He was alone.

Of course he was alone, and the house was dark, the yellow from earlier hiding in the corners and someone else was inside the house and he didn't notice until it was too late. The person turned to face him, the figure shrouded in shadows like it was a cloak.

Time felt weird.

Where was he? Who was inside?
He got out of bed to investigate, reality warping away from him as if it were a dream. He was tired, it was late- that had to explain why.

There was a crown of dead flowers.
"You've disappointed me."

He knew that voice.

"You haven't gotten anything done."
There was the faerie automaton in their hands.
They crushed it to pieces, the metal breaking apart and exploding outwards from the force.
"Nothing except this toy."

"We're working on it!" He heard himself say.

"Work harder. Your life depends on it." The person vanished, and suddenly he felt iron against his back, the feeling burning through his clothes.

Why did it burn? It didn't burn last time.
Why did it burn??

He screamed, falling to his knees as his back burned, curling into himself to try and pull away from the pain, it burned it didn't burn this bad last time- WHY DID IT BURN????

"Don't disappoint us all, Mumbo."

How did he know his name?

He was shaking, lying on the floor as the iron kept burning, he was shaking from the pain.

"We need you Mumbo."

He never told anyone his name.

"Mumbo!"
Mumbo, Mumbo, Mumbo, it didn't mean anything, he couldn't focus on words- the pain dominated everything, blocking out all reason.
He was shaking on the floor.

"Mumbo!"

Someone was shaking him.

"Mumbo wake up!"

Someone slapped him.

Mumbo sat up in bed suddenly, gasping as his hand flew to his cheek. "G?"

He heard a sigh of relief.
"Just a nightmare, Mumby. It was just a nightmare." He heard Grian say softly, his voice shaking slightly.

"Are you okay?" Mumbo asked as he freed himself from the tangle of blanket he found himself in.

His words were met with a laugh.
"You just had a nightmare and you're asking if I'm okay? God, you really are a spoon."

"You didn't answer my question." He noted.

Grian took a while to respond. When he did, it wasn't with words he expected to hear.
"You filled the house with belladonna and vines of wisteria. Some of the vines started choking me." He said softly.

"Oh...Gri- I'm- I'm sorry." Mumbo gasped, standing up to comfort his friend.

"It's okay. Really. It happens- you were asleep. I don't blame you." The faerie quickly explained. "I accidentally filled this place with lilies when I had a nightmare. Stank up the place for weeks."
Grian caught Mumbos worried expression and sighed.
"Seriously. It's okay. It happens to all of us when we start learning about magic and how to control it. Stop blaming yourself cos I know you are right now."

Mumbo held up his hands in a mock surrender. "You caught me." He smiled, "I get it. But it's also scary to wake up and hear that you started choking your friend in your sleep."

"I'll say. It's scary to wake up and find it hard to breathe.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Grian offered, shuffling his way over to Mumbos bed and plonking himself down.

"I forgot most of it- I just remember someone- Thorn, I think standing here and then a burning feeling on my back from iron." Mumbo explained as he leaned into Grian.

"You're safe, Mumby. You're safe, and it's gonna be okay, and we know that the iron can't hurt you. It's okay."
Grians words fell on deaf ears.
Mumbo was already fast asleep again, curled up against Grian and a small smile on his face.