Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Noises.

Horrible screeching noises.

That was the sound the Dream could process while he was passed out well and the fact that he was moving. That was pretty much it.

Dream's eyes fluttered open, dim lights blinding him temporarily and blocking his vision. It was like his whole world flipped upside down. He felt sick. Weak. He felt like everything had left him. He didn't know where he was, what time it was. His eyes were slowly fluttering open and close and he could barely keep them open long enough to get a good answer to any of his questions. A ringing buzzed in his ear, pounding into his head like a constant reminder that everything was wrong and that he wasn't where he was supposed to be.

The feelings in his body were slowly but surely coming back to him, a tingly feeling taking over his arms and legs as he slowly started to wake up properly. His fingers slightly grazing over whatever he was laying on which he assumed to be the metal of the ground. It was uncomfortable, to say the least, and it had a rough feeling on his fingertips. But with that thought, confusion rang through his empty mind. Empty mind? His mind was usually all over the place right? So why wasn't it now...?

As Dream's senses slowly came back to him, he heard the screeching noise getting louder, sounding sort of like an elevator. He finally opened his eyes and gasped softly as he jerked up, immediately throwing up and dry heaving onto the ground which he now could conclude was actually made of a metal substance. The feeling was disgusting and absolutely horrible but Dream tried to push through it, he had many other things to worry about at the moment. He only dry heaved a little but due to the burning sensation that took over his lungs and throat and the fact that he probably had nothing else to dry heave but that didn't stop him from being extremely discomforted and worried.

He gasped softly and looked around the room he was in. yeah it was an elevator, which could conclude the noisy screeching that hurt his head. Where the fuck was he? He looked around to see he was surrounded by boxes and crates with the same lettering on them. W.C.K.D. Hmm, what type of cooperation name was that r what on earth was it abbreviated for? Dream groaned and looked down sluggishly, he couldn't see anything for miles below him which was kinda even more frightening. All the movements in the elevator made him dizzy, he fell back over and started dry heaving again and coughing harshly. He didn't like these feelings at all. It all hurt.

Dream lazily stumbled to his feet but lost his balance as the fast elevator kept moving. He clumsily fell back onto a pile of boxes and groaned as they rammed into the side of his ribcage. Yeah, that would definitely leave a bruise sooner or later.

Dream took and deep breath and sighed, stumbling over to a crate on the other side of the elevator. It was cover in a thin white sheet and was probably hiding something underneath it. Dream wondered if it had a clue to where he was in it. He gently lifted the sheet and yelped as the animal inside it screeched at him.

Dream fell back once again in surprise.

"Help!" He screeched, his throat raw and dry causing his voice to sound rough, "Help me please!" He looked up and hoped not to get dizzy again from the fast movement, he just wanted to see if the elevator was anywhere close to stopping. Tears pricked his eyes as he kept yelling for help, his throat was hurting from the dry heaving earlier and the shortness of breath he had wasn't helping either. He just wanted to leave, get out of here. He knew he wasn't safe and he just wanted to return home. Home? Fuck he didn't have time to think about everything he couldn't remember while in this state. He just needed to leave and break free.

The elevator soon came to a sudden stop, knocking dream off his feet and causing him to fall to the ground harshly again. How many times was this gonna happen to him in the matter of an elevator ride? A red and green light flashed brightly which caused the male to jump slightly, everything in the elevator practically made him frightened, to be honest. Who wouldn't be scared of a place they didn't know? The roof slowly opened and sunlight shined through into the elevator, hurting Dreams sensitive eyes from being in the dark for so long. What the hell was going on?

The male shielded his eyes with his arm and groaned softly, hating how the heat felt on his already sweat-soaked skin due to the elevator being just as hot as the outside world. He looked up drowsily like an adult at the end of a long drunken night. He blinked blankly as he noticed about a dozen or more boys standing a few feet above him and staring, the only thing separating them was a thin covering. They didn't seem as confused as Dream which just made the blond male scared.

One brown-haired man opened the covering and jumped down in front of Dream who was cowering in the corner causing all the other boys to laugh.

"Day one greenie, rise, and shine." He said before pulling the blonde male to his feet and pushing him into the crowd of boys and young men who just laughed at him and his seemingly wimpy appearance. The males heavy and deep British accent nearly scaring the American who was still trying to process everything.

Dreams breath picked up and he couldn't take it, all the noises, all the people. The anxiety was finally getting to him. His breathing picked up and it got slightly ragged, it had been like this since he woke up but it just got worse. Dream just wished he wasn't thrown into anxiety-inducing situations like this.

You know, having a panic attack feels like you're collapsing, like your organs are rebelling against you, and that you'd throw them up. It's like you're on a swing ride in an amusement park. At first, you're there waiting for things to happen, and for gravity to mess up with you. After a while of waiting, it starts working, and slowly you're reaching a frightening height. And it's not like you have a phobia, but you certainly feel things as your chest starts tightening, you think it'd explode. Then, it's swinging and you just want to scream or jump or whatever, but you can't do that. You're tired and scared and there is no way you'd reach solid ground.

Dream head the feelings that suddenly took over him. It was way too much.

"He looks like a slopper to me."

"I could use some help in the kitchen."

"Take it all in newbie."

"He's all ours."

Dream couldn't take in all the commotion around him. It was too crowded, too noisy. There were also far too many people staring at him as he struggled against an upcoming panic attack. He gasped weakly and slide back against the grassy ground, rushing to his feet and pushing through the large crowd of boys who surrounded him like a herd of hunters approaching its prey. He was out in the open, he could run now. Escape. Escape them. Escape the claustrophobic feelings that wanted to take control of him. That was his only worry at the moment.

"We've got a runner!" A British boy with blond hair yelled as he saw the blonde American make a dash for it.

Dream just needed to run, he couldn't stop running. He needed to get out of here, return home to his family. He just needed to get away. He couldn't stand it here, he didn't belong here. This wasn't normal. This wasn't where he was supposed to be. This was messed up, wrong in every way. This wasn't the world he was used to at all. But, with Dream constantly overthinking it caused him to trip over himself and send himself rolling into the grass of the large field he was in. Talk about self-sabotage, am I right?

Cheering and laughter came from the group of boys who stood far behind him now. He really had run slightly far.

Dream groaned. "Fuck..." He muttered to himself, lifting himself off the ground weakly, finally taking in the surroundings around him. Yeah, this definitely wasn't where he belonged. Walls about a mile or two high stood abruptly around him and the field, covered in vines and clearly worn down from aging and erosion. They looked almost scary and ominous if you asked him. This was something out of a book he had never read. This wasn't shit you saw every day let alone every other day. How did he even get himself into this mess in the first place?

~

Dream was abruptly thrown into a make-shift cell at least fifteen minutes later, the group of boys had finally caught up to him and forced him down here, locking the wooden door behind them. First, he was locked in an elevator and now he was locked in here. Great. At least there were no scary cages with creatures in them, oh, and he couldn't get motion sickness in here. That was a plus, right?

Dream stumbled to his feet and peeked out of the cell, looking at the large field and walls that surrounded it. He was confused, to say the least. How was this place even a thing? Did people know about this place or was he just a captive never to be found again? All those questions would go unanswered for now.

Dream jumped slightly and cursed under his breath as someone walked up to the cell and stood in front of the door.

"Hey, there greenie." A boy smiled softly, his surprisingly pearly white teeth shining in the sun. The boy had black raven-colored hair and his skin was a sweet caramel color that went perfectly with his diamond-colored eyes. This boy seemed different from the rest of them. Less hostile and aggressive and more sweet and calm, almost like he was in the same boat as Dream. "You're not gonna run again, ok?" he asked, a slight seriousness filling his tone.

Dream nodded weakly.

The boy smiled and nodded back, "Good." He hummed before grabbing a key from his pocket and unlocking the cell door easily. He squatted down and looked down at Dream who was still hiding in the corner of the cell. "My name is Zak, but you can just call me Skeppy." he hummed softly, finally sitting down properly on the ground. "Can you tell me anything bout yourself? Who you are? Where you came from? Anything at all?" He asked suddenly. Wow, way to come off as subtle.

It was a strange question but once Dream thought about it, he just couldn't answer those questions. He couldn't remember anything. He wanted to panic again. Sure nothing can last forever. There isn't any memory, no matter how intense, that doesn't fade out at last. Memory is all humans are. Moments and feelings, captured in amber, strung on filaments of reason. Take a man's memories and you take all of him. Chip away a memory at a time and you destroy him as surely as if you hammered nail after nail through his skull. Dream would grab whatever he could - a look, a whisper, a cry - to salvage from perishing, to preserve. But time is most unforgiving of fires, and he couldn't, in the end, remember it all.

Memory is truly a monster; you forget—it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from you—and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have a memory; but it has you and right now, those hidden memories had Dream in its tight grasp and he couldn't fight it even if he wanted to.

"No."

"Can you tell me your name?" Seppy continued, watching as the blonde boy shook slightly and tried to concentrate on the floor. It seemed like he was having a panic attack without even knowing it. Skeppy remembered the boy did the same thing back when they pulled him out of the box. Was he having a slight panic attack then too? Skeppy just shrugged to himself, he could find that out later. He had just met the boy after all.

"I, uh, I can't remember anything." Dream stuttered out softly, pulling his knees up to his chest and sighing softly. "Why can't I remember anything?" He asked, looking up at skeppy with pleading and almost painful eyes. It hurt skeppy to see the new boy look this shaken up but this happened to everyone, even himself.

"It's okay. Hey, relax. Relax." Skeppy said soothingly, scooting towards the blond and putting his hand on his shoulder softly. "It's normal. It happened to us all." Skeppy explained, keeping his calm and soft tone of voice. "You'll get your name back in a day or two. It's the one thing they let us keep." He stated softly, looking at Dream with a sweet expression.

Dream looked back at skeppy with a confused and concerned looked, "What is this place?"

"Let me show you."

Skeppy dragged Dream out of the cell and out onto the field. It a decently sized field, flowers, and weeds showing up here and there. It was pretty, to say the least, but with the ominous walls standing high above them, Dream didn't know what to think. Skeppy showed him around the place fairly easily since there wasn't anything that dream couldn't see in the field. Huts witch were used for shelter, small fencings for cattle and farming, tents used as armories, and other things. It was a fairly easy place to navigate but Dream was sure he'd get lost sooner or later.

Other boys walked around carelessly or were working on something. A small group of boys were picking fruits and vegetables at the looks of it and a few other groups of boys were cutting down smaller trees and collecting the wood. They seemed to work efficiently, they all were like a team...

"We eat here. We sleep here. We grow our own food. We build our own shelter. Whatever we need, the Box provides. The rest is up to us." Skeppy explained, stopping in the center of the field, and sighed as he put his hands on his hips. It seemed like Skeppy knew the place like the back of his hand. How long had he been here if he knew it that well? It may be small but it seemed like they were constantly adding more shelters and other tents. Nobody could know this place that well unless you've spent a really long time here.

"The box?" Dream asked curiously.

"Yeah. It's sent up once a month with supplies and a new greenie. This month that's you. Congratulations." Skeppy smiled, gesturing to the pile of supplies that seemed like they had taken out of the elevator Dream was sent up in. He could see some boys rummaging through the supplies and examining it but besides those few boys, everyone else was doing their own thing.

"Sent up'? By who, though'? Who put us here?" Dream continued, his curiosity getting the best of him once again. What could he say, he was in a new world and didn't know what on earth was going.

"That, we don't know."

"Hey, are you all right, Skeppy? Aha!" A brown-haired boy asked, walking up to the two boys. His British accent almost scared Dream due to how he had gotten used to Skeppy having an American accent but still, the boy also seemed different from the rest of the boys here. He had a calming and appealing presence. Dream wondered how this boy managed to have such a welcoming vibe.

"Green Bean, meet Gogy. Otherwise known as George!" Skeppy smiled, gesturing to his friend.

George was a beautiful brunet with a soft and sweet attuited that was very prominent in his personality. He had gorgeous heterochromatic eyes, his left eye being brown and his right eye being a bright blue. He had a soft and pale baby face that made him seem like he was made of porcelain. So soft, so delicate but that wasn't the point at this moment.

George wore a faded baby blue shirt with had a few tears near the hems and it was slightly stained with grass and dirt stains here and there. He had two strap-belts across his chest that crossed near his right upper arm. To add on he had worn out brown jeans that were cuffed at the ankles and Brown combat boots. He had a black bandana wrapped around his wrist and he had a belt lifting up his brown jeans and a small pocket bag seemed to be attached to one of the belt loops. He looked more put together than dream himself who noticed how dissolved his own clothing was now.

Dream was wearing a light green t-shirt that was covered in dirt and sweat stains from his little run earlier and then he was wearing light grey pants. It was a simple outfit compared to what everyone else was wearing but he had also just gotten here after all.

"When I'm not around, he's is second in command behind Sapnap, BadboyHalo, and Wilbur." Skeppy stated, patting George on the shoulder softly and chuckling. George seemed fixated on the new kid, his eyes not parting from what he assumed to be Dream green eyes. George couldn't exactly tell but he knew for a fact people's eyes weren't red.

George blinked and shook his head as if he was coming out of a trance, "Well, it's a good thing you're always around then." George chuckled, looking back at skeppy with a soft look. It seems like George was almost weary about the new kid who joined them. It wasn't every day when they got someone as interesting as Dream. They hadn't had any greenies like him... "That was some dash you made earlier." George giggled, looking back at Dream and eyeing him up and down once again. "For a second, I thought you had the chops to be a runner......till you face-planted. That was great." He teased playfully which caused Skeppy to giggle beside him.

"Wait, a "runner"?" Dream asked softly, confusion lacing his tone. That's what that boy yelled earlier right. 'We've got a runner!' Yeah, those words pounded into Dream's skull now that he recalled it. What was a runner?

He was sadly met with silence and George and Skeppy adverting their gazes from him.

"George, do me a favor. Go find Tommy and Tubbo." Skeppy hummed, looking at the brunet with a soft expression. It was obvious he didn't want to answer Dreams' question and it seemed neither did George. What was so bad about runner and why couldn't they tell him what they were?

"All right." George nodded before running off, sparing one last glance at the tall blonde before disappearing into the field.

"Thanks!" Skeppy called out but George was already far gone. He sighed and turned back to Dream, crossing his arms comfortably across the teal shirt he wore. "Look, I'm sorry to rush this introduction processes and everything. You came up a little late, and there's a lot to do." Skeppy explained as if the other male would understand where he was going with this. "We got something special planned tonight..." He finished, looking deeply into Dream emerald green eyes that shined in the sun as if they were actual emeralds. Skeppy sighed and turned on his heel, starting to walk again. "Yeah. You'll see. "

Skeppy led Dream over to a treehouse-like structure that was more of a lookout. He looked back at Dream and smiled. "I hope you're not afraid of heights." He stated, "cmon let's go." He laughed softly and climbed to the top of the structure.

Dream nodded and hesitantly followed Skeppy once again.

"This is all we got. We've worked hard for it. If you respect this place...you and I will get along just fine." Skeppy explained as they looked out over the land, admiring everything in their sight and not getting too close to the walls and the large opening on in them.

Dream looked at the opening curiously, it looked even more ominous than the walls themself. "What's beyond there...?" He asked, he assumed he was gonna be met with awkward silence once again but he was suddenly mistaken.

"We only have three rules," Skeppy stated, gazing off at the walls that surrounded them and the opening. "First, do your part. No time for any freeloaders." He hummed, looking back at Dream with serious eyes "Second, never harm another Glader. None of this works unless we have trust. Most importantly...never go beyond those walls." Skeppy's tone got grim and creepy and it practically sent chills down Dream's back. "Do you understand me, Greenie?"

Dream went to respond but he was cut off by two voices.

"Hey, Skeppy!" Two boys said at the exact same time, frightening Dream slightly. One of the boys was the tall, blonde British boy from earlier and beside him stood a short boy with brunet hair and the same emerald green eyes as Dream.

"Hey, Tommy. Hey, Tubbo." Skeppy responded back with a smile. "You can take green bean from here and do the rest of the explaining, I've done my part," Skeppy stated, looking back at Dream with the same soft expression he gave George earlier. "Good luck, you're gonna need it."

Dream and Skeppy climbed down from the structure and met the two boys on the field.

Tommy and Tubbo nodded before grabbing onto Dream's hand and dragging him over to another type of treehouse structure. Dream quickly looked back at skeppy for reassurance since he didn't quite exactly know these kids but Skeppy was far gone now, probably off doing his own work now. Tommy and tubbo grabbed a hammock and started climbing up the treehouse, dragging the older man behind them.

"Can you guys tell me a little bit more about this place?" Dream muttered softly as the two boys just kept dragging him along.

Tubbo nodded softly and smiled, "It's the same story for all of us. We wake up in the Box, Skeppy gives us the tour...then here we are." He hummed simply, having the same British accent as the blondie, it was just a lot softer. Tubbo fidgeted with the sleeves of his long-sleeved, ivy green shirt and smiled sweetly. He seemed way too calm for this considering how young he seemed but they all had their story.

Tommy chuckled and unrolled the hammock, starting to tie it up to the posts in the treehouse, "Don't worry. you're already doing better than I did. I think I died and was resurrected before they got me out of the box." He hummed, tieing the knots of the rope around the posts in one swift movement as if he had done this a million times over. Tommy looked over and saw Dream looking out at the field as the sun slowly set over the horizon.

Dream walked back to the stairs and climbed down them, Tommy quickly following after him with Tubbo on his tail.

"No, come on. Dude, where are you going?" Tommy said, catching up to the older male.

"I just want to see..." Dream hummed, looking around the field once again as if he hadn't done it a thousand times by now. His eyes focused on the opening in the wall and just stared. It was so ominous that it was captivating.

"You can look around all you want but you better not go out there." Tommy stated, crossing his arms and staring through Dreams soul with his piercing blue eyes. Tommy was never this serious but here he was. It was just the rules and he was following them, he wouldn't let some newbie ruin this for everyone and risk getting everyone killed.

"Why not? What's through there...?"

"We don't know. We just know what we're told." Tubbo said quickly, grabbing onto Dreams' arm and stopping him from walking any closer to the opening. Dream could've easily brushed the kid off but he decided not to. Rule number two, don't hurt another Glader. "We're not supposed to leave ok?" Tubbo asked with pleading eyes, striking close somewhere close in dreams heart. The look was familiar, if only Dream could've remembered what it reminded him of.

Three boys came running out of the opening, shocking Dream slightly.

Two of the boys had brown hair but one had a darker shade of it and seemed a lot older than the other one. The other one had black hair and a white bandana wrapped around his forehead. They were obviously some of the leaders here or some of the stronger types here due to how their body structure was a lot different from George, Skeppy's, Tommy's, and Tubbo's.

"Hey Tom, hey Tubbo. New, greenie huh?" The older one chuckled, a heavy northern accent lingering in the air slightly. "How does it feel to be promoted huh?" He chuckled deeply while the other man just stared intensely at Deam as they ran by.

"It feels great Shlatt!" Tommy yelled back, spite lacing his tone slightly.

Tubbo just smiled and nodded along with Tommy.

Once the three men were far out of earshot dream turned towards the two children in front of him. "I thought you said no one was allowed to leave..." He stated, his eyebrows knitting in confusion as he crossed his arms.

"I said, we're not allowed to leave." Tommy huffed, crossing his arms to mimic Dream. The same spite from his tone earlier crossed over to this conversation which Tommy didn't really seem to care much about at this moment.

"They're different, they are runners." Tubbo explained simply, "They know more about the maze than anyone else here." He smiled with a soft shrug as if it wasn't a lot to process.

"Wait- what?"

"What?" Tommy interjected for tubbo, glaring down the other boy who surprisingly frustrated him more than he thought he would. Tommy always got frustrated easily anyways...

"You just said maze." Dream stated, turning towards tubbo who seemed kinda frozen in place

"I-i did?" Tubbo stuttered out softly, fear shining in his eyes slightly. It seemed like he said something he wasn't supposed to.

"Yeah you did dipshit," Tommy whispered harshly, nudging Tubbo in the side with a slight force.

Dream pushed past the two children and walked closer to the walls and opening, his curiosity was once again in control. He really was the definition of curiosity killed the cat, wasn't he? Dream didn't seem to have anything else on his mind now that Tubbo had accidentally said that it was a maze. That was probably the most reliable thing the two boys had said in their short time of knowing each other. Dream was kinda thankful the small boy had slipped upon his words.

