Dreams to Nightmares

[Dreamchild]

In the dorm of St. Blair Academy, Alice was getting ready for bed. She was in her gray pajamas and at the bathroom sink. It was a nightly ritual: brushing her teeth, flossing, and mouthwash. Alice took great pride in her exemplary dental hygiene. Every time she brushed, she stared at the mirror at her mouth, to make sure that she cleaned every last spot of her white pearls.

She looked down, from the mirror to the sink, and spat into the running water. Satisfied, she shut off the tap and wiped her mouth with a nearby washcloth. After flossing, she opened the cabinet in front of her by pulling back the mirror, which also acted as the cabinet's door. She placed the floss back into its place, and picked up the bottle of mouthwash. When she closed the mirror, she felt her heart skip a beat.

Alice could see the woman in the reflection. Old, wild hair that was the color of decayed bones. The old woman's skin was sickly green and wrinkled. Most unsightly of all, she had no eyeballs; her sockets were black and completely devoid of hues. Though she had a mouth, she did not speak, and her lips were cut and bleeding.

Alice spun to face the terrifying visage with her own eyes. But the woman was gone, as soon as Alice saw her. She looked back at the mirror, at the same stance she was when she first noticed the intruder on the reflection. But she was gone.

Any man in serious denial could have discredited the sight as a 'trick of the light' and gone about his business. But Alice was different. She knew what she saw, and she knew that she wasn't alone. She was scared out of her mind, and she started to shiver profusely. But she mustered enough courage to call out in her bathroom.

"Wh-who's there? Hello?"

No reply. Dead silence.

Alice stood still for two minutes, barely moving a muscle, only blinking when her eyes absolutely demanded it. Then, deciding in an instant, Alice ran out of the bathroom and began her search. She turned on all the lights, looked under her bed, the closet, every drawer, and she parted the window's curtains. The night outside was pitch black, without a moon. The old woman was nowhere to be found inside the room, and a horrifying realization hit the poor, scared, lonely girl: she would have to look outside.

Alice slipped on her Mary Jane shoes, her blue coat, and swiftly left her room. The residential hall's corridors were disturbingly quiet, without any noise of any kind. No humming of the heater, no obnoxious neighbors talking too loud. A pin dropping would have sounded like an atom bomb in this silence.

Alice picked up the pace and ran. The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly--or was it her imagination?

"Hello!" Alice shouted, expecting the old woman to reply, but no reply came. Finally, Alice found the exit. She turned the handle and shoved the door open. She ran outside, and instantly regretted doing so. It was as if she stepped into a realm of nothing. There was no light of any kind. Alice couldn't see herself, let alone her hands, and when she looked back to the door, it slammed shut.

She lunged for the door and grabbed the handle, trying to twist and turn it, but the door would not open. She banged on the door and screamed. "Help me! Let me in! Please!"

She shrieked and remained still when she heard a whisper behind her. The whisper was indecipherable, but it sent chills up Alice's spine. She started to tremble, and, fearing for her life, she turned to look. Tears steamed down her cheeks when she saw the old woman again. The woman was perfectly visible and illuminated in this otherwise black realm.

"Alice. Alice."

Alice had never been so scared to meet a person in her life. She couldn't speak as clearly as she could, in part by her sobbing, but also because of her trembling. "Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"Alice... You don't remember me."

"Who are you?!"

"You don't miss me... You don't miss your poor, lost grandmother."

Alice's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth with both of her hands. She shook her head in disbelief, and only lowered her hands to her chest just so she could speak fervently. "No! You're not my grandmother!"

"I've been so lonely, Alice. I wanted to see y--"

Alice covered her ears and clenched her eyes shut. Tears continued to flow, and she screamed. "You're not my grandmother! Go AWAY!" After a long pause, Alice opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred by tears, but she wiped them away and looked at where the old woman once stood. She was gone. Again, Alice was alone.

Alice stood for a minute, before she turned to look at the door behind her.

"Die with me, Alice!" the alleged grandmother screamed with murder in her tone. She replaced the door and grabbed Alice by the throat. The old woman's face was different this time. No longer a decaying body, the old woman was now a corpse, with visible bones, the face of a skull, and only a few strands of wild hair were left on her head. "DIE!"

Alice tried to fight herself out of the grip. She tried to scream, but the choking prevented her.

[The Boogie Man]

As the dead woman strangled Alice, a new voice was heard. The disembodied voice of an adult man laughed maniacally. The laugh already started loud and wicked, but it only intensified and echoed all around the longer Alice was strangled. The voice was obviously laughing at the girl’s expense. Whoever the voice belonged to, someone was watching her… even commanding the nightmare…?

[Dreamchild]

Alice struggled as she felt herself losing precious air. Fighting was useless when the opponent had a grip like the old ghost's. As she tried to squirm away, she heard the laughter. An cruel, condescending laughter. The girl tried to use her psychic powers, but she couldn't get any of her tricks to work! Was she going to die here, like this...?

***

It was Friday night when Dreamchild had this terrible nightmare. She was sleeping on one of the sofas in the Overlook's main hall. She twisted and turned on the sofa, still trapped in her intense nightmare. Her night terror was now so terrible that she began to scream in the real world.

"No! No! Stop! Help me! Somebody help me!" Alice's cry for help was loud enough to spread through most of the rooms in the mansion.

[Bongo]

Thankfully for Alice, tonight, she had decided to sleep in the same area of the Overlook in which another Dreamer typically spent his nights - Bongo. One of the couches in the Overlook's main hall was his absolute favorite place to snooze, and he rested peacefully upon the sofa opposite the one that Dreamchild was sleeping on. He was more than happy to have company, for once, as he slept - and from a Dreamer with whom he was very attached, no less. Initial efforts to sleep on the same couch as Dreamchild had failed, however, but he was content enough to rest on the other couch.

