Chapter Text
Dream wasn’t very fond of the white porcelain mask covered in blood splatters that rested on the side of his head honestly, but when he tried to throw it into the hot shimmering red wall there was a voice screaming in his head and a pain in his chest - which is ridiculous because there was no one in the black box but him and nothing touched him. Of course there was the body curled up depressingly in the corner in a dark puddle of something, but they hadn’t moved so he was pretty sure the person was dead - or at least he thinks so he’s not really sure.
He takes another moment to observe what he had assumed was a full faced mask, although it appeared to be broken in quite a few spots and the quarter of the mask that covered the left eye was completely broken off. Which he found ironic because not only was that eye on his face missing, but there was also a trail of blood sliding down his face - and it wouldn’t go away no matter how much he wiped, he knows because he already tried.
However, he doesn’t have anyone to reference from so what would he know? The other person’s face is beaten so badly there’s no way to recognise them, he has no memories of anyone, and the water is so murky that there’s no way one could see with it.
He did read the books which is where he got the name ‘Dream’ from, although there were other names referenced like ‘Bad’ and ‘Sapnap’ and ‘Tommy’ - he didn’t like those too much though. Especially since all the other names sent a shudder of revulsion through his body.
He softly hummed as he added another tally to the wall with the blood from his eye, counting another day that passed by while using the clock for reference. Including today, it’s been 120 days since he woke up in this black box with the body in the corner. He spent the first 10 or so days contemplating ways to get out, but doing so constantly sent a pang of depression and fear through him so strong he burst into tears and freaking out - so that idea was soon scrapped.
The 20 days after that were spent pouring over the people in the books left behind by the other person, although he took note of feelings he got from certain names and events referenced. ‘Tommy’ evoked a feeling of strong dislike but also fondness, like a big brother thinking of a disobedient trouble making little brother who caused chaos wherever he went.
Although he quickly discovered that while reading the mask could change and move on it’s own, which he thought was weird - but again he didn’t have any references right now for what was normal, so what would he know? However the mask did make his feelings towards ‘Tommy’ go from just disliking him to absolutely despising the teen with all his heart, but that was only when it was covering his face and whole.
‘Sapnap’ and ‘George’ were names on a completely different level to anything else though, since they evoked feelings of hurt and betrayal - like they’d done something to him. But that was silly because he’s never met the people in these books before, at least he doesn’t think so - but he does have no memories so they could know each other.
Although with how the people are described in the book he doesn’t know if he ever wants to meet them, although he knows he shouldn’t trust the information since the person is probably biased - but then again none of the information about ‘Dream’ claimed he was a saint, just that nobody else was good either. He also didn’t really like this ‘Quackity’ person to be honest, nor the ‘Sam’ character either - both seemed really fucked up if Dream spoke his thoughts.
I mean, who tortures someone who can’t fight back and is locked up? For some silly book that has no guarantee it’ll work every time? Although he knows it worked since ‘Dream’ revived ‘Tommy’.
‘Sam’ is not a nice person either since he allows ‘Quackity’ to get away with hurting ‘Dream’, wow these thoughts are confusing - maybe he should change one of the Dream’s? I mean there’s mention of a God called ‘DREAMXD’, so why not change it? Ooh, he can be Daydream, yeah that sounds rather nice.
The next 30 or so days after that were spent trying to figure out a timeline of events from the information given in the book, which was really hard and took him ages. Since the longer ‘Dream’ was here, the more his mentality seemed to devolve into insanity and depression. It got harder when ‘Quackity’ started visiting, especially since towards the end he started taking bits and pieces off of ‘Dream’s’ body - like fingers.
At the reminder of missing limbs, he wiggles his right hand which seemed to be missing two thirds of the ring finger and the tip of the pinky. Let’s not even get him started on the thick scars marring flesh that was probably once smooth and clear, I mean it looks like he even almost lost a leg at the knee!
Things started getting weird throughout the next 10 days since the hot red wall seemed to disappear at one point and allowed him to see out, spotting an opening on the other side across from the opening in the small black box.
5 days after that was when the whispering began, which he didn’t like since he felt if he spoke to it he would be crazy. Well crazier, since he already talks to himself, and sometimes the deteriorating person in the corner. He tried once to get them to eat in the beginning , but they never moved from their spot. 14 days in at the very beginning food stopped coming though, so he didn’t try after that.