"I told you, you can't," Tommy said harshly, grabbing onto Dream's wrist harshly and stopping him slightly. "No one leaves, especially not now." He said, hatred and frustration shining in his icy blue eyes as if he held the icy fires of hell within them. Tommy was usually carefree and childish but he wasn't gonna let some newbie break one of the three rules they had.

"It's not safe..." Tubbo muttered, walking up to dream and giving him the same pleading look from earlier.

"Ok, alright. I'm not gonna go." Dream huffed before turning back to the maze entrance. It all made sense, well sort of. This was an entrance, this wasn't just an opening in some big ass wall. It was an entrance to a maze. A maze only a few people were allowed to go through. What type of government-funded shit was this? This seemed more like a death trap than what meets the eye, huh?

A sudden force came upon Dream and he was shoved to the ground harshly, he heard a sharp gasp come from Tubbo who was cowering behind Tommy who seemed even more pissed off than ever.

"We got to stop meeting like this greenie." A tall, slim, British man huffed, glaring down at the blonde who coughed softly and held himself close. It was a pathetic sight, to say the least, but every greenie was weak at the beginning and it wasn't like everyone was built to be a runner after all.

The man was tall and pale, his fluffy brown hair being framed by a grey beanie that sat on top of his head. He wore a faded cream color shirt, a long brown trench coat, black jeans that were held up by a loose belt, combat boots and he had glasses framing his brown eyes. He seemed more like a librarian than a runner but with the strength he held, Dream was sure he was one of the leaders or at least runners around here.

"Get off me." Dream gritted, kicking the brunet male away from him.

"Hey calm down, Calm the fuck down." The man commanded, "Take it easy alright. Relax, ok."

The scene happening had caused commotion and it was no longer just Tommy and Tubbo watching. More men and boys came running over quickly to see what all the fuss was about. It wasn't every day that arguments like this broke out let alone an argument between a runner and a newbie like Dream.

Dream hoisted himself off the ground and turned towards the crowd of people who came to watch their little argument. "What the hell is wrong with you guys." He exclaimed, harshly.

George and the black-haired boy from earlier came running up quickly, George looking at Dream with a concerned look. "Hey, newbie. Just calm down alright?" He said, his British accent was calming but just wasn't enough to get Dream to calm down.

"No, ok? Why won't you guys tell me what the hell's out there." Dream said, snapping at the people around him.

"Hey, we're just trying to protect you." Skeppy said, walking up to dream with the light-brown-haired runner from a few minutes ago following behind him slightly.

"It's for your own good." George sighed, rubbing his temple. Every newbie went through this phase and it was getting kinda tiring but Dream seemed different though, he was special, even if only a few people could see it.

"You guys just can't keep me here." Dream laughed, spite filling his tone like a cup that had overflowed.

"I can't let you leave." Skeppy said harshly, holding one arm out in front of him as if the other boy would attack him if he said the wrong words.

"Why not?!"

A loud screeching sound came from the maze and the ground started shaking slightly. What the hell? Dream looked around quickly but none of the other males seemed phased, they just kept their eyes on the opening as if they were in a trance. Dream looked back at the opening, gasping softly as the opening slowly started to close. Yeah, this truly was like something out of a book he had never seen or dead before. Maybe he had read it and just couldn't remember, for the moment he just wouldn't know.

The doors of the opening slowly but surely closed, clasping together tightly. It seemed like nothing could get in or get out now. That was a scary thought...

"Next time, I'm gonna let you go in there..." Wilbur huffed, pushing past Dream with a force that could've knocked him to the ground if Skeppy wasn't standing directly behind him. Talk about anger issues much?

Skeppy sighed and rested his hand on dreams shoulder gently.

"Welcome to the glade..."

Chapter Text

A few men held torches tight within their grip, Skeppy, and George standing amongst them...

"Light it up!" Skeppy cheered happily with a subtle giggle that could've been lost within the commotion all around them in the group of boys.

All the males raised the torches up and aimed at a large and well-built sculpture of sticks. With no hesitation the boys threw the troches at the structure, lighting it on fire without a care in the world. It was a celebration. A time of peace. The flames roared high above everyone's head, casting light across the great field that had become dark once night arrived. The light was magnificent, breathing taking even. Dream wouldn't take his eyes off it as the other boys cheered and laughed, going to hang out with one another.

Dream had no idea what the structure they lit a flame was meant to represent but it seemed to bring all the boys joy once it was lit with fire.

Boys were cheering, making music with simple everyday items, and feasting away on food and meals that had seemed readily prepared by someone who had experience with cooking like that. George and Skeppy were located near the center of the group of people, hanging out with the leaders and smiling as they watched the warm fire roar far above their heads and into the night sky. They all seemed happy. The hostile and rude boys Dream had met earlier had long since gone away. It was such a peaceful sight, to say the least. It was so peaceful and happy that it felt almost strange for a place like this.

George smiled over at dream and waved him over but the blond boy stayed still, sitting against a log that was located somewhat far from where the celebration was happening. George sighed and grabbed two plates of food from Tubbo who seemed to be serving everyone happily and made his way over to the seemingly introverted boy.

"Hell of a first day, newbie?" Geoge laughed softly, sitting down next to Dream and offering him the second plate of food.

Dream stared off and nodded silently, accepting the plate of food from the smaller British boy.

"Here," George hummed, "it'll put some hair on your chest." George chuckled softly, offering Dream a small glass that had a brown liquid substance in it. It looked like tea but Dream could be sure that tea wasn't something they had readily available around here.

Dream grabbed the glass from George and lifted it to his lips, taking a small wig to make sure he wasn't about to drink anything poisonous or dangerous. The smell was strong but Dream couldn't exactly tell what it was. Dream slowly took a sip before immediately spitting it out. The taste was just as strong as the smell and Dream hated it.

George chuckled softly at his reaction and smiled.

"Oh; Oh, my God! What is that?" Dream exclaimed, coughing slightly as the strong taste lingered on his tongue. The drink was so bad that it was kinda funny, causing a small tea kettle-like wheeze to emit from Dreams chapped lips. It was nice to finally see the boy smile and laugh like that and not be completely introverted or angry.

"I don't even know."George giggled softly "It's Wilburs recipe. It's a trade secret. I'm pretty sure it's some type of alcohol though..." he explained, taking small bites from his food here and there before continuing his sentence. He looked back and gestured to the curly-haired man and sighed as he saw him playfully fighting with another man. It was typical activity for a night like this but it was no surprise to George to see him out there.

"Yeah well, he's still an asshole."

George looked back at Dream, his smile fading away slightly. "He saved your life today. Trust me. The maze is a dangerous place..." George muttered softly, glancing at the closed-up maze and shuddering slightly. The maze seemed even scarier at night, the way the shadows were cast across it and the way random sounds echoed from it creepily made it even more ominous.

"We're trapped here, aren't we?"

"For the moment. But...." George hummed before his voice trailed off. He sighed to himself before turning around and facing towards the fire. He gestured to the main group of men who were still located by the fire and smiled, "You see those guys? There, by the fire? Those are the runners." He pointed out. Dream probably could've figured that out on his own but he was being better safe than sorry. George pointed to two specific people next, it was the runner from earlier, the one with light brown hair and then the one with the white bandana.

"Those guys in the middle there, that's Sapnap and Badboyhalo. They're the Keepers of the Runners." George stated before gesturing back to the maze that stood around them. "Every morning, when those doors open, they run the maze...mapping it, memorizing it, trying to find a way out." He hummed softly.

"How long have they been searching?" Dream asked, cocking his head to the side and looking at George with a curious look.

"Three years..."

"And they haven't found anything?" Dream continued, his voice sounded more frustrated now than curious. If they had been here for three years and hadn't found a single thing that would be kinda disappointing and would make this place a lot shitter than it already was. If they hadn't found anything, then how could everyone be so sure that they could all escape.

"It's a lot easier said than done," George stated, leaning back against the log they were sitting at and humming to himself. "Listen." He muttered, raising a finger up and concentrating mainly on the noises coming from deep within the maze. "Hear that? It's the maze, changing. It changes every night." He explained as if it was simple when truly it wasn't.

"How is that even possible?"

"You can ask the people who put us in here if you ever meet the bastards." George laughed softly, head lulling to the side comfortably as he looked over at Dream with a soft and playful expression. The chances of ever meeting the people who trapped them in here were very very slim but they could never be so sure. All they needed was hope. Hope that they could escape one day.

"Listen, the thing is...the runners are the only ones who know what's out there." George continued to explain. "They are the strongest and the fastest out of us all. And it's a good thing, too...because if they don't make it back before those doors close...then they are stuck out there for the night. And no one has ever survived a night in the maze..." George's voice lowered at the end of the sentence. He seemed to shudder almost as if his blood had run cold at the thought. Dream didn't want to know what happened for him to come to the conclusion that no one ever survives the night out there.

"What happens to them..?"

"Well, we call them Grievers. Of course, no one's ever seen one and lived to tell it. But they're out there..." George murmured, sighing quietly. He went quiet for a few moments, the only noises being the commotion from the celebrating from behind them, the soft sound of crickets performing their little nightly orchestra, and the faint sounds of the maze moving and changing. It was peaceful but every silence must be broken. "Right, that's enough questions for one night. Come on. You're supposed to be the guest of honor." He chuckled softly, standing up off the ground and brushing himself off.

"Oh, no..." Dream muttered, looking away from George and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"No! No, come on. Let me show you around. Come on." George smiled sweetly. Dream just held eye contact with him for a few moments before George grabbed his forearm and lifted him to his feet.

"Woah!" He gasped as He was pulled to his feet quickly. He quickly grabbed onto George's shoulder before he could trip over himself and blushed softly.

George rolled his eyes playfully and started walking away, gesturing for Dream to follow him. Dream nodded and jogged over to George, not wanting to get left behind. The two walked through the crowds of boys, it was obvious there were different groups of them. Dream wouldn't exactly know which group held which types of people. Everyone was different after all and he could conclude that from the five people he had met personally.

George hummed as they walked, pointing over to a group of boys who were off on their own, eating away at their cooked meals. "And there we got the builders. They're very good with their hands...but not a lot is going on upstairs." He laughed softly. He then pointed over to a ginger who was wearing a hat that almost looked like a pilot hat but Dream couldn't be so sure. "And then we got Fundy...he's the Keeper of the Slicers. Sapnap used to have that role before he got promoted to runner and then Keeper of the Runners." George hummed, waving to the boy who was probably only a few years older than Tomy and Tubbo by the looks of it.

Two boys suddenly walked by, one had extremely fluffy brown hair and had steampunk goggles resting on his head and the other had black hair and a beanie rested on his hair just like Wilbur. There was an obvious height difference between them but it didn't seem to bother them like how the height difference between Dream and George didn't bother them.

"And we got those two med-jacks, Karl and Quackity." George hummed, gesturing to the two males. Assuming by the name of their roles Dream could conclude that these boys were probably the medics around here and the closest things they had to doctors.

"Hey, what's up?" Karl smiled as they passed by, waving happily.

"Yo, Gogy!" Quackity laughed, gabbing Karl's hand and continuing on their way.

"They usually spend most of their time bandaging up the slicers and runners but in their case, they spend a lot of time being lovey-dovey with Sapnap when he's not out running or planning for their next run." George shrugged softly, "It doesn't really phase anyone, we have a few other med-jacks and it's not like slicers and runners always get hurt. I'm pretty sure they're in some secret relationship or something, I can't be too sure though. Sapnap just yells at anyone who asks or tests him about it."

"What if I want to be a runner?"

"Have you listened to a word I've just said?" George asked with an annoyed expression, crossing his arms. He furrowed his eyebrows and stared almost displeasingly at the blond male who didn't seem that phased by George's change in attitude. "No one wants to be a runner. And, besides, you have to get chosen to be one anyway's..." He huffed, adjusting the white goggles that rested on his brunet hair softly. It was obvious he was getting slightly annoyed but Dream didn't even seem to care.

"Chosen by who?" Dream egged on. He wanted a way out of here, so if being a runner meant he could leave, then that's what he wanted. He went on to continue when someone was randomly shoved into him, almost knocking him off his feet. "Woah!" He gasped and grounded himself quickly, looking back to see Wilbur snickering slightly with a small smirk.

"What do you say, Greenie? Wanna see what you're made of?" Wilbur offered with a sly smile.

And with the sudden commotion, another crowd had formed. All the boys were suddenly interested in what was going on and couldn't take their eyes off the scene in from of them. George sighed softly and rubbed his temple as Skeppy walked to his side and started watching what was going on between Dream and Wilbur. They both hoped this wouldn't be a regular occurrence for both the boys.

Everyone started cheering happily, obviously wanting to see a fight between the two men.

"Greenie!"

"Greenie!"

"Greenie!"

Dream hated peer pressure so much, it made him feel the same way he did when he was pushed into the crowd the few seconds of being here. It was anxiety-inducing, to say the least. He genuinely didn't want to get into a fight. Wasn't this against the rules anyway's? Well, this was kinda play fighting so I guess it didn't really count. Still, Dream didn't want to do this but the cheers from everyone around him were louder than the voices in his head at the moment.

"Ok. Alright." He solemnly agreed, eyes focused on the ground. This caused both Skeppy and George to go wide-eyed and Sapnap and Badboyhalo all looked over in surprise. Tommy and Tubbo ran up to the front of the crowd and gasped when they noticed Dream was the one being thrown into a fight with the older British man. They hadn't been paying attention, doing their own thing like children do but now that they could see that it was Dream being thrown into a fight, they suddenly were paying attention.

"The rules are simple, Greenie." Wilbur chuckled deeply, "I try to push you out of the circle...you try to last more than five seconds."

"Take it easy on the greenie!" Tommy yelled which just caused Tubbo to elbow him sharply. That sounded more rude and sarcastic than it did like a warning and Tubbo seemed to pick up on Tommy's conflicting tones.

"Ready?" Wilbur questioned.

Dream nodded grimly.

Wilbur was the first one to make a move, quickly running at Dream and shoving him into a group of boys who had formed a circle around him. Dreams eyes and widened and he groaned as the group of boys pushed him back into the circle to keep facing Wilbur. It was so quick that it basically would've given the blond whiplash if he had been pushed back and forth in opposite directions like that again with that much force and speed. Wilbur just smirked as Dream was pushed back towards him by the other boys, taking the chance to kick the boy of the same height in the chest and down to the ground, catching him off guard. This was such an easy fight that it almost seemed unfair in almost every way. Wilbur knew the rules. He was strong. He had been here for years and just kept getting stronger. Dream, on the other hand, had just woken up here hours earlier and hadn't had any fighting experience yet.

Dream gasped and coughed softly, spitting out the dirt and sand that he had gotten in his mouth. 'Well, that fucking hurt' He thought to himself as he held onto his chest slightly, glaring back at the beanie and glasses-wearing boy. Wilbur didn't even seem in the slightest ways strong when you looked at him, he had a slim and tall body, he seemed more like a bookworm than a fighter but Dream guessed you can't judge a book by its cover.

"Get up, boy" Wilbur called out teasingly with a smirk, causing most of the crowd to laugh and chuckle at Dream. "Cmon greenie, get up and come face me like an actual man." Wilbur chuckled softly, eyeing the boy who laid on the ground. He sounded so power hunger, so bloodthirsty that it sent chills down almost everyone's spine as if a cold wind had just gone by or as if they all had seen a ghost.

"Stop calling me greenie..." Dream spat.

"Stop calling you that?" Wilbur asked, his eyes filled with excitement while everyone else in the crowd with common sense sighed and crossed their arms. They all felt bad for the new boy. "What do you want to be called? Shank?" Wilbur looked around at the crowd and smiled, "What do you say boys, does he look like a shank?" He asked, laughing along with most of the other boys. Wilbur really did think he was funny, didn't he? 'Typical asshole behavior' Dream thought to himself, wheezing quietly.

He sighed as Wilbur just kept laughing, Dream glared at the male and rushed at him while he was too busy boosting his ego. It caught Wilbur off guard but Wilbur was still stronger than Dream. He grabbed onto the male's shoulders and pushed him back. It went back and forth like this for a few moments, each boy pushing each other back and forth across the sand circle they were standing on. Was pushing each other back and forth really considered a fight? No, but it seemed like Wilbur was still trying to follow the rules. As long as he didn't extremely hurt the new kid then he was fine. He didn't need to get in trouble with Sapnap or Badboyhalo after all.

Speaking of the two runners, Sapnap was observing the fight in the crowd, his arms crossed and a displeased look across his face. The same happened with Skeppy and George. They all looked displeased, they all had common-sense, unlike the other boys. Sure, everyone could tell the fight was unfair but only a few could truly see how foolish it was. Of course, only Dream could get into this sort of shit on his first day in the glade. He was special after all...

Wilbur suddenly stuck his leg out where Dream was about to step and tripped the blond, sending him tumbling into the ground once again. Watching the boy just fall to the ground wasn't as amusing as it would be if they were actually fighting with actual punches and fighting techniques but Wilbur could get by this. Who else wouldn't want to prove themself to the new kid like that? "C'mon." Wilbur encouraged with another sly smirk, he knew what he was doing and he just wanted to make a fool out of Dream. "You know what, I think I've decided on shank. a perfect name for a try-hard like you."

'Try-hard? look who's talking...' Dream stated in his mind, mentally rolling his eyes. Dream staggered to his feet and glared at Wilbur, rushing at him once again and shoving him to the ground with a force he didn't think he had. His eyes widened and he backed up quickly as he watched the British man fall to the ground with a slight force. It may not have been a full force push and wasn't the best thought out but at least he had managed to et the other man to fall to the ground. It was pleasing to see that Dream was finally making a dent in this fight.

The crowd roared with cheers and encouragement for the new kid. It wasn't every day they had a new kid as willing as Dream to take Wilbur in a fight like this on one of these occasions.

"Let's go greenie!" Skeppy cheered amongst the crowd, first bumping the air.

"Not bad for a greenie, huh?" Dream asked cockily, whipping the blood that slowly streamed from his nose slowly but surely. He had never had a big ego especially around people he didn't know but he was proud to prove Wilbur wrong. But there was something many people knew about Wilbur, they knew a simple push to the ground wouldn't stop him like that.

Wilbur huffed and turned over with such aggressiveness that anyone could probably say that if this was a cartoon that he'd have smoke coming out of his ears. The man swung his leg harshly against Dreams feet, causing the boy to trip harshly and hit his head against the ground with such force there would probably be a small amount of bleeding and or bruising sooner or later. Many people in the crowd cringed, looking away for a second. They were so glad they weren't in Dream's position, a brutal hit against the ground like that was sure to hurt a whole fucking lot.

Dream yelled loudly and raised a hand to his head, groaning and curling into himself like a frightened child. The side of his head hurt and stung with a great pain that he wasn't used to since he couldn't remember what this pain would've felt like if he was used to it. A horrible ringing rang through his head just like when he woke up in the box. It pounded and echoed into his skull, making the pain worse than it should've been. Dream didn't know how he was gonna survive here if the people here were this brutal. Let's just hope everyone followed the second rule here.

The other boys frowned and stopped cheering as Wilbur stood up triumphantly while Dream laid weak on the floor. It seems like they were all cheering for the new kid and not their own leader. How funny. Wilbur frowned at that, they should've been cheering for him, not Dream. Dream was a rebel, he was different, why did so many people seem interested in him? Well, Maybe they were interested in him for just those reasons.No one had ever seen a greenie like him...

"Dream..." the blond who laid on the floor muttered weakly.

Dream scrambled to his feet quickly and looked around at the crowd who seemed confused now. "I remember my name, well at least a Nickname of mine. It's Dream...my names Dream..." He stated softly. He probably sounded insane right?

The crowd suddenly started cheering again, clapping and yelling loudly for the boy who finally remembered his name...well, nickname.

"Let's go Dream!" Skeppy cheered from the crowd running up to the boy and wrapping his arm around his shoulder.

This caused the rest of the crowd to join Skeppy and surround Dream, cheering and yelling happily. Some kids threw sand and dirt up in the air in celebration and many of the older guys raised their glasses with the strong liquid in it in the air and smiled happily as everyone started to celebrate all around them. They all seemed happy for him, excited even. Now they didn't have to call him greenie, that was a plus for Dream. He was getting tired of that stupid nickname and it had only been a few hours.

"Welcome home Dream." George smiled, walking up to the boy happily.

Wilbur sighed and dragged his way over to the crowd causing everyone to look at him. "Congrats Dream, glad u finally found your name." He smiled slightly. It seems fake but Dream accepted it anyway's, at least the older male wasn't being a complete ass hole now.