Sleeping silently, with a peaceful smile on his muzzle, he was quick to awaken when he suddenly heard somebody scream for help - Dreamchild! Wasting no time at all, Bongo leaped right onto his feet, standing atop the couch and whirling his head about in every direction with as fierce a glare as he could muster. He held his fists up, ready to face whoever it was that was attacking Dreamchild. It took him but a couple of seconds, however, to realize that there was no real danger - as he looked over to Dreamchild, he saw that she was still asleep, no doubt having a nightmare.

Even so, this was cause for worry for the bear. Hopping down from the sofa and rushing over to the couch she was asleep on, he placed his paws on her shoulder and nudged her repeatedly to attempt to wake her from what sounded like an absolutely terrible dream. If she were to awake, she would see a very concerned-looking Bongo gazing up at her. It was quite upsetting for the little bear to hear such frightened cries from his friend in the middle of the night - even if she was only dreaming.

[Dreamchild]

Alice twisted and turned on the sofa, unable to wake up until Bongo shoved her enough. She woke up with a loud gasp for air, her eyes snapping open. She had never been happier to return to reality; absorbing the Overlook, the sofa, and Bongo who looked down at her with concerned eyes. Dreamchild certainly looked terrible. When she woke up, her face was blanketed by sweat, and she was breathing hard, almost heaving.

Dreamchild sat upright and looked around, feeling the sofa, making sure that this wasn't another dream. convinced that it wasn't, she looked go Bongo and slowly allowed herself to become emotional. For the first time since joining the Dream League, tears escaped her mask, and her lips trembled.

"Oh, Bongo!" She wrapped her arms around the bear and hugged him tightly. She clenched her eyes shut and sobbed onto his shoulder. "Bongo... I had a horrible dream..." As she continued to hug (it was clear she wasn't going to let go any time soon), she periodically sniffed back the contents in her damp nose.

The reason why Dreamchild was in the Overlook on this night instead of in her dorm in St. Blair Academy is easily explained: she preferred spending her Friday nights in the Overlook, so she could not only be with the team, but also because she could join them on an urgent mission in a moment's notice. During the school week, Dreamchild's time with the Dream League was naturally limited.

[Savage]

Delbert had been given his own room in the Overlook, though he had chosen not to sign on for a roommate, mostly being a solitary sort. And he wasn't sure if anyone would be willing to room with him, all things considered. He had still been up doing some reading when the screams gave him quite a start and caused him to drop his book. Even though the Overlook was a large building, the sound was loud enough to carry to his living quarters.

Those were definitely cries of fear and panic; he should know. Immediately, Delbert bolted to his feet and raced out of his room. His ears led him to the main hall. Seeing no one but Dreamchild and Bongo there, the former physicist relaxed slightly, but still remained on guard for any sign of danger.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, pushing his glasses further up on his muzzle. The young psychic look terribly distressed.

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild finished hugging Bongo after she heard Delbert. She pulled from her hug and threw off the blanket that still covered her legs. The girl wore a dark blue nightshirt that reached down to her knees, although she still wore her mask even while sleeping on the sofa. She trusted that her teammates wouldn't attempt to discover her identity while she was sleeping, but she nevertheless wore the mask for safety precautions. Her nightshirt resembled a longer, looser T-shirt.

Dreamchild calmed herself considerably by the time she sat upright on the sofa, her back against the rest, her legs crossed Indian style. She was no longer crying, but her eyes and nose were still damp, and she still had to sniff every few sentences. She looked to Delbert as best as she could, because he stood while she sat, closer to Bongo.

"I'm sorry if I interrupted you, Dr. Delbert. I was just having a nightmare, and Bongo woke me up." She managed to smile very softly to the bear, but her smile faded as she continued addressing Delbert. "I didn't mean to be so loud, if I was. It's just this dream was..." She sighed after a pause, and got chills just thinking about the old woman, and the laughter.

She looked down so she could wipe away her tears from her mask. It would have been easier to remove her mask to do so, but she refused.

[Bongo]

It wasn't difficult to tell that Dreamchild was quite nervewracked from what seemed to be quite the nightmare - even through her mask, Bongo could see the fear in her eyes. He certainly didn't expect the girl to burst into tears and suddenly embrace him, however. Surprised as he was, he could easily tell that she wanted comfort. Bears didn't typically show a desire for comfort or affection by means of hugging, but he knew that this is what Dreamchild meant through the gesture; frowning and whimpering softly with concern for his friend, he wrapped his paws around her. It was times like this that he knew how to speak the language of humans - being limited to bear-speak gave him much fewer ways to console his friend.

He glanced up to Doppler as he arrived in the main hall. He didn't know much about this newcomer to the League, except that he was able to change into a huge and terrifying beast when he was angry... but in his normal state of mind, he was a friendly fellow, if a little odd. As Alice spoke to him, he allowed himself to crawl up onto the same couch she was on and sit by her side, looking worriedly up into her eyes all the while.

[Savage]

Delbert watched as Dreamchild finished hugging Bongo and sat up on the couch. His initial alarm had considerably lessened by now, replaced by sympathy for the girl, who was clearly rattled.

"A bad one, I take it?" He finished for Dreamchild when she trailed off and avoided looking at him or Bongo. While normally he wasn't the biggest fan of children, from the amount of time that he had spent around her (as little as it was), Dreamchild seemed to be polite and friendly, which the good doctor certainly appreciated. Admittedly Delbert thought it odd to have someone as young as her fighting criminals alongside adults, but the other Dreamers didn't appear to have a problem with it and even vouched for her abilities.

Rather awkwardly, he fumbled around in the pockets of the bathrobe he wore. "I'd offer a handkerchief, but... ah, it would seem that I've left it in my room. Do you want to talk about it? The dream -- well, nightmare?" He asked after a few minutes in what he hoped was a comforting voice. He sat down beside Dreamchild, opposite from Bongo.

