Chapter Text
Step.
Winding halls of black.
Step.
Ichor drips from the ceiling.
The ground is mushy and wet.
My feet have been sinking in with every step I take.
It’s like quicksand.
It’s so uncomfortable.
I’ve reached a stopping point-
There’s something lying in the distance.
My legs trudge closer-
The thick ichor splashes around me.
Something smells.
I finally reach the unconscious being-
it’s too dark to make them out.
I place my hands on the body-
Meaty, and limp.
Slowly- I turned them over to see their face.
. . .
I was greeted with my own-
Bloodied with ichor, mouth agape-
A loud ringing pierced through the air-
Everything- it-
Boxten jolted awake in a cold sweat. He took some time to slow his breathing and his heart rate. After a little, he cupped his face with his hands, rubbing his eyes and making a quiet, tired groan. He sat up against his pillow, wearily. On his desk; A chewed pencil and paper sat out neatly placed, as if ready to be used. He slowly moved off the bed- not to make too much noise, and headed over to his desk. He picked up the pencil and began to write, trying to get down as many details from the nightmare he remembers- not to let too much slip from his mind.
“I’m so tired of this endless cycle. Evry Every single night its about the same thing. I’m either getting chased down, or straight up just lost, and then I find my pathetic rooting rotting corpse on the ground. Just the other night I had a dream about Poppy getting boyled boiled alive. Not only is it always the saem same thing: it’s been getting worse. Way, way worse. Erg my hand is shaking as I right write this. I don’t know why these dreams keep coming up and where from. I’ve given up on talking to Astro about all of this. I’m sure it isn’t his fault anyway, and I don’t want to be an anoyace annoyance. He’s probably got a lot going on anyway.”
Boxten sighed staring at the paper. He put the pencil back into a purple metal pen holder, which was near to his computer- an Acorn A7000. The key on the back of his head turned slowly as he continued to stare at the block of writing. The clock on his wall read 4:25. He took the pencil out and wrote a little more:
“There’s been this one occuring occurring character in my dreams. He lingers in my shadows. Creeping behind me. Always around. Deranged, dialated dilated pupils, wide sharp-toothed smile. It irks me to my core. I catch him every-once in a while, limping in the empty hallways while I try to gather supplies. It’s so carzy crazy to me- we are the same person but, we aren’t? I mean we look the same- if you subtract the long pair of ichor arms sprouting from his open head- but we’re complete opposites personality wise. Well- I mean- he at least seems to be the opposite of me-. Crazy and insane. I’ve never…actually met him. How could I? He’s mindless just like all the others I would imagine.”
He stared down at the writing, setting the pencil back into the metal holder. He decided to leave it at that. Boxten leaned back against his chair- the only sound filling the room was the creek of the chair bending back. He contemplated what to do. He could A; Go back to sleep- although he didn’t feel too tired as he was still on edge- or B; Go get some water. He went with the latter.
Boxten quietly opened the door, careful not to wake anytoon up. He walked down the hall towards the kitchen. The hallway was dark and eerily quiet. The walk seemed longer than usual. Finally he reached the kitchen. Boxten reached for a red plastic cup from the upper cabinet and filled it half way with water from the faucet.
As he slowly drank, he could hear something walking within the halls. Footsteps slowly approached him. Abruptly, before he could register the sounds, he was tapped on the shoulder lightly, causing him to jolt and whip his head around. Water splashed inside the cup at the fast movements but never spilled.
“Woah! Apologies, Boxy. Didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that, hah!” The toon spoke.
Boxten coughed on the water stuck in his throat, pounding his chest, “No- cough - It’s alright, Glisten.”
There was a pause between the two for Boxten to stop choking. Once he gained back his composure, he looked towards Glisten. He was wearing a long hot pink, fuzzy nightgown, with fluff lining on the neck circling around his mirror head. His sleeping mask was tilted and falling off his head. He was very disheveled right now.
“…Any who…What are you doing up so early?” Glisten yawned.
“You know I don’t sleep very well.”
“I do. But you’re keeping me awake with all your ruckus!”
“Sorry,” Boxten apologized. He hadn’t meant to be so loud. Although he didn’t think he was. All he did was grab a cup. Sometimes Glisten can be a bit over dramatic. That, or he really wasn’t being self-aware.
Glisten audibly sighed. “I ‘ought to make you some tea to calm your nerves,” he mumbled, rubbing an eye, “Nightmares still haven’t gotten better??”
Boxten shook his head slowly.
Glisten frowned, “You’ve talked to Astro?”
“Plenty,” Boxten paused, “I- I’m starting to think it’s not really his fault.”
Glisten tilted his head, “How so? He is the one who regulates dreams.”
He shrugged, “W-well, I feel like it’s my own head making all these thoughts. Maybe he can’t do anything about it?”
Glisten lightly scoffed, “I’m sure.”
Boxten raised a brow, “You really think Astro is the type to do something like this? And why me?”
“I have no idea, Boxy, but I can’t be too sure he’s actually making an effort to stop it.”
Boxten frowned, “I’m sure h-he is.”
Glisten altered his stance, putting one arm on his hip. He didn’t seem to believe Astro was trying to put a stop to Boxten’s horrific dreams. “Alright, just get back to bed,” Glisten fixed the ends of his nightgown’s sleeves, which were rimmed with thick, light pink fur. Must be cozy sleeping in that.
“R-right, “ Boxten gulped the last of his water and placed the plastic cup in the sink. He hurried to catch up with Glisten.
“I’ll walk you to your room, “ Glisten told to the toon behind him. His gown bounced to the rhythm of his walking behind him.
Boxten nodded, “Alright.”
They soon reached Boxten’s room and stood in front of the cracked open door. "Well," Glisten started, turning to face Boxten, "Just try to get some sleep, I guess. Talk to Astro later today. Maybe you're right."
Boxten nodded his head, "A-alright. Thanks for talking with me, Glisten." He gave the mirror a light smile.
Glisten smiled back at him, "No problem, it's just what great friends like me do!"
Boxten let out a small laugh and waved goodbye. Glisten walked back to his own room and Boxten walked inside of his. He sighed and knocked his key against the wooden door. He got into his bed and laid down, allowing himself to sink motionlessly into the mattress. The comfort and warmth of his sheets filled him, and his eyelids began to flutter shut. Succumbing to his tiredness, even though he would have to get up in three or four hours, that was four hours gained of much needed sleep. As much as he worried that he would be put back into the horrible setting of his dreams, he let himself drift away and fall into slumber.