A sudden screeching noise came from deep within the maze but it wasn't like the screeching noise from when the doors were closing, this sounded almost like a creature of some sort. Everyone quickly stopped celebrating and all of their smiles fell to the ground quickly. The noise seemingly surprising them just as much as it surprised Dream who had jumped slightly. It wasn't every day when you heard a creature screech like that, let alone a creature that occupied a creepy maze like that.

"What the hell what that?" Dream asked worriedly, not taking his eyes off the maze that towered over them.

"That my friend, was a griever..." Wilbur started with a sigh, putting his hand on Dreams shoulder as he too, looked out at the frightful maze that was full of dangerous things. "Don't worry, you'll be safe here with us. They cant get to us if those doors are closed for the night. There's nothing to worry about." Everyone could see Wilburs change in attitude but no one questioned it. Maybe it was fake, maybe it was genuine. No one would ever know for sure except for Wilbur himself.

Everyone went quiet for a few minutes, just watching the maze silently...

"Alright, guys." Skeppy finally spoke up, breaking the tension around him. "Let's tuck it in for the night. It was a good night and we all deserve to rest." Skeppy started clapping his hands and shewing everyone away. Everyone groaned but complied, clearing out of the field and walking to where their designated hammock was located, giving Dream just a few and rush words of encouragement as they all left t go rest for the night, leaving Drem, George, Skeppy, and just a few of the runners out and about.

George could feel the tension between everyone still and grabbed onto Dreams arm, "C'mon, let go." He huffed, looking back at a few runners who were practically glaring at the blond. Dream didn't know what their issue was but it was probably something because of the fight or just something else completely. He would never know. Dream nodded and followed George to where their hammocks were located.

"Night..." That was all George said before they parted ways but it was slightly comforting. Dream smiled at that.

Dream hummed and climbed into his hammock, looking at Tommy and Tubbo who were already passed out in their won hammocks nearby. They looked so peaceful, so calm like kids should. Dream smiled and looked up, taking a deep breath. The hammock was a lot more comfortable than the metal floor he had rested on in the box and the rough ground of the cell he was in so he was grateful that he was finally able to get comfortable and relax for the night and get some proper rest but despite being comforted Dream didn't sleep well at all that night...sadly.

The same stupid images flashed through his mind and multiple and mysterious voices rang through his ears. It was nightmare enduring, to say the least. Fear really doesn't shut you down; it wakes you up in this case. You learned to run from what you feel, and that's why you have nightmares. To deny is to invite madness. To accept is to control. But in this instance, that fear and nightmare-like images and voices caused Dream to want to run towards them, he wanted to figure out what on earth was going on and conclude if it was actually a nightmare. Well first of all, how do you tell a dream from a nightmare? If it involves scary flashing images of a lab you have never seen before, then it's probably a nightmare.

Well, maybe the nightmare wasn't really a nightmare. What if it was a memory or calling. That would make sense right. I mean, the voices in the Dream seemed to know his name so why couldn't it be one of those answers. Drem let out a sigh in his sleep. He was overthinking this, right? It was just a silly little nightmare meant to keep him awake with fear, there was nothing special about it. If there was something truly special about it he would've seen more in the dream, not just quick flashing images. Yeah, he was most likely just overthinking it at the moment.

Dream tossed and turned the whole night. He truly did hope this wouldn't become a regular thing...

Chapter Text

Dream had already spent a few days in the glade and things were getting really boring and repetitive. He woke up. Ate breakfast with Tommy and Tubbo. Went to work out in the field either planting vegetables or chopping down trees with George and a few other boys. Ate lunch. Kept working till the sun went down. Ate dinner with everyone. And then went to bed. How did these guys manage for three years doing the same thing over and over again? Dream was only on day three and was already bored. He found himself constantly getting bored and distracted, it was like his mind couldn't focus on one thing. George said he probably had ADD or ADHD that went undiagnosed but Dream just shrugged it off. He genuinely didn't care, he was just bored.

It was the third or fourth day when Dream was woken up by someone quickly clasping their hand over his mouth.

Dream jerked awake and gasped as he noticed Skeppy standing over him, pressing a finger to his own lips as if he was trying to tell Dream to keep quiet. He hadn't had time to talk to Skeppy let alone interact with him in the past few days cause Skeppy had his own job to do so seeing him here, looming over him was quite surprising, to say the least. "Come with me..." Skeppy whispered, slowly lifting his hand from off of Drem's mouth, and starting to walk away, gesturing for the boy to follow.

Dream had been tired from having a long night of nightmares once again but he still lifted himself from the hammock and planted his feet on the ground. It had been the same dream for the past two days. The same flashing images of a lab, the maze, and a few people he didn't recognize. It was kind of worrying and he wanted to tell someone about it but he was already considered the black sheep so instead, Dream kept to himself. Everyone already thought he was weird, why give them more reasons to think he was insane? Hell, he bet if Wilbur ever found out he had nightmares like that he'd never let him live it down, probably using it as blackmail or something.

Dream was trying to be quiet as he walked away from his hammock due to the fact that Skeppy seemed to not want him to accidentally wake anyone around him which seemed to be everyone. How early was it? Dream shrugged to himself and yawned, stretching and hearing his joints pop before he followed quickly behind the other male. It wasn't like he wasn't used to early mornings anyways, everyone liked to get an early start out here in the glade, wanting to get as much work done before the scorching hot sun rose over the walls of the maze.

The sun was just rising above the horizon from the looks of it but no one could tell, the walls of the maze were blocking it out. A light, cool breeze blew by, ruffling the green grass that filled the field all the way up to the forest area. The grass was covered in light dew because of the condensation that had happened in the air during the night before. Usually in the morning Dream was awoken with the smell of coffee, juice, toast, sausage, egg, bacon, strawberry jam, maple syrup, or whatever they were preparing in the kitchen but right now he was just greeted with the dewy smell of the outdoors. It was pretty and relaxing, to say the least. It wasn't every day you saw the glade this empty and quiet, not being filled with busy and working boys of all ages.

"It's peaceful isn't it?" Skeppy asked softly, looking over at Dream as they walked across the slightly damp field. Both of them could assure you that this field would be muggy and humid by mid-afternoon due to how the weather patterns had been for the past few days but that wasn't important at the moment, what was important was that they were finally getting a relaxing moment to themselves. "It's hard to believe but it wasn't always this way" He smiled softly, enjoying the morning air and the fact that he could faintly see his breath in front of his face. It was a pretty chilly morning, surprisingly.

Dream could sense the hesitation coming from Skeppy after his sentence. It was like he had more to say but was holding it back and by the way Skeppy's smile fell and his face grew grim, Dream knew what Skeppy was planning on saying wasn't going to be the happiest thing. Dream grew nervous at that thought, his hands fidgeting by his side as he shivered slightly.

Skeppy sighed and continued. "We had many dark days. We lost many boys to fear. To panic" He hummed, fidgeting with the small pocket knife he held. He sighed and looked out over the field. You could hear the pity and sadness lace his voice. Dream swore he had never seen the boy this sincere, it was strange. Skeppy was always nice and happy, this sad and distant mood Skeppy was now presenting was foreign to the blond male. It made Dream wonder about what happened, what troubles did they have to go through to lose boys to those things. "We've come far since then... We established order, made peace." Skeppy finished, a small, sad smile returning to his lips. Dream could find a small bit of pride and triumph in his words.

"Why are you telling me this?" Dream asked softly, looking at Skeppy with a confused look.

"Cause you're not like the others," Skeppy stated blatantly. It was obvious to everyone at this point, that Dream wasn't like the other gladers here. Anyone could figure it out. "You're curious..." Skeppy muttered, looking at the boy with a deep look. Skeppy had never met anyone as curious as Dream. Sure, many gladers had their questions but Dream seemed to have more. He was something everyone wasn't used to.

That made Dream start to think. Did no one else wonder what was out there? Did everyone just accept their fate and not question it? People follow and cultivate their own curiosity all the time. Dream thought curiosity was one of the top two or three human characteristics in every person. It's something that Dream really liked about myself. How he wanted to understand stuff. How he wanted to understand people. Following curiosity so frequently leads people to better life decisions and better business decisions but also - just feeling better. You're never going to feel bad about your whole life if you loved people and you were curious.

Curiosity was always something people had, so why was he different?

Skeppy cleared his throat, seeing how Dream was off in his own world. That was something else strange about Dream, he couldn't stay still, he was constantly moving even when he wasn't working. Whether he was just fidgeting his hands or tapping his foot, he was constantly moving. ANd by the looks of it, it also always seemed like his mind was all over the place, always going off into its own world to think over many topics at a time. Sure Skeppy had dealt with gladers with anxiety and ADHD but still, Dream was different than all of those kids. "Anyways, now you're one of us. You need to know what that means..." Skeppy muttered, handing the pocket knife over to the tall blond. He then pointed over to the nearby maze wall.

Dream examined the wall and saw all types of marking on it which looked like names. There were at least maybe thirty or more names carved onto the wall, each name was written in different handwriting, not one name looked like the others. Many names were crossed off but Dream couldn't assume why. "What happened to them..?" He muttered, running his hand against the concrete maze wall and cringing at the way the rough surface felt on his fingers.

"As I said, we had many dark days, Dream..."

Dream sighed and nodded, fidgeting with the pocket-knife like how Skeppy had done moments before. He looked around the wall, looking for an area for his name. There was a blank spot right above George's name and right near Tommy's. Hmm, that seemed like a perfect spot right? His name would forever be carved next to the names of the people he was friends with. Even if something happened to them this wall would be a resemblance of what they had.

Dream smiled and started carving his name into the wall with a hum.

It was the perfect spot...

~

The afternoon came with such force that it overwhelmed all of the boys. The heat scorched into their skin and made humidity very present in the air. All the dogs at the glade hid under trees, the boys were chugging down water at any point they could, and many younger boys had to take breaks and hide from the sun so they didn't pass out from heat exhaustion. It was extremely hot today despite the morning being so cold. You could practically see the heat radiating off the ground like how you could usually see the heat radiating from the kitchen when the cooks were cooking. Many boys would end this day with blisters and sunburns, Dream was sure of that...

Dream wiped the sweat from his forehead and groaned, using his arm to block the blinding sun from his sensitive eyes. "Have you guys ever tried to climb the wall?" He asked. He hadn't stopped asking what the runner had tried since the first day he had to work. it was annoying, to say the least, but oh well, he was curious. Everyone knew that.

George looked up from where he was digging a hoe into the ground and sighed, wiping the sweat that was running down his face. Him, Dream, and another boy had been planting and picking fruits and vegetables all morning, trying to keep up the food supplies while Tommy and Tubbo sat behind them and watched carefully. Tubbo was working carefully on a flower crown while Tommy kept throwing a pebble up into the air. The boys were just mere cooks so they had no other job to do till lunch so now they just sat there, filled with boredom.

"We've tried. The ivy doesn't go all the way to the top." George stated, moving some vines out of the way of the ground and huffing softly. "and besides, where would we go from there..? It's impossible to make jumps from wall to wall." He questioned, continuing to mess with the old vines, resorting to pulling them up from the ground with the hoe. It seemed like the boy was frustrated and not just because of the vine. The heat was getting to him and he had been dealing with Dream's on and off questions for hours as they kept farming away.

" What about the box? The next time it comes up-"

"We've tried once again." George stated, "The box won't go down with someone in it."

"Well, what if we-"

"NO, we've tried everything, Dream. We did it all. Twice" George snapped, glaring over at the blond male with what he assumed to be green, eyes. "All right? Trust me. Anything you think of, we've tried already." George seemed to be radiating with frustration. Dream had started noticing how the brunet male got frustrated and angry easily during the warm and humid days. Many boys seemed to get bitter and frustrated when the temperature rose. Dream couldn't blame him though, something little always sets someone off. "The only way out is through the maze..."

Dream sighed and looked at the walls and the opening. The maze had opened back up early this morning and Sapnap, Badboyhalo, and Jshlatt had gone off to map it. Dream wondered how they were doing and how it would be to be out there, running the maze with the three of them.

"Now.." George started again, "If you want to be more helpful, go dig us up some more fertilizer." George instructed, retying his long sleeve shirt that was tied around his waist. He was currently wearing a dark blue tank top, the strap-belts were running across his chest once again, he had the same pants on and the baby blue shirt he was wearing yesterday was wrapped around his slim waist. He had common, sense, he had prepared for the heat, unlike Dream who was still wearing his green shirt.

George threw a bucket and shovel over at the blond and smirked teasingly, shewing the boy away.

Dream rolled his eyes and grabbed the bucket and shovel, groggily walking off into the forest. At least the forest was shady and the scorching sun couldn't reach his olive and freckled skin. All the days in the sun had made his freckles more prominent and he didn't like it. He didn't care about his freckles but them becoming darker and just multiplying due to the sun made him frustrated. Ok, sure he was grateful that he hadn't gotten any sunburns or blisters yet but still, the freckles were annoying him.

"Just get the fertilizer, Dream." Drem mocked in George's British accent as he walked by himself into the dark woods, "Are you sure guys, I can't help in any other way? 'No, go get the fertilizer'." Dream groaned, and brushed his wavy blonde hair out of his face, hating how it made sweet pool at his hairline. He continued walking through the woods, not knowing where he was going. "You know where it is. It's just out in the middle of the woods." He continued to mock in George's soft voice. He found it kinda amusing and it helped him blow off some steam but that didn't mean he still wasn't practically lost as he kept going deeper and deeper into the woods.

The green trees grew tall over his head, blocking out the midday sun with their glorious leaves. The green grass was far gone now and now the earthly ground was just dirt and random sticks. Sure some flowers and weeds popped up here and there yet there was still barely any grass out here. The boy tracked up small hills and eventually crossed a small creek that wasn't even five feet wide, he could've jumped over it if he wanted to but the cool, spring water felt good against his feet. Ok, the forest was pretty, maybe it would've been better if he wasn't lost though.

Dream looked around as the woods slowly grew darker and more confusing.

He sighed and just gripped onto the bucket and shovel tightly as his nerves kicked in slightly. It was ok, right? If anything happened or if he got lost he could just turn around and hopefully make it back to the field safely. He sighed and kicked a pebble that was in front of him, humming a tune as he made his way through the woods. He noticed a stick structure come into view, let's just say his curiosity got to him again and he abandoned the pebble he was so interested in a few seconds ago. He approached the structure and cocked his head to the side as he examined it closely.

The sticks were tied together to make a cross and a name tag was nailed to it. The name had worn off to the point where Dream couldn't read it but there was still a flag tied to the cross along with a mask to show that it wasn't completely gone and destroyed. The flag contained green, white, and red colors which Dream assumed to be the Mexican flag just because of the little knowledge he had. The mask on the other hand had a derpy smile face painted onto it with black ink. Was this supposed to be a grave? Or did someone just build a shrine out here? Tommy had mentioned something about how he used to be friends with one of the boys who was Mexican and wore a similar mask but Dream wasn't really paying attention when Tommy told his story. Confusion crossed him more and more as he continued to examine the structure that was at least five feet high.

Let's just say his questions were answered one way or another...

Dream sighed looked down, surprised to see bones and what he assumed to be flesh still decomposing slightly underneath the dirt. What the fuck? He gagged and quickly backed up away from the remains, dropping the bucket and shovel to clasp his own hand over his nose and mouth. The smell was disgusting and Dream terribly hoped he would never have to smell rotting flesh ever again. He couldn't exactly tell if they were human remains or animal remains, but he assumed that since this was "grave" for a human, it was a person's remains and not one of the dogs that roamed the field.

Dream was about to turn around and run back to the field when he heard a twig snap nearby. He was gonna assume it was a bird or just an animal but the uneasy quietness proved that no animals were anywhere nearby besides buzzing mosquitoes. He quickly turned towards the noise and was greeted with the sight of Jshlatt standing at least a meter away. Dream raised an eyebrow and waved over at the older man.

Shlatt stood there looking disheveled and distressed. His clothes were ripped and covered in dirt and sweat stains. Sure, everyone's clothes looked like that but Shlattts were dirty beyond repair. He looked almost zombie-like. He looked sick, maybe as if he a fever had hit him. Was the man having a heat stroke? Was he getting sick due to the heat? He surely didn't look ok or well.

"You're Shlatt, right?" Dream asked softly, cocking his head to the side slightly. "I don't think we've properly-" Dream was gonna finish but he could tell something was off instantly when Shaltt seemed to be shaking, shaking with rage. Between the way Shlatt's position was, how ragged his breathing was, and how he looked at Dream, he knew things weren't right. Wait- wasn't Shlatt supposed to be running the maze with Sapnap and Bad? "Shlatt are you alright..?"

Shlatt didn't say anything and just stared at Dream darkly. He suddenly sprinted towards the blond and tackled him to the ground harshly, practically knocking all the air out of the other male.

Dream gasped and yelled as he hit the ground with a harsh force, groaning as his head slammed against the ground with a thump. He had just stopped getting migraines from his last head injury from Wilbur so it angered him that his head would start hurting again because of this. He just hoped his head wouldn't start bleeding like last time. The poor med-jacks couldn't stop the blood and bandage it up properly without accidentally getting blood in Dream's blond hair.

Dream quickly tried to kick and push the other man off of him but with how strong Shlatt was, it barely worked. "Shlatt stop! Get the fuck off me!" Dream shouted, but the man just kept hitting him and kept him pinned to the earth's dirt ground. It was an awkward position but it seemed neither of them cared, one of them was trying to flee for their life and the other was trying to basically kill the other.

Shlatt kept hitting the boy whether it was punching him or just straight up slapping him across the face. There would definitely be bruises littering Dream's skin by the time dinner approached. It was almost like Shlatts fists were made of the strongest metal, the way they so roughly hit the blond's skin. Dream was positive even Wilbur didn't have this much strength...

Dream kept yelling at the man to stop but it was like the man wasn't even listening to him. Dream really wished he wasn't so far out into the woods so someone could hear him and come help, save him from this agony he was going through. He could barely take it, sue, Shlatt may have only been hitting him for a minute or two but still, his superhuman strength was almost deadly.

"This is all your fault!" Shlatt yelled at the other man, kicking him and hitting him harshly with so much force it seemed almost inhuman. "I saw you! You're the reason we're here!" He continued, digging his nails deep into Dream's arm, breaking through his skin and making moon-like puncture wounds in his arm. "It's all your fault!"

Dream was confused. What on earth did he mean by that?

Suddenly, Dream yelled out in pain as the other man dug his nails into his skin. Who on earth's nails were that strong? Yeah, something was absolutely wrong. Let's just say, If Dream was standing up he would most likely double over from how bad it hurt. It stung worse than a paper cut but not as bad as a stab wound. It was just enough pain to drive anyone mad. Tears pricked Dream's eyes as he tried to shove the other man off him, trying to get him to stop gripping him so hard and get a hold of himself.

Shlatt didn't stop and just moved his hands to Dreams neck, choking him harshly.

If you looked closely, the veins on Shlatts hands seemed dark, black, and purple even if you paid close attention. Yup, that wasn't humanly possible. Even the angriest person on earth couldn't have dark veins like that. It was like Dream thought earlier, he was almost zombie-like. Infected if you will.

Dream gasped out for breath, the other man adding so much force that it practically closed his airway. Dream scrambled around under him trying to break free, find a way out of the situation. He needed air, fresh air. It felt like he was drowning. He felt the burning sensation in his lungs you get when you're stuck underwater like that. It felt like he could barely grasp onto his breath, the only thing entering his mouth was nonexistent water that choked him to death. The way Dream felt so hopeless as he fought against the feeling of Shaltt's hands scared him. He kept fighting and just caused himself greater pain and suffocation as the brunet man just kept tightening his grip. Dream wasn't even basically drowning, he was just there, existing at the surface of the water, not quite drowning but not quite able to breathe. But in the end, you don't need water to feel like you're drowning, do you? Look at the situation he was in now.

It wasn't a good feeling at all, his brain went numb and his lungs went on fire, burning as if they were in a thousand-degree heat. Some people always think drowning is a better death or way to die, but it's not, you have the urge to struggle against it but it just wears you out quicker, you just have to accept your fate of no air entering your lungs and letting the water enter instead. It was a horrible feeling especially if you weren't actually drowning, it felt worse when you had that feeling even if you were surrounded by air, fresh fucking air that could save you.

When you're drowning or feel like you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream or gasp. Dream couldn't scream let alone yell, all he could do was gasp and let tears roll down his face.

He hated it so much, there was no way to stop it. The drowning feeling and suffocation he was forced through.

Wait- how did he know what drowning felt like? He had never experienced it before...