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild finished wiping away her tears, and she nodded when Delbert correctly finished her sentence after she trailed off. "Yes, it was a terrible dream." She continued looking down at her hands, sitting in uncomfortable silence, too embarrassed to look at either Bongo or Delbert in the eyes. Then the doctor awkwardly said he would have offered a handkerchief if he had one. This amused Dreamchild, and she smiled very softly. She would never say it to his face, but she found the doctor endearing in his awkwardness.

The girl, by that point in the process of calming down, finally looked to Delbert when she felt him sit beside her, as he asked if she would like to talk about it. She exchanged glances from Delbert to Bongo, then back to the doctor. She nodded slightly. "I suppose I should."

She spent ten seconds recalling. She again avoided eye contact with her fellow Dreamers as she explained the events of her truly morbid dream.

"I was in my room--the room I live in when I'm not here in the Overlook. I was brushing my teeth in the bathroom, and then..." After a pause, she continued with a put-off tone. "I saw a woman on the mirror, she was behind me. She didn't have eyes, and she looked dead. She vanished, but I looked for her, and when I was outside--" Her voice grew increasingly unstable by this point, but she continued. "She told me she was my grandmother, but she was nothing of the sort! And then she, she--she grabbed me by the throat, and strangled me, and I couldn't breathe! She told me she wanted me to die and stay with her!"

She started crying again, but this time it was considerably more controlled. She covered her face and purged emotion until she could regain her composure. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, before finishing. "But as I was choked, I heard a man laughing. He sounded... evil but happy, as though he were enjoying himself."

Dreamchild, despite being upset once again, managed a smile as she turned to look Bongo in the face. "That's when I woke up, because of Bongo. Thank you." She reached for the bear's head and stroked his ears, affectionately caressing him. "I was so frightened, but you helped me. I've never been more thankful to wake up from a dream."

[Savage]

It was startling for him to see someone so rattled, but Delbert couldn't blame Dreamchild. He certainly wouldn't want to dream about something so utterly disturbing either. The bit she mentioned about the sinister laughter did sound a bit odd, but he chalked that up as another part of the nightmare. There was likely no real significance behind it. Sympathy welled up inside him, and he wanted to comfort the poor girl.

"Goodness, that does sound terrible." Delbert said seriously , his expression matching his tone as he looked at Dreamchild, who was petting Bongo now. "But fortunately, it was just a nightmare, and nightmares can't hurt us, no matter how scary they are. Now, I'm not a doctor -- well, I am one, but not a medical doctor or a psychiatrist. I'm an astrophysicist, you see..." Realizing he was getting off track, the doctor reigned his thoughts in and continued.

"Anyways, in my opinion, perhaps the culprit behind this nightmare of your's is too much stress due to school, or your crimefighting activities. Or maybe one too many scary movies."

[Dreamchild]

Bongo wasn't the only one in the room who successfully calmed down the shaken Dreamchild. The good doctor, distracted as he could get, was very comforting. Bongo was, too, but Delbert could actually talk, a trait the girl appreciated. She looked back to Delbert, offering him the same gentle smile she gave Bongo. She rested her hands on her lap and sat upright, like the young English lady the Dream League knew--not the vulnerable, frightened victim she was earlier.

"Oh, I don't watch horror films alone," she was quick to reply. "But you're right. It was just a dream. It wasn't real. I..." Her smile warmed as her masked eyes looked directly into Delbert's own hues. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Dr. Doppler. I'll try not to let it happen again. It's so stupid now, and I'm embarrassed, but thank you for your concern." She sighed and nodded. "I suppose I have been stressed lately, but..." She invited herself to take Delbert's hand (the one closest to her) with one of hers, and Bongo's with the other. The three linked, Dreamchild exchanged relieved smiles to both of them. "I feel better now, having such well-mannered gentlemen in the Dream League. Thank you." She sat with them, holding their hands, continuing to do so until either of them pulled back.

If one really paid attention to Dreamchild's vocabulary, they could notice that she spoke with a lot of decidedly intelligent words (many of which were archaic for an average girl her age) and had a distinctive manner of speech.

[Bongo]

As Dreamchild neared the end of the description of her nightmare, Bongo sunk his head into his shoulders and seemed to shiver a little, his eyes wide with an unnerved look in them. He might not have had the most vivid imagination, but he could picture well enough what Dreamchild had experienced, and... it certainly wasn't something he would want to dream about. Most of all, though, he hated that his friend had to endure such a horrifying nightmare.

Bongo just gazed up silently at Dreamchild with an empathetic, almost puppy-like look in his gaze - against his will, however, his concerned frown eventually became a broad smile of pure comfort and affection as Dreamchild stroked his furry head, and sincerely thanked him for comforting her. Bongo wasn't sure which he enjoyed more - being stroked behind the ears, or being thanked and praised by Dreamchild.

As Dreamchild further praised Bongo, and took his paw in her hand, the bear cub became almost outright bashful, squirming about coyly with a sheepish grin. He wasn't even sure what a "gentleman" was, but something about the way Dreamchild said it made Bongo know it was a compliment, and caused him to blush underneath his thick brown fur. Ironically, he had nearly forgotten about Dreamchild's dilemma by now, the girl's appreciation towards him having now overshadowed his awareness of just why he was being praised.

[Savage]

Delbert blinked, taken aback when a smiling Dreamchild took hold of his hand. It was an unexpected gesture. They hadn't even interacted that much before, and here she was already treating him like he was a close confident. He wasn't very used to anyone being so... well, touchy-feel with him, and certainly being referred to as a "well-mannered gentleman" was a bit of a shocker. Still though, he was glad that he succeeded in his task of comforting Dreamchild. He managed a sheepish grin not unlike that of Bongo's.

