Varthonai
June 25th, 2008, 11:10 PM
Suddenly, without any warning, the bridge-cloud disappeared out from underneath the Corinthian’s feet and he was falling fast.
Brace yourself, he thought, It will hurt, but it won’t kill you.
CRUNCH
With a sickening grinding noise, the Corinthian’s body slammed through the roof of a house and landed on the floor of the top bedroom.
“SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!” squealed a voice from behind the Corinthian. The nightmare turned and saw a little boy duck under the covers.
Kid, the Corinthian deduced immediately. Kid means parents. Innocent family. Shouldn’t get involved.
He looked around for a place to hide, but there was no place large enough for him. The door, however, remained closed, and the Corinthian could hear no footsteps.
The child had become so terrified that his voice had frozen up. The Corinthian turned and smiled amicably.
Surprisingly, the child seemed to be relieved. “You’re not the Scary Neighbor Man,” he breathed, almost in disbelief.
“Er… no, I’m not.”
“That’s good. Shmee and I were worried.”
The boy hugged a small teddy bear as he spoke the word “Shmee.”
“Is that Shmee?” asked the Corinthian, gesturing with a finger. The boy nodded.
The Corinthian walked over and sat down on the boy’s bed. “What’s your name?”
“Todd.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Who’s this Scary Neighbor Man?”
Todd froze up and hesitantly pointed to the house next door. The Corinthian could just barely make out the silhouette of a tall, thin man with a shovel. The man who he had sensed earlier…
“I see…” the Corinthian mused. “Well, you’re in luck, Todd. I think I’m here to take the Scary Neighbor Man away for a while.”
Todd looked up at the Corinthian with wide, happy eyes.
https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn222/varthonai/CorinthianSquee.jpg
(Copyright: Ditto the last one.)
The Corinthian stood up and turned to leave. Todd jumped out of the bed and half-walked, half-stumbled to the nightmare in his clumsily-fitted pajamas.
“Are you an angel?” asked the curious little boy.
The Corinthian chuckled. “I’m… well, I’m a dream, Todd.”
“Is this a dream, then? Is the Scary Neighbor Man still going to be there when I wake up?”
The Corinthian sighed deeply and glanced from side to side around the room. “I think that this whole world might be a dream, Todd. A dream of the Scary Neighbor Man.”
“I’m a dream too?”
“Sort of. I think you might have your own story to tell, though. I feel some of the smell of a protagonist in you… it’s not as strong as the smell in the man across the street, but it’s there. I don’t think you’re a dream, Todd.”
Todd giggled innocently. “Can I come with you? To the dream-land?”
“I don’t think so, Todd. I’m sort of stuck, you see.”
“Stuck?”
“Stuck. Some mean people took me away from my King and are keeping me chained in their little prison-world. I want to escape, Todd. I want to bring them to justice and I appreciate your willingness to help. But while revenge is certainly a dish as cold and sweet as ice cream, I'm afraid you won’t find it on the children’s menu very often. It wouldn’t be responsible of me to bring you with me.”
Todd looked a bit downcast. “Daddy will be mad about the hole in the roof,” he mumbled.
The Corinthian looked up. “Hm. That is a bit of a problem… I get the feeling that your father isn’t the forgiving type.”
Todd nodded silently.
“Very well, Todd. I’ll fix the roof for you before your parents wake up tomorrow. But first I need to find the Scary Neighbor Man. All right?”
Todd looked upset, but still trusting. The Corinthian smiled, headed to the window, unlocked it, and slipped out.
The Corinthian dropped to the ground, and felt the shock of the impact trigger a burning sensation in a bruised area of his dream-flesh--he had been damaged from the initial fall from the sky. It would heal quickly, but it was slightly painful. Each step made him wince.
The nightmare crossed over the lawn, heading to the house of the “Scary Neighbor Man,” who’d gone back into the house already. The Corinthian turned back just before the final step, seeing Todd’s bright eyes staring out the window in awe and admiration.
The Corinthian waved once to the little boy, and then turned and headed to the door of the neighbor’s house. A gleaming number 777 shone in the moonlight on the run-down, shack-like house that stood next to Todd’s.
With a mild sense of aroused curiosity, the Corinthian pressed the doorbell and waited for an answer.
