silent. He waited for Loren to finished telling everyone the plan. Loren was the oldest one there, a nineteen-year-old, and for some reason, this made them the leader. Dream was the second oldest, seventeen, and Jennifer the third, sixteen. Lily was the youngest one. If the oldest was the leader, then Dream was next in line.

He trembled at the thought. He wasn't fit to lead, wasn't good enough for it. "Hey.." A mess of tangled black hair bumped his shoulder, breaking him from his thoughts. Millie, a thirteen-year-old boy, gave him a smile, his freckled cheeks rising and making him look like he was squinting. "You're stressing again, aren't you?" Dream softly protested, "No." Millie's smile twitched, those dark eyes full of doubt. "Dee, we both know that's a lie. You were making a face." Dream's shoulders dropped, his gaze turning away. ""s nothing. Pack." Millie hummed, ignoring him. The slim boy dropped his gaze, observing and picking apart. "..How's your ankle?" Dream grimaced, ankle throbbing worse now that he remembered it. "'s fine." Millie's response was cut off, a slightly shorter girl with greasy hair the color of rust butting in with a harsh frown. "Mil, you need to pack. Loren's opening the door." Dream's eyes darted to where Loren stood, finding them holding the door tightly. "Heather-" Millie's voice was lost as Dream stepped away from him, approaching Loren. "Lo?" The taller monster turned, "Dee."

"I-I'm scared. What if you don't find us? I don't know how I'm going to take care of the others, and-" Loren sighed, almost amused as they gave Dream a grin. "You take care of us all the time, Dee, I doubt this'll be any different. It'll just be with one less person." Dream shook his head, unable to speak. He didn't know what to say. Loren's smile fell. "Dee." They set a paw on Dream's shoulder, "You've got this. Don't worry, okay? Everything will be fine." There was another clang, closer than before. Loren's whiskers twitched. They turned, quickly scanning the group. "Remember, follow Dee. He knows where to go." He didn't. Dream opened his mouth to tell them that he didn't know where to go, that he wasn't ready for this. But Loren met his gaze and he shut his mouth. They didn't have time for his doubts. Dream closed his eyes for a moment, steeling himself, before opening them and nodding. Loren took hold of the door, taking a deep breath and grunting as they began to pull the door. Dream blinked rapidly, eyes adjusting quickly at the sudden flood of sunlight. "Go, Dee! Hurry!" The door clanged, nearly drowning out Loren's cry, but it was enough to send Dream out the door.

He lept, his leg buckling as his feet slammed on the floor. Lily screamed as Dream ran, her teary eyes wide and locked on Loren. "NO!! LORN!" She kicked her feet, wailing for her adoptive sibling. Dream's own eyes burned with tears, but he lowered his head and ran. Shouting and gunshots echoes behind him. "WE'VE GOT STOWAWAYS!!" Dream could hardly hear over the roaring in his head. He grit his teeth as he sprinted, risking a glance over his shoulder. Loren was attacking the train workers, barely keeping them back long enough for the group of children to catch up to Dream. The rabbit's left ear was bleeding heavily, blood seeping down their fur, into their eyes. Dream whipped his head back around to face forward, forcing himself to run faster. The forest edge was so close.. A gunshot and a choked cry had his soul skipping a beat. Lily shrieked in his ear, sobbing out her sibling's name. Dream's chest heaved with restrained cries. He didn't need to look back to know what happened. Loren was dead.

~~~

It was dark. The moon was bright, brighter than the sun had been. It cast a pale light over the sleeping bodies that lay in the meadow. Lily turned over in her sleep, her rosy cheeks wet with tears. Dream sat nearby, his head in his hands. There were flower crowns at his feet, one for each of the lost. Five of them. Dream dropped his hands, gingerly taking them. Lily had sloppily put one together for her dead sibling. He shakily stood up, hobbling towards a large tree. He slowly strung them up, placing the flower crowns on the tree where he'd carved their names. Loren Moore, Marble Gerin, Jennifer Springs, Gabby Lee, and Daisy Miller. He stood there numbly for a while, staring at the names blankly. No one would ever know but them. No one would care except for them. Dream sat at the base of the tree, leaning back against it. He wished he'd never left.