"How long do you think it's gonna be till the next monster shows up?" I ask Ric in his office.
"It's hard to say. I've never actually seen an artifact glow before. Where did you hide the urn, by the way?" asks Ric
"Think it's better if only I know that... What should we tell the others? They should probably know if a Cyclops crashes their exam week," I say
"It's usually best to start with some form of the truth," says Ric
"And if the truth is the only thing you can't say?" I ask
"Are you sure you want to keep all of this from Landon? I mean, I understand you wanting to protect him, but..." starts Ric
"I'll tell him eventually... But for now, he should enjoy his new home. It's not exactly the best news to know that your mother whom you've wondered about your whole life just left you the second she found you again," I say, Ric gives me a look.
"Ric it's my secret anyway. Alright? So, please..." he nods.
"The trick is to give everyone the right amount of information without giving away too much. We've been through this before with the knife, so it shouldn't come as too much of a shock. This is our chance to do things differently, more responsibly," says Ric
***
From my room, I heard Ric talking about what's been happening with Malivore, and due to that, we transported the youngsters to the Lockwood Mansion. Some other people who weren't youngsters decided to go, too. Obvi, Hope and I weren't one of them.
"Where were you yesterday?" asks Hope
"Saving Landon... sorta," I say
"You're still not gonna admit you like him?" she asks, I look at her and smile.
"What?" she asks
"We're actually dating now..." I say
She sits up, "What?! Since when??"
"Since yesterday I asked him if he'd like to be my boyfriend," I say
"I honestly thought you were more of a Raf person," she said
"Landon's more mysterious," I say
"Well, let's just hope he doesn't turn out like Roman," she says
"Your ex? Oh, hell nah," I say making her laugh.
"He does show up at Miss Mystic when you and Landon are dancing in the show," I say
"Me and Lan-- What?" she asks
"If I wasn't here it'd be you who falls for Landon," I explain
"Well, in that case, I'm glad you're here, cause he isn't my type," she laughs
"I don't know. Maybe Roman won't show up now that things are different. But maybe he will, I honestly don't know," I say
"What if your ex shows up?"
"Who? Stefan or Damon?"
"Still can't believe you dated both brothers," she says
"I liked Stefan first, then the sire bond and shit happened, but also when Stefan was away working for ye dad, Damon was always on my side. Guess that sorta made me fall for him when I realized I'm more like him," I say
"My dad?" asks Hope
"Long story. From what I remember, I think Damon was dying from a werewolf bite and Klaus being Klaus told Stefan that if he wanted to save his brother, he'd have to do exactly as he's told. So, he turned his humanity off for a while, and, uh, became a ripper. I tried to get him to be himself again but uh... failed. Then I guess I started to fall for Damon as well, the sire bond probably helped a little but... I don't know. I guess I'm just more of a Damon person. Never meant to hurt Stefan, though," I say
Hope nods, "Sounds like my dad..."
"Honestly I don't give a shit what your dad does, I don't like him any less," I chuckle
"You're one of the few people who says that," says Hope
"You'd be surprised..." I say, then add, "Also... when someone turns... sometimes their feelings are just not the same. It happened with me, with Cami, with... others?"
"Cami?" asks Hope
"Her and your dad used to be close," I say, she nods.
"She liked him, he liked her, but then she turned and just didn't feel the same anymore... It happens," I shrug
***
Ric called Hope and I to his office, apparently Raf had some weird dream and thinks it has something to do with monsters.
"This happened to you in a nightmare? Are you sure?" asks Ric, looking at the scar Raf has on his arm as I hold it up and observe it.
"Look, I know that it sounds crazy, but I was studying and then I fell asleep and then I just started dreaming about..." starts Raf... Who? Hope? I know he dreams of someone but maybe with me being here, it's different.
"About what?" asks Hope
"Um... Um... one of my old, uh, foster dads," says Raf, I nod.
"He was in the library, and he had this old belt that he used to use on me," says Raf
"Do you remember anything else?" I ask
"Yeah, there was, there was this woman there, too. She was wearing an old black dress and a veil. And she told me, 'You know what I want.' But..." starts Raf
"The urn," Hope and I say
"Sounds like our next monster showed up. You know, every culture on Earth has legends about creatures that only appear in dreams," says Ric, going to grab a book, "They're in our dreams, but a woman in a black dress and a veil is pretty specific."
