Caution: May Bite

[11]

[Tommy's POV]

"Hey kiddo!" He said.

Tommy stood up and tried to shuffle around the tree to get away from him, but the man only dissapeared and reappeared in his way, causing him to step back and trip on a tree root.

"I just wanna talk, kid," he said with in a threatening tone.

Tommy stood up and ran the opposite way. He ran the direction Dream went and called for him.

"You can't run from me, Thomas..."

Tommy kept running. "DREAM!" He called as tears started forming in his eyes.

"THOMAS! STOP RUNNING!" The man grabbed Tommy's arm and held him back from running.

"LET GO! FUCK OFF!" Tommy yelled as he tried to pry his cold grib away from his now-hurting arm.

"You can't do anything. You're just a weak kid-"

Tommy quickly bit his arm as best as he could, which surprisingly worked.

"OW? What the- THOMAS GET BACK HERE!!"

Tommy ran and called for Dream again.

"TOMMY!?"

Tommy heard Dream call and followed, running as fast as he could.

"DREAM!?"

"TOMMY?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

Dream came into view.

"Thomas. Know that you aren't safe. No matter who you're with or where you're at. I'll find you."

Tommy didn't care anymore as he just ran into Dream arms. Tommy sobbed into his shoulder as Dream tried to comfort him.

"What's wrong, buddy?" Dream asked.

Tommy tried to answer. "He- ....the guy... chas- chased me..."he choked out before sobbing again.

Dream looked around the area they were in and saw nothing.

"Are you sure, buddy?" Dream asked, now very much concerned about this mysterious man who is after Tommy.

"Yeah- he grabbed me... and- and he said..... that I.... I wouldn't be- be safe.." Tommy choked out.

"Hey, hey it's okay. I'm right here. He can't hurt you. I won't let him," Dream said as he stood up with Tommy in his arms.

"But- .... But he said.... I wasn't safe.... no- .... matter who I... I was with. And- and that...  he'd find me."

"He might find you, but he'll have to go through me first and he doesn't stand a chance against me, okay?" Dream said as he started walking to the house.

Tommy nodded into Dream's shoulder.

Once they were inside, Tommy had calmed down quite a bit. Dream sat him down on the couch.

"Did he hurt you at all?"

Tommy nodded and held out his arm.

His is entire forearm was covered in a hand shaped bruise ranging in colors from purple to green to black.

Dream gently grabbed it, "Does your arm still hurt?"

Tommy nodded.

Dream let go of his arm, then grabbed some paper and crayons and placed them on the table in front of Tommy.

"Why don't you color, okay? I have to make a quick call and then I'll color with you."

Dream turned to head into the kitchen before stopping at the slight tugging on his hoodie's sleeve. He looked back towards Tommy.

"Please don't leave the room... please," Tommy quietly begged.

[Dream's POV]

Dream silently nodded and pulled out his phone. He scrolled through his contacts until he got to Phil's. He clicked it, then held it up to his ear as he walked to the far side of the room and looked out the window.

The call went to voice mail.

Dammit Phil...

Dream tried calling Wilbur next, who picked up after a few rings.

"Dream? What's up? Is something wrong?" Wilbur asked.

"Hey, uhm, has Tommy ever mentioned a guy in the woods?" Dream asked.

"Yeah, we thought it was his imagination, though. Why?"

"Shit, okay, umm...."

"Why? What happened?"

"We were playing hide 'n' seek in the woods and he came running to me, sobbing, and saying a guy was chasing him. Saying this guy grabbed him and said he wasn't safe, that he was gonna find Tommy."

"Was anyone there?"

"Not that I could see... but there's a huge hand shaped bruise on his arm right now," Dream said looking back to Tommy, who was now sitting on the floor instead of the couch, coloring.

"Shit, okay. I'll be home soon, then. Did you call Phil?"

"Yeah, I tried him before you but he isn't answering me."

"Okay I'll try calling him. Where is Tommy now?"

"I gave him some paper and crayons, so he's coloring in front of me right now. I would have called you from the kitchen where he couldn't hear, but he didn't want me to leave the room."

"Okay, me and Techno are on our way now."

"Okay thanks, Wil. See you soon."

"Bye."

Dream hung up on the phone and sat down by Tommy, though, on the couch.

"Techno and Wilbur will be home soon," He said.

"...okay.." Tommy mumbled. He set down the crayon he was using, stood up, and grabbed his drawing. "This is what he looked like..." he handed Dream the now colored paper.

A man with a cracked mask and black claw-like hands was drawn in crayon.

Tommy sat next Dream on the couch.

"This is great drawing, bud, and it helps a lot. Thanks." Dream smiled at the boy.

"Mhm... can we watch another movie?"

"Sure, bud." Dream picked up the remote and turned the TV on, selecting a movie of Tommy's choice.

[ 15 minutes later ]

Dream and Tommy were enjoying the movie when the front door began to open. Tommy panicked and Dream stood up, hoping it wasn't man Tommy had the horrible encounter with.

In walked Wilbur and Techno, causing Tommy to be at ease. Wilbur sat down with Tommy almost instantly.

"Hey, Tommy, you okay? Everything alright?" Wilbur quickly asked as he checked Tommy for any bad wounds or bruises. Once he saw the arm, Wilbur's face showed guilt, pity, and anger at the same time.

Dream walked into the kitchen with Techno.

"Wil told me what happened. You think he's still out there?"

"Probably..." Dream huffed

"What're we gonna do?"

"I dunno..."

.~•°:¤:°•~.

Word count - 999