Dream shrugged the thought off and still tried to struggle out of the older man's grip. He looked over and saw a sharp bone in the pile of decomposed remains. He reached for it frantically, squirming around under Shlatts' grip. So close. His fingers were barely brushing it. He jerked to the side as much as he could and grab hold of the sharp bone. Now was his chance. He quickly stabbed the other man with it and kicked the man harshly.

Shlatt yelled in agony and quickly let go of the blond.

Dream rushed to his feet and started running. It was like his first day at the glade, the way he just needed to run. Needed to escape. It was the very exact feeling.

Dream just needed to run, get away from the psychotic man that quickly ran after him as he ran back to the field. Dream could've sworn he had never rn this fast but his life practically depended on it. Sure, he may have been running out of breath but it was a good thing he had stamina. He couldn't let Shlatt catch up to him. He couldn't let the angry and yelling man get to him.

Dream had nearly tripped into the small stream but the cool water gave him more energy and made him speed up slightly. Surely Dream was running at almost lightning speed but Shlatt was just as fast. If anyone nearby would've seen they would've thought Dream was a runner. That reminded Dream of what Tommy and George had said on his first day at the glade. How convenient, huh?

Shlatt suddenly lunged forward and grabbed onto Dreams ankle, sending them both rolling down a small hill. Dream could feel leaves and thorns scratch and tear at his skin as he rolled down against the harsh earth. He felt bad for the med- jacks who would have to patch him up after this.

Dream ignored the pounding in his head and jumped up, continuing to sprint towards the tree line. He had remembered tracking up this hill and using the shovel to help him, he knew he was close to the glade. he just needed to keep running and get away from the crazed man who was quickly gaining on him.

This was his chance, this was his chance to start yelling for help. It was his chance to get someone to hear him and come save him. Dream did the most reasonable thing to do next, yelling for help as loud as he possibly could in hopes that his voice projected enough so someone out in the field or nearby could hear him

"Help!"

"Help me! Anybody! Please!"

...

George was back in the field working away with planting vegetables. He looked up quickly over towards the woods. He could've sworn he heard something. "Did u guys hear that yelling from the woods?" He asked, looking back at the other men he was working with. The men just shrugged and continued planting the veggies. "Guys shouldn't Dream be back by now?" He continued and all he got was groans from the other men.

George huffed and halted suddenly, turning back at them when he heard the yelling again. It was Dream.

The other boys and anyone around the tree line seemed to hear it too this time, stoping their daily tasks, and looking over towards the forest where the yelling came from.

Dream came sprinting out of the field with Shlatt on his tail, the older man yelling angered curses and harsh words at the blond. The sight was confusing but everybody still came running over in a worried hurry. Ok sure this was a rare occurrence but everyone could immediately know something was going on with how determined Shlatt was to catch Dream. This was now the fourth time a crowd had formed around Dream like this. This caused Dream to panic and caused him to trip, sending him rolling onto the floor just like his first day here. Alright, he needed to stop getting into his head like that. Shlatt seemed to take this chance and tackled the new kid.

"Get off me!" Dream yelled in pain as he tried to hold off the dark-haired man. "Help me, help me please!" He continued to yell as the crowd just grew bigger and bigger. They all could see that Dream was hurt and Shlatt was obviously attacking him but it seemed many of them were hesitant about approaching Shlatt. He seemed insane and almost actually hostile at the moment and they didn't know if it was safe to even try to pry him off of Dream. Right now it was only Dream trying to save himself, kicking and pushing at the angered man while everyone just watched.

It was obvious they were waiting for the leaders to give them instructions but Sapnap and Bad were running the maze and Skeppy and Wilbur were still making their way over. That left George with the decisions for the moment. He was second in command behind Skeppy after all.

George's eyes widened and he quickly grabbed a nearby ax that a boy had been using for work minutes prior. He wasn't even gonna instruct anyone to help, he was gonna save Dream himself as quickly as he could. Having multiple people help save him would be disorderly and even more people could get hurt. George was willing to risk helping and saving Dream himself. George quickly swung the handle of the ax at Shlatt's head harshly and sent the man rolling off of Dream. "Hold him down!" George quickly yelled, noticing how hostile and feral the dark-haired man was acting.

Skeppy and Wilbur finally arrived at the scene and listened to George's orders, hell, that would've been their orders too if they were the ones who were trying to calm the situation. George, Skeppy, and a bunch of other boys held Shlatt down to stop him, they were strong enough to keep him down and barely even flinch at the man's efforts to escape. Dream wished he had that kinda strength when he was out in the woods, he could've easily pushed Shlatt off of him and made a dash for it. He cursed at himself softly, he knew Skeppy said he'd get a lot of his basic knowledge back soon and strength but he really wished he had gotten his strength back sooner rather than later.

"Shlatt are you ok?" George asked.

"Shaltt, calm down." Skeppy demanded.

They received no valid answer and just more yells and curses from Jshlatt who seemed to be glaring at Dream during the whole situation.

"What the hell happened?!" Skeppy finally yelled, looking over at Dream with angry eyes. There was obviously fear and anger coursing through him and he needed answers. Dream had never seen this side of Skeppy either. He was almost scared to not responded but also scared to not respond. It was like at this moment Skeppy harvested more anger than Shlatt could ever possess, it was frightening. Even Bad who was the closest to Skeppy would agree that he had never seen Skeppy this angry if he was here.

"He fucking attacked me!" Drem said quickly, trying to catch his breath and Tommy stood behind him and Tubbo hugged onto his arm. It was obvious both boys were worried about the boy and the med-jacks hurried over to the blond's side as he looked like he was about to pass out from the heath and exhaustion. "He attacked me while I was out in the woods, he kept yelling at him and then hurt me.." He panted out quietly but just loud enough for Skeppy to actually hear him.

"Are you ok?" Tubbo asked softly, looking up at the blond male while Tommy patted him on the back gently as if he was subtly trying to calm Dream down. They were trying their best to get the older man to calm down but it was obvious that Tommy and Tubbo were being awkward about it. They probably knew more than they were letting on. Dream nodded weakly and held onto his arm wearily as the med-Jack's examined his injuries.

Skeppy looked dead serious and quickly backed away from Shlatt and the guys that held him down.

Shlatt eyes suddenly widened as he saw Skeppy's change in attitude. "No..no no no no!" He pleaded, he knew what the black-haired boy was gonna say and do. He wasn't ready for what was about to happen to him. Shame and guilt ran through him. It was almost like he gained a bit of control over himself. "Please, please don't. Please, please, please, please...Skeppy. You don' have to do this." His whole demeanor changed. Shlatt was scared. But the question was, what was he so afraid about? Dream wouldn't know even if he sat here and thought for a million years.

"Lift his shirt," Skeppy directed. He looked at the boys who held the older man down, they all seemed confused and nervous. They all seemed to be thinking the same thing. Was Skeppy actually serious? Skeppy grew pissed at the boy's hesitation and clenched his fists in frustration. "Lift his damn shirt up!" Skeppy yelled, glaring at George and every other man around them.

George nodded and quickly lifted the man's shirt up, this action caused everyone around the gasp.

Shlatt had what looked like a stab wound right on the side of his chest but it looked weird. It looked extremely infected. It was basically rotting with a black-like substance and all of his veins were discolored either being a dark purple color or black. He really was infected, but by what?

"He's been stung." George confirmed with a sigh. He knew Shlatt was acting out of the ordinary but he thought that maybe the heat got to him, not that he had actually been stung by a griever. It was a rare occurrence for someone to be stung by a griever but it was never zero. Skeppy and George had been around long enough to witness it first hand along with Wilbur, Sapnap, Bad, and a few others, that's how they knew it existed. George had stepped down from being a runner the day he had witnessed someone go mad from being stung. He didn't want that fate...

"In the middle of the day?" Wilbur asked. He seemed bewildered at the fact that the griever had struck during the day, the runners had recently said they had never once come across a griever during the daytime. This wasn't right. Something was wrong with this whole situation but no one seemed to be able to put their finger on it. And with everyone knowing something was wrong but not having an answer, Wilbur wasn't answered properly.

"Help, please." Shlatt pleaded with tear-filled eyes, "please please please help me."

"Take him to the pit," Skeppy said grimly. Shadows cast across the male's face darkly despite being the middle of the day. He looked almost sinister. Dream expected to see this look on Wilburs face or maybe even Sapnap or Badboyhalo. He never expected to see this corrupt look on Skeppy's face like this. "Everybody help take him to the pit." Skeppy finally yelled when he noticed none of the men around him were moving at his instructions.

"No no, please help me!" Shlatt yelled, struggling to get out of everyone's grip "don't take me away! Don' put me in the pit!" Shlatt had seen a few boys get thrown into the pit during the night when they were stung by a griever but he never expected that he'd be the next one down there for that reason.

"Med-Jack's help us!" Skeppy demanded as Shlatt started to get hostile again.

"Shlatt back down! Calm down!" Wilbur yelled as he and a bunch of other men started dragging him away. "Calm the fuck down, man!" It was like everyone's words meant nothing to Shlatt, he just simply ignored them and kept fighting back.

"No let me go! Don't put me away!" Shlatt yelled as he gt escorted away by his friends, "It's all his fault! Don't take me away, please!!"

Skeppy sighed as he watched the scene, muttering to himself and running his fingers through his hair stressfully. He cursed suddenly and marched off, exiting the crowd and walking off on his own. It was obvious Skeppy was going through an abundance of emotions at the same time and Dream so desperately wished he could help but Skeppy was long gone before he actually registered that he had actually made his way out of the group of boys.

Dream now stood out in the middle of the field, confused. "Damnit."

Chapter Text

"What happened to him?" Dream asked grimly, sitting on his hammock with Tommy and Tubbo by his side.

They had been sitting like this for a while now, occupied by the silence the subtly breeze that the evening brought. It had been extremely quiet ever since the med-Jack's had left Dreams side and stopped bandaging him up and asking questions. It had been an extremely quick visit, the med Jack's only had to wrap up his arm and put a bandage over the side of his neck where Shlatt had dug his nails into and that was it, well, they had also given him an ice pack k got his head but that really wasn't much. The ice had melted by now due to the heat from the afternoon...

"That what happens when you get stung by a griever..." Skeppy explained, leaning against the wall with a sad and disappointed expression. He moved his hair out of his eyes and took a deep breath. He looked at Dream and narrowed his eyes as if he indicated that he was about to say something serious or that he was going to say some things specifically to dream. "Listen, we haven't gotten a word out of him since it happened. He's just saying nonsense and it's just gonna keep getting worse as the day progresses." He hummed sadly, "the infection is just gonna keep spreading. He's dangerous." Skeppy explained softly, keeping eye contact with the emerald-eyed boy "what did he say to you, Dream?" He asked, his tone being dark and full of meaning.

"He said that he saw me and that this was all my fault..." Dream muttered, "how could this be my fault? I got here like three days ago and you all have been here for three years..."

Skeppy just sighed and shook his head, "get some rest." He stated before getting up quickly. Obviously, he didn't want to talk about the matter anymore, but it also seemed like Skeppy also knew something and wasn't letting Dream know. Dream really just assumed it was because Skeppy said he was curious unlike everyone else earlier so he just shrugged it off easily.

"Skeppy!" Dream called after him quickly, looking at the other male with a concerned look, "what's gonna happen to him..? What are you gonna do to Shlatt?"

Skeppy didn't answer and just frowned, walking away without an answer...

~

The sun was just setting over the walls of the maze. The sunset was gorgeous only to be perishable and transitory. Gold changes to crimson, crimson deepened to purple, and soon the glory of the heavens is passed away. As a result, they attenuate sunlight and otherwise subdue twilight hues, just like man-made dust and haze. Viewed through a veil of tropospheric volcanic ash, a sunset is dusky and dull. Sunsets symbolize the completion of a day's work and show the passage of time. As the sun sets, it is time to end the day and take a break. The awesome beauty of the setting sun is also symbolic of the beauty and mystery of life itself. The setting sun is nature's way of reminding humanity about the forces of good and evil. But, with this scene, it only showed evil...

The runners along with George and Wilbur all stood in front of the maze doors with long polls in their hands, their faces filled with sadness and darkness. Dream didn't understand what was going on. The maze was gonna close any minute. What were they planning to do?

Three or four med Jack's suddenly came stumbling forward along with Sapnap, pushing a hostile Jshlatt to the ground. The man was shirtless and tied up at the wrists. Now you could see how bad the infection had spread to him. His veins were almost stained black and the areas around it looked almost irritated as if it had either been scratched at harshly or burned. It was a grotesque scene, to say the least. And the most noticeable thing about Shlatt was how angry and dark he seemed.

Anger expressed in a healthy and positive way means that we channel emotional anger towards a resolution to not attack, but right now everyone could tell if Shlaltt wasn't tied up he would attack them. Anger doesn't demand action. When you act in anger, you lose self-control, but when it came to getting stung by a griever self-control was nonexistent. Holding onto anger like this is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. It was dangerous. Anger was so very dangerous.

"Please just listen to me! Listen to me Sapnap!" Shlatt yelled as he glared up at the men, rage roaring in his eyes like angry flames of a wildfire. "Skeppy listen to me!"

Nobody listened to him. Listening is understanding. The skill of empathy is a must to be able to listen...once can listen better if one sees the whole yet everyone saw Shlatt as nothing more than their friend who had been stung. It was normal for people to go nuts when grievers sting them but the pleading Shlatts eyes held another story, a story of something everyone didn't know, something they didn't remember...

Sapnap walked up to Shlatt and bent down. "Stay still or I'll make this harder than it has to be..." Sapnap sighed in grief, a slight frustration rising in his tone. It wasn't every day you lost another friend to a griever and Sapnap swore this friend would be the last. He slowly raised his pocket knife and made a deep cut into the back of Shlatt neck. This one small movement caused the man to cry out in pain and spit up his own blood.

The only antidote to mental suffering is physical pain. Corporal punishment is as humiliating for him who gives it as for him who receives it; it is ineffective besides. Neither shame nor physical pain has any other effect than a hardening one and hurting them. The greatest evil is physical pain. Our physical wounds are by accident nathless the inner wounds we confiscate voluntarily. Shlatt getting stung was just an accident. an accident no one saw coming.

Dream would soon find out have that most people, most people in this glade at least, are more willing to accept physical pain and limitation rather than acknowledge and deal with the mental and/or emotional pain that might have caused it...

"Please don't! Don't do it!" Shlatt choked out in pain, looking at Sapnap with teary eyes. He looked like himself at this moment, like the crazed in him was gone. Right now the dark-haired man only showed pure fear and sadness. Everyone could see it even if they didn't accept it. They couldn't save him...they just had to put the man out of his misery. There was no going back now no matter how calm Shlatt seemed at this one moment. That fact hurt everyone.

Tubbo let out a low whimper and watched as Shaltt pleaded. He quickly looked away and buried his face into Tommy's arm while holding onto Dream's hand. The older blond had been comforting the two while watching the whole thing. No one would've guessed but Tubbo was close to Shlatt at one point. Shlatt was the one who helped Tubbo when he and Tommy first arrived at the glade. Sure they may have grown apart during the last month or two but he was still special to Tubbo. Everybody had their person at one point, the person who helped tubbo when he was younger was Shlatt. A kid shouldn't have to go throw the pain of losing someone so close to you. Well, not a kid that was Tommy and Tubbo's age at least.

Everyone just adverted their eyes from the crying child and looked out at the stung man and the opening of the maze, this place was getting to get all too familiar them him and it hurt, it hurt that being in this situation was slowly was becoming normal despite it only happening a few times. Nobody should be this accustomed to death but here in the glade and out in the maze, death was inevitable. Everyone was bound to get hurt, there were bound to be casualties, but Dream didn't expect those people who were getting hurt and killed to be so important to this community. Everyone who had gotten stung was apparently a runner from what Tommy and Tubbo had told Dream. All the people who were needed to help escape this place were dying. It wasn't fair for the people who had been here for the whole three years. Nobody, not even an adult should be getting this comfortable with death all around them. Hell, Dream wondered how Tommy managed to stay calm right now. That was just depressing. Kids should be living their lives, not being accustomed to death itself and being trapped in a maze.

Sapnap sighed and threw Shlatt's bag of belongings into the maze with a huff. It wasn't a big bag of stuff, not many gladers had many specific personal items besides a pair or two of clothes, shoes, and whatever they might have collected in their time here. It wasn't useful keeping the stuff though, it would just remind everyone of shlatt once he was gone. Here, once someone dies, everyone tries to forget it so it doesn't affect their everyday life. Sapnap now watched as the Shlatt tried to back up away from the maze as the wind picked up. The walls were about to close for the night...

"Poles!" Skeppy shouted, everyone, following his words and bringing the wooden poles down in front of them.

Shlatts eyes widened and he stumbled to his feet lazily, "Stop! I can get better! Just listen to me please! Toby you believe me right?!" He begged, looking directly at Tubbo. Tears rolled down the man's face without hesitation, true, raw emotions rushing from deep within his heart that had been locked up for so long and was broken out in front of all of his friends. He was truly heartbroken and fearful, true and pure sadness and uneasiness emitting from his broken emotions. Oh, What everyone would give to stop the man from getting stung and avoiding this scene. No one could ever see the older man getting stung by a griever let alone during the middle of the day...it really was tragic.

Tubbo spared one last glance at Shlatt and a single tear rolled down his face. He quickly mouthed, 'I'm sorry...' Before quickly looking away once again. Shlatt was almost like a father figure to him so seeing him get put out of his misery like this was absolutely heart-wrenching.

"Move in." Skeppy continued with the orders.

The men slowly moved in and cornered Shlatt pushing him into the maze subtly as the walls started to close. They were sacrificing him to the grievers, the things that caused him to go mad in the first place. Everything just goes around in one big circle, doesn't it? It was a good thing Shlatt wasn't claustrophobic, the sudden decrease in space between him, the walls of the maze, and everyone would surely be frightening. Dream couldn't imagine being in that situation.

Shlatt kept shouting and yelling, begging them to stop but he just got pushed more and more towards the maze as the walls started to close quickly. It was a pitying sight. Watching the man get forcefully pushed into the maze where he could either die from the walls closing on him or just getting stuck in the maze in general. Thye just kept pushing him further and further away and closer to the dangerous walls, SHaltts yells just kept getting louder despite the cut in the back of his throat. His trachea was probably damaged enough that by the time night came he wouldn't be able to scream if a griever killed him...

"Stop! Listen to me! It's all the greenies' fault!" Shlatt yelled as he gave up and accepted his fate, finally being pushed all the way into the maze and avoiding getting squished like a bug between the closing walls. He glared evilly at Dream, the blond could swear that look he received was enough to make anyone have nightmares. It was so sinister. So dark. Dream wished he never made eye contact with the crazed man. That look would be held deep in his soul and would hurt him no matter how long he tried to forget it.

The walls finally closed successfully with a small noise. You could no longer hear Shlatt on the other side. It was pitch quiet despite the sounds of crickets slowly starting up their evening orchestra of chirps. It was unsettling. Even at night, the glade was never this quiet.

Those were the last words that Dream ever heard from him and let's just say it would haunt him forever...

Skeppy was the first one to break the longing and anxiety-filled silence. "He belongs to the maze now..." He stated, handing his pocket knife to Wilbur and sighing. He quickly walked out of the crowd, walking right past Dream with no acknowledgment. It was obvious he was broken, he had the biggest heart, and having to see one of his friends die like this was just horrible. Absolutely horrible.

And with that, everyone quickly followed after the black-haired man. None of them were talking, it was obvious why. No one would be talking at all tonight, Dream could feel it.

Now he was left with his empty mind and a longing stare at the maze walls...

All deaths are sudden, no matter how gradual the dying may be.

~

Wilbur stood in front of the maze wall late at night, other men standing by his side with torches. His beanie was off in respect to their dead friend and he had Skeppy's pocket knife in his hand. He was quickly scratching Shlatts name off the wall. There were only a few names scratched off and he hated adding to that list. He always hated doing this. Seeing his friends and comrades having to be erased from the walls and their minds...

Back at the sleeping quarters, Dream sat on his hammock, "Do you think he'll survive the night?" He asked solemnly, looking over t Skepy who sat in his own hammock by himself at least a few meters away. The questions weren't directed towards him but still, he couldn't take his eyes off the male.

"Shlatt?" Tubbo asked softly, cocking his head to the side. His eyes were red and his cheeks were tear-stained but he had finally stopped crying for once. It took Dream a while to calm him down but he finally got the kid to become relaxed. The whole world can become the enemy when you lose what you love and it truly proved that in how wrecked Tubbo was at the moment.

The day you lose someone isn't the worst -at least you've got something to do- it's all the days they stay dead. It was obvious this would affect Tubbo for a while along with everyone else.