"So, does that mean that she can, like, control what we see in our dreams? That she can put stuff in our-- in our heads, right?" asks Raf
"You sound like you saw something you shouldn't have," I chuckle
"It's possible," says Ric, Raf nods.
Ric then shows Raf a picture of a night hag in the book, "Does that look familiar?" Raf nods.
***
"Our latest monster is a night hag. A malevolent spirit trapped on the astral plane that can only interact with us through dreams. In this case, nightmares," Ric explains in our school meeting.
"So, like Freddy Krueger?" asks MG
"Well, in the sense that what happens to you in your dreams seems to also happen to you in real life, yes. But the good news is, we're safe so long as we stay awake," says Ric
"I'm chugging 2 cups of coffee today..." I say
"I've lined up more evacuation shuttles. They should be running all afternoon. So, please, for those who don't want to stay and fight, take advantage of them... Alright, that's all," says Ric, then we all stand up and start leaving the room.
"What about you? You had any bad dreams last night?" Landon catches up to me.
"I know I had a dream, don't remember what I saw, though," I say then turn to Hope, "You?"
"Lot on my mind. Couldn't sleep. Which reminds me, I gotta go. See ya," she says and leaves.
"Okay, then..." I look at Landon, "You?"
"Nah, couldn't sleep. Just got the first-day jitters. So, has anything, um, come back to you yet about our little amnesia trip? I mean, this can't all be a coincidence, right?" asks Landon
"I think we should probably focus on one problem at a time. Can't think with all this Malivore stuff going on," I say
"Okay, but, I mean... Can I at least help you solve this problem?" he asks, "I can be a research assistant, I'm CPR certified, and I know a little tai chi."
"When did you get CPR certified?" I ask
"Took a test at Mystic Falls High, they offered it in gym," he says
"Well, I'll let you know if I need help, other than that, stay safe. You don't know what you are or how to control it so..." I say
"Alright, then I should probably get to class," he says and goes to class.
***
While everyone was trying not to fall asleep, I went to the library and tried to do some research. And as I said, I chugged 2 cups of coffee in order to stay awake. I barely remember a thing about what's gonna happen next, and I was simply too lazy to read long ass pages about creatures. So, I decided to watch some Netflix on my phone, and for a memory refresher of the episode the night hag shows up, which thanks to Google, I found out was called 'What Was Hope Doing in Your Dreams?' guessing that was a quote said by Landon.
As I was about to rewatch, Ric texted me telling me to come to his office, so I did and saw that Landon unknowingly stabbed himself during his accidental dream.
"The senior witch faculty has mixed together a batch of energy herbs to help you stay awake. So, for those of you who are not getting on the evacuation bus, for a lack of a better term, please dose yourselves responsibly," Ric speaks over the speakers of the school, then turns the announcement off, "I'm gonna get sued. Or hexed at the very least."
"What? For trying to keep students safe from monsters that come from a dark pit of goo?" I ask while wrapping Landon's hand that he stabbed himself in order to wake up with.
"You don't have to be so hard on yourself. At my last school, my gym teacher was dealing coke under the bleachers," says Landon
"Oh, yeah, that only makes me feel marginally better," says Ric
"Better than nothing. Besides, you're trying your best," I say
"Ow," says Landon as I'm wrapping his hand.
