Sometimes Falling isn't Down

Chapter 7

Content warning: Disturbing/unsettling imagery(?)

-Reader~chan-

Something flashed across your vision, bright and dazzling, on, then off, on, then off. Your passive awareness became acute awareness that nothing surrounding you was real, the weight of your blanket pressing down on you and the sensation of your eyes being shut yet still being able to see confusing your brain, the vision crackling and fading. You looked back at Bill once before your actual eyes flung open and you awoke.

Your lights flashed on and off overhead.

That was trippy. Going from a fake reality that felt real to the actual reality almost made it feel fake. It made your head hurt.

You wondered what you must have looked like leaving the dream. Were you flung away into a ball of light like Will? Was Bill sitting there, all on his own in that empty forest, his desperation doubled now that Will and you both were torn away? Was he calling out your name now, not knowing if he'd get a response? Not knowing you'd be back the next night? If you even would?

You squished your eyes shut again, roughly shaking the thoughts out of your head. He was just a dream character. He didn't exist when you weren't dreaming. He wasn't frantically looking for you or Will- he didn't have the free will to. He didn't exist. So you didn't need to think about it anymore.

The incessant flashing of your light was starting to give you a headache so you opened your eyes and turned to see why your lights were dancing, your dad's hand sticking past the curtain to the light switch beside the door. You snorted, sitting up and stretching, calling out, "I'm awake Dad! You can stop that!" You heard him laugh, his hand disappearing.

"Good morning Honey! Come out here whenever you're ready, we need to ask you something!"

"Yeah, so hurry up!"

You rolled your eyes at your sister's needless addition.

"I'm gonna take twice as long, just cause you said that!" You called back. She shouted back an annoying "bleh!" and you mimicked the sound right back at her.

You gathered the book you realized you never put away, looking around for Dipper's missing blacklight and finding it tossed off the side of the bed. Thankfully it wasn't on- though that could easily mean it died. Or you broke it. Oh Hades, you hoped you didn't break it. You only just barely borrowed it. Dipper would never trust you with anything ever again.

You reached over and scooped it up, holding your breath when you flicked the switch, letting out a relieved sigh when it clicked on. It was all good. Thank Tyche. You clicked it back off and hopped out of bed to throw it and the book back into your bag. You must have remembered to turn it off before you conked out. Lucky!

You grabbed some clothes and entered the bathroom to get changed. Passing the mirror you realized your glove wasn't pulled up all the way and reached over to rectify that, freezing in place when you caught sight of something beneath the band, your blood running cold. You slowly turned to look at the mirror head on.

On the back of your arm, a red mark poked out from under the glove. But it couldn't be... You dropped your clothes on the bathroom counter, reaching over and slowly peeling the glove off, your eyes growing wide as you turned your arm to face you. Clear as day, five deep red marks trailed down your arm. Scratch marks. Like someone had gripped your arm and scratched their nails down it...

You slapped your hand over your arm and looked away.

It couldn't be.

You were dreaming. You had to be.

You brushed your hand across your arm, still refusing to look, as if looking at it again would make it actually real. You were definitely still asleep. Or you were imagining things. A phantom mark from your dream. But when your thumb brushed over the mark, it stung. But that didn't make sense- it wasn't possible.