"Oh, uh, thank nothing of it, young lady." He threw a glance at a nearby grandfather clock. "Well, I suppose it's time that we all retire. But if you're ever in need someone to talk to, myself -- or one of the other adults -- are always available." Delbert hastily added, not wanting to seem as though he was eager to be off.

[Dreamchild]

Dr. Doppler and Bongo were so modest. They reacted shyly when Dreamchild held their hands and complimented them, which only made them more respectable, in her eyes. The masked girl in the nightshirt nodded in agreement with the doctor's suggestion, and released both his hand and Bongo's.

"Yes, it is late. I'm sorry for disturbing the both of you." She pretended to chuckle--a self-deprecating chuckle meant to convince herself that the dream meant nothing. "Of course, it was just a dream. Nothing to worry about! I'll simply go back to sleep now."

She sat with her hands resting idly on her lap, waiting for the good doctor to leave. She would bid him farewell with a polite, friendly smile. "Good night, Doctor."

[Savage]

“Goodnight, Dreamchild.” Delbert returned her smile. Hesitating a second, he then reached out and affectionately (if somewhat awkwardly) patted her head. Dreamchild was just the sort of young person that he wished he had had in his classes. Of course, she would have needed to have been older to attend classes at a university, or capable of comprehending a weighty subject like astrophysics. How she had handled this experience had truly won her his approval and respect.

As he started to take his leave, he stopped by the door to address Bongo. “And a good night to you too, Bongo.” Although the bear didn’t talk, he did seem capable of understanding what people said to him, so Delbert no longer felt strange speaking to an animal like he would a person.

Once back in his own bedroom, Delbert began preparing for bed, hanging his bathrobe on a coat stand. The room was a bit sloppy, owing to his tendencies to forget to put his things away and collecting any items that were of interest to him, but he found it comfortable. The rest of the Overlook's residents were either very sound sleepers, or he just had very good hearing, he mused. Hopefully Dreamchild – and everyone else – would sleep soundly tonight.

It didn’t take him long to fall asleep and start dreaming. He found himself at an auditorium, seated among a large gathering of people and dressed in a black and white tuxedo. On the stage at the front of the room was a man standing at a podium. In one hand he held a stack of index cards. He peered down at them, then spoke into the microphone. “And the winner for 'most significant advances made in his or her field' is... Dr. Delbert Doppler!”

The audience erupted into applause. Delbert’s heart gave a little thrill as his name was announced, and grinning proudly, he stood. Encouraged by the shouts of his peers, he walked down the aisle and took the stage. The broadly smiling announcer presented him with his award. Just as he was about to launch into his acceptance speech, everything suddenly went dark.

When the lights returned, Delbert found himself in a long, shadowy hallway. Here it was deathly quiet, save for the florescent lights steadily buzzing overhead. He was put in mind of the halls of the University of Calisota, where he had taught for a few years before the life-changing night he found that meteorite. He decided to see if he could find a way out of here, not trying to hide his irritation. What a bother! He had just been about to deliver a most wonderful speech too.

The sound of deep, heavy breathing coming from down the hall behind him arrested him in mid-step. He whirled around, trying to see what it was, but couldn't find anything. Just the darkened hallway stretching out behind him. But he knew that somebody -- or something -- was here with him. Something that sounded very large and probably scary.

Not wanting to wait and see if his hunch was correct, Delbert took off down the hall. He could hear the creature bounding after him. Noticing a door coming up on his right, the canine threw it open and darted into the room. He slammed the door shut behind him and tried to lock it, but was hampered by his trembling fingers. A massive fist crashed through the door, sending glass and wood splinters flying everywhere. The hand gripped the door and tore the entire thing away as though it was made out of cardboard.

Delbert managed to avoid being cut by flying glass, but was knocked to the floor during the chaos. He scrambled into a sitting position and scooted back as quickly as he could, away from the red glowing eyes that stared at him from the shadows outside the room. He knew those eyes belonged to the monster. He felt his back collide with something solid -- the wall. There was nowhere else for him to go. Delbert was trapped. The creature stepped into the room with him. The lighting was poor, but he could still identify his pursuer, who now loomed menacingly over him, glaring down at him.

It was Savage. Delbert's jaw went slack. He was too surprised to do anything other than stare back. “H-how – but this can’t be --”

“Shut up for once.” Savage cut him off with a growl before suddenly grabbing the shocked Delbert by the throat, effortlessly lifting him off the ground. The doctor found his breathing cut off as his alter ego began to apply pressure. He struggled to get free, trying to pry the hand around his neck loose, but Savage’s grip was like iron.

[Dreamchild]

She wouldn't have been surprised to learn that the feeling was mutual, but Dreamchild now respected Dr. Doppler more than ever before. Warmth brightened her smile when the Dr. patted her on the head, however awkward he appeared, and she watched him leave the room. Once alone, the English girl in the nightshirt and the mask gestured for Bongo to return to where he was sleeping. She would wait until the bear got back onto his sofa, before she brought her feet up onto hers.

"No, Bongo, we can't sleep on the same couch. But..."

She stared at Bongo's sofa, and used her mind to gently lift up the sofa (with the bear on it) an inch from the floor, and move it closer to hers, until the armrests of the couches connected. There was still a gap between the bear and the girl, but they were closer than before.

Dreamchild smiled in pride, and she slipped under her blanket once again. She rested her cheek against the pillow and smiled to Bongo, who was on his sofa. "Will this satisfy you? Now we're closer." Even though Dreamchild had said she was better, she was still displeased with her dream. Though she pretended to do this for Bongo's sake, in truth, she wanted the bear closer to her. But she was too ashamed to admit it, and didn't want to admit her minor lie.

