Child Soldier

Chapter 8; Lessons

The man was there.

He saved Tommy from total isolation. Without anyone, Tommy was beginning to lose it. Lose hope, lose purpose, lose his entire sense of self. He'd been on the cusp of ending it all. The only thing he'd held to anymore were Dream's visits.

"When do you know when it's too much?" Tommy had asked himself.

"It's not your time to die yet, Tommy," Dream had told him once while nudging him away from a steep fall into the pool of lava just below the dark glowing portal back to his home.

The home he'd given up everything for, and yet had been forced from.

Hatred had started to bloom in Tommy. A deep hatred for those that had betrayed him.

Another stone in the wall only growing stronger around his fragile heart. Another reason why never to trust again; to never rely on anyone ever again. Only himself and maybe- possibly- Dream.

Tommy continued to cry, attempting to be as silent as he could but Dream knew. Tommy's body blistered with pain between the shaky breaths and his trembling frame. Every sob reminded him that he was totally and completely broken. A part of Dream wished he could comfort Tommy, but he knew he shouldn't. He needed Tommy to understand and in order to understand the boy needed to stay in this headspace for a while longer.

It would make him more pliable.

Manipulating the mind was an exact science led by the victims own emotions. All Dream needed to do was nudge him in the right direction. Like a game of pool. Each ball had to be sunk exact and precise, his job was to simply strike from the correct angle. It would all fall into place on it's own. This time Dream was certain he'd lined the shot perfectly. This time he felt the lesson may actually stick.

At some point Dream had gotten lost in his thoughts. Rowing slowly as the moon rose high above them, reflecting off the pitch black ocean surrounding the two. It cast a soft silver light against Tommy's curled up form that had stilled. The boy had cried himself to sleep somehow, despite how uncomfortable it must be to lie against the floor of the wooden boat. Dream recounted the day however and thought of how exhausted Tommy must be. He was only a kid after all.

The reflection of the moon off the slow and gentle waves around them made the dry blood staining Tommy's shirt more visible. There was a dark bruise on the side of his face as well that only darkened by the hour.

Dream felt a pang of guilt.

I'm not a monster, He reminded himself. It's necessary.

He's a child. You're going too far, Dream.

Dream sighed to himself, shaking off his inner turmoil and instead beginning to think of his plans for Tommy. He knew what he wanted in the long run, but the game seemed ever changing. Tommy always kept him on his toes. Once he thought he had the boy, he'd slip from Dream's grasp again.

He needed to keep the boy busy, first and foremost. That was most important. Once Tommy became idle or bored, that's when he'd begin trouble.

Dream already had some ideas in the making.

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By the crack of dawn they'd finally reached land. Dream could feel the dark bags under his eyes growing heavy. He could use to rest for the next three days at least. But he still had just a bit more work to attend to. Just a bit more and then he could finally sleep.

The thought of returning to the Greater SMP area warmed his heart. He knew he'd see George again soon as well. It'd been a while. His mushroom king seemed to slumber more and more these days, but when Dream would visit they'd sit outside his little hobbit cottage and drink tea. George would speak of all the strange dreams that he had, and how real they felt.