Atlantis // DNF

Chapters

George's POV

I had made plans to pick up my mom in the evening and before that i would make some food, call my sister, edit a little and go for a walk. More than all of them i was excited to find my little escape in the old libraries corner and disappear in the world between the pages.

I'm not sure if Dream is going to be there this time. I'm not sure if this time he will be there to listen. I wonder if the story will be just as meaningful without him on the other side of the phone. His breathing gave the story life. It felt almost real, almost believable.

I look at the different shades of packaging on the shelves, i wonder how Dream would see them. Gingerbread cookie dough is almost completely gone and i feel my feet doing a little happy dance when i manage to grab the last two packages. Today feels like a lucky day.

The store feels packed to the trim, i have trouble moving around with that many people rushing somewhere, not really caring about bumping in others.

It's messy and kids are crying and i feel my hands grabbing the cart stronger and holding on to it until my knuckles become white. I feel my sweater sticking to my back and my legs feel a little weak. It's claustrophobic.

I find my way to an empty swimming pool and other summer decoration aisle.

George:
Dream?

Dream:
Yea?

George:
Are you busy?

Dream:
Depends. Why?

George:
Can you talk right now?

Dream:
Sure

It takes a few seconds and incoming call notification pops up on my screen

"Hey, George!"

"Um, hi"

"A-are you ok?"

I don't know what to say, he sounds excited and happy and i'm definitely interrupting something.

"Yea."

"No you're not. What happened?"

"I'm not sure."

"Ok? Are you safe? Where are you?"

"I'm in a shop. I was buying things for my mom and then everything got really overwhelming and i started running and i have no idea why i did that."

"Oh."

"Yea."

"So where are you now?"

"I'm looking at swimming pool floaties."

"You what?"

"To be honest i have no idea. But everything is blue and it's pretty."

"That's good. Do you want a floatie?"

"No."

It's silent for a second and i can't help but let out a laugh. It's not even two seconds later when Dream is full on wheezing and i can't stop giggling.

"So what are you doing?"

"I'm packing gifts for my parents."

"Oh, i'm sorry, you should have said that you are doing something."

"George i always have time for you. Why did you call me though?"

"I don't know. I guess that blue reminds me of you."

"Why is that?"

"Because that's what water sounds like."

"Water sounds blue?"

"You sound blue too."

I can't get back in this, i'm sitting in a summer decoration aisle in a market, i'm not doing this. Not now.

"Anyway, thank you. I feel a lot better. Drive safe!"

And before he can answer i press the end call button, grab a blue floatie and run through the shop, ignoring the look of the cashier and i don't stop until my apartment door separates the two worlds.

It was about three hours later, the food was prepared to be cooked as soon as i get home and i was making my way to the library. It was snowing slowly and i can't help but feel something. A little twinkling in my stomach. It's pretty.

The library still smells the same and our corner is still untouched. I meet the ground and as the peppermint tea flows down my throat i reach for the book on the bottom shelf. It's the wrong section and the wrong genre, but the blue covers fit so well next to the romance novels about old love in young bodies.

I don't know if i should call Dream. I wonder what he is doing. Before i can decide what to do his name lights up my phone.

"Hi?"

"Are you in the library?"

"I am."

"Why didn't you call me?"

It's silent. I don't know what to say.

Maybe because I am taking chances lately and i don't want to make a wrong move.

"Are you reading?"

"I haven't started yet."

"Good. Go ahead."

And so i read. I read and i wonder if he knows. Does he know how the book breathes between my fingers and the pages talk with me? Does he know how it feels warm between my hands and how it sings along to the quiet songs in the background. Does he know how it's begging to be picked up, to be held and to be looked at? Does he know?

Does he know how the library looks from this corner? Does he know how the library smells like new books but the ones that lay in this corner are soaked up with peppermint? Does he know how the librarians eyes travel everyone else around the room? Does he know how the huge window fogs up every evening and makes the corner seem even more out worldly?

Does he know?

I hope i can say enough, i hope i can explain well enough. I hope my words are enough.

"Zeus, the god of gods, who rules according to law, and is able to see into such things, perceiving that an honourable race was in a woeful plight, and wanting to inflict punishment on them, that they might be chastened and improve, collected all the gods into their most holy habitation, which being placed in the centre of the world, beholds all created things."

I wonder if he knows that if world would be a good enough place i would give it all to him. But world is not that great of a place so i would give him all the good days. I would give him all the things that make it somewhat good.

I would give him blueberries, i would give him peppermint tea and i would give him pancakes. I would give him my moms hugs and my sisters laugh. I would hive him my cats cuddles and i would give him the librarians smile. I would give him the smell of rain and i would give him the shore line. I would hand him over the blue sky and everything good. I would give him my good days.

It feels a little selfish when he indeed is the one making the days good, making the sea shore louder and blue colour brighter. He indeed is the one making world feel like home.