"Sorry, I'm almost done. Try and hold still, okay?" I ask
"Okay. What do you think she meant when she said 'Bring it home'?" asks Landon
"I'm guessing she means Malivore," says Ric
"I mean, she works for Malivore, so she most definitely means Malivore," I say
"Mhm. It seems her plan is to torment us until we produce the urn," says Ric
"Right. But if the night hag is a monster that's trapped on the astral plane, then how can she even physically take the urn anywhere?" asks Landon
"Yeah, the book also says the night hag can't affect our reality, but Rafael's welt and your hand seemed to prove that wrong. When your research consists of fairy tales and urban legends, sometimes the stories get twisted," says Ric
"So, maybe it isn't a night hag, but looks like one?" I ask
"What do you mean?" asks Ric
"The merman didn't look like a merman, looked more like an alien. Vampires don't exactly look like Dracula, so maybe not all monsters look like they do in fairytales," I say
"Maybe. I'll ask Dorian to help me with research. He's probably busy with the evacuation right now, but we'll figure this out. When the night hag, or whatever it is, finds a way to get the urn, we'll be there to stop it," says Ric
"Well, at least it was a pretty memorable first day," says Landon
"Yeah, and the night hag is likely just getting started," says Ric
"I should really start rewatching as a memory refresh, shouldn't I?" I ask Ric
"You probably should," says Ric
"Rewatch what?" asks Landon
"Uh--" I start
"She watches stuff about monsters to get some information. But she's forgotten most of it since she hasn't watched them in a while," Ric says, "You know, Landon, I really wish you'd just evacuate with the others."
"He's too stubborn for that," I say
"Yup. I mean, I worked so hard to get here. If I run at the first sign of trouble, what's the point?" says Landon
"The point, Landon, is that we're trying to look after you," says Ric
"Honestly, you two are taking better care of me than anyone in my life ever has," says Landon, Jesus, poor guy.
"'Course, I had to stab myself to get your attention," he playfully nudges me.
I slightly smile, "Your hands all wrapped up. I should probably get going." So, I stand up and leave.
***
I was feeling this insane urge to just start hitting something. So, I decided to go to the gym and start hitting a sandbag. Raf was already there, guessing he likes working out, too.
"Hey," I say, "Someone's energetic."
"Yeah, I'm almost done here," he says, "I'll get out your way."
"Actually, I could use a sparring partner. I'm so bored I might actually fall asleep if I don't do something," I say
"Yeah, alright," he says, so we start to fight without actually hurting each other.
"You're being too gentle," I say
"I'm punching you with half my weight," says Raf
"Then give me all of it," I say as I block his punch.
"That's gonna hurt," he says
"No, it's not," I say as we continue fighting, "Don't make me take you down. I'm pretty sure the pack wants you as their alpha."
He hits me, doesn't hurt, but I pretend it does as I fall on the floor.
"Y/n, you good?" asks Raf, coming over to check if I'm okay. Then I bring him down and get on top of him. He taps my arm that's on his neck in defeat, so I get off.
"Damn, woman," he says, making me chuckle.
"Man, I needed this... Feels good to let the energy out," I say
"Listen," he stands up before helping me stand, "I don't mean to get in your business, but... be cool with Landon, okay? I know him, and he's not gonna believe that he's welcome here until he's about to graduate. He's gonna be waiting on the other shoe to drop. And look, if you're gonna drop that shoe, all I ask is that you-- you be gentle, okay?"
"I don't think there's another shoe. And if there was, I can't picture myself not being gentle," I say then furrow my brows, "What makes you think that there's another shoe?"
"Where we're from, there's always another shoe. Sometimes it's an actual shoe or... a belt," says Raf, "But you get the point. Look, if you're cooling off on him, fine. But just don't lie to him."
"Well, I mean, I'm not cooling off on him," I say
"Why've you been avoiding him?" asks Raf
"There's a lot going on. Lotta shit on my mind."
"It couldn't hurt to be a little more honest about it."
"I'm already being as honest as I can be."
"Yeah. And somewhere still in that is a lie."
I furrow my brows, "You telling me you've never lied, or well, not said the whole truth, in order to protect someone?"
"No, Y/n. I haven't," he says, then gets up and leaves.
"Guess that's where we differ..." I mumble
***
Ric texted me that Landon's done research and that he might have found something, so he, Landon, and I went to the library.
"Let's pretend for a second that the research isn't wrong. Maybe the night hag can't hurt us in real life. Maybe the night hag can't leave the astral plane and get ahold of the urn, so maybe, as Y/n said, we are not dealing with a night hag," says Landon as he leads us to the table with all his research.
"Well, if it walks like a night hag, and talks like a night hag, what else could it be?" asks Ric
"That's exactly what I was wondering, so then I started going through all these books, and boom," says Landon
"An Oneiroi? What's..." I started
"It's a black-winged shapeshifting dream demon from Greek mythology," says Ric, grabbing the book.
