MANHUNT {dreamnotfound}

7 • The Backpack

Edited 8/8/22
•

George's eyes widened in complete shock as his feet seemed to sink through the floor. Except, there was no floor, it was like melting through quicksand, like a waterfall, he was going to free-fall forever—

Before he could even react, he lurched backwards — somehow Dream had grabbed his shoulder before he fell, even with his hands stuck together—

"So," George said breathlessly, after the entirety of the cavern had finished sinking in on itself, staring at the collapsed mound of gravel that had formed ahead of them. After the roar of falling rock, the silence was eerie. "I should have gone to the right."

Dream hadn't even let go of him yet. "It's not over yet. The ground and ceiling are unstable, which means we've got to be careful where we stand."

"You saved me," George said, sounding about as surprised as he felt.

"Don't sound so shocked," he muttered, immediately letting go. "You have my backpack."

Then his eyes widened. "Where is it?"

George realised too late that there was no longer a weight on his back. He spun on his heels, staring at the gravel mound.

Dream shouldered past him, eyes frantically roaming the pile of rocks.

George watched in amazement as Dream began rummaging through the stones with his shackled hands, painfully and frantically shoving them aside, his movements... desperate.

George suddenly spotted the backpack, it was just on Dream's left, hidden by some debris, and he stepped forward to say so, when Dream whirled on him, quick as an adder.

The fear in his eyes had a paralysing effect on the Hunter.

George stepped back instinctively, having the impression that this man — the man capable of murder — was deranged.

And it was not a good sign.

"I need to find it," he breathed, the words ragged as he inched toward George.

"It's there," he blurted, pointing. "I must've let go of it."

Immediately, Dream's posture seemed to soften, the harsh lines on his face melting away as soon as he caught sight of his black backpack, still in one piece.

It was the most emotion that George had ever witnessed from him, and it was completely disarming.

Dream slowly straightened, watching with predatory intent as George retrieved the bag. George glanced up at him, weakly joking, "You do have attachment issues to your bag."

He wondered if the tremor in his voice was obvious.

"It's all I've ever really had," Dream defended, rather hotly. Then, regaining some of his annoyingly aloof composure, he said, "I'm protective of what belongs to me, just as anyone else would be."

George wanted to ask about it, but Dream pushed on wordlessly to the pathway on the right. Was it the map he'd been so protective of? It surely wasn't the weapons (he clearly didn't need them).

They didn't stop for the next hour or so as the cave spiraled slowly upwards, and George was so unnerved that he refused to speak the entire journey, for fear of Dream looking at him like that again.

•

It took Dream a long period in order for his bundle of nerves to settle as he pushed on in the darkness, the cavern dimly lit from behind him as the Hunter followed with his torch.

He didn't know what he would do if he lost that bag. It had everything that mattered to Dream.

And the close call with almost losing it was a blaring indication and unhelpful reminder that Dream was wasting precious time in these caves.