A few months passed while I stayed with Toriel, and all the way through she never stopped caring. Not once.

I started opening up to her, working my way around my negative anxiety filled thoughts. Since I didn't have my pills with me, Toriel helped at every moment when I felt the slightest bit scared. Goat mom was the best at helping me calm down in a panic attack, gently talking to me in a comforting soft voice. It was like she doubled as a counselor.

Because I felt more open, I talked more often instead of the awkward silences I had when I first came down here. Toriel loved when I was talkative since she missed having someone around to talk to. I was probably her only source of entertainment, and I didn't mind it one bit. The affection she gave was just fantastic compared to mine on the surface.

It was like I was her own. She helped me get used to my right eye's absence, guiding me around corners. To help my depth perception we started doing exercises that involved throwing a piece of paper into a trash bin across the room. I was good enough now to get around the house on my own without bumping into any doorways. She even jumped into relearning sign language from me to understand better. Toriel is better than she was before, and I can sign a little faster now and she'll understand more.

The nightmares never went away. Father always came back to find me in my dreams even though he couldn't hurt me physically anymore. I started to lose sleep and the dreams hurt so much that 'trying to sleep' went to 'not sleeping at all'. I would jump at every sudden sound or movement, and I had dark bags under my panicked eyes. Toriel noticed my unusual decline in energy and spacing out, so she used healing magic to do something in my brain before I went to bed every night. It instantly relaxed me and helped me get to sleep, usually no dreams...just emptiness. It was a hell of a lot better than the night terrors I was getting. Though I dreaded the day she would ask about how I lost my eye, she never said anything about it after the night she carried me to her home.

Toriel read to me almost every day and I loved it. She read history books, fantasy books, and other such adventures in extremely thick bindings, and let's not forget the puns. She even went through a monster magic book with me, showing off her fire skills. I was in awe, no joke. Toriel even told me stories over our favorite tea of when she was queen and how the king, dubbed Asgore, was nicknamed 'Fluffybuns'. I laughed so hard at that story. When she was feeling up to it, she would tell me happy stories of Asriel, and rarely the first human that had fallen. She would smile and tell of how much mischief those two got into. Toriel never told me the human child's name though...and I didn't pry or question it.

When she admitted she wanted to be a teacher, I volunteered to be a student since my pubic school was on the surface so I had no way of learning stuff. She gladly accepted the offer and started a course set up just for me in my skill level. She's a hardcore teacher when it comes down to it. It was like homeschooling, only better. I would have never have gotten something like this on the surface.

When I had the energy, I played in the front yard between reading and sketching. I would roll in the crinkled leaves and make forts out of sticks, kicking a blue and red rubber ball that I had dug out of the toybox. It was flat when I found it, but it was the perfect size to kick around when inflated. When I was done outside, Toriel would wash my face and hands, telling me to go change my dirty clothes in my room, but not before taking my shoes off to not track in the house. The first time I did that I panicked and cried, but Toriel gently told me it was alright, just not to do it again. We would have dinner we both liked, having snail pie more than we should. I didn't dislike it honestly, it was food...at least it was better than t.v dinners when dad didn't cook at all for me. Snail didn't taste all bad sctually.

When I thought about where I was and how I got to be there, staring at my favorite blue and red ball in my hands while sitting in a pile of leaves, Toriel in chair outside to watch me. It was so strange, knowing I was living with a strange female goat below where I used to live. That down here life was so much better...and it was all under my feet the entire time. At these times, I would think about Mom. I missed her still, my heart wrenched everytime I thought of her and her smiles, quick sign language, and cooking. But the wrenching feeling would immediately turn into a painful burning sensation when I thought of dad. I would usually stop that thinking train at that point before I threw up and went back to enjoying life at Toriel's...or new mom's.

I felt watched though, every time I went outside or went near a window. And today, I finally met the source...

-------

'I'll be outside exploring if you need me, mom,' I signed putting on my shoes near the door.

"Okay, Reid. Have fun and do not hurt yourself! Be nice to the Froggits!" Toriel waved me off from her big reading chair.

'I won't Frogg-et' I signed and she giggled at the bad pun.

I pulled on a grey pullover sweater and pulled the front door open, exiting the house and seeing the usual big tree in the yard. I ran over to the tree and picked up a good sized stick. For some reason carrying a stick made me feel better.

