Note: Based on some headcanons I discussed in Candlelight
Daniel was dreaming and he knew he was dreaming. That's all he seemed to do- sleep and dream. Interspersed with short periods of waking. But at least, this was nice dream
Daniel and Danielle sat in the garden. The boy picked a dandelion and handed it to his sister. She smiled and added it to her growing flower chain. Daniel picked another flower. Putting the stem perpendicular to his own chain, he bent the stem and wrapped it around adding the flower to the chain.
Both kids kept making their flower crowns, chatting all the while. Danielle rambled about some book she found in the library, excitingly recounting the story she read. Daniel laughed at her enthused explanation, his laughter bright and clear.
"I'm going to have to read that too." He added. Then he looked down at the flower crown in his hands. "I'm done." He gently put it on the girl's head. "There! You look beautiful, sis."
She giggled before shoving her own crown on his head. "Very handsome yourself!"
He laughed, standing up. "You wanna go look for frogs in the creek?"
"Yeah." She nodded as he helped her to her feet. "Let's go!"
Danielle hoped in front of him as Daniel trailed her. They passed the rose bushes and something rustled. A skeletal head popped up.
"Hey Bones." Daniel smiled addressing the skeletal ghost. The ghost rubbed his face against the flower petals. Then he titled his head, floating forward. A boney finger poked at the flowers on Daniel's head. "You like it?" The boy asked and the ghost nodded. Daniel lifted the chain off his head and placed it on his head. "Here you go."
The ghost purred happily. He wiggled his fingers in the approximation of a wave before floating back to the rose bush.
Daniel continued after Danielle who had stopped in front of him. "Here kitty, kitty." She was calling the black cat that liked to creep around the garden. It slowly approached her and with a brief sniff, rubbed its head against her fingers.
Daniel knelt down beside his sister. "Well, aren't you a good girl?" He addressed the cat, offering his hand for the cat to sniff.
Purring, it approached him too. The boy gently scratched the cat's head.
Then a deep laugh sounded behind him. Daniel turned and his sister beamed. "Muscles!"
The large ghost ambled towards them, eager hands reaching towards the cat. He knelt down beside Daniel who gently grabbed his hand as he reached towards the cat. Daniel met the ghost's green eyes. "Gentle, like I showed you, okay? You have to be gentle with the cat."
The ghost nodded, his large hands slowly reaching to pet the cat. The animal accepted the petting, purring loudly. Then as the ghost sat down on his behind, the cat pawed at his legs, tentatively climbing onto his lap. The ghost laughed again, smiling brightly as the cat kneaded him to bed down.
Daniel stood up, leaving the ghost and the cat. He and Danielle continued towards the stream. After walking a few minutes, the watered bubbled in front of them. The girl ran forward, slashing into the water. She squatted down to grab at something. "Ah! I almost had it."
Her brother laughed, squatting down himself. He then furrowed his brow. What was that in the water? He gently cupped his hands around a long, squiggling amphibian. "Danielle."
She slashed toward him. "What?"
"I found a salamander." He grinned, slowing her the black, yellow spotted animal.
"Wow." She marveled.
Something buzzed beside the boy's ears before a small green figure flew in front of his face. Daniel smiled. "Tiny. You wanna see?"
The small ghost bobbed in the air, then slowly floated forward until he was beside Daniel's hands. The ghost's head turned down, looking at the salamander.
"Can I hold it?" Danielle asked, holding out her hands.
"For a bit. We shouldn't keep it out of the water for too long." Gently, he moved the animal to his sister's hands.
While she marveled at the amphibian, Tiny landed in Daniel's hands. The boy raised a brow. "You want a ride, buddy?" The ghost nodded, sitting down and Daniel gently ruffled the ghost's hair.
Daniel smiled, watching his sister put the salamander down. He was really lucky to have her and his other ghostly siblings.
Slowly, Daniel returned to consciousness, floating in liquid with glass between him and the world. A girl with blue eyes and black hair stood in front of him. The boy smiled; his sister, Danielle was here, really here. Daniel moved his hand to the surface of the pod, reaching towards the girl. It was their signal that he was awake and ready and able to listen. Eyes brightening, she moved her hand across his.
"Hey brother." Her voice was distant, wavering through the glass and water. "You up to talk?"
He nodded his head up and down. A none-verbal yes. He was always ready to 'talk' to his sister, even if all he could do was nod or shake his head. Daniel was so happy she had taught him how to do that.
Her smile widened. "I have big news. Dad...Dad said he's figured out what you need to be healthy, so you can come out of your chamber."
His eyes widened as his mouth dropped. Did that mean….?
She continued, her smile growing. "He said we need someone's DNA. I don't really understand what that means but he's taking me and Bones, Tiny, and Muscles somewhere so we can help him get that. And...and when we're done, you'll be ready." By the end, her grin stretched ear to ear, her eyes shining with happy tears.
