The Slumberer and His Dream

Chapter 5 - Dream

George opened his eyes, only to be met by a blinding light and blazing heat. He shielded his eyes with his arm and groaned softly as his eyes adjusted.

"Are you alright?" George turned his head so quickly he got whiplash. He hissed in pain, rubbing the back of his neck. His stomach dropped as the voice registered in his head.

"Dream?" As his eyes adjusted, George finally made out his face. They were riding on a carriage, and the sun was shining brightly.

"Duh, who else would I be?" he asked light-heartedly, before tilting his head. "Are you okay? You seem faint." George rubbed his eyes and squinted.

"Yeah... I'm fine. Where are we?" Dream scoffed as if it were the dumbest question George could ask.

"We're on the road. Look around." And so George did, turning his head to gaze at his surroundings. However, everything was blurry.

He tried to focus on the blurs of green and brown which seemed to be trees, but the harder he looked the worse it hurt his eyes.
"George, are you slipping again?" Dream asked, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the ringing in George's ears.

George blinked, and suddenly everything went dark again. The air around him felt a bit cooler, but directly in front of him, it was hot. He heard the crackling of a fire and smelled the thick scent of smoke. He slowly opened his eyes and his vision faded into focus.

"George?" He jolted at the sound of Dream's voice. "Whoa, calm down. It's just me."

George didn't know why, but he felt warm with happiness at the sound of his voice. The feeling was in his subconscious, yet it was strong enough to affect him physically. He consciously knew that he didn't like Dream, though. "Sorry," he mumbled, unsure how to respond.

"Hey, it's okay." His ears began to ring again, and his chest began to ache from frustration. He could hear Dream talking, and he could feel his hand on his back, but it was all faint; muffled.

The ringing grew louder, and George groaned as his head throbbed.

-

"George!"

George jumped and gasped as he heard a loud thunderclap. His book fell to the floor and he leaned over, rubbing his eyes. "What is it?" He asked, his voice rasping slightly.

"You have a visitor." George froze. A visitor? He racked his mind, trying to remember who could want to see him this early. Then it dawned on him. Dream. He groaned and laid back down. His dream had drained him so much mentally that it felt like he hadn't slept at all.

"I'll be out in a minute," George called out. "Let me get dressed." He heard her footsteps receding and took off the covers. He put on a simple T-shirt and jeans, then stepped outside of his room.

As George expected, there stood Dream. He was chatting with George's mother, who had a smile on her face. "Ah! There's my boy." She rested her hands on her hips. "I'll start making breakfast, alright?" She turned to Dream. "Do you want me to make you a plate?"

"That would be lovely, Ms. Davidson," Dream said politely. His mother walked past him and leaned her head toward his ear.

"He is a Leo. And be nice to him, he's a kind boy," she whispered. George let out a short sigh as she walked away and turned his gaze to Dream, who was slipping out of his shoes and his coat.

"Hi, George." George nodded curtly.

"Ah, hello, Dream. Nice weather we're having," he commented, his voice laced with faux sarcasm-- he was testing the waters.

"Oh, I actually like thunderstorms." Nice.

"Me too. Uh- what time is it?" Dream looked at the clock on the wall.

"It's 7:30." George's face twisted up instantly.

"Wait, what? Who would be awake this early?" Dream shrugged.

"Me. Your mom too, apparently." George rolled his eyes and fixed his hair a bit, brushing his bangs into place with his fingers.

"Well, whatever. I have to study today, so you can find something to do." George didn't mean to be too harsh, but he was upset. Dream was the reason he was asleep at 7 am, so he wasn't going to be nice. It seemed fair to him.

Dream, however, didn't seem bothered by George's sour attitude. "Cool! What are you studying?"

"Uh, I'm studying for an English exam. I have to finish a book and write 300 words about my understanding of each chapter. Then, I have to take an exam on the book tomorrow." Dream hummed.

"Alright. Do you want any help?" George sighed and turned to his room.

"No."

"Wait!" Dream rested a hand on George's shoulder, which made him turn his head and shrug off Dream's hand. "George, please. I'm really trying here. I know I probably should have come over a little later, but I'll make it up to you. Can I please just help you out and study with you?" George stayed silent for a bit. "Please."

George lowered his head and let out a long sigh. "Okay. Fine, just let me brush my teeth and hair, alright? You can go to my room. It's that one," he said, pointing to his door. Dream grinned and nodded.

"Yessir!" George reached for the bathroom doorknob, but his mother spoke before he stepped inside.

"George! I told you to be nice," she scolded him in a hushed voice. He sighed and shut the bathroom door.