Gaster wakes Anon [12/19/19]

There was a chill in the air.

Anon shot awake, cold sweat beading his skin. He took a deep breath to collect himself, then blearily glanced at his alarm clock. 3:46 am. Damn it, he thought to himself. Why would I randomly wake up at this hour? And why is it so cold in here? What is-

...

Anon's thought process was interrupted by the eerie sensation that there was someone else present. His eyes darted around his room, and found nothing amiss... but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone - or someTHING - there with him.

Anon reached over to his nightstand and retrieved the glass of water he had placed there last night, then took a sip. It was then that the presence finally made itself known.

"GOOD MORNING."

Anon dropped the glass to the floor, water splashing all over the carpet. What WAS that? Anon had clearly heard a voice - male, calm and articulate, but firm and commanding - yet there was nobody to be seen. Was he finally losing his mind?

"PLEASE CALM YOURSELF. I HAVE NO INTENTION OF HARMING YOU."

There it was again. A voice with no source, sounding as if it had come from both everywhere and nowhere. Anon had every reason to be terrified, but... for whatever reason, he wasn't. In fact, the voice was strangely... reassuring. So instead of jumping out of bed screaming, Anon lie still, tried to calm his breathing, and listened.

"I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS WORLD FOR A VERY LONG TIME. CONDUCTING RESEARCH... I'M SURE YOU UNDERSTAND. BUT I MUST ADMIT. I HAVE GROWN RATHER FOND OF YOU PARTICULARLY."

Anon felt strangely comforted by this. His tense limbs began to relax, his breathing slowing to its normal speed.

"IT IS NOT YET POSSIBLE FOR ME TO INTERACT WITH YOU IN PERSON, SO I APOLOGIZE IF THIS INTRODUCTION IS, PERHAPS, A BIT DISCONCERTING. BUT EVEN THIS INTERACTION IS TAKING AN IMMENSE TOLL ON MY ABILITIES, SO ALLOW ME TO MAKE THIS BRIEF."

The voice continued.

"I HAVE SEEN THE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH."

"I HAVE SEEN THE THINGS YOU ARE CAPABLE OF. THE FEATS YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED. THE OBSTACLES YOU HAVE OVERCOME."

"AND THOUGH IT MAY SOUND STRANGE, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW."

"I AM VERY.
VERY.
PROUD OF YOU."

--------

There were birds chirping outside.

Anon slowly awoke, blinking away the dust in his eyes. He propped himself up in bed, looking over at his alarm clock. 9:00 am, same time he always woke up... but for some reason, something was amiss. Anon could've sworn that something... strange had happened last night. He thought back, retracing his steps. What was it?

Something... nice. Something comforting. Something...

...He couldn't remember.

"Must've just been a dream..."

Anon rose out of bed, stepping over the empty glass lying sideways on his carpet.