Chapter Text
My house was more cozy than big, but I liked it. My mom was sitting in her seat in front of the tv, staring blankly at it. The tv wasn't even on. Screaming static took over the screen.
I slumped towards my room, taking off my book-bag when arriving to my room. I layed back on the bed and let a breath out that I felt like I had kept in since the beginning of second period. High school had met the expectations in the form of boringness of work, but I didn't expect meeting someone who could make the day interesting. Not that much.
I had to remember how I knew him. I can't do homework, I can't deal with mother, I can't do anything. I didn't even have video games to distract because my mother took them away. Gotta work on that homework this year, you hear, Billy! I mocked her in my own mind. She was so drunk last night she didn't remember my name.
I get it. Her husband died. My dad died. People leave you, involuntarily or not, but it happens. You have to deal and move on.
I turned my body to lay on my side and pulled the covers half over myself. I might as well try to sleep. There's nothing else to do.
And with that fact, I fell asleep with no intention of anything.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
This was different. I was hovering over myself as a young child, running through the Big Woods like it wasn't the scariest thing on the face of Earth.
My smaller self ran with a flashlight on all the way until he reached the back circle.
I tried to tell myself to stop, to turn back, but I wouldn't listen to myself. I don't even think Little Dan could hear me.
Before I knew it, Little Dan was talking. He said the one name I thought I had escaped from by sleeping: Phil. The young me yelled out his name with a laugh.
And Little Dan turned the light to shine it on the appeared Phil.
The little me began laughing, running up to and hugging a smiling Phil. A /pointed/ smile.
His teeth in the front were all normal, but his canines on the top jutted out to poke against his bottom lip.
Little Dan kept pulling at Phil's sleeve until he sat down, little Dan now being taller.
Phil began to speak. "How are you, Danny? I missed you!" he said, smiling up at him- at /me/- with pure admiration. His voice was completely different. He sounded happier with things.
"I did, too!" Little Dan beamed. He- I mean, I- then began talking about everything of that day, including what food I ate and how excited I was for my dad to get back even though he had just left that day. I remember that day, too, I think..
And just like that I began to remember the feeling of slowly having my dad take longer and longer trips, I remember the short amount of time where I was young. I was young, and had happiness, and imagination. I had an imaginary friend from my imagination.
Or that's what I was told it was until now.
My not-so-imaginary friend, Phil.
The tree limbs began swirling as a tornado-like image went in front of me. I felt it swoop me up and when I opened my eyes , everything calmed down and began to stop swirling. I was in my living room, looking at the room as if I was at the roof and the ceiling was removed. I could see everything.
Little Dan was sitting on the couch with my mom's arm around me, both of us crying very loudly. A police officer stood in front of us, radiating empathy. I could feel it from where I watched the scene unravel. This was when we found out my dad had drove too fast on too dangerous of a road. I was nine.
I looked at the living room fully when the sight of my mother in such distress was too much. The tv that was barely up to my waist even at the age of nine was still there. We hadn't gotten the money that my dad had saved for us yet. The carpet was clean from my dad always using some scrubbing stuff on it. It didn't stay like that for long.
I looked out to the opening of the kitchen, expecting to see the slight bit of the refridgerator poking out. Instead, I saw a pair of familiar eyes poking out in the darkness.
Purple eyes.
The tornado came back before I could look anymore, whipping up the scenario into a white blur. I closed my eyes again, starting to feel my own eyes in slumber twitch. /No/, I told myself. I couldn't wake up yet. I tugged at the rope of consciousness.
The swirling stopped. The class bully of my first year of middle school appeared, holding me against the famous lockers of the halls. We weren't even allowed to use the lockers; it was almost like they were there just for the pure cliche act.
The bully that name I had forgotten had me pinned against the locker that everyone would purposefully avoid going near strictly because this is where the infamous bullying crew would strike. Around these lockers.
The bully wasn't beating me up or anything. At this point; students were all walking around, no one really paying attention. They would still be careful though, I remembered that. It wasn't like what I had heard about high school. They wouldn't beat you up in middle school psychically; they would get you there mentally and make up for the beating in high school.
The stress of watching my younger self with tears streaming and everyone stopping to watch and even looking to see the occasional teacher walked by was giving my anxiety new levels. I could feel the words stabbing even myself as if it was psychical abuse. I couldn't handle it anymore. My younger self started screaming, but I couldn't move away. I was stuck, watching him squirm under the grasp of the bully. I couldn't help him.