(Your move, Xaxem.)
Brace yourself, he thought, It will hurt, but it won’t kill you.
CRUNCH
With a sickening grinding noise, the Corinthian’s body slammed through the roof of a house and landed on the floor of the top bedroom.
“SQUEEEEEEEEE!!!” squealed a voice from behind the Corinthian. The nightmare turned and saw a little boy duck under the covers.
Kid, the Corinthian deduced immediately. Kid means parents. Innocent family. Shouldn’t get involved.
He looked around for a place to hide, but there was no place large enough for him. The door, however, remained closed, and the Corinthian could hear no footsteps.
The child had become so terrified that his voice had frozen up. The Corinthian turned and smiled amicably.
Surprisingly, the child seemed to be relieved. “You’re not the Scary Neighbor Man,” he breathed, almost in disbelief.
“Er… no, I’m not.”
“That’s good. Shmee and I were worried.”
The boy hugged a small teddy bear as he spoke the word “Shmee.”
“Is that Shmee?” asked the Corinthian, gesturing with a finger. The boy nodded.
The Corinthian walked over and sat down on the boy’s bed. “What’s your name?”
“Todd.”
“That’s a nice name.”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Who’s this Scary Neighbor Man?”
Todd froze up and hesitantly pointed to the house next door. The Corinthian could just barely make out the silhouette of a tall, thin man with a shovel. The man who he had sensed earlier…
“I see…” the Corinthian mused. “Well, you’re in luck, Todd. I think I’m here to take the Scary Neighbor Man away for a while.”
Todd looked up at the Corinthian with wide, happy eyes.
https://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn222/varthonai/CorinthianSquee.jpg
(Copyright: Ditto the last one.)
The Corinthian stood up and turned to leave. Todd jumped out of the bed and half-walked, half-stumbled to the nightmare in his clumsily-fitted pajamas.
“Are you an angel?” asked the curious little boy.
The Corinthian chuckled. “I’m… well, I’m a dream, Todd.”
“Is this a dream, then? Is the Scary Neighbor Man still going to be there when I wake up?”
The Corinthian sighed deeply and glanced from side to side around the room. “I think that this whole world might be a dream, Todd. A dream of the Scary Neighbor Man.”
“I’m a dream too?”
“Sort of. I think you might have your own story to tell, though. I feel some of the smell of a protagonist in you… it’s not as strong as the smell in the man across the street, but it’s there. I don’t think you’re a dream, Todd.”
Todd giggled innocently. “Can I come with you? To the dream-land?”
“I don’t think so, Todd. I’m sort of stuck, you see.”
“Stuck?”
“Stuck. Some mean people took me away from my King and are keeping me chained in their little prison-world. I want to escape, Todd. I want to bring them to justice and I appreciate your willingness to help. But while revenge is certainly a dish as cold and sweet as ice cream, I'm afraid you won’t find it on the children’s menu very often. It wouldn’t be responsible of me to bring you with me.”
Todd looked a bit downcast. “Daddy will be mad about the hole in the roof,” he mumbled.
The Corinthian looked up. “Hm. That is a bit of a problem… I get the feeling that your father isn’t the forgiving type.”
Todd nodded silently.
“Very well, Todd. I’ll fix the roof for you before your parents wake up tomorrow. But first I need to find the Scary Neighbor Man. All right?”
Todd looked upset, but still trusting. The Corinthian smiled, headed to the window, unlocked it, and slipped out.
The Corinthian dropped to the ground, and felt the shock of the impact trigger a burning sensation in a bruised area of his dream-flesh--he had been damaged from the initial fall from the sky. It would heal quickly, but it was slightly painful. Each step made him wince.
The nightmare crossed over the lawn, heading to the house of the “Scary Neighbor Man,” who’d gone back into the house already. The Corinthian turned back just before the final step, seeing Todd’s bright eyes staring out the window in awe and admiration.
The Corinthian waved once to the little boy, and then turned and headed to the door of the neighbor’s house. A gleaming number 777 shone in the moonlight on the run-down, shack-like house that stood next to Todd’s.
With a mild sense of aroused curiosity, the Corinthian pressed the doorbell and waited for an answer.
(Your move, Xaxem.)