adrianus was behind shark in the bed, an arm wrapped around them, his mouth near their ear. it was interesting how it didn't even really feel like spooning or cuddling to them - this was hypnotic. he was there to hypnotize them.

"you've told me about those recurring dreams you have," he murmured, his voice a little softer and drowsier than usual. "you still dream about school, don't you?"

"yeah," they mumbled. "sometimes."

"you dream about feeling lost... not knowing which class you're meant to go to next..."

"that's what most of them are..."

"it's alright," he said slowly, "if you have that dream again... because next time, you'll know... you'll know exactly where you're supposed to be..."

they felt that specific kind of sleepiness, that hypnotic sinking feeling, overlapping with the normal tiredness they felt being in bed at night.

"you'll walk into a classroom... you'll know where it is... and you'll see me."

it was weird how vulnerable it felt, hearing him talk in that hypnotic voice right before they were going to sleep. especially hearing him talk about their dreams. like he was really slipping into their mind. slipping into a part of it they didn't even really understand or have control over.

he must have felt them getting more heavy and limp. "that's right," he said. "you'll see me... and every dream might go a bit differently... every version of the dream might be unique... but i'll be there. and you can imagine what sorts of things might happen... can't you? your sleeping mind will know..."

the image of it was bizarre, really. was the implication supposed to be that he's teaching some kind of hypnosis class? still, that was exactly the type of thing that would happen in a dream, and it sounded nice...

his voice was getting softer, dreamier. "isn't it nice to think that i could hypnotize you in your dreams? that i could control your dreams? you want to dream for me, don't you? you want to dream deeply... to dream vividly... you want to feel it... you want to hear my voice... even while you're deeply asleep... especially while you're deeply asleep..."

their spine tingled. their mind was melting.

"doesn't it just make you want to drift off now?" his voice was almost a whisper now. "to just drift off into sleep... to let everything fade away... that would feel nice... wouldn't it? it feels so nice... just melting away... losing consciousness... just keep breathing slowly and deeply... as you start to fall asleep... ready to dream. ready to dream deeply and vividly..."

they didn't think anyone could actually make them fall asleep, but when he whispered like that...

they couldn't think anymore. those random little images faded in and out, those weird short bits of dreams you have while you're starting to fall asleep. his voice also faded in and out, and they couldn't tell if they were really hearing him, or if it was coming from their head. it didn't matter. they were falling asleep.