CREATIVITY || ROMAN

I woke up in a cold sweat, hands wrapped around my throat as my breath comes in ragged gasps. Around me, there is no smoke, the air is light as usual. A comfortable silence drenches my room as I glance around. I blindly reach for the handheld mirror I kept on my nightstand, using it to observe my neck, expecting there to bruises from how hard I had been holding it.

There was nothing, my throat didn't even hurt from the gasping. 

Smoke was no where to be found, I must've just been dreaming, or rather, having a nightmare. One of the two, that's what it was. It wasn't true.

Faintly, I remember falling asleep while I was lounging around yesterday, trying to think of a video idea for Thomas. It must just be stress, that's all. I need to relax, today, I have to make sure I don't break out or anything. That would be tragic.

My stomach growls, and I realize I haven't eaten in quite a while.

Swinging my legs off the bed, I push myself up and begin to walk towards my door, throwing it open and allowing my hunger to guide me.

I nearly tackle Logan to the ground, our chests bumping against each other, and we both stumble backwards. I breathe heavily because of the fright I had received. "Sorry, Logan, didn't see you there." I let out a nervous chuckle, fixing my hair quickly. The logical trait seemed to be confused, as if he didn't realize what had just happened. I place my hand on his shoulder. "You good, dude? You look out of it, how long have you been in your room?" I joke. "How intensely were you looking at those flashcards of yours?" He ignores me, eyes still dazed as if his attention had drifted elsewhere.

He must be tired. My stomach continues to growl as I guide him back to his room. "Alright, Logan, clearly you need more sleep." I keep my hands on his shoulders and guide him inside his room, giving him a light shove onto the bed. After a few seconds of me realizing that he's not going to move by himself, I sigh and lay him down, pulling his blanket over him and patting his head. "Get some rest, buddy."

I turn, hearing the sheets rustle behind me and I smile to myself, knowing that Logan was finally realizing that he needed rest. I reach the door, not sparing another glance for his desk, which was covered in notes and official looking documents. It wasn't my business, I had done what I needed to do already. 

My stomach still growled for attention as I close the door behind me, leaving Logan alone in his room. I return on route to my original destination, the kitchen.

As I pass Anxiety's room, I notice that the door is open. I tilt my head, confused, but not enough for it to concern me too much. I look away, reaching the stairs. 

Smoke paralyzes me as I step onto the first step. I'm surrounded, feeling like I'm falling into the void and I claw at my throat as the familiar feeling of being unable to breathe takes over me. Once again, I begin to cough and sputter.

A few seconds later I'm standing in the doorway in the kitchen. Anxiety is sat on the counter with a bowl of dry cereal in his hands as he spoons it into his mouth. Besides him, on the counter, rests a glass of milk, half-way drank. Patton is standing at the stove, the sizzle of pancakes being flipped fills my eardrums.

What just happened?

"Good morning." I smile, nodding to Anxiety and Patton, who turns around with his usual wide smile. Anxiety continues to eat his cereal in silence, barely glancing up to acknowledge my presence.

"Mornin' kiddo, how'd you sleep?" Patton turns back to the stove, flipping a pancake before using the spatula to put it in a plastic container, covering it to preserve the heat as he started on another one.

"Fine." I say, walking over to the fridge and pulling out a water bottle, not even mentioning the nightmare I had. If it even was a nightmare. I twist the cap off easily and tilt my head back as I gulp the water down. Virgil glances up at me every once and a while, almost as if he was just watching me. I think nothing of it. My stomach growls once again, and almost immediately I am handed a plate of pancakes.

"Butter is on the table, there's also some syrup if you're into that." He smiles, gesturing to the dining room table, where I took the plate to, sitting down. Virgil still glances at me through the opening in the wall allowing me to look into the kitchen and evidently allowing Virgil to look into both the dining room and the living room.

It's after I finish my breakfast that I realize that neither of the two traits ever asked about where Logan was.