"Good night, Bongo." She closed her eyes and tried to fall back asleep, though it wouldn't be easy. She would keep her negative feelings to herself, though. And, of course, she had no idea that Delbert would suffer a similarly intense nightmare.

[Bongo]

Satisfied that Dreamchild was no longer frightened and upset, Bongo gave her a wide, warm smile before hopping off of the couch she sat on and returning to his own couch. Just after he had clambered onto its soft cushions, however, Dreamchild spoke to him, causing him to look back at her, his eyebrows lifted in interest.

Startled by the sudden movement of the couch he was seated upon, he quickly grabbed onto the couch's armrest as he watched the floor below grow ever so slightly more distant, a nervous, wide-eyed expression on his face. Before he knew it, though, the armrest he was clinging on to was directly touching the armrest on Dreamchild's couch. He blinked a few times in confusion, before looking at Dreamchild and managing to register what she had just done. An incredibly happy, open-mouthed smile grew upon the bear's muzzle, and his black eyes gazed at Dreamchild adoringly. Bongo nodded enthusiastically in response to Dreamchild's question, feeling as happy as a pup being allowed to sleep on its master's bed. He was just a little disappointed to see her suddenly go to sleep, however... but he then figured that he should get some rest, as well.

Bongo stretched his mouth open to let out a soft, barely-audible yawn, and, smiling affectionately at Dreamchild one last time, grabbed onto a pillow and snuggled into it, curling up for a peaceful slumber.

[Dreamchild]

About ten or twenty minutes had passed, and Dreamchild was not even close to falling back asleep. She actually didn't keep time, but it felt like she was lying on the couch for at least a quarter of an hour, with her eyes closed, trying to clear her head. She tried to inwardly bottle up every voice and thought in her mind, seal it, and allow golden silence to grant her sleep. Unfortunately, she just couldn't stop thinking. Lost in bemusement, she finally gave up. She opened her eyes and sighed wearily. She frowned when thinking about the nightmare, and how stressful school has been, and how she always lives in danger when being a super vigilante. Of course, she chose that path and continued to act upon it, but it's true what they say: when you start having a bad day, it has a snowball effect. Dreamchild was just growing upset with the negative thoughts that crossed her mind.

Maybe Delbert was still awake. She felt like asking him for some more in-depth advice. She didn't want to wake up Bongo, so she threw aside her blanket and crawled out of the merged sofas as quietly as she could. Barefoot and in her long navy nightshirt, she only had her cloud mask to convince anyone that she was Dreamchild. Now on her feet, the girl padded through the Overlook. She was quiet in her walking, especially when inside the residential hall of the mansion. Of course, she didn't really need to be so quiet; if these Dreamers could sleep through a scream, they could probably sleep through her walking in the hall. Sunshine was particularly notorious for being a heavy sleeper.

Dreamchild gently knocked on Delbert's door and pushed it more open. "Dr. Doppler?" she whispered. "It's me, Dreamchild. I have a few questions, if you don't mind." No answer. She stepped inside and kept her eyes open. She could see just enough to avoid the messy clutter around his room, and make for his bed. "Dr. Doppler?" she asked again, this time louder. She lowered her face close to his and grew worried. Concerned, she felt for a light and turned it on. When she looked at him on his bed, it was plainly obvious: he was not only very uncomfortable, but he wasn't breathing! Was he suffocating? It wasn't mere sleep apnea; it was like someone was strangling him, like--

The old woman in her dream!

"What?!" she asked loudly, bewildered by the coincidence. Concern etched her face, and she rushed to his side. Was it really a coincidence? Or was there something more? She reached and grabbed his shoulder, giving him a few forceful shakes. "Dr. Doppler, wake up! Please wake up!"

Dreamchild stopped shaking him. She knew there was no time to waste. She knew that she had to enter his dream by herself. Besides, she wanted to see just what kind of nightmare he was having. She frowned at the awful sight of seeing the doctor like this. "Don't worry, Doctor! I'm coming!"

She placed both of her delicate hands on his forehead, closed her eyes, and transmitted herself into his dream. Though her body was still there and breathing, her consciousness was now inside...

***

Dreamchild opened her eyes and found herself in a room that had seen better days. The room's door was obviously blown off and shattered into many pieces. But that wasn't important--a hulking monster strangling the poor, helpless Doctor was of the utmost importance. Dreamchild cast an angry look at the monster, whom she recognized as Savage. Was he responsible for this nightmare, somehow? Or was he an apparition? She spread her arms out, and her Dreamchild costume materialized and formed on her body instantly. She was Dreamchild: in dreams, she could do many things.

"Delbert!" she exclaimed to the doctor, as well as Savage. She wanted to get Savage's attention, and she also wanted him to release his grip on Delbert. She folded her arms on her chest and smiled confidently at Savage. "Savage? You've grown out of shape. You haven't been exercising, have you?" In a second, she pointed her open palms to Savage's direction and attempted to apply psychic pressure on him, to give him a quick, sudden shove.

She needed to get Delbert free. This was all a dream, and she needed to tell him this, but, unfortunately, she couldn't wake up him so easily if he was so distressed, such as being strangled. That's why she took a chance to provoke the Savage in this dream.

"I would ask you for a race, but why bother? You couldn't possibly keep up with me. You're too fat!" She acted controlled and confident, but, really, she was very concerned about Delbert right now.

[Savage]

Delbert could hear somebody talking, but just barely. The voice sounded faint and distorted, as if the speaker was being held underwater. His struggles had grown weaker and weaker. In his normal state, he was just simply no match for his much stronger aggressor. Starbursts exploded before his eyes, and blackness was gathering ominously at the edges of his vision like dark storm clouds.