"No," Tommy said suddenly, looking or at Dream. "No one survives a night in the maze.." he hummed and sighed. It was obvious he believed what the runners and Skeppy told everyone. No one survives out there. How did they know that, what if they just needed someone who was strong and powerful to test that theory? Dream wouldn't get his answer. Well, not for now at least. "We just gotta forget about him now.." Tommy stated finally, snapping the blond man out of his trace. That was the last thing Tommy said before tucking himself in and turning away from everyone else.

Tubbo whimpered and teared up before turning away in his hammock, not wanting to hear Tommy's words...Dream had all the time in the world to comfort Tubbo again but yet his eyes wandered over to Skeppy again, his attention quickly diverting away from the young child and over to the other man.

Skeppy was still sat silently by himself. He wasn't laying down or sleeping. He was just sitting there, staring out at the maze and listening to its every noise. sadness shimmered in his eyes as he sat there, distant from everyone else. He had been like this all evening, both Dream and George had tried to comfort him but it was no use. Skeppy never took his eyes off the wall and kept his lips shut. Not talking to anyone.

It was a sad sight.

Nobody talks about the other loss, the loss that happens within us. We lose people and things, but we also lose parts of ourselves. We grieve those missing parts too. We grieve them, and we grieve us. But I think losing those parts creates space. For newness. For understanding others' hurts and welcoming them into our free spaces.

Dream sighed and turned over his sighed, pulling the wool blanket up over his shoulders. He decided he should just sleep this off. Hopefully, things would be better in the morning, right? If everyone was so willing to forget Shlatt that means no one would be talking about it tomorrow morning or any time after that, right? Dream kinda hoped, he didn't want to see his friends in pain like this anymore. Sure they would still be in pain but at least he wouldn't have to see it. The effects of loss are acute and unique to each individual. Not everyone mourns in the same way, but everyone mourns.

Dream huffed and let his eyes flutter close...

~

Flashing lights

That's all that flashed through Dream's mind...

Quick images of the box

a lab...

and a girl...

A young girl was standing in the dream, staring directly at the blond man. She had bright eyes just like Dream. She was mysterious, something Dream had definitely never seen before. It was kind of frightening to him. These images have been running through his mind since the first night he got here but the girl was the most prominent thing he could see and remember when he woke up. He didn't know who this girl was but if she was repeatedly showing up in the dream then she was defiantly important right?

"Dream.." The words left the girl's mouth effortlessly as she stared deep into the boy's soul. It was like she could sense him, tell that he was there. It was creepy. This image right here always made the man think that this wasn't a dream but yet a memory or a calling. But, how on earth could it be a memory? He was only left with his name and his basic knowledge. Maybe dreams were a loophole. The man just would never know...

The image quickly switched over to a man. Dream couldn't see all of the person but he could tell just by the clothing choice that they were at higher ranks than anyone else he had seen in this dream. They seemed almost god-like. No one here at the glade looked like that so it was kind of out of the ordinary but what Dream could pick out was a white mask that covered their face, there was writing on it but Dream could only see the bottom of it and couldn't make out proper letters.

"Don't make it painful for them..." The random man hummed, handing something over to what seemed to be a doctor. Don't make what painful? That answer was never answered in any of Dream's nightmares or dreams. It left him with so many questions, unfinished paths but he was too scared to talk about this with anyone at the glade...they already thought he was weird after all.

"Dream" It was the girl again. The image had switched back over to the blonde girl. It was closer up to her face so Drem could take in all of her facial features. She seemed young as if she hadn't matured yet. Maybe she just had a natural babyface. She had soft freckles dotted on her cheekbones and they contrasted well with her soft skin tone. She was pretty but Dream felt wrong thinking that cause of how young she seemed. He didn't want to be a creep even if he had never seen this girl and she was just a figment of his imagination.

But just like earlier, the scene switched once again. This time it was in the lab, but it was in front of these capsules that held people. They were screaming, shouting, banging against the glass as if they were trying to escape. Dream could see why now, they were drowning. the capsules were filled with water. Dream's heart wrenched at the sight. What the fuck? This was cruel, horrible even. He hated having to see this image almost every night, it was grotesque, it was awful. But what hurt him, even more, was the fact that everyone who was trapped, drowning, looked like one of the many men here in the glade. It was heartbreaking.

"Wicked is good." The words came quick and fast with no image but just as fast as they came so did another image afterwards....it was enough to give Dream whiplash if this wasn't taking place in his brain. At least here in his mind, he didn't have to deal with the sick feeling he would've gotten if he saw these things in real life.

The new image was slightly confusing and Dream was bewildered by it. There on the testing tables laid himself and the other girl, doctors surrounding each of them. How- how was this possible. You don't usually see yourself in your dreams, right? Dreams usually take place in the first-person perspective, right? not the third person. That's what shocked the blond man so much. Maybe he was right, maybe this was a calling or a memory. No, a memory wouldn't work either, your memories are in the first person.

"This might hurt just a little bit," says the doctor. What was supposed to hurt? The man earlier said don't make it painful so what was supposed to hurt here? That was one of the many questions left unanswered about these dreams. Sure he couldn't feel pain in his dreams but was supposed to hurt...?

The girl had reached over and Grabbed Dream's hand, smiling at him gently. Dream couldn't feel it obvious since he was watching the scene from the third person but he could definitely tell that the touch wasn't awkward and that he gladly accepted the girl's hand. Were they close? Did they actually know each other? Curiosity wouldn't find that answer...

The image changed once again and this time it was back to the mysterious man from earlier. Dream still couldn't see the writing on his mask or what he truly looked like despite his clothing. This man was more mysterious than the girl.

"Dream you have to choose." the man says...

The words were confusing and it was strange that they were directed towards him. What did he have to choose? Why was that sentence so different from every other one he had heard in this dream...?

~

Dream woke up in a cold sweat, jerking awake with a force. He had the same dream for the past few days yet he still woke up as if it was a nightmare, it was just confusing, not scary. He always seemed to wake up like this now. He never subtly woke up, not stretching or just letting his eyes flutter open and adjust to the morning light, he just woke up quickly. He wished he could enjoy his mornings and not wake up extremely early but it looks like that would never be achieved if he kept having nightmares like that.

Dream sighed and sat up, rubbing his emerald green eyes gently and moving his blond hair out of his face. He never usually felt extremely tired when he woke up but after the events of yesterday, he understood why sleep now took a toll on his body. Yesterday had been an early morning and late-night and after the desperate escape from SHaltt and having to constantly comfort some of the kids around here, it wore Dream out. Sure, he was used to being physically tired due to working out in the sun in the glade but yesterday added emotional tiredness to his mind and body. Dream wished to never wake up this groggily again.

But the looks of it now,iIt was early in the morning and the sun was just rising, some light slowly peaking over the edges of the maze walls. It must've been just as early as it was when Skeppy woke him up yesterday for their little talk.

He looked over when he heard the maze door over and saw Sapnap, Badboyhalo, and Skeppy run into the maze, Wilbur watching them. Why were they going so early? Even yesterday the runners weren't out till the sun fully came out. Maybe they were trying to get a head start. That seemed like a pretty logical reasoning to Dream, that when he realized Skeppy was amongst the runners. That fact had completely slipped over his mind. Yeah, Skeppy was a runner, but Skeppy never ran the maze from what Dream saw. It was always Sapnap, Badboyhalo, and someone else. Never Skeppy...

Why was Skeppy finally running the maze with everyone else?

Maybe it was because things were changing now. Everybody needs a bit of change and grief can do that to you. Skeppy probably just wanted to take over Shaltts job now that he was gone, right? That also sounded like a good reasoning but that's when Dream remembered a conversation with Skeppy he had late one night. Skeppy said he wouldn't run the maze unless it was something truly important. Sure, yes, Skepy could have changed his mind but still, dream's mind ran wild with thoughts and questions.

What on earth was going on?

Chapter Text

"But why would Skeppy go into the maze" Dream asked from where he sat. "I mean, he's not a runner."

"Things are different now." George started with a hum, raising the ax over his head and bring it back down onto the tree, it was their job today to get more wood for holding and the fires they used to cook foods. The sun was high in the sky but thanks to mother nature for gifting them with clouds, it wasn't as hot as yesterday was, which, many were grateful for. Dream didn't think he'd be able to work out in the weather like that again. Well, he wasn't even working right now. Only George and another boy were working on cutting down the trees. "Skeppy went to retrace Shlatts footsteps before sundown. Now are you gonna help us or are you gonna sit on your arse all day next to the children?"

"So he's just gonna go back where Shlatt was just stung?" Dream continued, ignoring George's words at the end.

"Skeppy knows what he's doing ok." George sighed, pulling the ax out of the stiff wood, "he knows better than any of us..." His face was serious, not having the same smile and delight from the night Dream arrived at the glade and they had that feat and celebration. Dream figured out that was a hard side to see from George. Tommy had admitted that he had never seen George smile that much while talking to someone over simple things. Dream missed that look on the brunet's face.

"What does that mean, Georgie?"

George sighed and looked over at the tall blond who sat on the floor, "it's like you don't fucking listen." George murmured, rolling his eyes "you know how the box comes up every month with a new greenie and supplies, right? Well someone had to be the first. Someone had to have spent one month in the glade, alone." George explained simply, his words being kinda harsh and cold but it was obvious he was trying to get his point across, "that person was Skeppy."

Dream cocked his head to the side as he listened to George.

"It wasn't easy, obviously. Being alone for a month in somewhere you don't know is terrifying. I don't know how Skeppy did it honestly." George stated, leaning against the tree they were trying to finish chopping down, "But every month another boy came up, one after another. Skeppy finally saw the truth...he learned the most important thing. That we all depend on each other because we're all in this together..." the boy sighed softly, a small smile pulling at his lips as he looked down at Dream. That was the smile he missed.

Dream sighed contently and nodded before looking over at Tubbo was carving something out of a piece of wood and Tommy who just stared back at him. Dream let the words George said run through his mind a few times before he finally got up and grabbed a machete and joined George and the other man, trying to grind the tree stump down to its bare minimum. George was right, they all depended on each other and worked together and if that meant Skeppy had to run the maze, then oh well. They were a team.

"Yeah, there you go Dreamie.." George giggled softly, smiling over at Dream.

Dream went to say something back but when he looked over at George he noticed that the clouds had become darker and were slowly moving over the glade. Rain. Those clouds promised Rain and everybody knew it, that's why everyone seemed to stop their work at the moment and look up at the sky. It was going to rain...

"Everybody!" Wilbur yelled from where he stood in the field, catching everyone's attention in the field. His voice was so loud, so projective, only two types of people could hold that power in their voices. SIngers and leaders, Wilbur was for sure a leader so that was the option Dream landed on. He could never see Wilbur singing. "Stop your work for the day and hide from the rain. We won't be able to work in the conditions the rain brings us."

Shortly afterward it started raining, very innocently at first, but the sky was packed tight with cloud and gradually the drops grew bigger and heavier until it was springs's dismal rain that was falling—rain that seemed to fill the entire world with its leaden beat, rain suggestive in its dreariness of everlasting waterfalls between the planets, rain that thatched the heavens with drabness and brooded oppressively over the whole countryside, like a disease, strong in the power of its flat, unvarying monotony, its smothering heaviness, its cold, unrelenting cruelty. Smoothly, smoothly it fell, over the whole shire, over the fallen marsh grass, over the troubled lake, the somber trees above the canopy, smudging out every prospect.

The weather had been all the week extremely sultry, but the storm broke so suddenly—upon us, at least, in that sheltered spot—that before all the men reached the safety of hiding under the canopies they had over whee they all slept the thunder and lightning were frequent and the rain came plunging through the leaves as if every drop were a great leaden bead. The rain came down, straight and silvery, like a punishment of steel rods. It clattered onto the house and onto the rocks and pitted the sea. The thunder made some sounds like grand pianos falling downstairs, then settled to a softer continuous rumble, which was almost drowned by the sound of the rain. The flashes of lightning joined into long illuminations which made the grass a lurid green, the rocks a blazing ochre yellow, as yellow as the color George saw when he looked into Dream's eyes.

Fundy gave out towels and blankets to whoever had gotten soaked and didn't make it to shelter in time. It may have been hot and humid now due to the rain but at least it would dry everyone off who got wet, that's all that mattered. the med-jacks definitely didn't need people getting colds because they were wet and the temperature fell during the day. And hey, the towels and blankets would keep everyone warm and comforted if the temperatures did drop now due to the sun being hidden.

Once everyone was safe and dry, Dream wandered off to the edge of the canopy, looking out at the field that was soaked in water. He put his hand out and felt the cold droplets in his hand. it was refreshing. He looked towards the opening of the maze and sighed. "They would be back by now, right? Especially if it's raining like this." Dream stated, his hand fidgeting rapidly by his side. Tommy and Tubbo nodded from where they sat, huddled up in a towel. "What if they don't make it back?" Dream suddenly asked.

"They'll make it back," George stated from where he stood behind Dream, leaning against the wooden poles that held the canopy up. His voice was stern and stubborn, he was no longer smiling like earlier, probably cause their work would be delayed and the fact that Dream was being negative about the skills of the runners. If George didn't believe in the fact that the others would make it back, nobody else would believe it. George was in control now besides Wilbur. George needed to give hope to the others around him, they all needed to have hopes that everyone would come back safely.

"What if they don't?"

"They will," George confirmed before walking away to go talk to Wilbur who stood by himself. They were the leaders at the moment after all. Wilbur seemed to also be focusing on the maze opening. Was he thinking the same thing Dream was thinking? Was he also trying to keep hope about the runners? Wilbur had a serious face and his eyebrows were knitted together. He was thinking about something and everyone could confirm that but what he was thinking about would go unknown. Only Wilbur himself and George would know.

Dream raised an eyebrow as he watched George walk away. It wasn't till now that he noticed that George had a slight limp. It was so subtle that Dream almost missed it. No wonder he had never seen it before. Had George always had that? Was he hurt or was it because of something from a while ago? Not many things here could cause you to have a limp unless you got hurt so what happened? He had been with George every day since he arrived. Maybe it happened before he arrived in the glade. Dream shrugged it off, he could ask the boy about it at a later point when things weren't on edge. It couldn't be that important, right?

Dream sighed and looked back out at the field and the rain. The rain comes down in sheets, blown about into shrouds by a nippy breeze. The sultry wind was violently tossing the rain about, walls of raindrops falling toward the earth are rounded up and slung hard, walloping building facades, and enveloping manmade structures. The rain looked like tears from the eyes of the clouds, softly falling on the ground with a light pitter-patter sound, it poured down from the sky and met the ground with a calming noise, as if it was the sweet nectar of life that made Mother Earth radiate.

~

Finally, the storm subsided and grey clouds parted. An eerie silence filled the air. Rays of sunlight bathed the storm's damage and illuminated the once-more azure sky. The acrid smell of rotting fruits and evaporating rain drifted through the air. The birds chirped happily and waltzed with their friends, certainly glad that they are safe. Well, at least the birds were safe. All the boys in the glade surrounded the opening of the maze, hoping that their runners would come back soon. Everyone hoped that they were the safe ones.

"Oh, cmon guys. Can't we send someone in there to find them?" Dream asked as he looked into the viny maze, his hand fidgeting by his side once again. He was always fidgety but now, it was multiplied. He wanted to have hoped that the runners would come back but the sun was starting to set and his hope was slowly draining from his heart.

"We can't. It's against the rules" Wilbur spoke up, glaring over at Dream. He seemed set on not letting anyone going into the maze and finding Badboyhalo, Sapnap, and Skeppy. As much determination Wilbur had in his voice, you could still sense the uneasiness of it. He wasn't hopeful and Dream could tell. "Either they come back or they don't..."

"We can't risk losing anyone else..." George stated, finishing the sentence for Wilbur. He looked over at Dream and frowned. He also wasn't hopeful anymore. Dream could sense it now. No one was hopeful. They were all giving up on their friends. Dream found that foolish and selfish. He wasn't just going to give up on the men now, no. He had recalled George's statement before. How they were a team. The hope suddenly flooded back to Dream.

The maze walls shook softly before starting to close. This happened every day but it was even scarier today. The runners were still in there. The walls couldn't close now. No. Not now. It was like the world was against the three men still in the maze.

"Oh no," tubbo whimpered, grabbing onto Dream's arms. Tommy patted him on the shoulder and sighed, he was trying to comfort the boy since Dream was too distracted to do so.

Dream got a glimpse of something and smiled "There!" Dream yelled, pointing to the other men who suddenly turned the corner to the main corridor of the maze.

Badboyhalo and Sapnap trudged along, carrying and passed out Skeppy in their arms. Skeppy had a bad wound on his head and blood was dripping down his face. Skeppy was hurt...

"Wait- somethings wrong," George stated, pointing to them.

"Come on Sapnap and bbh! You've got this!" Tommy cheered, pep suddenly coming back to his voice. Now that everyone could see them they all had hope, well they had hope for everyone but Skeppy who was injured and passed out but still, hope was slowly rising again. This truly was some unexpected dawning, some of them never thought they'd see the runner's faces again yet there they were, hobbling towards the entrance to the maze in a hurry.

"Cmon you can make it!" Dream yelled, joining in on Tommy's encouraging words. He really hoped the three would get there in time and if they needed encouraging words, he would gladly provide them. Anything to make sure his friends were ok. He may have only truly known Skeppy but still, they were a team and couldn't leave everyone behind

"You've got to leave him!" Wilbur yelled suddenly, noticing how dragging Skeppy's body weight was keeping them behind. They would be able to move a lot faster and have a chance to get to the entrance in time if they weren't dragging the man's dead bodyweight. They had to leave him behind or they wouldn't make it. That fact was obvious now.

"They're not gonna make it..." George whispered, holding onto Dream's hand quickly in fear. It was more impulsive than want and Dream could tell by the way fear practically showed all of over the brunet's body. "They're- They're not gonna make it Dream..." He stuttered out, eyes locked on the three, more like two, struggling men who were slowly getting blocked out by the closing walls.

Dream also looked longingly at the men and the closing walls. There was no time. They wouldn't make it without help. Help? Would Dream be able to help them if he went against Wilburs words? Would he be able to help them in the last few seconds he rushed into the maze and helped them? Dream didn't know, so, he did what any curious person would do. He tested the theory out.

Dream quickly pulled his hand out of George's grasp, running into the maze.

"Dream, no!" George quickly yelled behind him, reaching out for him but it was too late. George could grab onto him.

Dream quickly darted forward, squeezing through the small space the closing walls provided. It was a tight fit, so tight dream had to turn sideways as he tried to make his way to the three men. He could hear everyone shout and call to him as the walls barricaded him and almost killed him. It was a claustrophobic feel as he ran and squeezed his way through. The walls were so close, bruisingly close. They pressed against his limbs and probably bruised and scraped them as they got increasingly close to closing.

Dream quickly jumped the last bit of the way and avoided getting closed in on by the walls. he would've been killed if he hadn't made the last jump. He rolled onto the ground and groaned softly. The pain scorching through his limbs wasn't that bad but it still hurt to roll onto hard concrete like that. It definitely hurt more than getting tackled into the grass. Dream really couldn't get enough of getting hurt huh? In the past two day's he probably gained more injuries than the runners got in a week.

He sighed and looked up, everything looked different now that he was in the aze. The walls went up extremely high and cast shadows onto where he laid. It wasn't as bright as the glade. He suddenly missed the bright sky and itchy grass. The maze was unpleasant and scary. He didn't like it. Maybe it was because the sun was setting and wasn't the middle of the day but Dream would never know.

Sapnap groaned and plopped onto the ground, glaring over at Dream. Skeppy's limp body laid in front of him while Bad stood beside him. They both seemed angry, pissed even. Dream had gone against the rules after all and now they were all trapped. They all thought Dream was foolish, even Dream himself thought that."Good job" Sapnap muttered softly, frustration lacing his tone harshly as he leaned his head against the maze wall and looked up at the sky sadly. "You just killed yourself."

"What?" Dream asked but he knew exactly what they meant. Everyone knew the tells. No one survived a night in the maze after all. They were gonna die to the grievers. That's what Sapnap thought.

Badboyhalo sighed and bent down next to Skeppy's body, checking for a pulse and making sure he was still breathing. "You really should've stayed with everyone else, Dream." He chuckled sadly, "They would've needed you as runner once we were gone." He sighed, taking his hand away from Skeppy's body and frowning. Dream could always tell they were close and even now when they all thought they wouldn't survive the night, Bad was still checking in on Skeppy even if he was lying limp on the ground.

