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Dream didn’t know what day it was. He didn’t even know if it was day.
It had been easier to count the passing of time in the beginning, when he’d just been placed in the cell. He’d had a clock then, and visitors. Now he had no clock, which he regretted a bit, and no visitors, which he was grateful for.
Dream glanced across the cell at Techno, who was flipping through one of the books Dream had written for him. His cellmate wore a white shirt and trousers, sitting by the bell they’d acquired one day. Dream was still slightly upset about that one - they’d been visited by a god, a sure ticket out of the prison, and Techno had wished for a bell , of all things. But there was nothing that could be done about it now, and Dream had to admit that the bell was better than nothing.
Movement in their peripherals made both Dream and Techno turn. The lava was falling, and it seemed that Sam was going to deliver them some food.
Techno put his book away and stood as Dream started moving towards the back of the cell. Sam put up the barrier before making his way over.
The warden tossed them each a stack of potatoes, frowning at the bell and scowling at Dream. Dream cowered, pulling Techno’s cape tighter around him, as if the fabric would somehow protect him from the warden’s glare.
“Hey, Sam,” Techno greeted, taking his stack of potatoes, “how’s it going?”
Sam gave him a nod, preparing to head back.
“Before you go, could I put in a request?” Techno asked, and Sam stopped, turning to him and shrugging. Go ahead, he seemed to say. “Could we get baked potatoes next time?” Techno asked, “you know, just plain potatoes can get a little monotone. Maybe we could get some baked ones, just to - just to add in a little flavour, a little spice, hm?”
Sam shrugged again, perhaps conceding to his request or unsure of if he could make it work, before turning and crossing the lava. A few moments later, the lava blocked their view of what was beyond their cell.
“Well, it was worth a try,” Techno shrugged, sitting down and eating a potato. He didn’t get out the book again once he had his fill, instead just staring at the bell.
Dream sat down across from him again, munching on potatoes and mulling things over in his mind. He jumped as Techno suddenly began ringing the bell.
“Welcome to the prison podcast,” he cried, “welcome back!”
Dream sighed, resisting the urge to grumble as it would only encourage Techno. Every so often, Techno would start ringing the bell and declaring they would be doing another podcast episode. Dream didn’t know why he kept doing it - there wasn’t anyone around to listen to them, except for the warden, but Sam wasn’t even nearby enough to hear them half the time.
Dream had brought it up one time, but Techno had merely explained that it was for “the voices,” whatever that meant, before moving on to talk about other, more “podcast-worthy” topics. Dream was always pulled into these discussions with him, and he’d learned that it was easier to get it over with and talk with Techno until his cellmate had had his fill - or rather, “the voices.”
“How are you doing today, Dream?” Techno asked, looking over at him.
“I’m okay, I guess,” Dream said, “as okay as I can be stuck in a prison.”
“Hey, we got food today, though,” Techno pointed out, “that was nice!”
“Yeah,” Dream agreed, nodding a little.
“So, what should we talk about today?” Techno stared at Dream expectantly.
“I don’t know,” Dream said, “just pick something.”
“Hm,” Techno said, considering the question, “let’s talk about Carl. I miss Carl.”
“Your horse?”
Techno nodded, staring towards the corner of their cell. “Yeah, my horse Carl. And Steve. Hey, do you have any pets, Dream?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a fish.”
“What’s it’s name?”
“Beckerson.”
“Cool.” Techno nodded, perhaps in approval, or perhaps because he had nothing better to do. “Hey, remember that time god visited us, Dream?”
“Mhm,” Dream hummed, leaning his head back to rest against the netherite.
“Hey, that was pretty neat, huh?”
“Yeah,” Dream said, closing his eyes. There was a small silence.
“Hey, are you okay?” Techno nudged Dream’s foot with his own.
“Fine,” Dream responded, opening his eyes again. “Why?”
“You seem tired,” Techno said, “c’mon, we have to do a podcast!” He started ringing the bell again.
“Okay, okay!” Dream sat up and covered his ears with the cape. He wished Techno would stop ringing the bell, but he knew that asking would be futile.
Eventually, Techno stopped, and Dream closed his eyes again. Silence filled the cell, again, broken only by the occasional dripping of the crying obsidian.
“Hey, Techno?”
“Yeah, Dream?”
“Do you think we’ll ever get out of here?”
“... Maybe.”
“Do you think we could do it soon?”
“Sure.”
“Okay.” Dream opened his eyes to find Techno had moved to sit against the same wall as him.
“Don’t worry, Dream,” Techno told him, “I’m sure our friends will come for us soon.”
Dream thought about a boy with angry eyes and another who had turned his back on him. “I don’t have any friends.”
“Okay, well, I do,” Techno shrugged, “and I’m sure they’ll come for us soon.”
“Why would they come to rescue me? They’ll probably only get you out of here and leave me.”
“I’m sure they’d be willing to take you along if we asked them nicely,” Techno said, “you know, all this time we’ve been spending together has been good for our friendship, I think.”
“We’re not friends,” Dream said.
“Okay, bestie ,” Techno responded, giving him a wide grin. Dream looked away.
“... you don’t really hear the voices anymore, do you?” Dream waited for an answer, and when it didn’t come, he turned to Techno to see his cellmate was staring into the lava flowing just beyond their cell.
“I do hear them,” Techno said after a while, “they’re just very faint.”
“But isn’t that a good thing?”
“I don’t know,” Techno said, turning to look at him, “I don’t know, Dream.”