BLIND | DreamSMP

III - Refuge / The Cottage

It had been about an hour since Tommy left the still smoking remains of Logstedshire behind and ventured out into the wilderness.

At first, every twenty feet or so he had panicked and considered turning around, but the doubt faded the father he went, and a strange feeling came over him as he continued. It was like a weight had been pulled off of him, one that had been attached to him for so long he hadn't even noticed how heavy and uncomfortable it was until he was free of it.

Tommy walked through forests, admiring the untouched landscape and the curious wildlife. Flowers littered the ground, an abundance of pinks and yellows of every shade. He stooped down to pick some of the prettier ones, gathering tulips and peonies into a loose bouquet as he went.

It was all so peaceful, and Tommy was lost in the lucid daydream it created.

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He shivered involuntarily, breaking the spell and yanking himself back into reality.

Tommy blinked a few times to clear his head, and looked around, surprised to find himself in a much colder environment. A thin layer of snow covered the ground and the pine trees were dusted with flakes as well.

The bouquet had begun to droop, and Tommy let it fall to the ground. The sun was much lower in the sky than he remembered it being. The peaceful daydream had distracted him from both his thoughts and reality, and as the last remnants of the fantasy faded away, Tommy began realizing why running away maybe wasn't such a bright idea.

He was cold, tired from walking, not to mention that he would surely be blind soon. He tried to push away thoughts of the potion, not wanting to break down crying; he would cry when he was safe and warm.

But where could he find shelter? Tommy pursed his lips, thinking hard. As far as he knew, no one lived out here; what kind of idiot would choose to settle in such an isolated place? Tommy couldn't imagine living farther than a few minutes from his friends.

An idea came to him then; he would find a village, and stay there! He was sure there was one somewhere around here, and villages had farms that produced plenty of good food, warm houses, and soft beds. He could stay there until the blindness wore off.

Tommy smiled, proud of himself for thinking up the plan. He started walking again, this time with a purpose in mind.

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Dream sauntered through the nether, a smile on his face, heading towards the portal that would bring him to Tommy. There wasn't much time before the potion kicked in and Tommy lost his vision, and Dream wanted to be there when it happened. It was certainly beneficial to his relationship with Tommy to be present; none of Tommy's other friends would be there to support him.

No, he would be alone except for Dream, and not just until Dream decided to revoke the new rules barring all visits.

Dream was returning from L'Manburg, where he had just informed Tubbo that Tommy had died, drowned in the river. So sad, heartbreaking really, that Tommy had been pushed to suicide by the lonesomeness of his exile. Tubbo would tell everyone else, ensuring that Tommy would have no future visitors.

Dream smiled to himself; he enjoyed the games he played with people. Humans were such fallible creatures, easy to mold and shape with the proper tools. And Dream was a master craftsman, sculpting the minds of everyone around him.

His favorite and most challenging sculpture yet had been Tommy. He was a stubborn child, and it was hard at first to get him to respond to Dream's subtle prodding and poking. His exile had been a great help to Dream, allowing him to slip inside Tommy's defenses and begin a hostile takeover. Tommy was such a social boy; being separated from his friends made him vulnerable and receptive to Dream's manipulation.