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The boy cradled his arm to his chest as it ached with pain. He pushed himself up to a sitting position as other people around him started to giggle and point.
“Drop the act Tommy, we know it's a joke.” A blonde-haired boy laughed.
“I'm not acting.” He hissed, clutching his arm tighter. He hauled himself off the concrete to sit on the curb. He could feel the small trickle of red going down his arm, staining the red sleeves darker. The blonde boy went quiet.
“Um…… here, let's get that patched up.” The surrounding kids also went quiet. The blonde tore the sleeve of his long sleeve shirt. “Can you pull up your sleeve, Toms?” The blonde said through a mouthful of deep purple fabric.
“Yeah.” Tommy pulled his red sleeve up, careful to not touch the big scrape on his arm. The blonde pulled his shoulder length hair back into a half up half down, then carefully wrapped it around his arm. He tied it into a knot. The others picked up their fallen bicycles and scooters and started to talk to each other.
“There we go!” The blonde sat up with a proud look. Even though he has a mostly expressionless personality, Tommy has learned to read his eyes and body movement. The blonde then looked down at his stained fingertips. “Ew!” The boy faked a gag. “You got your blood on me.” The boy gave a disgusted look at Tommy even though the humor danced in his eyes.
“Shut up Purpled.” Tommy said standing as he held his skateboard.
There was a sudden loud rustle behind him. Tommy looked over his shoulder to the forest a yard away from where the group sat. the trees dazzled in the sun as a soft wind swept over them. It was cold. A sudden movement in the shadows of the tree caught his eye. He could make out a tall figure. A figure as tall as the small tree it was half hidden behind. He scrunched up his face as he squinted to try and see it better.
“Hey guys.” he said, cursing himself as his tone pitched higher.
The other group turned around with a questioning look.
“What's up Tommy?” A boy with two different colored hair spoke.
“There's something just past the tree line.” Tommy pointed behind him.
“And?” The brown curls swayed as the short boy looked up at him. Tommy was in fact tall for his age.
“Wanna check it out.” Tommy grinned, as the other two that were in an argument about who knows what perked up. The girl with long dirty blonde hair and green eyes instantly pulled out her phone, already turning the flashlight with an evil grin.
“Yes.” three of the four responded instantly as the tall two haired boy fiddled with their fingers nervously.
“Well come on!” Tommy reached in his bag that had slipped off when he crashed, ignoring his sore arms protest. He pulled out his now cracked phone. His brother’s gonna have his head when he sees that. He swiped down on the screen and pressed the flashlight button seeing as it was getting darker. He motioned for the others that had done; beside the green eyed girl, the same and walked towards the trees, noting that the figure had disappeared. Strange. It's probably just in his head. He's just seeing things.
The loud crunch of leaves brought him back out of his thoughts as everyone was looking around. The others were giggling and shouting at each other in easy banter. He looked ahead of them. A clearing ahead of them, the setting sun casting brilliant orange and red hues across the green leaves.There were a few wilting flowers in the center.
“Look!” the two haired boy perked up, speaking for the first time since they entered the forest. “It's alliums! They're my favorite.” The tall boy smiled. Tommy made a mental note to get him some for his birthday that was coming up. He looked back at the clearing when the flower was suddenly open and lively.
There was the tall figure again, casting a shadow across the clearing. Tommy yelped and stepped back, tripping on a nearby root, falling on his scraped arm. Ow. The others turned to him, shocked by his sudden outburst. He ignored them, keeping his eyes trained on the tall figure whom seemed to have gotten smaller. Purpled followed Tommys eyes and jumped, shocked by the tall figure. The short boy laughed, The two haired one was frozen. The blonde girl that was with them wasn't there with them anymore, he was whipping his head around to see if she was around.
“Oh come on Toms!” The short brown haired boy was wiping the tears of laughter off their face. “It's just Drista trying to scare us.” The short boy laughed again. What was so funny?
“Shut up Tubbo.” Tommy grumbled standing back up and brushing the leaves of his jeans. He flashed the light where the dark figure is. Was.
It was just Drista, laughing as they were holding their stomach, their phone flashlight on, but in the dirt.
“You all are just idiots!” Drista said through a fit of laughter. Tommy's face turned red in embarrassment. The rest of the group soon joined in.
“Come on guys, we should go home now.” Tommy said. “There's clearly nothing here.”
“Yeah.” Drista said bending down to pick up her phone and proceeded to shine it right in Tommy's eye.
“Hey! You little-” Tommy cut off when his eyes adjusted to the darkness again. Tommy's face paled as he looked past Drista, she was still about a yard away from them, still in the place she had scared the others. The others took quick breaths. It was so silent as Drista flashed them with her flashlight. They didn't react to the blinding light.
“What are you guys staring at?” Drista followed her friend's horror filled gazes.