"What happened to him?" Dream asked, crouching down next to Bad and staring down at Skeppy. Now he could see how bad the wound was on his head. The wound wasn't that deep yet it was large and would definitely become infected if it wasn't treated well. He had obviously been hit with a blunt object and that was the reason he was unconscious but why? Why did they have to hit him or what hit him?

"What do you think?" BadBoyHalo hummed, "he got stung."

"What happened to his head?" Dream asked, quirking his head to the side and raising an eyebrow.

"I did what I had to do even if BadBoyHalo tried to tell me otherwise." Sapnap stated, "Bad's always trying to protect his boyfriend but I had to protect him from his boyfriend this time." He sighed softly. The gears in Dream's head finally turned. Oh. That made sense, well, unless Sapnap was joking around or lying. It made sense that boyfriends would be close like how Bad and Skeppy were.

"Ok ok, shut up Sapnap. I know he's my boyfriend but help me get him up..." Bad sighed, standing up and attempting to lift Skeppy's body. He was struggling, probably tired from the long day he had. His arms shook as he tried to lift the other man's body weight, his muscles probably weak and sore with physical exhaustion. Dream couldn't even begin to imagine the type of workout runners got when they run the maze all day. It sounded tiring now that Dream thought about it more.

"No, we got to go. The maze is already changing." Sapnap stated, listening to the sounds that came from the maze. They seemed louder now, way louder than what they sounded like out in the glade. Dream wished the noises were still soft and faint. Yeah, all he could do was wish right now.

"Wait." Dream quickly called after Sapnap "Bad's right. We can't just leave him here..." He stated, giving the black-haired boy a pleading look.

Sapnap sighed and nodded, joining the blond's and brunet's side, helping them carry Skeppy's body. With the three of them it seemed easier than earlier, he knew Dream was strong but he seemed to help carry skeppy a lot easier than when just him and Bad had earlier. Well, in their defense they were also running for their lives at the same time earlier but still. Sapnap had underestimated the strength the dirt blond held.

They started trading through the maze and farther and farther away from the entrance. Dream would've thought it would've been safer staying by the entrance if they wanted to survive the night but now he just quietly followed the leaders beside him. They knew more about the maze anyways. If anyone knew someplace where they could at least try to survive the night it would be them.

The paths of the maze were long and wide, twisting and turning in confusing patterns. Dream couldn't even imagine trying to map this place out. It was confusing. No wonder they were still searching after three years, this place was huge.

He stared at the concrete walls and sighed, George had been right the other day. It was hard to climb these walls even if ivy lined them. The ivy seemed extremely thin and brittle, it would've taken at least three pieces or more to have at least support a person's body weight for them to be able to scale it. At least Dream's theory had been put to rest with evidence and now he could stop arguing with the heterochromatin boy who actually had a point.

Dream had barely been keeping track of time as they walked. He kept finding random things about the maze to keep him distracted.

Bad suddenly stopped in his tracts after looking up at the sky. The sun was almost close to setting and night would be upon them soon. That thought scared every one of them. "We got to get him up" Bad stated softly, gesturing to Skepywho still showed no signs of waking up, thankfully. If he had been stung they all would have been in danger if he woke up, the hostility probably taking full effect on him immediately.

"Alright" Dream hummed as if he was agreeing with the brunet man beside him. "Cmon" Dream urged looking over at Sapnap who seemed to be staring at the nearby maze wall.

"No, wait. Let's sit him down. Let's sit him down for a second" Sapnap demanded, his voice harsh and scratchy. It was obvious he was parch, he hadn't had water all day and neither had Bad. They were probably starving too and they were obviously in pain and were tired. Dream felt bad for them. They didn't deserve this, not at all. They deserved to be sitting at dinner with everyone else and smiling happily, not dragging their unconscious friend along with a newbie in hopes that they might survive the maze and the grievers.

Dream and Bad exchanged glances before nodding, helping Sapnap Drag Skeppy's body over to the wall. They slowly lowered him onto the ground and propped him up so he would at least be comfortable, even if he wasn't awake.

"This isn't gonna work." Sapnap finally stated, crossing his arms and looking at the two hopeful and determined boys beside him. "We gotta go. We can't just keep dragging Skeppy along. He would just get thrown in here anyways if we made it out. We can't change his fate. We have to leave him." Sapnap said sternly, a slight frown pulling on his lips despite his harsh words.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Dream asked, his eyes going wide. They couldn't just leave skeppy. Sure he would've ended up in here anyways, but they couldn't just leave him behind to die. That wasn't the right thing to do and Bad knew that. He knew that and he wouldn't let that happen, right? Dream sure hoped so.

"We at least got to hide him." Bad whimpered, tears shimmering in his eyes. His emotions were talking and not his brain and Sapnap could tell that. Both boys in front of him were acting on emotions and it was stupid. They couldn't take Skeppy even if they wanted to. They wouldn't even hope to make it through the night if they kept dragging him around.

"Where!" Sapnap yelled, his voice echoing off the tall walls. Anger rose in him like a tide and welled up in his chest, it practically vibrated through his being. He burned with anger. Well, it wasn't hostile like anyone who got stung, it was controlled yet just as scary.

" I don't know." Dream stated for Bad, crossing his arms over his chest with a huff "Is there not a single place in here where we could take him." He questioned, looking around and then back at Sapnap. He knew the maze, there had to be a safe spot they discovered, right? Or, at least a place where they had a chance of surviving.

Sapnap chuckled with frustration and rolled his eyes before rushing at Dream and shoving him against the wall Harshly. He held the boy tightly by the shirt and despite the height difference, he was still at an advantage here if he truly wanted to hurt him. Dream's head hit the wall slightly and he groaned before looking fully down at Sapnap. "Take a look at me dumbass!" Sapnap yelled, "Look around. Do you really think there's a place in this damned maze to keep him safe!" He continued.

"Language! Sap stop yelling," Bad stated, "And let him go. Fighting won't help you right now." He hummed, crossing his arms with a stern look as h watched the brown and blond-haired boy. He was right. Fighting would get them nowhere and would more or less get them caught by a griever once night fell, they couldn't risk that. They needed to stop fighting if they wanted a chance of making it through the horrid night.

"He doesn't get it!" Sapnap continued, letting go of Dream and turning to Bad "We're already dead! You know that! No one fucking survives a night in the maze...."

Dream sighed and rubbed his temple. When he looked up he noticed a wall covered in thick vines at least a few meters away from them. "How bout we tie Skeppy up there?" He questioned, quirking his head to the side. What he said was completely unrelated to what Sapnap was saying so it seemed random but he had a point. If Bad wanted to tie him up and get him to higher ground then that would be their best bet. If they couldn't hide him they could at least lift him up with vines.

Sapnap exchanged glances with Bad and the brown-haired man nodded, "Let's do it."

~

Sapnap grunted as the three of them pulled on the vines, lifting Skeppy's unconscious body up the wall. They were all struggling and they had been since he got a few feet off the ground. It wasn't that Skeppy was heavy, it was that they were all tired and were running out of energy which was a bad thing. Skeppy was at least halfway up the wall now and the sun had already set which promised no good but at least they got the Skeppy situation sorted out, right? that was a good thing. Well, good for Skeppy cause now he was safe on the other hand, the three of them were still on the ground and perfectly out in the open for grievers to see them.

An eerie sound came from not too far away and Sapnap peaked his head around the corner to look. He had an idea about what it was and knew they were all screwed.

"What are you doing?" Dream asked.

No answer...

"Sapnap, what are you doing?" Bad questioned too, looking at the man who still had a tight hold on the vine like the est of them.

Sapnap kept his eyes on the corridor of the maze, his eyes fixed there. He wasn't paying attention to the other two and the eerie sounds of what he hoped wasn't a griever. It was dark and the maze was changing so he couldn't be too sure if what he saw was a river but he was answered s a creature rouned the corner, at least fifty feet away from them.

"We gotta go! We gotta go now!" Sapnap whispered shouted, looking at the two other men for a second before looking back at the creature not too far from them. Fear was shinning in his eyes along with urgency. He wasn't joking. They really had to go or they all would be dead and wouldn't have a chance of making it out of here.

"Hey wait wait wait- we only have to lift Skeppy a little more." Dream protested, shaking his head. "I promise, just a little more and we'll tie it off, Right bad? We just need Sapnap to stay with us and help. It's just a little more."

Sapnap and Badboyhalo exchanged glances and Bad nodded solemnly.

"We're sorry greenie..."

And within a split second both Bad and Sapnap let go of the vine and took off running into the maze. Dream gasped at the sudden weight he had to handle now and looked t them as they ran off. "Bad! Sapnap!" He yelled, but his words just disappeared into the night for no one to hear. They truly had left him cause he wanted to d what was right. He just wanted to protect his friend even if that meant risking his own life.

Dream lost his balance and fell onto the floor due to the pull from the vine since Sapnap and Bad were no longer helping to lift skeppy up. He grunted and slide into the patch of vines, hiding in them. It wasn't the best but it would work for now since the eerie sounds were getting extremely close and there was no time for him to run and find a better hiding spot. No, he'd be killed if he did that. He tried to quiet his breathing and keep his grasp on the vine, hoping not to get caught by the creature that lurks just nearby.

Dream watched closely as what seemed to be mechanical versions of pedipalps or the legs of a spider, walked by. It's eerie and yet mechanical noises echoed louder now and were far scarier now. Dream raised an eyebrow at this though, Was a griever mechanical? Was it just a robot? Or was there more of the picture he wasn't seeing cause he could only see the legs right now? Dream didn't care and hopped he never found out.

Thankfully, once the creature was passed, Dream was able to tie the vine that held up Skeppy. He grabbed hold of another vine and grunted. "Ok, I've got this..." He reassured himself quietly in case the creature was still nearby. He held the two vies tightly and tied them together in a rushed and hurried manner. It was obvious he was in a rush to run and find a better hiding spot or at least reunite with Bad and Sapnap again.

Dream crawled out from underneath the ivy and stood up, brushing himself off. He looked up at Skeppy's unconscious body and sighed, He couldn't stay here with him even if he wanted to, not with a river so close. He sighed and started walking, he had no idea where he was going so he would just have to look out for signs of Bad and Sapnap.

He aimlessly yet carefully made his way down the changing and moving corridors of the maze, keeping watch and listening for anything. He was practically shaking in fear as he walked but he tried to pretend like he didn't notice, he needed to stay brave or he would get caught ad that wouldn't be ok.

At one turn he stepped in a mucus-like substance and gagged, not wanting to examine what he had just gotten on his foot. It was confusing but it was also disgusting and for once his curiosity didn't get the best of him. he just sighed shakily and tried to regain his thoughts, well, the keyword here was tried. Something gooey slowly dripped onto his shoulder and he gagged once again and quickly snapped his head up to be met with a creature that he assumed was a griever. His eyes widened as it jumped down and sent him falling to the ground with a yell.

Dream looked up at the river and quickly jumped to his feet, sprinting in the other direction of the creature. So much for hiding from it...

He didn't know his way around the maze so he'd just have to go off of instinct. He just had to keep running down the widening corridors of the maze and try to lose the griever that chased after him. He should be glad he even escaped when the creature attacked him a few seconds prior.

Dream's heart pounded to the beat of his feet racing over the hard ground. Sweat beaded on his forehead, causing his messy hair to cling to it as his throat ached for air, more air. The delicious rush of wind past my face thrilled him. His muscles stretched, pushed harder. His pace evened out and his legs made the track fly under me. The floor blurred below Dream as he felt a surge of adrenaline speed through him. The steady thump of his footsteps echoed in his ears and he felt a bead of sweat roll down his forehead. The only thing stopping him from giving up and letting the griever have him was that he still had hope. Stupid fucking hope.

Hope was such a devious thing, wasn't it?

He continued running for what seemed like longer than it should have taken to find Sapnap or Badboyahlo but he figured it was because the maze was huge. A distinct fork in the road came into the dirty blond view, maybe he could trick the griever here? Maybe he could lose it and finally relax for a second. Forcing his legs to push harder he kept his sprint, anticipating the relief of hiding from the scary creature. He rounded the bend in the path and came to an abrupt halt. His breathing hitched in his throat making his already screaming lungs just about burst...It was a fucking dead end.

He looked back and heard the mechanical noises of the griever getting closer. He looked towards the viny wall and sighed, taking a running start at it, and clumsily climbed the wall as fast as he could. He had no experience with climbing but the arm strength he had gained in the past few days definitely helped out. He scaled the wall better than he expected, only slipping a bit once or twice but still, the griever was still following him.

He got on top of the wall and quickly started running again, hoping the climb up would slow the griever down just a little bit. Dream surrendered himself to the miraculous beat of his feet against the ground. The angry pitter-patter of the soles of his worn-out shoes hitting the track. It was the way he always released my energy, and that's exactly what was happening now. He was elated, his soul at its summit, he was running and he might be able to escape if he just went a little farther and faster.

When the griever finally reached the top of the wall it quickly started chasing Dream again, causing the male to start sprinting again. Dream was getting easily tired and didn't know how much longer he'd be able to keep it up. His body was aching and his lungs were screaming. He wouldn't make it much longer like this.

Dream jumped down onto a smaller wall and quickly rolled to his feet. the hard cement bruised and cut his body up but it wasn't as bad as it could've been. The pain was barely anything with the adrenaline that ran through him quickly. The wall he was running on top of was going to end soon and he didn't know where to go after that but he just had to keep running, to escape. Yeah, he needed to escape and find the other two if they were still alive.

The wall was coming to a quick end and Dream ran faster and faster, gaining quick momentum. He quickly jumped off the edge of the wall. Did he have a plan no, but there was another wall covered in vines in front of him. That wasn't a plan but it was something.

Dream yelled in pain as he grabbed onto the vines, his knuckles scraping against the walls with a harsh force. He definitely would feel bad for the bed jacks if he ever got out of here. They were probably tired of how hurt he got every day. The griever jumped onto the wall after Dream, scaring the man causing him to let out a shout. His heartbeat picked up and his eyes widened. He quickly tried to scramble away but the griever quickly clawed at him and tried to stab him with something very similar to a needle. A needle? Seriously, were these things mechanical or was it an actual animal? Dream wouldn't figure that out even if he thought about it for a million years.

Dream grunted as he slid a bit down the vines, the griever quickly crawling after him. The griever was just as fast as Dream when it came to climbing so the creature was taking every chance it got the try to stab the dirty blond as he scrambled down the vines carefully, not wanting to risk falling and getting hurt to the point where he couldn't run away from the creature.

The griever tried to take another swing at Dream but the creature slipped and fell from the wall, its back legs? or whatever they were getting caught on the vines with it. Shit.

Dream screamed as the vines were torn off the wall as the griever fell to the ground harshly. He went to reach for other vines but they just got dragged down with him too. The scene was almost in slow motion or at least that what Dream thought as he fell, how slow and agonizing it was. It was a truly frightful thing. If he ever got out of here he would definitely say this one thing was the reason he now suddenly had a fear of heights.

Dream hit the ground with a harsh thud, quickly scrambling to get out from under the layers of vines that fell on top of him. He looked back and saw the griever was tangled in the vines. Perfect, this was his chance to run and hide. The griever was stuck, after all, it was the perfect chance.

Dream quickly ran down the path, ignoring the pain coursing through his body. He didn't care how hurt he was, he just needed to get away. It was like during the fight with Shlatt, how no matter how much he was beaten up he just needed to keep running. Huh. it seems like he was always running wasn't he. No wonder Tommy yelled, "we've got a runner" when he first arrived. That's when he was hit. Quite literally...

Sapnap ran into Dream as the blond turned the corner and groaned. He stumbled back a bit and held onto his head before looking up. His eyes widening at the boy they had left for dead. Bad seemed just as shocked as sapnap. He had somehow survived.

"You crazy son of a bitch." Sapnap stated, looking over at the griever who was trying to escape the vines before glancing back at Dream.

"Langauge!" Bad squeled.

Sapnap rolled his eyes and patted Dream on the shoulder. "Come on, follow me before that sick fuck breaks free." He stated, starting to run again, "Come one!" He yelled one last time, looking back at the two other men.

Dream and Bad nodded and started running again.

Warmth seeps into their muscles, like the mild burning of lactic acid, the rush of the second wind, the feeling they get when they fall into pace and the run feels like it becomes automatic and they're flying on autopilot, the air rushing in and out of their lungs in a mild burn and having to force themselves to breath in a rhythm as well. Also mention what's going on around them... They were back to running despite all the pain they were in. They really must've had hoped and didn't want to die after all they had said earlier, huh.

Creaking and echoing noises came from the maze catching Dream off guard. The other two seemed unfazed, they must've been used to these noises, they were constantly in the maze after all. They were runners, they knew everything about this place and everything it held. It was no surprise that they took the noises with a straight face.

"Ok, It's changing," Sapnap concluded and Dream suddenly knew what was happening. The maze was changing. George had mentioned that once, that the maze changed and the walls moved constantly to make the maze harder to explore and escape from. "Come one. Come on." He urged, looking back at Dream who ran a few feet behind him and Bad.

They ran a few more feet till they came to an expected opening.

"Come on, this section should be closing!" Bad yelled, hope shimmering in his eyes like never before "We should lose it down here!" he smiled and kept running alongside Sapnap along the corridor.

Dream stopped suddenly and watched the closing walls. The way they move so slowly yet so quickly t the same time. That's when an idea ran through his mind. These doors would close slow enough for a human to run through but it would surely crush the griever if given enough time. Dream smiled almost sadistically at that. He was dragged back to society when he heard Sapnap yelled his name, him and bad already being at the end of the corridor.

"Dream!" Sapnap yelled with such force and anger, "What are you doing dumbass, get out of there!"

Dream shook his head and looked back in the direction where the griever would be coming from. He smiled as the creature rounded the corner. "Come on!" He encouraged it as if it could understand him. The griever started charging at him and Dream took his chance to sprint down the corridor. He didn't look back once as the creature screeched at him angrily or how the walls were getting increasingly too close for comfort like how they did when he got trapped in here in the first place. He just needed to speed up and he'd escape and hopefully kill the griever while he was at it.

"Come on dream don't look back!" Bad yelled, cheering the blond on. He understood what he was doing and loved the plan. It was time they got back at one of those creatures after all. This would be their revenge for Skeppy and everyone else who ever got stung by those horrid things.

"Run!" Sapnap yelled behind him, cupping his hand around his mouth so his voice projected more even if the walls would already make his words echo. "Move it Dream! Come on!" He continued, cheering with Bad encouragingly like how Dream had when they tried to escape the maze earlier. It seems like the tables have switched now, haven't they? Who knew a couple of hours stuck in a death trap could do that to you. "Move your ass! Let's go, come on you've got this! Come on greenie run like how you ran on your first day, you wimp! Dream hurry the fuck up."

The run to the end of the corridor was the first real exercise Dream had gotten in the past few days at the glade and it didn't feel good at all cause of how worn out he already was. He pushed into a sprint feeling the warm pull on his quads and smiled. The cool night air cleared his head, and as he reached the end of the corridor Bad opened his arms wide, accepting The blond into a safe and comforting hug to tell him that he made it and that everything would be ok now.

The walls close quickly on the griever, squishing it to the point of no prepare. A few of its legs were sticking out from the crack in the wall but it didn't matter did it. The griever was dead and they all were alive...

They were finally safe.

Chapter Text

Tubbo and Tommy sat out in front of the maze doors early the next morning, staring deeply at the opening in hopes that their friend would round the corner soon. Well, they hoped. They hoped that they'd show up. They hoped what everyone said about nights in the maze were fake. All they could do was hope and right now, that wasn't getting them anywhere. The maze was still seemingly bare and their friends were most likely dead.

A bunch of other boys and men surrounded the children, looking deeply into the maze but this time, they were wearing sad and distanced looks, unlike the children. George stood beside Tubbo with a sad frown, "I told you two. They weren't going to make it..." he sighed, averting his eyes to the ground probably to hide the tears that Tommy had caught forming in his eyes. George had been like this since last night, h heard the boy cry himself to sleep with Wilbur by his side to comfort him. George just lost three of his best friends and a boy who someone was wedging his way into George's life and heart faster than anyone else had ever seen before. Wilbur had helped comfort, everyone, last night by the looks of it, he helped calm Tubbo and Tommy, he helped George, he helped fundy, and he even helped the med jacks, Karl and QUackity. He truly was a good leader even if he was an ass sometimes.

