Part 2: Meet the Sandman

Dreyma, thrown into a panic after her house collapses, uses the last of her dream dust to travel to the sandman's base.

Dreyma felt her dream dust swirl around her, grains of sand stinging her eyes. The Dreamcatcher kept her eyes open, face grim with determination. Her legs were placed firmly together, hand firmly glued to her sides. The sand cleared, revealing a cathedral that had long since lost it's beauty. 

Black Celtic knots shone against beams coated with gold leaf. A beautiful oil mural of the night sky decorated the ceiling. Stained glass windows decorated with important murals of Dreamcatcher history lined the walls. Although, the long hall, lined by the many vending machines, snack bars, tables, dream dust dispensers, dorm rooms, and more removed a bit of the overall glory. 

And everyone was blonde. Platinum, beach bleached, sandy brown, dirty blonde, dark blonde, strawberry blonde... you name it. Dreyma glanced at herself, clearly self-conscious about her appearance. With her ginger hair, pale freckled skin, and storm grey eyes, she stuck out like a rose in a field of daisies. She squirmed among the mountains of perfect breasts and six-packs, tanned skin and golden eyes, to get to the front. The happy murmur of Dreamcatchers silenced. Sneakers slapping against the tiled floors, Dreyma skidded to a halt at the front of the room. There he was... the sandman.

His face was weathered by age, his long white beard snaking around his throne twice before trailing on the floor. The top of his head was balding, and covered with liver-spots. His golden robe hung loosely about him, and his sharp yellow eyes seemed to demand attention. His skin was almost paper-thin, and whenever he moved, his veins pulsed with a life too young to belong to him. And right now, all his attention was on her.

"Dreyma..." he rumbled low in his throat. "How... pleasant of you to join us..." the sandman drawled, a smirk crossing his lips. 

"I expected better from you, my girl... I'm surprised you dared to enter our hall after your betrayal..." he purred, abandoning the seat to slink around the Dreamcatcher. 

Dreyma's jaw stiffened. "Just because I was a nightmare at one point doesn't mean I would betray you," she growled." 

She jerked a finger at her temple, where a trickle of dried blood caked her hair and marked her pale forehead. "Do you think they would do this if I let them go on purpose?" she hissed.

Dreyma had been born a nightmare, and had been so until the sandman created a program where nightmares could become human. She had jumped at the chance, but everything was not as promised. Everything about her was just a shade difference than everybody else. Despite this, they treated her like what she used to be. They spit at her, teased her, bullied her, and despite having the highest position possible for someone like her, they accepted it with the lowest of tolerance. And now it looked like she had been framed for releasing all the nightmares in her house. Great. Dreyma felt herself tearing up, and shook her head to clear it. Everyone had died when the house collapsed. Except Truna. If she remembered correctly, (which is REALLY hard to do if you have a concussion),  her brother had been in a coma. She had been pronounced missing, or worse, blown to bits.

The Dreamcatcher squeezed her eyes shut. The sandman's silky voice faded away, as well as the worried murmurs of the others. She wished everything could go back to normal. Where she had a job she liked, where no one in her family was in the hospital or dead, where everything had been wonderful. Where she had something that she had probably already lost by now. 

Dreyma sighed, opening her eyes once again. "Please sir," she said quietly, interrupting her leader's colorful tirade. "I think I can fix this." she stated. 

She expected him to beg her to stay, to not go, or at the very least offer his help or state that she should be thrown int prison. The realization hit the young woman like a brick wall. She didn't want to do it. But she had to. 

The sandman  hissed at her. "Suit yourself, Nightmare."  he snarled, spitting out her race like a curse. 

then he turned around and raised his arms, chanting in Latin. "... Terrae triticum nos transferat salva nos, quia ego praecipio vobis!*" he roared, slamming his hands against the ground. 

When Dreyma dared to crack open her eyes, everyone was gone. she was on her own now.

Author's Note

Here's a nice long chapter to make up for my absences. R & R! those two things make me very happy! C: Any flames will be used to make s'mores.
I am sorry I haven't updated in a while, but you know what? Life happened... I'm sorry.
*Transfer us to the earth's core... save us, for I command you !