p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"uspan style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Chapter 8- Only a Nightmare/span/u/em/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI gasped awake. All that broke the engulfing darkness was the harsh blue glow of my magic. I felt smothered and tethered down. I was crumpled up, fists clenched tightly, arms pinned at my sides, my legs tangled in thick bonds./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Panicky, I flailed. I threw my weight to the side and suddenly fell. I hit the ground with a dull em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"thud/em. Thrashing, I burst from the suffocating prison... to see sheets fluttering to the ground around me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I had been wrapped up in blankets. My blankets. I was in my bed. Well, beside it, now. Wide-eyed, I stared in disbelief at the clutter around me. Memories of pain flashed through my mind. I grasped at my chest; I was still in one piece. Before I could even begin to process all this—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS!" My breath caught. It couldn't be. Thunderous knocking ensued. "SANS, GET UP, YOU LAZYBONES! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I shot up. Lunging for the door, I flung it open, and with a cry of "em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"papyrus!", /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"I dove to embrace /spanmy brother. It was so sudden and unexpected that it knocked him down./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS, WHAT ON EARTH—?" He went silent as a sob shook my entire body. Weeping, I buried my face in the orange scarf, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"his /emscarf, and started blubbering like a baby./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""you're alive. you're emhere!" /emI exclaimed, voice muffled in the bright "/emi'm sorry, papyrus. i'm so sorry. i can't believe—i never thought—!" Paps seemed to shake away the stars circling his head as he sat up. I clung tighter. If I let go, he would surely disappear. "please, i'm so sorry! it's all my fault. i never should have left—!" Papyrus softly shushed me, returning the hug./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS," he soothed gently, "CALM DOWN. IT'S ALRIGHT, NOW. IT WAS JUST A BAD DREAM."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""but you were dead! i lost you. it was all my fault!" Papyrus managed to pry me off./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""LOOK AT ME," he insisted. Reluctant to let go, I tried to grab him again. He held me just out of range. Finally, rubbing the stinging tears from my eyes, I tried to focus on my brother. "IT WAS A DREAM. EVERYONE IS ALRIGHT. IT WAS ONLY A NIGHTMARE!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAs I opened my mouth to argue, I realized Papyrus had to be right. He was here, wasn't he? And so was I. Here we were, in our home, alive and together. Already, the terrifying details began to fade. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"A demonic, red-eyed human killed my brother? Well, there were no humans in the Underground. It'd been ages since one fell from the mountain. Plus, Papyrus had lots of HP. It would take more than an old kitchen knife to kill him. The whole ordeal seemed like a distant, obscure memory. A dream. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"it was just a nightmare…?/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""only a nightmare," I repeated hoarsely. Papyrus beamed and pulled me close for a hug once more./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""YES! AND YOU'RE AWAKE, NOW, SO THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"New tears filled my eyes—tears of joy, this time. Sighing, Papyrus set me down and patiently brushed them from my cheeks. Gently holding my face in his hands, he cheerfully tapped his forehead to mine as a good-morning greeting. The simple, affectionate gesture was enough to soothe my heavy soul; a relieved smile flickered across my face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""NOW!" Papyrus exclaimed happily, "WE'VE GOT A FULL DAY AHEAD OF US. COME ALONG. BREAKFAST IS READY!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnd with that, he sprang up, grabbed my hand, and hauled me away. I scurried to keep up, skipping every other stair in attempt to match Papyrus's pace. I felt like laughing. I knew I'd done something like this every day of my life, but in that moment, I couldn't imagine anything more exciting./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBreakfast on the couch was spectacular. It was a cozy, familiar safety. Even though Mettaton's morning show felt strangely predictable, it captured my attention better than any episode before. Each of Papyrus's elaborate ideas to capture a human sounded plausible. And even though the traditional spaghetti was slimy and hard to swallow, I decided it tasted amazing. I ate every last mushy noodle, much to my brother's delight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAfterwards, I accompanied Papyrus into town. When we parted ways, I didn't teleport to my station. I walked every step on foot. I'd kept to myself for so long, I'd forgotten how friendly the people of Snowdin were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Despite being trapped under a stony ceiling, the sky was beautiful. It glowed with photon magic and bioluminescent cave vines, and looked bigger than I remembered. The trees lining the snowy path were such a deep emerald green. Even my little sentry box seemed cleverly crafted and comfortable. The world was so quiet and calm./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Watching the soft snowflakes drift down, I realized something. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"perhaps you have to lose everything you love—even if only in a dream—to finally love everything you have. /emBlinking in surprise, I chuckled to myself. It was a deep thought for such an early hour./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Pulling my hood up, I rested my head on the wooden surface of the sentry station. Slowly, I fell into a peaceful sleep…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"BANG!/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy eyes snapped open. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"the ruin doors. /emThe innocent happiness I had felt suddenly seemed to be mocking me. Teleporting from my sentry station into the thick tree line near the overgrown path, I peered out from the shadows./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThere was the human. They held a dusty knife. Their eyes were red. All the memories snapped back into place. With dizzying, splintering horror, I realized—em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"it wasn't a dream. /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"This was real./span/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanI gasped awake. All that broke the engulfing darkness was the harsh blue glow of my magic. I felt smothered and tethered down. I was crumpled up, fists clenched tightly, arms pinned at my sides, my legs tangled in thick bonds./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Panicky, I flailed. I threw my weight to the side and suddenly fell. I hit the ground with a dull em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"thud/em. Thrashing, I burst from the suffocating prison... to see sheets fluttering to the ground around me./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I had been wrapped up in blankets. My blankets. I was in my bed. Well, beside it, now. Wide-eyed, I stared in disbelief at the clutter around me. Memories of pain flashed through my mind. I grasped at my chest; I was still in one piece. Before I could even begin to process all this—/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS!" My breath caught. It couldn't be. Thunderous knocking ensued. "SANS, GET UP, YOU LAZYBONES! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE—"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"I shot up. Lunging for the door, I flung it open, and with a cry of "em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"papyrus!", /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"I dove to embrace /spanmy brother. It was so sudden and unexpected that it knocked him down./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS, WHAT ON EARTH—?" He went silent as a sob shook my entire body. Weeping, I buried my face in the orange scarf, em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"his /emscarf, and started blubbering like a baby./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""you're alive. you're emhere!" /emI exclaimed, voice muffled in the bright "/emi'm sorry, papyrus. i'm so sorry. i can't believe—i never thought—!" Paps seemed to shake away the stars circling his head as he sat up. I clung tighter. If I let go, he would surely disappear. "please, i'm so sorry! it's all my fault. i never should have left—!" Papyrus softly shushed me, returning the hug./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""SANS," he soothed gently, "CALM DOWN. IT'S ALRIGHT, NOW. IT WAS JUST A BAD DREAM."/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""but you were dead! i lost you. it was all my fault!" Papyrus managed to pry me off./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""LOOK AT ME," he insisted. Reluctant to let go, I tried to grab him again. He held me just out of range. Finally, rubbing the stinging tears from my eyes, I tried to focus on my brother. "IT WAS A DREAM. EVERYONE IS ALRIGHT. IT WAS ONLY A NIGHTMARE!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAs I opened my mouth to argue, I realized Papyrus had to be right. He was here, wasn't he? And so was I. Here we were, in our home, alive and together. Already, the terrifying details began to fade. /span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"A demonic, red-eyed human killed my brother? Well, there were no humans in the Underground. It'd been ages since one fell from the mountain. Plus, Papyrus had lots of HP. It would take more than an old kitchen knife to kill him. The whole ordeal seemed like a distant, obscure memory. A dream. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"it was just a nightmare…?/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""only a nightmare," I repeated hoarsely. Papyrus beamed and pulled me close for a hug once more./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""YES! AND YOU'RE AWAKE, NOW, SO THERE'S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"New tears filled my eyes—tears of joy, this time. Sighing, Papyrus set me down and patiently brushed them from my cheeks. Gently holding my face in his hands, he cheerfully tapped his forehead to mine as a good-morning greeting. The simple, affectionate gesture was enough to soothe my heavy soul; a relieved smile flickered across my face./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';""NOW!" Papyrus exclaimed happily, "WE'VE GOT A FULL DAY AHEAD OF US. COME ALONG. BREAKFAST IS READY!"/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAnd with that, he sprang up, grabbed my hand, and hauled me away. I scurried to keep up, skipping every other stair in attempt to match Papyrus's pace. I felt like laughing. I knew I'd done something like this every day of my life, but in that moment, I couldn't imagine anything more exciting./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanBreakfast on the couch was spectacular. It was a cozy, familiar safety. Even though Mettaton's morning show felt strangely predictable, it captured my attention better than any episode before. Each of Papyrus's elaborate ideas to capture a human sounded plausible. And even though the traditional spaghetti was slimy and hard to swallow, I decided it tasted amazing. I ate every last mushy noodle, much to my brother's delight./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanAfterwards, I accompanied Papyrus into town. When we parted ways, I didn't teleport to my station. I walked every step on foot. I'd kept to myself for so long, I'd forgotten how friendly the people of Snowdin were./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Despite being trapped under a stony ceiling, the sky was beautiful. It glowed with photon magic and bioluminescent cave vines, and looked bigger than I remembered. The trees lining the snowy path were such a deep emerald green. Even my little sentry box seemed cleverly crafted and comfortable. The world was so quiet and calm./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Watching the soft snowflakes drift down, I realized something. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"perhaps you have to lose everything you love—even if only in a dream—to finally love everything you have. /emBlinking in surprise, I chuckled to myself. It was a deep thought for such an early hour./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in; line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"Pulling my hood up, I rested my head on the wooden surface of the sentry station. Slowly, I fell into a peaceful sleep…/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"BANG!/em/span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanMy eyes snapped open. em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"the ruin doors. /emThe innocent happiness I had felt suddenly seemed to be mocking me. Teleporting from my sentry station into the thick tree line near the overgrown path, I peered out from the shadows./span/p
p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;"span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS';"span style="mso-tab-count: 1;" /spanThere was the human. They held a dusty knife. Their eyes were red. All the memories snapped back into place. With dizzying, splintering horror, I realized—em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"it wasn't a dream. /emspan style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"This was real./span/span/p