"Yeah, of course he knows what it is," Landon chuckles
"Classic Ric," I say, "So why would the Oneiroi disguise itself as a night hag?"
"Because if we knew what it actually was--" starts Landon
"We'd know how to stop it," I say, "Smart creature."
"Y/n, kiss him for me," says Ric
Then I hear this weird ass creature growling sound... or maybe it's just grunting? What is that sound?
'I'm laughing, bitch,' says B/n
'Oh, oops-'
I give Landon a kiss on the cheek then get out of there.
***
"A black-winged what?" asks Kaleb as we tell him, MG, Hope, and Raf our new information.
"Shapeshifting dream demon," Landon and I say.
"I know it sounds bad, but now that we know it's an Oneiroi rather than a night hag, we can fight it," I say
"How the hell are we supposed to kill a dream demon?" asks Raf
"I've got that part covered. But since I can't fall asleep without compromising the location of the urn, I'm gonna need someone else to pull it out of the dream plane and into our waking reality," I say
"So, Freddy Krueger. Like I said," says MG
"Wait, how the hell are we supposed to do that?" asks Raf
"If it's anything like the movies, we just grab and pull," says MG
"Yeah, okay. Is it too late to get on the, uh, evacuation bus?" asks Kaleb
"No. I mean, I'm not gonna force y'all to stay, it's your choice," I say
"I'm not leaving unless Y/n does," Landon gets up from the side of the couch and stands next to me.
"I'm not one to back out when it comes to monster hunting," Hope also stands up.
"Well, I'm not leaving Landon behind," says Raf, also standing up.
"I'm a founding member of the Super Squad, so I can't bail," says MG
"Y'all gonna get y'allselves killed," Kaleb sighs, "But if MG stays, I stay. No child left behind."
"Alright. Then it's nap time," I say
***
I go into Ric's office and see that he's fallen asleep, then I hear footsteps approaching me.
"Y/n, we're ready," Landon comes over to me after I've set Ric on his chair, "What'd you do to him?"
"Wasn't me, guess he was just tired," I say
***
After we head to the gym and the boys and Hope get their materials ready for bed, I go up to Landon, "Hey, I don't think you should do this..."
"No. Uh-uh. You don't get to ignore me all day, then make decisions for me," says Landon
"You're gonna be having a nightmare," I say
"Yeah," he says in a tone indicating that he's aware.
"This monster can dig into your mind and use your worst fears against you," I say
"Are you kidding? My biggest fear was fitting in here. Now I'm a dream warrior," he laughs, "Plus, I saved the day. Well, I-- no, I found the plan that saved the day. You're the one that's actually gonna save the day... Which is so sexy, by the way." This makes me laugh.
"I'm staying, and I'm gonna help you stop this thing," says Landon
"I'm not sure what it's gonna take to stop it," I say, then think of something, "But there is one thing you can do to help me." I get close to him and whisper into his ear, "I need you to hide the urn..." Then I give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Sweet dreams," I say
***
By 11:00 PM, everyone was asleep and dreaming. After walking for a bit, I go and sit beside Landon. Then I start to hear sounds, so I follow them.
As I'm chasing it, I see it. The oneiroi. It was looking for the urn, but I found it before it could, "Did I tell Landon the wrong hiding place for the urn?" I grab its attention, "Oopsies..." and then I start to fight it. Without noticing, we end up in the gym.
"Pretty much like that," I hear Raf say, but am too busy fighting the monster to react.
"Stay back, guys. I got this," I say, then jump on top of the monster, only for it to choke me. Hope then pains the monster, making it let go of me.
"Y/n! Eyes!" I hear Ric say, I catch the 2 pairs of arrows he throws at me, and stab it in the oneiroi's eyes. Then the oneiroi fades to black dust under me. I take this moment as a chance to stand up.
"Landon was right. Sexy as hell," says Kaleb, after that, we get out of the gym and go our separate ways.
***
"Hey," I say as I spot Raf in the hallway, "Great job tonight."
"Thanks," he says, not making eye contact.
"You okay?" I ask, "Feel like I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop all day with you, for whatever reason."
"You know, uh, when Landon and I first met at Hector and Maria's?" asks Raf, "He told me this story about the guy four towns over who used to burn him with cigarettes for sport."