She screamed and fell forward, instantly breaking the others from their trance. Behind her was a towering figure. Its skin looked like black ink, the wire looking hair sticking in all directions. It had no eyes. Just deep dark holes with a single white dot indicating where it was looking, the nose and mouth being even darker than its ink-like skin. It had weird smiling faces engraved along its body. Its limbs are long and skinny, the fingers longer than a forearm. Sharp at the ends. The feet, or what should be feet, are hooves.
Tommy hurried up to where Drista was on the ground and dragged her away from the figure. The kids all huddled together, putting protective arms around each other. Tommy infront of them all.
“ⱧɆⱠⱠØ, ł ₥Ɇ₳₦ ₦Ø Ⱨ₳Ɽ₥.” The tall figure bends down to its knees, holding up both of its inhuman hands up in surrender. Tommy can't help but put his hands over his ears at the voice. It was raspy and corrupted, almost sounding like screeching. “ĐɆɆ₱Ɇ₴₮ ₳₱ØⱠØ₲łɆ₴ ₣ØⱤ ₴₵₳Ɽł₦₲ ɎØɄ.” The inhumane figure lowered their voice, noticing how some of the children reacted to its accent.
Tommy let go of his ears and put an arm around all his friends in a protective manner once again. Eye the creature as the black-ink-skin faded into a lime green. The small smiley faces being the only thing being its magnificent color.
“I have always been interested in your kind.” The voice of the creature changed, sounding like a soothing song instead of the screeching. “The ways of you humans are confusing to me. I've always wanted to learn.”
“W-well we are pr-pretty confusing.” Tommy retorted back, his voice cracking on some words.
“Indeed. I understand that you are what the elders call children. Correct?“ Tommy huffed.
“I'm no Child, they are, but not me!” Tommy pulled his hands back against his friends forcing them together.
There was something off about this. They way the creatures dark ink teeth glinted when he spoke. It doesn't have that sharp of teeth for nothing.
“No need to be afraid.”
“I'm not afraid,” he spat.
“I mean no harm.” The figure shook its head.
“I doubt that.” Purpled clenched his fists and walked up next to Tommy, to put his arms around the others like Tommy.
“Would it help if I told you my ₦’₳₥ł’ɆⱧ, or known as, name to you humans?” The figure straightened its back, the word sounding like light warbles of an animal.
“Y-yes…” Drista spoke, poking her head out from behind the two boys' protective arms.
“I am ₦łɆ’₮₲’Ⱨł₮ ₥’₳Ⱨ’ⱤɆ. That translates to Night Mare in your language.” The creature lowered its body, to be eye level with the children, as it was still towing over them, as it sat with its hooves underneath its body.
“Great, that's great. We should get going, its dark…” Tommy stepped back, forcing the others to follow his movement. Night Mare sighed, and slowly stood up.
“I'm afraid you can’t do that…” Suddenly Night Mare lunged forward, sharp claws reaching for the nearest kid. They all shrieked, turning around and running. Still holding on to each other.
The claws snagged on the hoodie of Ranboo. The tall boy screamed. Tommy instantly stopped, breaking free of his friends' grips to reach for the boy being flung in the air. Before he could touch the mismatched boy's hand he was dragged back by Purpled. Ranboo was released up in the air, floating for a second, everything seemed to slow as his budy hung in the air, Tommy could almost see the boys teary face and fritened eyes as everything went back to the fast pace of time. His body fell fast towards the hard dirt and rocks. The group trying to pull Tommy away as the tall boy's body hit the ground, loud cracks of bone reaching his ears, and the cry from his friends. Ranboo's face landed facing them, the side of the boys face was tattered, and bloody, his mouth open wide as he screamed, unable to move. Tommy pushed harder to get to him. He was not about to leave his friend. Purpled grabbed his sleeve then took his free hand to grab Tommy by his hair.
“We have to leave him!” Purpled yelled as he dragged Tommy away. Tommy was forced to run with Purpled's hand having a fist of his hair.
They ran till the cries from their friend that had been sucked back were gone. Tommy felt tears prick the edge of his eyes. The forest blurred around him as they charged through bushes and jumped up and over logs of fallen trees. They slowed seeing a small cleft in a hill. The pounding in his ears drowned out his friend's voice as she screamed at him. He felt himself be dragged as his vision blurred further, the wettness on his face telling him he was crying. The pouding slowly faded a sthe tears were wiped away by a warm comforting hand. He opened his eyes; that he never felt close, as he looked up at a sobbing Drista.
“Tommy!” Her voice was a hushed yell. Her voice cracked, as more tears spilled down her face. “We need you to be here.” She coughed as her sobs became louder. He looked away from his friend. He couldn't stand someone crying, it'll make him cry more.They were in a cave that Tommy thought was just a cleft in a hill. There was a thin line of moonlight coming from where he guessed they had slipped through. He looked right next to the entrance to see Purpled deep in thought, Tubbo was pacing back and forth. His tear stained cheeks barely illuminated by the light.
