Nearly There Nicely 15

Nearly There Nicely
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Crow's eyes turned to look at him, even though his face remained in profile away from him. "Ever heard of 'an eye for an eye'?" Will didn't answer, but that sick feeling grew into his gut and Crow could tell that Will had understood the reference.

They sat in silence once again. There had been a lot of that over the course of the day. They just didn't have much to really talk about that was fun or interesting. They were just stuck with each other, and neither one was sure if they really liked that or not.

They sat in the silence, with only the soft muffled sound of the clock seeping its way into their ears. Finally, Will asked his oddball question that had been building with fierce curiosity. "Can you see colors?"

Crow looked to Will. He had been slowly un-perfecting the alignments of the cards and Will had been re-perfecting each card as Crow messed with them.

"No. I used to though. It's just a boring monochrome scene now." He answered with a hint of sadness.

"So… You can't see any color?"

"None." Crow replied, moving one card to the left, and Will moved it back to the right.

They sat in prolonged silence, with Crow moving the cards just slightly and Will moving them back. After twenty minutes of this pointless game, the sound of high heels echoed through the halls.

Crow stopped and turned looking over his shoulder to the open door of his bedroom. "Sounds like Dove's back."

"Where'd she go?" Will asked, straightening a card out.

"Matéas, I think." Crow answered, straightening up. He ruffed his hair a bit and lifted his arms up in a tall stretch. "You want anything from the kitchen?" He asked as he started to leave the room.

Will turned, watching him leave with a blank look. "No. I'm fine." Crow waved his arm and turned out of the bedroom. Will watched the door way for a few seconds, listening as the sound of Crow's footsteps fade, and then he heard the soft murmur of the two talking in the kitchen.

Suddenly, Will shifted up, and hurriedly pulled on his socks and shoes from under the bed. He grabbed the ribbon from the nightstand and wrapped it around his neck, tying it into a quick bow. Then he glanced around for anything left of his in the room, before he took quick soft footsteps to the door. He peered out into the hall, looking left and then right. Quickly, but with soft steps, Will went back into the storefront, and back to the door.

Slowly, he reached to put his hand to the handle, hesitating slightly. What if it doesn't take me home? It could just lead to another dragon or something worse. But… Waiting for them to decide what to do with me just … It's sickening!

Decided, Will forced the door open and ran out onto the concrete. He stopped a few steps out. The atmosphere was unexpectedly different then what he had expected. Will couldn't make out anything as he was now standing in a heavy white fog. It was so cold and heavy that the water drops were freezing in the air, floating, almost not moving, all around him. As he breathed, the breath turned into a thicker white cloud before slowly easing away into the rest of the air.

Surprised, and once again curious, Will looked back in the direction he had come out. There he could see the dark rectangle leading to the inside. It wasn't clearly defined, but it was there. Feeling slightly reassured that he hadn't walked off a cliff, Will turned away from the door and slowly took a few steps looking around. Will could see clearly to his elbows, and could make out the shape and location of his legs and feet and what he was standing on, but anything farther then about his height at five-feet was nearly impossible to make out until he came closer.

As Will explored farther from the door, and his only sense of safety, he noticed that he was in some city area. He could see a few benches, wide open areas, a fountain that was devoid of water. Will stopped, staring at the empty fountain. It was clean, as if the water had just been there, or it was brand new.

This is weird.. Will thought, turning to look behind him. His mouth opened slightly as the realization that his way back to the door was gone and lost in the white fog. As the feeling of fear pushed its way over the curiosity, Will turned his head away looking back to the empty fountain. And just like that, the fear had evaporated.

It's fine. He said to himself. No will miss me, cause no one needs me. Will gave a small nod, reaffirming it. It was a common mediation, pulling the focus back to the fact that if Will continued to dwell on the unhappy thoughts, the sadness would just eat away at him until there was nothing left for anyone to even see.

Yeah. Will turned away from the fountain and continued walking onward. I'm so small. They can't see me, even if they wanted to. They can't hear me, even if I shouted with all my might. It's fine. I can move out of their way, and they won't miss me… Cause… Will stopped, his thoughts and walking.

He looked down a bit, toward his hands as he lifted them up. His mouth opened some as he realized he had been feeling depressed. Slowly, his eyes widened with the shock, his lips curled back as his jaw clenched tight and he grit his teeth. He looked like he had seen a ghost and was getting ready to scream. It was terror. Will was afraid.

"Hello." came a soothing warm woman's voice suddenly to his ears. It was faint, like the fog, but ever present.

Will's face relaxed as his eyes opened into a different sort of startled expression. He looked up and around, listening for the voice again.

"You seem to be sad and afraid. Right?" the voice questioned. It was warm, like a mother's voice. It reminded Will of his own mother's voice; one he hadn't heard in five years.

Still afraid, Will looked up and around. He couldn't see anyone through the fog. Hearing voices isn't a good sign.

"You shouldn't ignore me." She said, but still in a soothing way. "I only wish to help you, dear."

Will looked behind him, down by his feet and then straightened back up. "Sorry. I just, wasn't sure where to respond to."

"That's fine."

"Who are you?"

"Oneirhōn." She answered. "I am the goddess of dreams and emotions linked to them. That is why… I can tell that you are filled with powerful and sad emotions. So strong are they that I want to offer you a pleasant dream."

Will looked up quizzically, feeling a pout on his lips. "That's very kind of you, but a dream is just a dream."

"My dreams are the kind that will guide and liberate you." Oneirhōn corrected with a firm tone, in a motherly fashion. "Being on the Threshold like this, your emotions are being multiplied and it's difficult to manage them. Isn't it?"

"Why do you know that?"

"It's easy. Humans aren't meant to stay here for very long." She answered, as if she were reciting a fact everyone knew. "Even Ghumans can't handle being here for very long." She paused, "Now. When a god offers you a gift, you should be grateful and humbly accept it."

Will crossed his arms, "Just like when the King offers you a pot of gold, huh?"

"I see you haven't lost your sense of sarcasm." And for a moment Oneirhōn didn't say anything more, and Will was sure she had gone. But then she spoke up again, "Young boy. You are in so much pain, I would think you'd want to get away from it."

"But you're offering a dream." Will answered sternly. "And dreams are just--"

"Dreams." Oneirhōn cut in. "Yes, but that's part of their magic. You could always wake up, should you dislike it."

Will looked down a bit, thinking the proposition over. It's not a bad offer. He thought, thinking over the logics of dreams. If it was unpleasant, he should wake up from it, and… Regardless. You have to wake up from a dream eventually.

Uncrossing his arms, Will gave a small respectful bow. "I would like to accept your gift, madam goddess."

Then, the air of the fog began to move. Will jumped, stepping back a few steps. Then the white fog wrapped around his legs, like a soft cloud blanket. It forced him to sit as he was lifted off the ground a few inches. Uneasy, Will looked off of the cloud 'bed' that had bee made around him. He reached over and was able to touch the cold concrete of the ground without falling off the clouds. With that sense of security, that he wouldn't fall far, Will shifted and laid back.

"Please, relax." Came Oneirhōn's voice. "Allow the feeling of sleep to come to you naturally. Don't worry, as the pleasant dream will come to you."

Though uneasy about this whole idea, but hopeful… Will shifted back, rolled onto his side a bit, and closed his eyes. Having a nice dream every once in a while would be nice.