~The Arcade~DSMP//DNF//fluff

Home At Last

As time passed, thoughts and questions floated through the air. Tension was high, and everyone was jumping at the slightest of sounds. Leaves rustling in the wind, the occasional rock being thrown through the wind at the old train car, a breath taken to loud. George shivered as an icey breese shot through the train car, despite his eyes staring glooed to the floor of the car.

"We have to get them out of here." Dream said, breaking the silence and startling the other three.

"What are you talking about?" Karl asked shivering.

"You guys are actively shivering and you are fully clothed, these three aren't wearing any warm clothes. We have to get them out of the cold before they get hypothermia, they probably already do."

The three nodded simultaneously, and Dream gently picked up one of the frozen ghosts and wrapped them in his warm coat. Alex watched, and after some time he followed suit. Carefully removing another ghost from the floor and wrapping his coat around the ghost. Karl grabbed the last, and after a bit more of a struggle, he wrapped the ghost in a thick blanket that he had found in the corner, and they began their jurny back to the one place they knew the new ghosts would be safe.

The group walked, shielding the thin ghosts from the wind that hit their backs. They followed the only guide they could see through the thick fog until they reached the clearing in the woods that they had stopped to rest at. Dream picked up his pace, feeling motivated by their checkpoint to fulfill their task quickly. The others hustled after him, feeling the same motivation. And soon they reached familiar land.

As the group quickly approached their original destination, the wind blew harder, urging then to stop but pushing them forward none the less. The group approached the area they knew all to well, and were surprised to see that the large oak that once sat in the center of the path was now completely gone, and the path that belonged there was perfectly clear.

"Be careful crossing the tracks." Dream said back to the others before carefully stepping across. Alex followed close behind him, careful to follow the same steps. Karl went a different path and carefully found his way to the other side. As George was attempting to follow the group, he took a wrong step and twisted his ankle. He felt a sickening pop and fell to the ground, scrapping his hands and chin in the process.

"George! Are you alright?" Alex asked into the wind.

George couldn't respond, his ankle screamed in pain, but he pushed himself up and limped the rest of the way across the tracks before his ankle gave out and he fell again to the ground.

"I'll be fine. Just go, I'll be there right behind you guys." George said, trying again to stand

"George, you can barely walk, how are you going to get down the path?" Alex questioned in worry.

"You all have your hands full. We have a task to complete and I'm just going to slow you guys down. Go without me. If I don't show up in 20 minutes, come look for me." George said, throwing the key to Alex.

The three reluctantly turned and started to the path, George watched them go from his spot on the ground. After the group started down the path, George slowly rose to his feet and began limping after them. He made it half way across the open grass and fell again.

The three had made it to the arcade and were laying the thin and frozen ghosts under a pile of thick blankets by the heater behind the prize counter. After about five minutes, they sat at a table in the middle of the room and waited, exchanging worried looks.

George had made it to the path after what felt like a year, his ankle screaming in protest. He started down the path but didn't make it far before he collapsed on the middle of the snowy path infront of his friends' footprints. He looked down the path before his eyes fell shut and he slipped out of consciousness.

After 10 minutes of the group waiting in silence, Dream stood from the table and walked to the door.

"George said to wait 20 minutes." Alex said blatantly.

"I don't give a shit, he is delirious because he got hurt and doesn't want to admit he needs help. I'm going to find him, wait here."

And with that, Dream left before another word could be spoken. He followed the path, quickly trying to find George. As he reached the end of the path he began to worry, he thought the worst as the fog from the outside started to seep into the forest. There, laying in the middle of the path was George, fainted in the now with tears froze to his cheeks.

Dream quickly ran over to him, he pulled George into a tight hug and picked him up before he ran back to the arcade. As Dream burst through the door with George in his arms, worry clouded over Alex's and Karl's vision. Dream slammed the door shut tightly and carried George over to the prize counter where he layed him on top of it.

Dream ran to the kitchen and returned a minute later with a bag full of ice, he returned to George's side and pulled his boot off of his foot before gently placing the ice against the badly swollen ankle. Karl found his way to Dream's side, and as he had previous doctor experience, he carefully examined the injury.

"It's either a sprain or a small fracture, likely a mix of both. He's going to need a soft cast. I'm going to go see what we have here for medical equipment, Nick was clumsy, so we should have what I need." Karl said before he ran off to another room in search of something to help his friend.