It was quite an unexpected surprise when Dreamchild showed up. Initially, 'Savage' expressed astonishment at Dreamchild’s presence, but then his small eyes narrowed as he scowled at the child. He didn’t release his grip on Delbert, who hung limply in his grasp. The psychic shove she gave him served to get Savage’s full attention. He unceremoniously dropped his victim, who fell heavily to the floor.

“Interloper. You shouldn’t be in here.” Savage growled. With a snarl, he lunged at Dreamchild, one hand raised in the air and prepared to deliver a lethal swipe.

Delbert meanwhile, was still sprawled out on the linoleum, and could barely register what was going on. Grateful to be able to breathe again, he began gulping in precious air like there was no tomorrow, his eyes wide but not really looking at any one thing. Maybe he was just imagining things due to the oxygen deficiency, but that blue and white girl-shaped thing nearby looked a lot like a certain blonde telepath he knew.

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild's eyes focused on the hulking werewolf. That was her sole focus right now. She needed to provoke this dream's Savage. She needed to do everything she could to get him to release his fatal grip on Delbert, because every adverse effect one suffers in a dream like this has a similarly adverse effect in reality. Delbert was suffocating because he was suffocating in this dream. And, unfortunately, Dreamchild was in a similarly dangerous situation. If Savage, for example, clawed her, Dreamchild's real body would suffer this attack, as if she was actually clawed in reality. It was a terrifying notion, but she would think about that on her free time. Right now, she had to save her new friend!

Thankfully, Savage finally dropped Delbert after her psychic push. It's true what they say: if you push someone enough, they will eventually push back. But Savage wasn't one to push. In fact, he looked ready to tear her apart. But it wasn't the intense, dangerous look on Savage's face that got Dreamchild's attention; it was his words. He called her an interloper, implying that she was an intruder. This confirmed her suspicions: this was not a normal nightmare. It was orchestrated by someone, or something. But what? She wanted to find out.

The Dream Come True took a big jump back, avoiding Savage's deadly swipe. She smiled condescendingly again and shrugged her shoulders. "But here I am! And I am not leaving. But since I'm here, let's play a game." She brought up her hands and made an exaggerated pushing gesture with her palms, both of which were faced towards Savage. Once again, she forced psychic pressure on him, but this time the pressure was considerably heavier. "Come and catch me, or I'll never leave!"

She had a plan. She needed Delbert to regain enough air and, in turn, regain his senses. But she didn't want Savage to be anywhere near him, and that's why she offered herself as a moving target for the dream's antagonist. She kept light on her toes, ready to break off into an agile run if Savage would act upon her taunts.

[Savage]

Delbert hadn’t been hallucinating, Dreamchild really was here. Savage still was as well unfortunately, which struck Delbert as being very very wrong. Right now, he and Dreamchild were locked in a lethal game of cat and mouse.

Infuriated by how his swipe had been dodged, and by Dreamchild's bold taunts and psychokinetic attack, which was more forceful then the first attack had been, bought the creature’s rage to an all-time high. Pinning his ears back, he charged headlong at the girl, intending to catch her in his jaws and shake her like ragdoll.

Looking on this scene with horror, Delbert grit his teeth as he struggled to stand, his breathing still labored, but all he could do for the moment was prop himself up on his elbows. The near-strangling had left him in a weakened state. He really wanted to assist his teammate, but he was still confused as to how Savage had suddenly become an entity separate from him. That was impossible… Wait, was any of this even real?

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild had succeeded in provoking Savage! As soon as the dangerous creature pinned his ears back, Dreamchild turned and started to run. She wasn't too familiar with Savage's typical body language yet, but she figured that the ears signaled that he was ready to charge at full speed. Unfortunately for him, that's precisely what she wanted.

She raced as fast as her body could allow, which was more than enough, she believed. It looked as though she wanted to crash right into a wall like a madman, because that's precisely where she ran to. But she knew more than she let on, and acted unpredictably. She jumped with all of her might for the wall and bent backward while in the air, so that her feet would strike the wall. Utilizing her telekinetic powers on herself, she did not fall when her feet made contact to the wall. She bent her knees and, with her open palms raised above her head and pointing towards Savage, jumped from the wall, as if the wall was the floor. By jumping, she launched one final, powerful psychic force at Savage. The push, if successful, would have been considerably more powerful than the last. Probably not enough to subdue him or knock him out, but a considerable force to be reckoned with nonetheless. Her fast running speed, coupled with the force of her jump, had amplified this push drastically. It was difficult to clearly explain, but her psychic pushes operated like normal pushes; she had to use her palms in order to shove. But heavy pushing requires momentum, and that's why she ran and jumped back, to use a lot of momentum for the pressure.

Without wasting a moment, she flipped and landed on her feet, on the floor. After a quick pant for air, she called out for her confused friend, concerned etching her pretty yet masked face. "Doctor! This isn't real! You're having a nightmare. I'll get you out of here, but first we have to--"

She gasped and snapped her attention to the doorway when she heard a loud, annoyed voice from behind it...

[The Boogie Man]

"What?!" a voice shouted from behind the doorway. "You're not supposed to be in here, doll face! This nightmare is under my control, got it?!"

A pair of red dice was thrown from its owner. The dice landed fairly close to Delbert. It landed on snake eyes or a pair of ones, and very tiny, black-and-white striped snakes with glowing red eyes slithered out from the holes, and hissed at Delbert. The pair of dice was made out of durable wood, and, though it had six sides and appropriate holes indicating such, some of the dice's surfaces had morbid designs carved onto them, mostly skulls. The dice, though durable, had chipped paint in some places and had obviously been used for a very long time. Of course, with the light so dim in this room, it might have been difficult to notice everything about the dice.