Then came the overwhelming thick glowing red vines that grew over the next 20 days until it completely encompassed the box, tainting the purple and black blocks with a red hue. Of course the growth was slow so he got comfortable enough with the red over time, although there was a sensation of hatred for the red - which was odd because he was pretty sure he hadn’t seen it until today. Although the whispering stopped so he didn’t mind, but he felt lonely since that was the first voice he’d heard in so long even if he couldn’t hear what the voices were saying.
5 days after the silence is when they spoke to him, and at first it was hard to hear what they were saying - but he figured it out. He thought it was really amazing that the voice could speak backwards and said as much, receiving a soft thanks in return - he almost thought they were surprised, but that couldn’t be right as surely lots of others would have said so.
The voice spent 5 days asking him what he wanted, since they could give him anything he desired - which was just so amazing to even think about! But he could never answer since he didn’t know if he wanted anything, although that seemed to upset and frustrate the voice for some reason. But he did decide on something after that, and it was something rather simple - even if the request seemed to baffle the voice.
He said he wanted to be friends with the voice, explaining that they were the only one he had spoken to over the past 105 days - not counting when he was speaking to what he was sure had always been a dead body now. The voice was at first shocked before sounding delighted at his simple request, even offering to give him more friends if he wanted as long as he came with the voice and joined them.
At first he was excited with the idea of speaking with even more people, until he realised that meant he would have to leave his box to do so. Prompting him to begin having a panic attack, which the voice nicely managed to talk him through - although it seemed to use a different voice for doing so. The voice was odd like that, strangely calling him a ‘Silly Muffinhead’ fondly at the end of it. He didn’t know what that was but he actually liked that voice, even if it sent pangs of longing through him.
15 days they spent trying to convince him to leave the box and talking him through more panic attacks, trying to get him to come with them to the outside world by telling him about all these pretty things. He had no clue the sky was blue nor that grass was green, the only thing he can remember even remotely is this black box. Although he’ll probably remember once he sees what blue and green are.
Sometimes oddly enough he could see a faint flickering figure in the box nearby to him, although he could never quite get a good look at the face since the figure vanished far too quickly for him.
Speaking of the figure, he was pretty sure they were who he could feel hugging him sometimes. But he did notice that his own skin began takin on a red tint, however it wasn’t that hard to notice since he was more of a kind of translucent white colour honestly. He didn’t like the red on his body since it reminded him so much of blood, but then the voice told him it was a gift from them - and he would be a bad friend if he didn’t accept this gift!
15 days ago he told the voice that it’s not that he doesn’t want to leave and go meet people, it’s just that he freaks out at the thought of doing so. Of course throughout those 15 days he noticed he freaked out less, and it was really noticeable today - since he felt no negative response at the thought of leaving.
He’s certain that’s not normal and so he asks the voice if they did something, of course the voice was a bit nervous as they admit to going through his mind to remove that block. He knows he surprised the voice when he thanked them happily for doing so, since he could practically feel the surprise - he wonders if that’s normal. Of course the voice explains it was only able to do so because of their gift of red, which made so much more sense now to Daydream.
Daydream decides that red is now his favourite colour.
He speaks with the voice and tells them he’s ready to leave the box now, the vines seeming to pulse and glow brightly for a moment before one particularly thick one reaches out to him. He looks over at the person who he’s certain is ‘Dream’, only to be shocked at the thick vines cradling and covering the body - but he thanks the voice for taking care of ‘Dream’.
He moves over to the offered vine and allows them to wrap around his body completely, briefly shivering at the first touch he’s felt in 4 months before clinging to the limb holding onto him. Of course Daydream realises he never asked for the voices’ name, causing him to feel awful before hurriedly asking them.
He can’t see or feel them moving since the vine is completely surrounding him like a cocoon, briefly getting an image of sitting on a couch squished between two warm bodies as a blanket surrounds them - the image fades far too quickly for his liking.
The voice claims that they don’t have a name, and the ones given to them by others are childish and stupid. Daydream feels awful that they don’t have a name, and so he offers up two of his own - although they’re like his own name. The voice seems to like the options, and so it asks Daydream to call him Nightmare from now on.
Daydream can’t wait to meet all of the people Nightmare will introduce him to.