Crystalline Heart

Chapter Two: OUT!

A crash startled the skel out of sleep, and she immediately collapsed back onto the hardwood, all tangled in the blankets. She couldn't move... She couldn't move at all! No matter how hard she struggled, she just couldn't free herself. Footsteps pounded on the stairs, and on the hallway towards the room. They were coming...!

    The door opened to reveal a very cheery-looking Blue holding a tray of... something. She couldn't really tell with her face half-smashed on the floor. It... It smelled good. Blue's expression contorted into concern when he saw her current state.

"Friend, what are you doing on the floor?"

    The tears began to fall again out of both fear and shame.

"Don't be scared! It's okay. Let me help you!" Blue set the tray down on the bedside table and reached out to untangle the poor girl, but she again shrank away from him. He sighed and stepped back, looking concerned.

    Two minutes later, Dream and Ink entered the room to find the skele in a worse state than when Blue had entered. She'd lost all awareness of herself in space, and hardly understood which way was left and the other right. She couldn't meet their eyes.

Ink burst into laughter, doubling over and nearly falling on the floor. She lowered her head in embarrassment and shame, trembling slightly. Her vision blurred over as the hot tears began to well up in her eye-sockets. Dream jabbed the artist in the ribs again, and Blue (who was still on the floor) sent him a heavy glare.

    "Dream, what was that for," Ink asked, the strange mix of indignation and laughter filling his voice. He was rubbing his now-sore side.

"You can't just laugh at her," Blue shrilled back, making the skel flinch and close her eyes.

    It wasn't until she heard a soft sigh and felt a tug on the fabric around her body that she allowed her teary eyes to open again. Dream was slowly working at freeing her. The close proximity frightened her terribly, but instead of moving, she stayed still as stone, as if she were literal prey. As soon as she was released, however, she and the golden-cloaked skeleton backed away from each other. Only then did the two of them acknowledge the other two. The artist was crying in his laughter, now, ignoring every point his very annoyed smaller counterpart was trying to get across his head.

"Alright, both of you, knock it off," Dream ordered. The sternness in his voice only reminded her of every reason to panic. The deep breaths she struggled to take rattled in her chest, and her vision seemed to blur. However, she quickly regained enough control to handle her emotions.

    "Geez, kiddo," Ink started, "I didn't think you'd be that... that bad."

She lowered her gaze. "I'm not just bad," she thought, "I'm so much worse..."

    "Shut up, Ink," Blue hissed angrily.

"Both of you leave the room, please..."

    The shortest glared at the artist as they both exited the room. The only thing he got in return was a shrug.

Dream turned to her as she shakily climbed onto the bed, careful not to face him. He clearly was going to be the one spending the most time with her. Several images of another flickered through her head, and she clutched at her skull as if trying to shut them out.

    Sighing, he tapped the table with the tips of his phalanges, succeeding in getting her attention. It frightened her how calm his countenance was. More images. Noticing that he lost her split-second focus, he tapped the table again. "Hey... Miss? Can you sit up a minute, please?"     She obeyed, and noticed a small bag in his hands. He smiled gently at her and unzipped it, revealing several small packages. Panic enveloped her, but she remained frozen.