Chapter Text
Tommy didn’t want to open his eyes. He could feel it: the punches, the kicks, the pain. It felt farther from him, though. Like all the anger and abuse from Dream was laying on him like a top sheet that he could just discard. So, he did.
His eyes fluttered open and he felt his body get queasy from vertigo. Everything was both moving and frozen at once. Was it just his eyes or was that just what this place was? Perhaps he was still asleep, blacked out from a head hit or something. Tommy closed his eyes and squeezed them shut, before opening them again to the same place, just without the movement.
Carefully he tilted his head to the side to see more of the bright empty space, and with a quick rotation he saw that the rest of the area was the same. He lifted his hand and reached towards the energy and light around him. He couldn’t figure out where he ended and the energy began. What an odd dream to have; he must be pumped up on anesthesia, he thought.
There was no sound except for the static of the air. It wasn’t loud enough to be calming white noise, it was enough to make him uncomfortable with the silence. His hand fell back to his side and he felt his heart drop when it stopped, yet he felt no surface. It felt like his hand had been placed on nothing, and yet it couldn’t move farther.
He sat up and looked down at the energy he was sat upon. It matched the rest of the room and the light, but it was the only part that was solid. He knocked at it, and it made no sound.
Tommy spun so he was now kneeling on the ground and pressed his ear. There was the slightest bit of noise, but nothing truly a telltale sign of what was going on. He pressed his hand down, and there was a slight give. It still made no noise but it wasn’t totally solid. For a lucid dream he felt quite restrained, but he could figure this out.
He knew how to lucid dream since- since, someone taught him how. Tommy furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to remember who helped teach him this skill. It felt like there was a wall between him and his thought- like writer’s block. Details weren’t important, though, since he had an idea of what to do.
Tommy punched his fist down and the flooring gave in more. It seemed that if he kept putting pressure on a small area that it would weaken decently fast. So, he kept punching and punching and soon the flooring was weak. Enough where he could even see a slight difference. It was thin, like when you pull taffy apart.
He stood up and poked at the area with his foot. If he jumped through it, he didn’t quite know what would happen. If he didn’t like it, he could just imagine something else. That is a perk of lucid dreaming.
Tommy took a step back from the spot so he could get an extra step before he jumped in. He took a deep breath before stepping forward and jumping in the air, tucking his knees to his chest. As he neared the ground he pushed his feet downward creating more power as he plummeted through.
Warm light hit his eyes as he went through and he let out a yell of surprise as he hit a carpeted ground. It was loud, and he didn’t know where he was. He looked up at the ceiling to see it was replaced by a high stone one. He turned from side to side to try to figure out where he was, but he didn’t recognize it.
Middle aged and older people gave him slight judge mental looks before turning back to their tables. Everyone was dressed nicely, meaning Tommy looked out of place.
Or so he thought, but when he looked down he realized he was actually wearing a suit- a nice one at that. He adjusted his tie as he wiped off his pants from the dust of the landing.
Tommy edged towards the table next to him to see what was going on. There were cards laid out, and he had clear vision of someone holding their cards as well.
”Hey, stop eyeing my cards, kid!” The man playing the game said and Tommy backed away quietly and sped away. He looked behind him in confusion at the table and let out a gasp when he hit something.
”I’m sorry, didn’t- oh,” Tommy blinked at the woman who stared darkly at him. A woman. Glaring at him. He wasn’t mentally prepared for this.
”It’s fine, fuck off,” She said and walked past him quickly and Tommy frowned.
”Bitch,” he whispered and continued on. He heard the sound of manic laughter and turned his head in recognition. He couldn’t place why it was familiar but he felt the need to go closer.
His steps guided him towards a booth surrounded by women in sparkly dresses, both long and short. He stood on his tippytoes as the laughter died out and was replaced by a man quietly speaking to the group.
”Ladies, there’s plenty of me to go around,” the voice said and Tommy felt his jaw drop. He pushed through the group with timid pardons and stared in shock at the man in front of him.
”Schlatt? Why are you here?” Tommy asked angrily and Schlatt tilted back in shock before leaning over the table.
”What the fuck do you mean? I should fucking be asking how you got in here!” He put out his cigarette in the ash tray next to him and suddenly the ladies were gone, leaving the two of them alone.
”What- this is my dream, Schlatt, get out!” Tommy slammed his hands on the table and the goatman raised an eyebrow.
”Well this is my fucking afterlife, Tommy. Why don’t you fucking get out?” Schlatt’s horns glinted in the light and Tommy swallowed hard.
”Afterlife? How did I get in your afterlife?”
”I don’t know, perhaps you went through the wrong door? I can’t believe you fucking died though after all the trouble you put me through. Real waste of time,” Schlatt eyed Tommy judgmentally. “You even stole my fucking outfit. What are you, a fan boy?”
”Shut up, shut up,” Tommy said and squatted against the floor, leaning his head on the table. That’s why he didn’t feel the pain anymore. He was dead.