"He told me about him, too. Must have hurt like shit," I say
"I felt this crazy need to protect him. Even though I knew it wouldn't change anything. So, one day, I took a couple buses I knocked on that guy's door, and I beat the crap out of him."
"Good job," I say, "That wasn't meant to be a joke, seriously, good job. Dick deserved it."
He chuckles, "I, uh, never told Landon about it... I knew that he wouldn't want to be a part of something like that. So, what I said earlier, about lying, I... I was being a hypocrite. Because when someone is as important as Landon is to me... I'll do the best for him. Even if that means having to lie. But I'll also have to protect him from being hurt in other ways, too. So, you and I, we can't talk like this anymore."
"I know that your foster dad wasn't the only thing you dreamt of..." I blurt out.
"What?" he turns
"I know the first part, too..."
"How do you know?"
"It's a long story. But maybe it's time I told you. But I'm not gonna tell Landon until later on, I know when I'm gonna tell him but... that moment's not now," I say
"Tell me what?" he asks, so I get closer to him, lift my hand, and share the feeling I've shared in TVD. The one that explains how I'm stuck in a show.
"I'm stuck in a show I've watched once. I know what's gonna happen and what's happened. That's how I knew more about you than you intended..."
He's silent.
"Want proof?" He nods.
"I didn't wanna send Landon away. I did it to follow the plot. It's pretty much how I knew that you dreamt about Hope, and--" I start
"Wait, about Hope?"
"Yeah, didn't you?"
"Y/n, I dreamt about you."
"... Oh." I sigh, "Well, for the last part of the proof... I could tell you that--"
"That's fine. I believe you," he says
"Huh... Okay. See ya, Raf," then I walk away.
Then faintly, I hear some music. I speed over to a room and see that MG, Landon, and Kaleb are making the music. Kaleb is rapping while MG beatboxes, and Landon plays the guitar. I smile to myself as I see them. Before I look like a creep and interrupt their fun, I walk away and go to sit by the fireplace in the living room. Or uh, the main lobby?
"Y/n?" I hear a voice, I turn and see that it's Landon.
"Hi," I say
"Hey," he says, then sits down and hugs his knees, looking at me with a side eye as he puts his head down enough to cover his mouth and nose. I try not to smile at how cute he looks.
"So, I have this whole thing that I need to say," he lifts his head again, "Is it cool if I say it?"
"Yeah," I say
"I've spent most of my life afraid... and unsure. I mean, even when you guys brought me back here, it didn't get better, it got worse, because now I actually had something to lose. And it didn't help that it felt like you were avoiding me, keeping things from me. And then I fought a dream demon. A creature who exists literally to make me live out my worst fears, and I thought, 'What have I been so afraid of?'. If you wanna change your mind about being with me, change your mind. 'Cause I'm gonna work that much harder to make you change it back," this makes me slightly smile.
"If you need to lie to keep dream demons from getting their claws on the urn, lie. If you need to keep secrets because you're burdened with all the responsibilities no one else can handle, alright, then. Keep your secrets. It is my job to bust my ass until you see me as someone to confide in. I'm not gonna be afraid of losing you anymore, Y/n. 'Cause I'm gonna be the guy who always fights to find you again... Sorry, I'm done," he finishes, after his whole speech, all I can think of is wanting to kiss him, so that's what I do. He instantly kisses back.
***
Before going to bed, I pay Ric a little visit and see him holding an ice pack to his shoulder, "Guess that bolt did some damage, huh?"
"Tweaked my body driving myself into a tree, and I think I have a concussion," says Ric
"Well, hope you weren't planning on sleeping anytime soon," I place the urn I was holding on the table.
"Where did you end up hiding that? In my area, you have a safe tucked away under the floorboards in your closet." I laugh at the idea.
"I actually didn't know where to hide it, and just put it under my pillow," I say, he chuckles.
"Well, you were all very smart today, while I fell asleep on the job," says Ric
"Coffee, my dude," I say, "Plus, you drove halfway across the country in 3 days, so, cut yourself some slack." I sigh, "We need to think of something new. Not exactly a good school move to keep most students at the Lockwood Mansion."
"Well, I'm sure we'll think of something," he says, I nod.