What Is This?

It was a peaceful sleep, at least, for me. For the kid, not so much.

Shortly after I fell asleep, I was woken up by the kid, sniffling and holding their blanket close to their body. They turned on the light as if they were scared of what might be in the dark. I was stirred awake by the sniffling.

I saw them curled up in their bed, surrounded by the comfort of their blanket. It looked as if they wanted to get up but were glued to the spot. My brows crease in worry. I get up and walk over to them, they flinched but relaxed when they saw it was me. I smile softly at them and reached timidly towards them.

"Hey there."

They sniffled again. Their face was covered in tears and snot, their body trembled in fear. They tried hiding it behind a smile but all that did was make me worry even more. Then the kid buried their head into the side of their blanket and let out a spine-chilling sob.

I couldn't take it anymore, I reached forward and wrapped my arms around them, for a second the kid froze before they rested their head against my chest and started crying harder the vibrations of their sobs wracked through my chest. I rubbed their back affectionately.

"Hey, sh-sh-sh. What's wrong?" They whimpered and I hummed. "Nightmare?" They nodded against my chest. Still whimpering every now and again.

"It's okay," I soothed. "It's gonna be alright. I'm here, nothing can hurt you here. You're safe." I continued to rub their back in comforting circles and their whimpers turned to soft breathing and soon turned to snores. I look back at them and saw them curled up in my lap and sleep. I smile and looked over at the light. I reached as far as I could before being able to get to the light. I switched it off and the kid stirred slightly before going back to sleep. I was about to go back to the floor but the kid clung to my shirt and wouldn't let go, so I laid down next to them. Holding them gently in my arms before reassuring them and myself. Before falling asleep again.

"You're safe here."

~

I woke up calmly, the kid was still attached to me sleeping soundly. I felt well rested and decided we should probably get up and move on.

I didn't dream of anything, at least. Nothing I could remember.

I gently shook the kid awake. They grumbled then yawned, their arms rose above their head and almost punching me in the cheek.

Their eyes blinked open and they looked at me blankly then smiled.

I smiled back. "we should get up and moving. " They nodded and yawned again. The kid lets go of me then shifted over to the edge of the bed. They slid off the bed and padded over to the extra pillow and blankets on the floor then picked them up and folded them up.

I scooted off the bed and turned around to straighten the blankets and pillows nicely. I grabbed the jar of spider cider I had set on the side table earlier that night then set it in the crook of my elbow of my left arm. I left the room with the kid following closely behind.

I walk to the living room and hear humming from the door behind Toriels chair. Toriel came out of there and smiled.

"Hello. Are you hungry? I have breakfast~" she sang, handing us both a plate of food. Once again I didn't recognize the ingredients. Or maybe I did and I just couldn't remember.

The kid seemed happy at this and practically inhaled theirs. Soon after they got their plate, the sounds of the fork scraping scraps and pieces off the plate resounded in the room. I ate slowly and watched them. Once they finished theirs they looked at mine with puppy dog eyes, their mouth still chewing their own food. I half smiled and rolled my eyes giving them some of my plate. They giggled silently.

I finished the food and looked at Toriel. "Hey, I was wondering how I could get home?"

She looks at me with a stricken look, "Uh... Huh?"

I blink and lick the residue of her delicious cooking off my lips then continued. "Well, It seemed I fell and I must have come from somewhere, So I have to get there to remember. And I was wondering if there was an exit."

Toriel coughs and looks down, she could A. be a good person and tell the truth or B. Lie and say there is no way out and they could stay with her. She sighs and chooses A.

"Y-yes, there is another way, but it's extremely dangerous. There're other monsters who hunt humans and collect their souls. I-its not safe.." Toriel looks away with a worried look.

I sit there for a second and let that sink in, monsters out there want to KILL humans. Probably do it for sport or something. I could either stay here with kind nice motherly Toriel where its SAFE in the RUINS but might never remember who I am and where I came from, or if I even had a life before the fall.

But... I have to remember, there's something important I feel I should be doing right now.

I sigh and look at her. "We'll be fine, I'll take good care of the kid and get them through safely, but I have to go and-... I have to go, I have a feeling that even if I stay here, things wouldn't feel right."

Toriel looks at me, she gives me a long look before nodding. "Yes well, get everything you need and I'll take you there."

I smile at her, a real smile and jump up, wincing slightly at the little pain that spiked through my bruised ankle but it was too small for her to notice, and hugged Toriel. She seemed momentarily startled but slowly wrapped her arms around me. The kid felt left out and squeezed between us, she chuckled and knelt down to hug them too.

I grabbed the spider cider and went to the room again, looking for anything that I might need in the future. I found a sports book bag that seemed worn and old but definitely useable. I put the spider cider in there nice and cozy like I saw items already in the bag, looked like the items varied. I definitely felt shoes and there was some sort of clothing. I shrugged and flung the bag onto my back then walked over to the kid and Toriel.

Toriel showed me a worn book which I didn't get a chance to read the title before she turned me around and zipped it into my bag. I smile at the kid and they smiled back. I jolt in place then remembered. I went back to the guest room and found my cell phone. It was silver with a weird insignia on the back. It seemed like it had some importance to me, It seemed like the meaning was on the tip of my tongue but I couldn't put my finger on it. I sighed and hoped that moving on would help something somehow.

I went back to Toriel and the kid, the kid showed me Tupperware of some foods they wanted to bring along so I swung my bag off my back and tucked the food into it. I noticed how the bag could easily hold the kid If it was empty of course. I smiled and remarked it to them, they found it funny.

Toriel waved us melancholy like to follow her towards the stairs, we went down a small flight of them and along a lo-ng hallway in silence. We found ourselves at a large purple door.

"H-here we are." She sniffled. She crouched down and hugged the kid for a long while before wiping tears from her fluffy cheeks.

She turned to me and opened her arms, I welcomed the cinnamon and what I recently learned, butterscotch smell that enveloped us both. She was so warm and soft and yet had a cool and calm demeanor at the same time. She sighed and squeezed slightly making me realize this lady was really strong and could crush me if she wished. She pulled away and rubbed my arms looking like she wanted to say something but shook her head and smiled through her tears. She walked away without looking back.

The kid and I looked at each other before pushing open the door together, welcoming the light that shone from the other side.