"Let's go...They're not coming back." Another boy spoke up patting Tommy on the shoulder softly. This man was tall and pale, with long, pink hair flowing down his back. It would usually be tied up in a ponytail or a braid but it seems the man was too distraught to do it this mornning. This man was known as Technoblade he was part of the cooks and was one of the slicers along with fundy. He was the only person Tommy had besides Wilbur and Wilbur was currently off sulking somewhere due to their loss.

Everyone started walking away, leaving the two children in front of the maze by themselves, looking at the dirt ground in disappointment. Well, that's when it happened...

"No way!" Someone yelped as they looked back at the maze for a final time. It was Fundy. Fundy was the one who yelped in shock and caught everyone's attention.

"Holy shit!" Tommy yelled as his eyes landed on what Fundy saw. There, turning the corner in the maze was Sapnap, BadBoyHalo, and Dream dragging Skeppy along the path. They had survived the night. They weren't dead, it was a miracle. The three boys in the maze saw everyone waiting for them at the edge of the maze, Tommy and Tubbo in the front. The two kids never gave up hope. That made the three men smile as they raced to the entrance of the maze, grateful to finally escape and have all their friends around.

"Wow, woah hand Skeppy here," George instructed, opening his arms to take the unconscious boy. He slowly placed him on the ground and sighed, all the other men surrounding them and Wilbur came running from the woods with a shocked face along with a few other boys, he probably heard the commotion and needed to make sure nothing was wrong.

George turned towards Dream and the others and hugged them tightly, smiling happily. "What happened out there? How did you guys make it out?" He questioned quickly, tears of joy running down his cheeks as he held the three boys he thought he lost close to him. He had to enjoy the moment while it lasted after all.

"Did u see a griever?!" Tommy asked excitedly as the med-jack's checked out Skeppys body, inspecting where he got stung. More and more people started asking questions and surrounding the three men who had been locked in the maze. Dream's eyes widened and his hand fidgeted by his side anxiously, his eyes adverting to the ground as everyone just kept asking more and more questions. He thought he was the curious one here. George noticed the boy's sudden tension and looked at him with a soft smile, grabbing his hand for a source of comfort so he no longer felt anxious or pressured with everyone crowding them.

"Yeah, I saw one..." Dream sighed, looking up from the ground. He sent a quick and weak smile down at George before looking forwards towards Tommy who asked the question he answered. Everyone seemed to go quiet at that. The newbie saw a griever? That was a once-in-a-lifetime thing hopefully, but still, it had to be scary right? I mean those were the things that had been terrorizing anyone who had gone into the maze for the past three years. For a person who got here at least a week ago now to see a griever had to be terrifying.

"He didn't just see one." Sapnap hummed softly, his ego practically shinning in his eyes. Shit. He was about to say something cocky, wasn't he? Dream hadn't known Sapnap for long but after spending a night in the maze with him he could tell Sapnap definitely had an ego and a bit of sass to compliment his headstrong personality. "He killed one!" He cheered, Badboyhalo nodding beside him as if he was agreeing with the statement.

Everyone's eyes widened and it got definingly silent. The newbie killed something that had been hunting them for three years? It seemed too good to be true, it sounded like a joke. Sapnap seemed to retort at everyone's silence instead of excitement, advertising his yes and crossing his arms softly. He knew what everyone was thinking and yeah it was shocking but still, it happened and both he and Bad witnessed it firsthand.

Dream felt anxious again due to the silence despite George still holding onto his fidgeting hand. Did he do something wrong?

"Everyone! Get to the meeting tent!" Wilbur finally yelled, glaring over at Dream and the two other runners who were conscious. "We've got things to talk about..."

~

"Things are changing..." Wilbur stated, crossing his arms and leaning against one of the poles that held the structure up. He was met with silence and stares so he continued on talking, his voice filled with power and seriousness. "There's no denying it. First Shlatt gets stung in broad daylight and the Skeppy" He hummed, making Tubbo frown and look at the ground, "and Now our greenie here has taken it upon himself to go into the maze despite our rules."

Technoblade quickly stepped in behind George who was standing near Wilbur with his arms crossed, "Yeah, but he saved Skeppy's life." He said, glaring at the beanie-wearing brunet he had become so close to.

"Did he?" Wilbur asked with cockiness in his tone causing George to glare over at him just like how Techno was doing. It seemed everyone had mixed opinions on what Dream had done.

"For three years we have coexisted with these things. And now you've killed one of them." Wilbur continued, turning and gesturing to Dream who was sitting next to Tommy and Tubbo, aimlessly picking at his cuticles. Dream looked up at the man and sighed. He knew Wilbur would have nothing good to say about him, he never did. Sapnap and Fundy looked over at the blond man and frowned slightly, at least a few people felt pity for Dream. "Who knows what that could mean for us." Wilbur continued, looking away from the blond man.

"Well, what would you suggest then?" George asked, cocking his head to the side and looking at Wilbur with an annoyed look.

"He has to be punished." Wilbur shrugged softly. This statement seemed to catch everyone off guard and they all started arguing in protest. Dream just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Well now it seemed like he had most of everyone on his side by the way they reacted to Wilbur's statement, that was a good thing.

"Come on!" Tommy yelled over at the brunet he looked up to like a brother, "He killed a griever, big man." This caused other boys to start yelling other things at Wilbur in Dreams defense. They had a point, he had killed one of the things theorizing them, sure there was more but at least it was a start. Sure he had broken one rule but he helped keep skeppy safe and helped keep both Bad and Sapnap safe.

"Sapnap..." George finally stated, looking over at his bandana-wearing best friend. George suddenly speaking up caused the tent to go silent and look over at Sapnap. "You were with Dream, what do you think we should do with him?" He questioned, his arms still crossed against his chest.

Sapnap was silent for a second as if he was conjuring up the words he needed to say into his mind, everyone just stared at him. "I think, in all the time we've been here...No one has ever killed a griever before." He finally spoke up, his words coming out serious, "When Bad and I turned tail and ran, this dumb shank stayed behind to help Skeppy. Look, I don't know if he's brave or extremely stupid." There it was, the cocky statement that everyone saw coming. Dream adverted his eyes to the ground from that while George turned and looked at him. "But whatever it is, we need more of it." Sapnap continued, "I say we make Dream a runner."

Everyone didn't seem so excited about that statement due to their groans and complaints. "Sapnap, Let's not jump the gun here," Techno spoke up, crossing his arms and sighing. And while all of the complaining was going on Tubbo and Tommy were chanting Dream's name happily as if they were totally for the idea, they were the only people cheering. Well, it seems like they didn't want Dream to get punished but they definitely didn't want him as a runner.

"If you want to throw the newbie a parade, that's fine! Go ahead." Wilbur finally yelled, causing the crowd to go silent, "But if there is one thing I know about the maze...It is that you do not-" Wilbur was cut off from a noise coming from outside. George and Wilbur exchanged glances before George quickly headed outside, everyone following behind him.

"Wait wait wait- I know that sound." Dream stated as he, Tommy, Tubbo, Bad, and Sapnap ran out of the tent.

"It's the box..." Tubbo stated, "It's coming back up."

"It shouldn't be," Sapnap said in urgency as they all ran over to where the box was. It hadn't been a month since Dream showed, maybe a week at least, no wonder they were all panicking. Everyone rushed over to where the box was located in the center of the glade, commotion, and panicked talking coming from everyone.

George and Wilbur were the first ones to get over to the box. When it finally reached the top they quickly opened to doors to it and George jumped down into it to inspect whatever was down there as the other men finally caught up and surrounded the box in curiosity and worry.

"George, what do you see?"

"Do you see it?"

"it's a girl..." George stated, looking up at everyone. His words were hushed yet confused. A girl, in a place with only men. It seemed far-fetched and like a joke. He had to be kidding, right?

Dream looked over the edge and there, laying by George's feet was a young girl probably no older than thirteen or fourteen. Her blond hair covered her face and she held a note in her hand. She was the only thing in the box, well besides George. There was no supplies like when Dream was sent up, just the lonely girl. Dream know that girl all too well, well he didn't know her but still. That was the girl from his nightmares. His eyes widened at the fact.

"I think she's dead." George finally spoke, kicking at her leg softly. The girl stayed still and unresponsive.

"What's in her hand?" Wilbur asked and he leaned over to look at the young girl, the first thing he noticed was the note she had clutched in her hand tightly. Maybe she wasn't dead if her grip was still that tight of the paper.

George bent down and grabbed the paper from her hand, unfolding it gently in case the paper was brittle or thin. He didn't want to risk ripping it. "She's the last one...ever" He read, reciting the words scribbled out onto the paper. He looked up at all the confused men who stood above him, still staring down at them. "Well, what the hell does that mean?" He questioned, not expecting to get a response. No one else understood it so why on earth should he have gotten a response.

The girl suddenly jerked awake with a gasp, Her green or at least George assumed to be green eyes widening in shock and landing on Dream. She was silent for a second, her breathing was heavy and staggered. "Dream..." She breathed out, keeping eye contact with the blond male. Yeah, that was the girl from his nightmares. Same freckles and everything. What the hell...? But just a quickly as she woke the girl suddenly passed out again, scaring George who sat next to her.

All the boy surrounding Dream looked over at him with a confused look and Dream looked back just as confused. He had no idea what was going on.

"Do you think I'm still overreacting?" Wilbur asked harshly, looking around at the other men before glaring over at Dream who was now just staring at the ground. Confusion still laced his face and everyone knew he had no clue what was going on just like them but Wilbur was right, Things were changing. And they all started changing after Dream showed up...

~

Dream, Sapnap, and Bad walked into the med tent behind George. It wasn't a small tent but it wasn't big either. It had two rooms that could be split off into more but right now there were only two people occupying this area so two rooms were fine. Dream looked over into the other room and saw Skeppy restrained to the bed, his breathing being staggered and harsh, Bad seemed to advert his eyes from the area obviously not wanting to see the pain Skeppy was going through.

"Karl, Quackity. What's wrong with her? Why won't she wake up?" George questioned as they all sat around the bed the girl was sleeping in.

"Hey man, we got out jobs the same way you did." Quackity stated, looking at George and shrugging. He seemed laid back and not too worried about the girl, she was alive after all. For ll they knew she was just knocked unconscious.

All three men for men looked down at her, sighing. They had no idea where she came from or why she was here but they knew one thing, She knew Dream. They don't know how or why but she knew the boy even if he didn't know her.

"Do you recognize her?" George asked.

Dream shook his head, "No."

"really cause she seemed to recognize you," George stated, crossing his arms and furrowing his eyebrows. Yeah yeah, Dream's memories may have been wiped besides basic knowledge but still, something had to have slipped by maybe, maybe that's how the girl recognized him. Hell, did this girl have her memories. They wouldn't know till she woke up again.

"Are you jealous Georgie cause this girl knows your new boy toy and you are still playing hard to get?" Sapnap asked just to get elbowed by Bad. George's face didn't falter and he didn't seem amassed by the joke at all. This was serious and Sapnap was joking around about it, George should've now sapnap was going to be a nimrod about this.

Dream rolled his eyes and sighed, "What about the note." He stated, looking at Karl and Quackity who sat there quietly, doing their own thing while they were talking.

"we'll worry about the note later," George stated, looking down at the girl.

"I think you should worry about it now while she's still asleep." Dream said back, looking back and forth between Sapnap, Bad, and George.

"We've got enough to deal with at the moment, Dream." George retorted in annoyance, glaring back at the taller blond man. He wasn't having any of the blonds bullshit right now. He wasn't going to deal with Dream's curious thinking, that should be someone else's problem. Hell, it should be its own job. Right now George and everyone was on edge and would most likely not be able to handle the boy's strange antics or questions.

"He's right, George." Karl stated from where he sat, "If the box isn't coming back up, how long do you think we'll last?" His voice was grim and sad. It seemed he had put his own meaning to the scribbled out words. He thought she was the last glader they would ever get and the box would never go back down or come back up with supplies for them.

"No one ever said that." George quickly said, yet he knew the words Karl was saying had meaning. If that's what the note really meant, then they all were screwed. They relied on the box to bring the equipment and food they couldn't just readily get from farm animals or their farms. That box was their only chance at survival. "let's- Let's not jump to any conclusions ok... We'll just wait till this girl wakes up and we'll see what she knows. Somebody's gotta have answers around here and if it's not any of us, then it's her."

"Ok..." Dream stated before turning on his heel and leaving the tent.

"Where the hell are you going?" George asked, running after the boy, Sapnap following behind him While Bad stayed in the tent, probably going to check up on Skeppy.

"I'm going back into the maze." Dream stated, not looking back at them as he kept walking.

Sapnap exchanged glances with George before following after him in a hurry. "Hey. Dream, listen to me." He said, cutting Dream off by standing in front of him, "What is it with you? A death wish? You literally just got out and you are still hurt and you want to go back in?" Sapnap thought the man was crazy, no one ever would want to go back into the maze if they got locked in it for a night. It was like a nightmare even having to look at the thing.

"George said no one has ever seen and griever and lived to tell the tale." Dream stated with a huff, "Well Sapnap now we have one." He gestured to the maze. "are you telling me you're not even a little bit curious?" He questioned. he knew it was a stupid question, he seemed to be the only curious one here but still, he had a point. There was a dead griever in the maze that they could check out in inspect for their own good.

"No. Not really." Sapnap said back in his stupidly sassy tone.

Dream rolled his eyes and started walking again just for sapnap to sighed and grab onto his arm, pulling him to a stop.

"Alright, what's the plan? You're gonna go out and direct that thing all by yourself?" Sapnap questioned, looking at Dream with a very serious look as if he was considering coming with Dream and going to find the dead griever.

"I will if I have to." Dream stated with a nod, "Now have the there runner left yet?"

"The other runners quite this morning," Sapnap stated, gesturing to a group of men who were just sitting around and doing whatever job was needed of them. Techno was amongst that group. Dream never knew he was a runner till now, he could see it though. The man was strong and slim so he was just perfect for the job, huh? Perfect for the job unlike him. "After Skeppy got stung they aren't in any rush to get back out there. Why are you?" Sapnap concluded, looking at Dream.

"I think it's time we find out what we're really up against." Dream said with determination and seriousness.

"All right." Sapnap nodded before crossing his arms, "But you're not going back out there alone. Meet me in the woods in half an hour. I'll grab whoever is willing to go in the runners and then we can head out." He stated, finally agreeing with Dream. Dream thought the boy would just keep calling him crazy or stupid but no, he agreed with him and was going to run the maze with him to find the dead griever. It seems Sapnap did have trust in him.

"Thank you, Sapnap." Dream stated before Sapnap nodded and ran off.

He hummed and looked back at the group of runners who had quit and sighed. It wasn't till now that he noticed Wilbur standing with the group with his arms crossed, his eyes scanning across the glade as if he was watching for something or someone. What on earth was that man think or planning? Dream would never know but he did know it seemed pretty suspicious even if Wilbur didn't mean for it to be.

~

Dream stood out in the woods thirty minutes later, waiting for Sapnap. he was fidgeting and rubbing his hands together as he waited, he didn't know why he was so fidgety today but oh well. It wasn't a problem, he was always fidgety anyways.

Sapnap rounded the corner with Technoblade, Fundy, and Quackity following behind him. "Will this be enough?" He chuckled at Dream who looked shocked. He was surprised Sapnap was able to get some of the runners back. Wait- Fundy and Quackit were runners? He never knew that probably cause they only sent specific people into the Maze. Dream didn't care though, they were still runners and that's all he was asking for.

Dream nodded happily. "yeah..." He smiled, "let's go."

The other men nodded and Sapnap leads them to the maze. They were trying to hide Dream in case Wilbur looked over but luckily, the older man was nowhere in sight thankfully. As they entered the maze you could sense Fundy and the other runners tense up, this was the place people just kept getting stung recently so obviously they were scared. Dream couldn't blame them, he was sure he would have nightmares about what happened last night until he died.

Sapnap was running in front of everyone with direct instruction of where he was going, he knew his way around this place obviously. Sure, Dream remembered where he killed the damn creature but he sure didn't remember how to get there so he was glad Sapnap was in the lead. The other boys just kept looking around worriedly as they followed the bandana-wearing boy. "Come on." Sapnap urged as he saw the other boys beside Dream falling behind.

When they reached a four-way turn, Sapnap looked around and saw it. The closed wall where parts of the griever stuck out. It was a grotesque sight with the body fluids staining the walls and the creature's guts lying on the ground. He and the other men approached the wall with caution, Fundy, and Quackity gaging as they saw the tool damage done to the thing. Dream just looked at it, still trying to figure out if it was an actual animal or robotic, or, a mix of the two.

"That's disgusting..." Quackity stated, looking at the remains in front of them. He really followed them to direct this thing, maybe he should've thought this through before agreeing.

"Wait-" Dream stated, herein a distant sound coming from inside the wall, it sounded like beeping. "Somethings in there..." He whispered, taking a step forward and looking into the small crack in the wall to see if he could spot anything out of the ordinary, and by ordinary, he meant guts of just random mechanical parts.

"You mean besides a squashed griever?" Technoblade asked, cocking his head to the side and keeping his eyes on the remains that laid directly in front of them.

Sapnap walked up to the crack in the wall and sighed. If no one else was going to stop up and find the source of the sound he might as well. Well, that was till Quackity quickly grabbed his arm and looked away from the dead creature so he didn't gag.

"Woah, Woah what the fuck are you doing dude. If you put your fucking hand in there Kal and I are never getting near you again. I don't need to be holding hand with someone who just put their hand in fucking griever guts." Quackity stated, he was obviously overexaggerating and Sapnap could tell.

Sapnap rolled his eyes and pulled his arm away from Quackity's grip, reaching inside the crack in the wall. It was obvious he was holding his breath so he didn't gag. It felt weird and disgusting, Sapnap quickly adverted his eyes away so he didn't have to look at the dead griever. He reached his hand a little farther when the mechanical leg moved. He jumped and quickly jumped back into the group of men who stood behind him.

"Woah I thought you said it was dead!" Techno defended quickly, helping everyone pull Sapnap away quickly in case the thing was truly still alive and breathing. They didn't need to risk getting anyone else stung or hurt by that damned thing.

"It is!" Dream snapped back, jumping back with everyone else.

"Well was it reflex then?" Quackity asked, cocking his head to the side and looking closely at the thing despite being a few feet away. He seemed a bit shaky but the griever hasn't moved since a few moments ago so he seemed calmer than then.

"You better hope it was," Fundy stated, his eyes shimmering with fear. He seemed the most off edge out of all of them besides Sapnap who easily could've gotten hurt if the griever was actually still alive. Dream got it, Fundy spent his time with the farm animals and never came across the evil creature in front of them. He worked with friendly animals, not ones that tried to kill him. Of course, this was scary.

Dream nodded before looking back at the griever. It hadn't moved in a minute or two so hopefully, Fundy was right when he said it was a reflex. "Ok come on, let's try to pull it out." He directed towards Sapnap and everyone else. If it truly wasn't dead it was still trapped and trying to direct it would just make it even more stuck so now was the perfect moment. And if it was dead, good for them.

"Everyone get a hand on it, come on," Sapnap instructed, looking at the three other men who stood back hesitantly. They all seemed nervous to get back towards the thing that moved like three moments prior but oh well, they had to get the job done before the sun started to set or they all would be trapped in here, and let's just say, Dream wasn't in the mood to outrun one of these things again yet alone kill it.

The three others along with Sapnap and Deam reached for the creature's leg, taking hold of It carefully. They all had had a pretty tight grip on it but due to how much Fundy and Quackity were fidgeting, Dream knew it would be no help in trying to tear the leg off of the griever.

"Alright, ready.On three." Dream stated, "one...Two...Three!"

They all tugged on the griever's leg with a force but it wasn't enough. They would need to try harder if they actually wanted to direct this thing if they wanted to see what the griever held inside it. They continued to pull on it, putting all of their strength into it. Quackity's feet seemed to be slipping due to how much effort they were putting in, he would slip and fall if they didn't pull the leg of the griever soon.

After a few more harsh and strong tugs, the leg ripped right off the mechanical griever. It made a disgusting noise and it sent the boy falling backwards due to the opposing forces of motion. All five of them groaned, sitting back on the stone and cold floor of the maze. Hey they might have a few bruises tomorrow but at least they got the griever's leg off, that's all that mattered at the moment, and well, the fact that the griever was still dead.

Deam groaned and stood to his feet, whipping his hands off on his jeans. He looked back at the other men and saw them starting to get up groggily and looking at the griever's leg and remains that spilled from inside of it. He looked over and saw that Techno was still sat on the floor, rubbing at the back of his head softly. Dream smiled and offered his hand to the Pink-haired man, "You ok?" he asked worriedly, in case Techno was genuinely hurt.

