The night was mostly silent, except for an occasional breeze outside or an owl hooting. The inside of the tour bus was quieter than normal, for Georg wasn't snoring just yet and Tom was laying awake. Awake and annoyed by the dream that brought itself into being in his mind and woke him up with a strange gut feeling - it said that things were going to change drastically.  

Tom's tired, chocolate brown eyes blinked sleepily and he ran a callused hand through his dreads, moving them from his face, as he turned his head to glance at his twin's bunk as he often did; just to make sure his brother was all right and not being plagued by the same nameless fears that had just woken him up. Tom propped himself up on one strong arm so that he could see over his twin's shoulder because Bill had his back to the hall instead of sleeping facing it.

Silken, black hair splayed across the blinding white of the pillow cases. Black lashes curved in a half circle over pale skin as he drew in slow, deep breaths. Fitful moonlight glittered off a silver piercing embedded in his eyebrow, shining coldly. Pale pink lips were partly opened as he slept, restlessly murmuring things too quietly to be understood.  One pale, bare foot hung off the end of his bed, just like always.  The dark blue blanket was half on the floor and half over Bill's long legs, and partly curled underneath his sleeping body.

Tom smiled slightly to himself, the moonlight shining from his pierced lip; much like it was shining off Bill's eyebrow piercing. Tom sighed contentedly, dropping back into his bed to lay flat. He stared up at the ceiling, watching the lights from passing vehicles illuminate it for a second before fading, and then returning as another passed them. Sleep evaded him, however and he sighed heavily, trying to think of a way to be able to fall back asleep. He tried everything to no avail. He settled for listening to the even, slow breathing of his twin and the calm feeling that Bill was radiating through the strange link that they shared, but had become used to over the long years.

Tom was beginning to doze off as a feeling of panic overcame part of him, and he opened his eyes even as he slid as close to the wall as he could get. Surely enough, Bill's feet hit the floor moments later and Tom just extended his arm to invite his brother in, not wanting to bother with the chance that Georg was awake because of the lack of snoring. Bill carefully lowered himself into the little remaining space, curling into his older brother.

"Thanks…." Bill whispered almost inaudibly. Tom nodded his head, his eyes half opened as Bill buried his face into Tom's neck and sighed. Bill started to relax as Tom's hand moved lightly over his back, drawing random patterns and lines, something that Tom had always done when Bill panicked. Tom yawned, shifting his head on his pillow so that his hair was not directly underneath the back of his head and his neck; his movement caused Bill to make a very quiet noise at being disturbed. Tom grinned sleepily, closing his eyes and beginning to doze off faster than he had been before. Who knew that Bill's presence was so calming? No one would realize it or even think of it from the way the kid behaved during the day, when he was not throwing one of his fits, that is.

The twins drifted to sleep slowly, drawing comfort from one another. As they dozed off, little did they realize the shift in their lives and the strange, confusing, and unprecedented paths that they were going to be thrown down within the very near future. A shadowed form shifted beside their bus, moving silently through the gravel and grass. It made little noise, only an odd rustling sound as something shifted against its back as it crouched down to avoid being spotlighted by a passing truck. Two monstrous wings, that resembled an angel's in shape only, unfolded with a gentle and menacing whoosh, revealing semi-transparent membrane connecting the bones in a dragon-like manner. The wings were driven down in a single, powerful motion that launched the creature into the night sky.

The only thing that betrayed its passing was a single feather that shone the same greasy and unhealthy rainbow, just like spilled oil on pavement or water. As the now airborne creature began to vanish into the distance, so did the heavy pressure that had settled over the bus, taking with it the disturbing dreams of dripping claws, murderous eyes, and venomous fangs that erupted from the darkness to bring only a deeper night.