With my trusty stick, I skipped and ran made my way through the Ruins, visiting the candy bowl for a few snacks to put in my pocket and complimenting Froggits. I just left the Whimsuns alone and they didn't seem to mind my presence anymore. I hung out with Moldsmals and crinkled leaves in my hands while not picking on Astigmatisms. The monsters seemed to be enjoying my company.

I ended up at the spot where I fell in the first place, creating a flower crown out of the golden flowers that was in a basket Toriel recently picked for the front yard garden she was starting up. It was coming along wonderfully, my fingers and head starting to ache a little because of the focus I had. I finished it in an hour, smoothing my black hair for the crown to sit comfortably on my head. I felt accomplished and like a prince.

When I started walking back, I went into the next room and saw and flower with a face, planted in the grass spot in the middle of the room. It wasn't there before in any of my explorations so I was extremely confused.

"Howdy!" It suddenly spoke, and I jumped at the noise.

I waved with uncertainty at the golden flower that had a, shall I say, fake smile plastered on his face. I had seen the same smile on my teachers faces too many times not to recognize it.

"I'm Flowey! Flowey the Flower!" The flower introduced himself.

What a creative name...

"Ive been watching you for a while, Reid. I just have a question for you...when are you going to leave the Ruins?" Flowey asked, tipping his head in a questioning manner.

The question made me freeze.

I never even considered leaving.

But...where would I go?

"You know, you're going to get bored here. Toriel wants to keep you here, but its all for her, not you. She's hiding some things from you. Places to explore, secrets. I can tell...you know what I'm talking about. The only place she won't let you explorer," The flower gave a mischievous smirk, waving his leaves like they were his hands making gestures.

It took me a minute to think.

.......

'The place Toriel would--' I signed, but got interrupted by Flowey's scoff.

"I can't speak in hands, human. Write it with your stick in the dirt or something."

Getting the message, I quickly but legibly wrote my question in the dirt, 'The basement in her house?'

"Yes, that's it!" Flowey applauded with his leaves awkwardly, "You want to see what's next don't you?"

I nod silently. It is without question I am curious what is down there.

"I know how to get you down there. Without your precious Toriel worrying of course. She'll never know that you're gone."

My eye widened in surprise. I brushed away the previous question in the dirt and scratched a new one, 'Really?'

The flower nodded excitedly, "Yes, yes! I know how you can do it! Meet me out in Toriel's front lawn with warm clothing while Toriel is asleep and I'll get you out of here."

I wanted to smile, but I stopped myself at the thought of leaving Toriel. She is basically my foster mother after all...she helped me and cared for me when I had nowhere to go...

I wrote, 'I'm not sure I could leave Toriel. She's my mom after all.'

Flowey's excited look was gone. It was replaced with irritation. The annoyed expression was gone in a flash, his smile coming back into a smirk.

"What if I told you...that Toriel is lying to you?"

I brushed the words from the dirt and immediately began writing, 'I think you're lying.'

"Really?" The flower laughed at me, "Do you really think she would care for such a broken child like you? She is only luring you so she can kill you. She has you in your own little world in bliss while she has some...other plans. I can save you from her."

I stared at Flowey. Toriel? Luring me? No way! As if...

"She's just a selfish monster who could not take care of her children."

That sentence made me stop and listen.

"She abandoned her family when they needed her most. Do you really think a self centered tramp like that would take care of you? She's just replacing her actual children with humans who fall down, you are nothing, unimportant in her eyes. All she sees is her children, not you. You're not special to her. Toriel is a selfish bitch and you choose to live with her, calling her your mom."

My clenched hands were shaking, gripping onto my sleeves, my black hair creating shadows over my eyes.

Flowey gives a smile, "so, whadda ya say? Will you explore the rest of the underground with me? Or stay with your mom?" He almost spat the last word like the word itself was poison.

There was a moment of silence, the wheels in my head turning...I looked back up at Flowey, a stone cold look on my face. Flowey's smile didn't waver. He gave a really strange sounding giggle.

"Well, of course you don't have to decide right now. You've got until Toriel goes to bed right? I'll see you then!"

The golden flower then plunged into the ground, out of sight. I stared at the spot, then I hear a voice in the distance.

"Reid! My child it is time for dinner! Please come inside now!"

I recognized Toriel's voice, taking one last glance where Flowey was, then took off to meet Toriel for dinner.

The flower's offer burned in my mind...and it wouldn't leave my head no matter how much I tried to focus on eating leftover snail pie or Toriel's voice when she read to me about the Royal Guards background. It was something I would normally be interested in, but Flowey's scary facial expression wouldn't go away.