Whoever, or whatever, insulted Dreamchild and confirmed that he was manipulating Delbert's nightmare did not fully reveal himself, instead remaining behind the door, hidden in the shadows, save for his glowing, pupil-less white eyes, and large, bizarrely shaped mouth. Those facial features were visible from behind the door. Though he had no pupils, it was clear he was staring right at Delbert, and he smirked. "Having fun, Doc? Ohhh, I'm sorry to cut your award ceremony short. But I get bored with speeches!" He gave a wicked, throaty chuckle.

[Savage]

The nightmare-Savage ran after Dreamchild in hot pursuit. He braced himself for a leap that would launch him right at the girl, who seemed to be charging headlong at the wall. However, he was taken off-guard when she used the wall as a launching board, ricocheting towards him and striking him with a more powerful telekinetic attack.

There was a distinct difference between this artificially-created entity and the real deal. For as Delbert began realizing that none of what he had experienced was real, this was serving to effectively weaken Nightmare-Savage, making him significantly less powerful then the real Savage. Before, Dreamchild's psychic push would just have knocked him off balance, but with his continually diminishing strength and substance, he was knocked back, and collided with another classroom door.

‘Puff!’ The force of the impact caused the nightmare beast to disperse into a cloud of black dust which then floated harmlessly to the floor.

Before Delbert could respond to Dreamchild, a shout from the doorway drew their attention. Someone tossed something in his direction, causing Delbert to instinctively flinch away. The items turned out to be a set of red dice. The intricacy of the designs covering the dice were lost on the doctor, as he was too unnerved by the snakes that had suddenly slipped from out of the dice and hissed menacingly at him. Unleashing a gasp, his first impulse was to scramble backwards in case they chose to bite him. On top of everything he had been through, this latest bit of strangeness was simply too much for him.

He couldn't get a good look at the person who had addressed Dreamchild and mocked him. The only features that really stood out was the biggest mouth Delbert thought he had ever seen, and the individual's gleaming white eyes, which lacked pupils. That was certainly not normal, and even worse, he somehow knew that the thing was looking directly at him. It made the dog's skin crawl. Where was Savage? Er, the fake Savage, he corrected himself.

It took a bit for Delbert to speak, as he stumbled and tripped over words in his surprise. "You -- you did this?" Suddenly, his expression darkened. Who did this brute think he was, treating his dream like it was a night at the cinema? Rising to his feet, Delbert glared accusingly at the figure. "I bet it was you who made Dreamchild have her nightmare! Who are you?"

[The Boogie Man]

The pair of glowing, white eyes squinted as the mouth widened and released another sinister yet giddy chuckle. Following the chuckle, his face nodded (at least, it looked like it nodded, because the eyes and mouth moved up and down). "That's right, Doc! Aren't we sharp?"

The supernatural enemy took a big step inside the room, though there really wasn't much to reveal. He appeared as a large and tall shadow, with only the white eyes and mouth as the apparent features. The shadow, whose body swirled like smoke, was shaped roughly like some kind of overstuffed burlap sack with a dangling protrusion at the top of his head.

"But I don't know any Dreamchild. Who's she?" He placed his mostly amorphous hands on his mostly amorphous hips and leered at the intimidated girl. "Her?" He examined her from where he stood, studying her from her toe to her head. Unimpressed, he shook his head. "... Don't know her. Sorry. I would never forget an ugly face like that!" Overly satisfied with his insult, he pointed a fingerless hand at her and shook, as he bellowed another laugh. "Ha, ha, ha--what the?!"

His eyes snapped wide open, and he stared at Dreamchild again. He obviously remembered something. "Hey! How did you get in here, anyway?! And who are you?"

[Dreamchild]

Dreamchild was happy that the Savage imposter had disintegrated into dust. Unfortunately, the Dreamers' worries were not over. With one major concern out of the way, a new one introduced himself. Dreamchild felt chills when she heard that evil chuckle. The dream's manipulator entered the room. Even the mere sight of him intimidated the English girl more than the imposter; he simply had to be more powerful than Dreamchild could expect.

The Dream Come True had made the connection at the same time as Dr. Doppler. She covered her mouth with her blue gloved hand and stared fearfully at the shadowy figure. Though he was mostly amorphous, he seemed to have an unusual, dangling growth on the top of his head. What was it supposed to be? She hated his eyes and especially his twisted, large mouth.

But she couldn't allow herself to be so frightened. She lowered her hand from her mouth and tightened it into a fist. Insulted, she pointed a finger at the taunter. "I am not ugly; you must be looking at a mirror." She hoped she was getting a little better with her comebacks; her extensive comeback lesson with Duck Avenger shouldn't be all in vain, she insisted.

Curiously enough, this villain didn't seem to recognize Dreamchild as Alice, the girl he terrorized through dreaming earlier that night. He was either lying and played dumb, or he simply didn't make the connection. "My name is Dreamchild, and I will not allow you to harass my friend." Delbert was a friend, wasn't he? If he didn't feel that way about her, well, she felt that way about him now. "Now that you know our names, do you mind telling us who you are?" Her white eyes narrowed, her expression very similar to Delbert's own. She tried to hide her chills, which started upon hearing the villain's familiar laugh.

[The Boogie Man]

The tall (about seven feet) and wide shadowy figure smirked mischievously when the little snot returned the insult. The way he smiled made the shape of his mouth appear to have either deformed lips a stitched mouth. Or was that jagged, black teeth in his otherwise white mouth? He chuckled again and waved his finger-less hands in the air in a mocking gesture.

"Ooooh, I'm really scared!" His voice was deep most of the time, but it constantly fluctuated, especially when emphasizing words. "Weellllll, Dreambrat and Doc, I have something reeeaaaaal nice planned for you! You beat Doc's better self. So, what? Big deal! You still gotta deal with me."

Out of nowhere, filling the room, was instrumental music that accompanied Boogie's song. The instrumentation sounded like one man's definition of casino music, though appropriately warped.