"Yeah, thanks," Techno responded, gratefully grabbing Dream's hand and standing up. He smiled back at him and sighed, wiping the dirt and grime off his clothes quickly.

Dream and Techno suddenly joined the other men where they were surrounding the dead griever. There were guts and more body fluids spewing from it. It was a disgusting sight but it still didn't answer their questions about what the griever was categorized as. This fact would nag at Dream forever. Fundy looked at it with a disgusting look, hey, he might f been the leader of the slicers but umm, this was more disgusting than any animal he had to kill. The ginger looked truly petrified along with Quackity who had the same disgusted expression across his face.

Sapnap sighed when he heard the beeping again, it was coming from the grievers remains. Fuck. He'd have to put his hand back in that. He gulped and stared at it, none of the other boys getting any closer to the dead griever. Yeah, he'd have to put his hand back in that shit again.

Sapnap reached forward and grabbed what was either a lung or the heart of the griever, gaging as soon as he touched it. His eyes widened, it was covered in gooey body fluids and felt extremely weird. God, what he did for this newbie. The boys seemed to back away from now, not wanting the body fluids or remains to get anywhere near them. Of course, Dream was the one with the idea and yet he was the one standing farthest away with the rest of the men who didn't want to get close to the griever's guts.

Sapnap sighed before reaching his hand into the body part he held, closing his eyes as he did so. His fingers wrapped around a metal object which he assumed was the cause of the beeping noise. He tried to ignore the goo he was getting on his hands and decided to just pull out the metal object as quickly as he could without damaging it. Let's just say, the metal object was just as covered in goo as the rest of the pieces of the griever.

Sapnap now held a capsule-like object in his hand. He opened his eyes and started examining it, Dream walking up close to him to also look at it. Dream was more curious than Sapnap and you could tell by how Dream got close to it to look at it and Sapnap was holding it far away from himself.

"What the hell is that?" Dream asked, cocking his head to the side as he examined it.

Sapnap inspects it and notices the blinking number seven on it, "Interesting..." he hummed.

"Ok, whatever this is, Can we take it back to the glade? " Techno asked, looking up at the sky that was slowly casting into a bright orange and dark yellows. The sun was starting to go down and the maze doors would be closing soon, he was right. They had to go or they would be trapped in here again. "Cause I don't want to meet this guy's friends..." Techno finished crossing his arms.

"He's right." Sapnap hummed. "It's getting late. Come on."

Chapter Text

"We found this...it was inside the griever " Dream stated, handing the device over to George and Wilbur.

George looked closely at the device and quirked his eyebrows, looking at every tiny detail on it. From the flashing number seven and the letters that were on it. W.C.K.D. He knew those let's all too well. "Those are the letters on all of our supplies..." George stated, looking back up at the other men who stared at him and the device.

"Yeah, whoever put us here obviously made the grievers." Dream said back with a nod. H hummed and let the letters replay in his head. Why did they sound so familiar besides that? He shrugged it off and turned towards Sapnap and Bad who stood there quietly. "This is the first of any clues you've gotten on three years, right Bad?" He questioned for confirmation.

BadBoyHalo nodded softly with a quiet sigh that probably would've gone unheard.

Dream nodded and turned towards George and Wilbur with a confident and determined look. "George...we have to go back out there." Dream stated, gesturing to himself and the two runners who stood by his side. "Who knows where this may lead us?" You could hear the optimism in his voice and you could see how hope shinned in his eyes. God, what was he, a kid in hopes that their imagination was real? No wonder people got so frustrated with him, he was too curious and optimistic.

"You see what he's trying to do right?" Wilbur asked, turning towards George who's eyes were locked with Dream's. "First he breaks our rules and now wants us to abandon them totally. The rules are the only thing keeping us safe. Why are we now questioning that? You know if Skeppy was here he'd agree with me. This shank needs to be punished." Wilbur argued, a harshness lacing his tone in an angry way that made Dream shiver slightly. Wilbur really didn't like him, huh?

George looks at Dream and hands Sapnap the tracker back. "He's right. Dream broke our rules..." George started with a hum. It seemed like he was thinking, thinking of what to do. He didn't want to punish the boy harshly but Wilbur would get pissed if he didn't. "He gets one night in the pit with no food." George decided finally with a nod, crossing his arms.

"Seriously! Only one night in the pit?" Wilbur asked, an astonished look going across his face. Well, it was more frustrated than astonished but oh well, he was angry none the less "do you think that's gonna stop him from going into the maze?!" He yelled, glaring at George, and pointing at Dream. Yup, he wasn't happy with this at all.

"No." George stated with a huff, glaring back at Wilbur "and we can't have none runners running into the maze any time they want to. So- let's make it official..." George continued, looking over at dream with a soft smirk, "starting tomorrow, you're a runner, Dream." He stated with a nod, a type of fondness shinning in his eyes slightly as he looked at the blond boy.

"Wow" Wilbur stated before starting to walk away angrily, obviously pissed about what happened. Oh well, it wasn't his call at the moment, he asked George and George chose. There was no turning back now unless skeppy got better magically and made other plans but there was no possibility of that happening since he was stung.

"Will..." Technoblade started, turning to face his brother figure in hopes of getting him to come back.

"Not now techno." He stated, storming out of the hut and out into the glade. He was probably gonna go mop around angrily like he had been doing earlier that day but oh well, he was angry and that's all they knew. Even if he was angry, Dream was still glad George gave him such a simple punishment and made him a runner, he knew if Wilbur picked it would be a lot harsher.

Dream sighed and looked at George with a sweetness in his eyes, "Thank you, gogy." He smiled lopsidedly, chuckling softly.

George's smile dropped and he just sighed and walked away.

~

The Forest was calm today, it was an overcast day after all, and Dream found himself walking along the side of a large oak tree with Bad and Sapnap. He was admiring the beauty of the woods that surrounded him even if the other boys had other intents on their little walk today. Dream sighed and looked up, watching as the sunny sky was covered by the woods over the treetops which created a canopy over their heads, casting small bits of light and shadows down onto the ground. It was pretty.

The forest was pure and clean, as though it had never been disturbed by man and his vicious life-killing machines. Peacefully sleeping under the bright sky, the community of mighty timber had not a care in the world. As Dream continued to walk through the somber forest, he now recognized an appreciation for nature that he did not realize he had.

"Where are we going?" Dream asked both bad and Sapnap, taking his mind off of the nature around him. He actually wanted to know now, the two had just dragged him away after their little meeting earlier and said they needed to show him something and talk to him. The words were anxiety-inducing but he was still curious.

"You'll see..." Bad responded sternly, not looking back at the blond and distracted boy. Sapnap on the other hand just smiled sheepishly back at Dream and sighed.

After a few more minutes the boys approached a hut. Drem had never seen it before and he had gone pretty far into the forest that one day when JShaltt attacked him. He wondered how he had never come across this little hut out here in the woods, it was well hidden but also stuck out like a sore thumb. The other question was, why did people barely come out here?

The two boys in front walked into the hut, not looking back at Dream or the world around them, they seemed focused and serious. What was on their mind? Dream shrugged and quickly followed after them quickly, jogging through the entrance and entering the small hut. When he entered he was surprised at how clean and decorated it was. He looked at all the maps on the walls and the books that lined some of the smaller tables but what caught his attention was the large circular table that sat in the center of the room. Dream quirked an eyebrow at it and walked up to it to get a better view of what was on it.

"What is that?" DReam mumbled softly.

"That's the maze..." Sapnap stated softly, looking deeply into Dream's emerald green eyes. "All of it..." He shrugged, leaning back against another table and sighing softly. He and Bad had been meaning to bring Dream here since he killed the griever that day but Wilbur forbid it due to this place only being for the runners so now that Dream had been declared a runner by George, it was the perfect chance to dhow dream this.

"What do you mean all of it?" Dream asked, quirking an eyebrow and cocking his head to the side slightly. He was confused beyond words could say, what did they mean by that? "I thought you guys said you were still mapping it? George said you guys were still mapping even after 3 years."

"There's nothing left for us to map," Badboyhalo said with a sigh, crossing his arms gently. "We've run every inch of it ourselves. Every cycle. Every pattern. If there was a way out we would have found it by now...there's nothing left." He stated, shifting his weight back and forth as he talked. He seemed off edge now that he was telling Dream this. The curious boy had so much hope and believed there was a way out and these words would probably just put him into disbelief.

"Why haven't you told anyone this?" Dream asked, looking at Sapnap with a solemn look. He didn't look sad or betrayed, yet he still looked confused. Confused about why they kept that a secret after all that time they've been here. "Why didn't you let people know that there was no escape...?"

"It was Skeppys call. People needed to believe that we had a chance of getting out. I agreed with him." Sapnap stated with a huff, brushing his hair out of the way of his eyes "But maybe now...we might have a real chance." he said, handing Dream the tracker. You could hear a bit of hope in his words near the end. A bit oh hope that also shinned in his amber eyes.

Bad sighed and pointed to the map of the whole maze, "Take a look at this." Bad started, his words stern and serious "About a year ago we started exploring these outer areas. We found these numbers printed on the wall." He hummed gently, looking deeply at Dream for a second. "Sections one through eight. You see, the way it works is that every night when the maze changes it opens up a new section. So today, section six was open. Tomorrow it will be four, then eight, then three. The pattern always stays the same."

"What's so special about seven?" Dream questioned, cocking his head to the side questioningly.

"We don't know but last night when you killed that griever...Section seven was open." Bad stated with a small sly smile, "I think it must be where it comes from. Tomorrow or at least in a few days me, you, and sapnap are going to take a closer look. See if there's anything hidden that could get us out of here." He planned, his words now hopeful and filled with something that Dream had never seen in bad, pure determination.

All of a sudden before anyone else could say anything, Karl and Quackity came running up to the entrance of the hut, not daring to take a step into it though. They knew the rules and knew if they weren't full-time runners or leaders that they couldn't enter there.

"What are you two doing?!" Sapnap hissed, glaring half-heartedly at the two boys that he had a special place in his heart for. "You aren't allowed out here. You two know that."

"I'm sorry it's just, it's the-" Karl started just for quackity to cut him off.

"It's the girl," Quackity stated.

"Is she awake?" Dream asked, his eyes widening and his mood perking up. He wasn't perking up cause he was happy, he was perking up cause all of his questions could be answered now, all of his curious thoughts could be calmed. He just needed answers. Especially after everything that's happened today.

"You could say that?" Karl shrugged softly, "But you guys should definitely come back to the glade, and Ummm, help?"

~

"Tommy, Tubbo. What's going on?" Dream asked as he jogged up to the group of men that were standing at one side of the glade. Sapnap, Bad, Karl, and Quackity following quickly behind him, not even being a few feet away.

Tommy chuckled with a proud look, pointing to the lookout tower, "Girls are awesome." He stated with a smirk, crossing his arms with the same cockiness Wilbur held that night of the feast. It seems the apple doesn't fall far from the tree even if they weren't even true brothers, huh?

Dream looked over and heard the girl shouting from the top of the lookout tower throwing rocks and whatever she could find down at the boy who were on the ground. The men were trying to shield themselves the best they could, holding the top of creat over their heads and other items like actual shields, planks of wood, or nothing at all. It was a pitiful attempt to stop getting hit by the blunt objects that came from above but still, there wasn't much around the glade that they could use after all.

"Throw one more of those things and I'll-" Wilbur started before getting hit in the head with a rock. He winced and quickly back up, hiding under a shield with Fundy, adjusting his beanie so it was no longer lopsided from the attack. "I hate women....." He muttered, rolling his eyes as another rock was thrown from above that Fundy quickly shielded off.

"Go away!" The girl yelled, you could hear frustration and anger in her voice. She obviously didn't appreciate all the boys surrounding where she was.

"We come in peace?" Fundy tried to yell but it was no use, the girl just kept throwing things down at them harshly. For such a small and young girl, she threw pretty well, surprisingly. Hell, Deam was sure he had never seen tubbo or tubbo throw anything that forceful and they were older than her.

"Hey hey hey. What's going on?" Dream questioned as he ran into the crowd of men, looking around at all of them for an answer.

"Duck!" George said, quickly covering him and Dream with the top of a crate box before a rock could hit Dream in the back of the head. "I don't think she likes us very much." He stated, rolling his eyes and huffing. "Jokes on her...we don't like her that much either." He muttered, looking up at the blond boy who crouched beside him so he could actually be shielded from the attack.

"What do you want from me?!" The girl continued to yell, peeking out from over the edge slightly just so you could see the top of her head down to her emerald eyes. "GO away!!"

"Look! We just want to talk!" Dream yelled back, peeking his head out from behind whatever Goegre was shielding them with. Yeah, like that would help. The girl just overheard Dream's shout and kept throwing stuff, obviously not pleased with his answer. "We don't want to hurt you."

"I'm warning you!" The girl continued to shout, ducking back behind the ledge and raising another rock that seemed bigger than all of the other rocks she had thrown before. "Leave me alone or back off!" She warned, aiming the rock down at the crowd below her.

"Everyone take cover!" Wilbur stated as the girl threw more rocks and things. He and fundy quickly raised the shield in front of them again and everyone tried to hide under anything they could to avoid the attack from the girl above them. They all may have been strong but the girl had an advantage at the moment. Height and distance.

"It's Dream! It's Dream!" Dream yelled suddenly as if that would help at all. If the girl recognized him she would stop, right? That was Dreams thinking process and he sure hoped that it would work. All of a sudden the rocks just stopped coming and the girl peeked over the ledge, glaring at him. This time you could see her full face and you could see that she had tied her hair up into a messy ponytail now instead of letting her hair hang in front of her face. She looked kind of like Dream not gonna lie. "I'm gonna come up ok?" Deam stated wearily, stepping out from beside George.

Drem hesitantly climbed up the latter to the look-out tower, not daring to look down. He was still off edge about heights after that one jump and fall he took that night in the maze. Once he ended up getting to the top, slowly but surely, he opened the latched, climbing up onto the platform, his eyes widening at the sight he was met with.

"Whoah whoah whoah." Dream stated as he was met with the blond girl holding a fork out in front of her in defense. "Ok just, easy alright?

"Where am I?" The girl asked demandingly, her emerald green eyes identical to Dream's pulled into a narrow glare. "What is this place? Why can't I remember anything?" She yelled, wielding the fork in front of her in defense, staring deep into Dream's soul. She was angry and frustrated that was a given but Dream could sense fear behind those familiar emerald green eyes, the same fear he felt when he first showed up here.

Dream sighed, putting his hands out in front of him in case the girl actually decided to use the fork against him. "This is all normal, we've all been through this." Dream stated, gesturing to the men back on the ground who were standing there and listening curiously. "Ok. Now your name will come back to you in a couple of days hopefully. It's the one thing-"

"Drista" The girl stated quickly.

"What did you say?" Dream asked as he cocked his head to the side, staring confusingly at the blonde girl who sat in front of him.

"My name. It's drista." She said with a harsh tone, scoffing slightly towards the end.

"Well Drista, I'm Dream." Dream stated, "Well ugh you already knew that already I guess, huh?" He wheezed during the last sentence, it was a given that she knew him, hell she recognized him earlier when she came up in the box, the introduction really wasn't needed in the end but Dream was being better safe than sorry.

"They said I kept saying your name in my sleep." Drista muttered, still holding the fork out in front of her, "Who are you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and cocking her head to the side just like how Dream did when he was confused or curious about something. Something about this girl was just a little bit too similar to Dream but no one would ever know why, well, at least for now they wouldn't know why.

"I don't know." Dream hummed with a shrug, "I can't remember, ok. None of us here can remember anything. We all woke up here just like you did. Hey, I promise." He stated, trying to comfort and reassure the girl that she wasn't alone in this. He then reached for the fork in Drista's hands, "I'm gonna take this ok?" He took the fork and sighed softly, glad that the 'weapon' was now out of her hands.

"What's going on up there?!" Wilbur shouted from the ground suddenly.

"Is she coming down?" George called right afterwards, a slight wonder or curiosity hinting in his voice.

"Umm.." Dream muttered, "Hey you guys just give us a second ok?

George rolled his eyes in annoyance and sighed turning back to the other men that surrounded the lookout tower, "Alright come on. Let's give them their space..." he showed them all away, a bit of annoyance present in his attitude.

"Is this what all girls are like?" Techno asked as he walked off with everyone else.

~

"She's the last one. What does that mean?" Drista asked, looking over at Dream. They had been sitting up in the lookout tower for quite some time now due to drista not being comfortable enough yet to meet everyone else.

"I'm not sure." Dream stated softly, "Ever since you came up, the box hasn't gone back down. I just think it's got everyone a little worried. Especially Wilbur." Dream sighed, running his fingers through his dirty blond hair and looking down at Wilbur who still stood nearby with techno by his side. They were waiting and they probably wouldn't stop waiting till he and drista came back down.

"He thinks it's my fault." Drista hummed, not seeming phased by her own words or Dream's. It was obvious Wilbur was upset with her and thought it was her fault- it was a given just by the look on his face at the moment. Stern and angry. He wasn't happy at all about the girl showing up let alone what happened earlier with dream becoming a runner.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything else?" Dream asked softly, trying to change the subject. He looked over at the younger girl and offered her a heartfelt and guilty smile. He felt bad for her to be honest, not the fact that she couldn't remember, that happened to everyone, but that fact that she would get blamed for everything the second she left the lookout tower. That was a tough weight to carry, Dream should know, he was blamed for a lot of things and sure it was true but still, it wasn't this girl's fault. Dream purposefully broke the rules, this girl had no choice in if the box went back down or not. She was thrown into this situation...

"I remember water." Drista shrugged softly, blinking blankly as she looked out at the glade and took in all the fresh air, "Feeling like I was drowning. These faces staring at me. This voice. This mand voice repeating over and over that-" she was rambling at this point till Dream cut her off quickly.

"Wicked is good?" Dream finished for her, staring at her with a knowing look. He had seen all of those things too, but not as things he remembered. He saw all of that in his dreams he kept having. Those stupid nightmares. "Ever since I came here I've been having the same dreams night after night. Well, I thought they were dreams. You...You were there. You were there and told me that things were gonna change...It was strange and I know I sound insane but I swear I'm not lying..." He rambled, his quick and speedy words sounding just like Drista's from a few seconds prior.

"What does it mean?" Drista asked, not even giving Dream a weird look or questioning him. She believed him, she believed what he was saying. Yeah, he may have sounded like a crazed person if he said this to anyone else but no, Drista had a knowing look in her eye. She trusted Dream already and knew with how frantic he got in that moment that he couldn't be lying about those dreams or nightmares he had.

"I don't know. I just always get pieces." Dream murmured, his head falling slightly. His hands fidgeted in his lap as his feet swung off the edge of the lookout tower. He was glad Drista believed him but still, he wished he knew more. he wished that he understood those dreams and memories but it was a given that he obviously wouldn't not now, not never, with all of his memories being wiped when he got here he would never understand the full story or why or wh him and this girl were connected...

"and the others don't remember anything either?" Drista asked, cocking her head to the side as she looked at the older male. "Nothing at all, not even the ones who have been here for a long time?" She hummed. All of her questions were questions Dream asked on his first day here, it was normal for those questions huh? I bet every single glader had asked that question when they showed up? And well, they all got the same answer.

"No." Dream said, with a tired and almost annoyed sighed. He wasn't annoyed with drista but yet the fact that only them knew bits and pieces of what their life before this held. Why were they different? Why did they get to see glimpses of memories that others didn't? It was all too strange. "Why are we different, Drista?"

Drista didn't answer, she just huffed softly and tightened her ponytail. "I don't know why Dream, I really wish I did.." SHe muttered before her eyes lit up as if she came across a revelation. Drista quickly reached for the pocket of her green hoodie and handed three vials to Dream. They had metal tops and inside was a bright blue liquid that Dream had never seen before. He raised it up and examined it as Drista began to talk again. "These were in my pocket when I came up." She explained, looking at Dream as he kept looking at the strange vials of liquid.

"W.C.K.D..." Dream whispered, running his fingers over the letters on the vial. It was the same letters of the tracker and the same letters on their supplies. This- this wasn't a coincidence. And then it clicked, it all clicked in Dream's head. He kept repeating the letters over and over in his brain till he realized what the letters sounded like. His eyes widened and he turned towards the younger girl. "Wicked is good..."

Drista's eyes widened at that, she didn't think those letters meant anything till now. "What if we were sent here for a reason?" Drista questioned, looking up at the blond male with a questioning look.

"Skeppy..." Dream stated quickly, standing up quickly, "we have to check on skeppy..."