If Daniel could cry underwater, his eyes might have watered too. Soon, soon. He'd be ready and free.
The girl started jumping up and down in her excitement. "I have so many things I want us to do when you're ready. We can play hide and go seek and play tag. And...and the garden, I can't wait for you to actually see it!"
The boy nodded. Yes, yes yes! He agreed. Oh, she'd shown him pictures and her drawings but he wanted to see and feel it himself!
Taking in his reaction, Danielle beamed. "And you have to try brownies! And ice cream! We can learn how to actually cook food together! I found some yummy looking food in some cookbooks in the library!"
Daniel couldn't help but lick his lips. He understood the idea of food, though he didn't know what anything tasted like. But, oh how he wanted to try.
The girl continued rambling as he thought. "And we can draw and play board games. And read together. And look at the stars. And…. I have a whole list of stuff." At the end, she stopped jumping, her expression turning wistful. "And...Daniel. I can't wait to hear what your voice sounds like."
The boy didn't know how but he smiled even wider. He wanted to speak too. To really talk, like he could in his dreams. He had so many things to say to her and to ask, much more than the yes and no they've managed so far. And he too had a list of things he kept in his mind. But what he wanted most….
Daniel moved his other hand to the glass. He wanted to move closer, right up against the glass but floating with weak, uncoordinated limbs, moving his arms was all he could manage. But what he wanted more than anything was to be on the other side of that glass, with his arms wrapped around the girl. He wanted to hug his sister.
Danielle moved her hand as well, coming palm to palm with him. Her eyes were watering again as she looked up at him. "I can't wait to hug you and actually talk to you."
He smiled, nodding furiously. Then, furrowing his brow thoughtfully, the boy tried something he'd only attempted a few times. He carefully moved his lips and his tongue, trying to mimic Danielle's mouth when she spoke. It took a few tries but he managed to mouth the words.
I love you.
His sister got the message, her eyes lighting up with joy. "I love you too. So much, Daniel."
They stayed like that for several moments, Daniel still wanting to hug her but unable to. But it was okay. He'd be free and able to do that very soon.
Suddenly a voice called from another room. "Danielle! Come here!"
"Coming Dad!" The girl called. Then, with a flash of light, she changed, her eyes turning green and her hair white. She floated up so they were at eyes level. "I'll see you when I get back, bro."
Daniel managed a small wave, watching as Danielle floated up and through the ceiling. With the room silent and empty, the boy closed his eyes and very soon after fell asleep again.
Daniel dreamed another dream. This time makes cookies with Danielle. It was fun. They laughed, getting flour all over themselves and the kitchen. Father would be upset but the cookies were delicious. The boy was ecstatically happy.
Until he was suddenly jolted back to consciousness.
The world titled. The crash of broken glass and metal as liquid poured around him. Suddenly he was on the floor and struggling to breathe. He normally didn't have to breath when he was awake in the chamber.
Then pain. Confusion. His nose wrinkled. What was happening? He wasn't ready yet. Pain! Something was wrong. His eyes fell on a blue-skinned, black-haired ghost. The man stared at him in alarm. "No!"
Daniel recognized the voice. Father? He wanted to ask but his voice didn't work.
Pain! He turned his head, looking at his left hand. It was bubbling and green. No...this was….Another stab of pain. The green spread up his arm and onto his chest. What was happening?!
There was a gasp, from a young female voice. His head turned, raising off the floor as his eyes met his sister's neon green eyes. Danielle? What was happening? Why wasn't he in his chamber? Her face morphed into despaired shock. She was upset. Daniel wished he could talk to her, ask what was happening. But his body hurt so badly. Why?
The green continued to spread. He could feel it on his face as his eyes met the figure beside Danielle. A boy a little taller than his sister but with the same green eyes and white hair. Who was this? Another brother? He looked horrified.
Daniel's gaze turned back to his sister. Danielle. He wanted to hug her. He reached out with his right hand. His eyebrows raised as his fingers turned green and melted, dripping away. Oh god. What was this? Was he dying?
He was dying. Wasn't he? Panic rose, as his desperate eyes pleaded. Someone, anyone! Please! Save me! He didn't want to die! He wanted to live! He glanced at the boy. He wanted to know who that was. Talk to him if he was another brother like Bones, and Muscles, and Tiny. Maybe he could talk back like his sister. His eyes met Danielle's again. He wanted to live, to do all the things they talked about.
His arm was completely gone, the white hair at the edge of his vision gone. It bubbled away, into green sludge. Everything hurt but he couldn't feel his body. He couldn't feel it, at all! His mind screamed, then suddenly went fuzzy. Blackness invaded his thoughts as his vision went cloudy. He barely made out Danielle's terrified face. One last thought. Please he didn't want to die. Then he knew no more.
To be continued…..