"When Mr. Oogie Boogie says there's trouble close at hand, you'd better pay attention now, 'cause I'm the Boogie Man!" The Boogie Man posed and twirled, but jolted in shock. "And if--HEY!!"

A record scratch was heard, and the dream's song came to an instant stop. From the Boogie Man's feet and slowly rising up his body, he began to vanish in a purple light. "Not now!" he whined loudly. With the seconds he had left he flashed an angry glare at Delbert and Dreamchild. "Remember my name: BOOGIE!! I'll be back soon! D'you hear me?! I'LL BE B--"

And in one last burst of purple light, he was gone, leaving Dreamchild and Delbert all alone. The pair of dice and snakes had also vanished without a trace.

[Savage]

Hearing the intruder’s sarcastic affirmation of Delbert’s suspicions of him being behind this entire mess, the doctor’s glare deepened. Now far too angry to be scared any longer, Delbert watched as the amorphous, shadowy being – it couldn’t be described as a human or an anthro – stepped into the room.

The entity didn’t recognize Dreamchild, and insulted her appearance and laughed at his sophomoric remark. Dreamchild seemed to get over her surprise and launched an insult of her own at the thing. He didn’t know who or what this thing was, but Delbert was not going to stand for him insulting his teammate – or playing those nasty tricks on Dreamchild and himself! With great effort he succeeded in pushing himself to his feet, and came to stand beside Dreamchild. Clenching his hands into fists, he tried to ignore the lingering feelings of weakness in his legs.

Dreamchild declared herself, then warned that she wasn’t going to let the creature harass her friend, meaning himself? While it was a truly sweet gesture, it was a bit odd that Dreamchild had so quickly accepted him as her friend, like how she had deemed him a gentleman earlier, but he had no time to dwell on this, as they still had that monstrosity to contend with.

Delbert gave a start, glancing around wildly as instrumental music started up out of nowhere. Where was that coming from? And who walked around with their own theme music? The being introduced himself as the Boogie Man, and ominously intoned that he had something in store for them both. Well, if he wanted to hurt Dreamchild, then he would have to go through Delbert first!

“Why you pompous coward --” His voice had taken on a guttural growl, and his eyes, normally warm brown in color, were quickly becoming a yellow hue, but he had yet to notice this. But before he could get the rest of his sentence out, Boogie Man was slowly enveloped in purple light that caused him to vanish. Delbert’s fury turned to confusion before he realized the reason for Boogie Man’s abrupt departure: he was waking up.

****

Delbert stirred into wakefulness. Sitting up, he looked around, trying to ascertain that he really was in his nice quiet bedroom and not another nightmare before taking note of Dreamchild’s presence there.

“Dreamchild?” Was he ever glad to see her! Now that his anger was diminishing, his eyes were returning to their normal color, though his breathing was somewhat harsh. That was certainly one of the strangest and scariest experiences he had ever had, and considering what he had already been through, that was saying a lot.

“So you really were there! The Boogieman, do you think he might come back? What if he tries to attack someone else? Why is he doing this?” Delbert asked, talking a mile a minute.

[Dreamchild]

She took a moment to notice Delbert approach her side. Her muscles tensed as she prepared to battle with the nightmarish villain. The Boogie Man introduced himself through song. In any other situation, Dreamchild would have wondered where the music was coming from, but this was a dream manipulated by the self-proclaimed Boogie Man, so no doubt the music was created by him.

She might have been prepared to fight the Boogie Man, but she wasn't prepared for what ultimately happened. The Boogie Man cried out in shock, and quickly vanished. He threatened them, but he didn't finish. He was gone. Dreamchild's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but she received her answer: Delbert woke up.

***

Back in reality, Dreamchild was in her nightshirt. Droplets of sweat were scattered on her temple, and her eyes were closed in concentration. As soon as Delbert woke up, her consciousness was restored in her body. Delbert rapidly fired questions at her, but Dreamchild wasn't in a state of mind to answer them yet. Feeling exhausted, she lowered her hands and sat on the floor. She mustered a small amount of energy to hold up a finger to the understandably eager doctor and speak with a weak voice. "Please, just a minute, Doctor."

She took some deep breaths and regained her composure. Though she had the incredible ability to enter dreams, it always took a physical toll on her. After the first time she entered a dream, she came back to reality and immediately passed out. Thankfully, she was slowly yet surely getting better.

When she had regained her energy, she wiped the sweat from her forehead, got up, and sat on Delbert's bed to properly address him, face to face. She was glad that Delbert wouldn't transform into the real Savage right now.

"Y-yes, Doctor. I was there. I came to your room because I had some more questions, but then I saw you. You were suffocating, and I decided to enter your dream to see what happened to you. When I saw that you weren't breathing--oh, I was so worried about you. It's a good thing I came here when I did, isn't it?" She smiled sincerely to him, but her face took on a more grave expression as she continued to talk.

That was the first question he had asked her. She quickly remembered what his other queries were. "I don't know who or what the Boogie Man is. I must say, I've never seen anyone like him before. If he said he'll come back, I think it's safe to assume he'll keep his word. I don't know what he'll do now, and I don't know why he does this. He just seems to be... evil."

It sounded corny, but it was true. Boogie Man was definitely evil. Dreamchild recalled the nightmare she had. Her face lost any trace of warmth, and took on a depressed expression. She looked away from Delbert, down to the floor. She slumped where she sat. "... He didn't seem to recognize me, but he used my personal memories against me. He knows my real name, even if he didn't connect it with me. Yes, it was him. I know he was in my nightmare--I recognized his laugh. That was the laugh I told you about. And he... he used my grandmother against me, just to mock me. And then he attacked you."

Her gaze returned to the doctor's face. "I'm scared of him, Doctor. I, I really don't know how to deal with him." She sighed and looked down again, away from Dr. Delbert's face.