I looked over to all of the students worming through the halls before my eyes laid upon a certain student. Hell, not even a student.
It was Phil, going through the halls with an even stride. I watched him go down the hall and even saw him before he turned the corner talking to Mrs. Gillian. She was one of the only teachers I really cared about in middle school; she was stuck at the wrong school it seemed like. She was the most caring teacher ever, but all of the kids drove her insane with constant bullying and not caring about grades.
I heard she quit over the summer.
Seeing Phil talking to her before she ran to stop the younger me from the verbal abuse was enough to make my heart race. I had the feeling of both my asleep self's heartbeat going along with in the dream. Wait, this is a dream. Why am I staying to watch this? Why am I even watching all of this?!
I bolted up from my bed with a racing heart.
I had to go. I had to go and see if he would be there if I went. He had been there for me for most of my childhood, staying close to me and keeping me safe. He had been there for it all.
I almost sprinted through the hallway. In the living room window, I could see the darkness of outside. My mom was still staring at the TV.
I went outside with my phone's flashlight on, not wanting to rely on my flashlight's batteries that had been untouched for years. They probably didn't even work. It had been so long from going out here that I didn't want to try and navigate myself by moonlight, especially with just waking up. Adrenaline was my one energy right now.
My legs pushed forward in an even step to make sure I didn't go back. All of the trees towered over me of course, but it felt different than the trees at school. They actually felt /scary/.
The branches moved in the windless air. I kept going.
After a slow-moving few minutes, I reached the back of the trail. The circle looked as scary as ever.
My breath was shaky and fighting to be louder than the beating of my heart. Everything was shadows, shadows and limbs on trees that began to move quicker. he wind didn't blow but the rustling increased. I almost whimpered.
"P-Phil?" I said so quietly even I could barely hear it, but only a moment later, there were footsteps.
I turned around to see Phil a few feet away.
I took a step back. The light of my phone illuminated his entire self, letting me actually get to see him. There were bags under his eyes as well as well as a straight line of his lips. His eyes were wider than usual. He looked almost scared.
"Dan, did you have the dreams.?" Phil's voice was very careful and soft. Surprisingly, I could hear him over the rustle and my breathing problems.
I nodded. I had a feeling he could see it in the dark.
He sighed, pacing for a few minutes before stopping and walking over to me. I didn't move, although I didn't know what was to happen. Everything felt too surreal to be truly scared.
IHe took a few more steps only about a foot away now. I pointed the phone downwards; the moonlight was enough to see by.
You've gone through a lot, and you've probably wondered why you, or you were about to ask."
He was right. Why me??
"I've been there for you, Dan. I know you probably don't realize it, and you could hate me right now for leaving, or hell, coming back even.."
Phil's voice cracked at the end. My heart skipped at least five beats, the words getting stuck in my throat that I wanted to immediately tell him.
He must've mistaken my silence for anger. He took a small step back, hanging his head down to look at the leaves that stirred slightly. "I'll leave you alone, Dan.. just say the words. I can't leave untill you say." He looked back up, his eyes now a galaxy and most definitely glowing.
I couldn't help his sad tone. I took forward the step he had gone back, and pulled him into the first hug I had had in months.
*Phil's P.O.V*
Dan's arms wrapped around my stomach as I instinctively held him close. This was my Dan in my arms, the one for me for the past ten years. I waited, watching him go through the worst of things and he's now finally in my arms.
Wait, why is he in my arms.
I didn't move, remembering how even little Dan liked security, when I whispered, "Why are you being so nice to me right now..?" I really didn't understand it.
Dan chuckled, for whatever reason. I could feel tears starting to seep through my shirt from him, though.
"You dumb idiot. You did have me, and it did hurt like hell, but I was fine. I forgot. You were what, seventeen? It stuck with you. Hell, I forgot your name and couldn't even connect you to what happened when I saw you. I just have the feeling of loneliness; you have a face to go along with it."
I chuckled. "That's true, I suppose. But I am okay. I'm not going to leave again, you know that, right?" I reluctantly pulled him back a bit to look into his eyes.
He smiled, his teeth showing. He hadn't had that smile in a long time, I knew that. It didn't last long, though. He looked down for a minute before looking back up. His face melted from one of happiness to one of confusion.
"Uhm, Phil?" his voice got a bit thinner.
"Hm?"
"What are you?"