“Do you think we lost it, Purp?” Toby asked as his voice wavered, his chest rising and falling quickly.
“I’m not an I̡̨͙͙̪̹̾͟T̼̼̖̾͟͞” The weird shrieks sounded from the now gone ray of moonlight. Blocked by the head and claws of the creature. The ink-like skin faded off to a blood red. Drista shrieked, clinging to Tommy, as Purpled rushed to the only person in reach of the monster's claws. Tubbo.
“Tubbo move!” Tommy yelled, putting the younger girl behind him. Tubbo wasn't moving. He was frozen. He couldn't move. His feet like blocks of stone, weighing him down. Nightmare reached its long limb inside further, running two of its claws through the short boy. Tubbo's eyes wide, as the pain increased, as his body was dragged out of the cave, his screaming friends rushing after him. The boy's eyes felt heavy, he was tired. I'm so tired. Was the boy's last thought.
“Tubbo. Tobbo! TUBBO!” Purpled screamed at the top of his lungs, Tommy rushing besides him. Now he's the one to drag someone back. “No NO NO!” Purpled was whirling around everywhere. Drista came up to help get him away from the entrance.
The creature reached its claws again, Tommy grabbed Purpled's shoulder length hair and yanked him back. ‘Karma.’ Thought Tommy, as he grabbed Drista's arm to pull her back too. He shoved them into the wall opposite of the clawed hand feeling around the room. Drista covered her mouth, more tears running down the girl's face. Tommy could feel his heart ached at the young girl, she's only sixteen, she doesn't meed this, neither does Purpled, Tubbo, and Ranboo. Tommy removed his hand from her arm; still keeping his grip on Purpled’s hair in case he decided to play hero and save Tubbo who isn't going to make it, and moved his hand on her shoulder squeezing it reassuringly.
“There's no way out Tommy.” Drista whispered, her voice cracking. “We won't get out-'' she cut herself out as she sobbed.
“We will.” He whispered in response, pulling Purpled closer to the two as he struggled to break Tommys grip.
“We won't!” Purpled screamed. “We won't!” the boy fists flying everywhere. Tommy could tell that Purpled had reached his breaking point, he was always so calm.
The hand of the monster froze.
‘Well fuck.’ Tommy thought.
Tommy looked at Purpled and Drista, panic bubbling up in his chest.
The clawed hand moved slowly towards where the kids were huddled. Trails of red left behind the two claws that went through their friend. Tommy yanked Drista and Purpled to their feet, pulling them behind him. He shoved them up against the wall, the two slowly climbing the damaged wall of stone, Tommy right behind them. He carefully placed step after step to not disturb the loose rocks. Drista and Purpled falling suite. Tommy could feel his body getting tired as the hand of the creature twitched. Behind him, Tommy heard a little clatter and a scared gasp from Drista. The hand suddenly shot up at them, making Drista shriek. He looked back to see the eye of Night Mare just barely visible through the crack. Tommy jumped off the wall to avoid the hand, instantly regretting it as the claw went for Drista.
“NO!” He screamed running back onto the wall as the claw tore through the girl back, making her blood spatter on the crumbling wall infront of her. She was flung off the wall to be thrown at another and another. Her screams silenced the second her back hit the third wall.
Once her silence was heard by the creature, its claws went through her body once more to drag her away, Tommy was frozen as he stared at Drista’s open green eyes, her dirty blonde hair stained red. The red blood trail leading behind her as her limp body neared the sliver of light.
Tommy ran towards her, his arms outstretched.
This time, he got to her. He gripped her limp arms and yanked her free of the claw. He choked back sobs as he dragged her away from the claws. Purpled soon joins him. The monster lay its hand down to stare at them. The piercing gaze made Tommy shiver. He fell, his back hitting the wall hard, Purpled rushing to his side.
“Tommy!” Purpled yelled. “Go! Get out of here!”
“No!” He held the girl close.
“You out of us all deserve to get out of here!” His scream was loud and pircing. “Holy mother of Prime, I will toss you to that monster if you dont leave!” Purpled bent down and carefully took the lifeless Drista and sat down with her, pushing Tommy into a neighboring tunnel that he hadn't noticed before, how did he not notice? He notices everything.
“Go!” Purpled yelled, as the clawed hand darted towards him. Purpled pushed on his legs from where he sat on the ground with tears rushing out of his purple eyes. “Go.”
Before Tommy could react, Purpled was dragged away by his head, the claws making a loud crack as Purpled's skull was shattered. Tommy was frozen, his legs felt like jelly, his heart pounding in his ears. His breath quick and shallow as he stared at where Purpled was just hugging Dristas body. The claws came back, reaching for him, He screamed and turned, running, there was nothing he could do. He ran down the tunnel, never looking back. His vision was blurry and warm tears trickled down his face. His feet pounding against the dirt.
He didn't know how long had passed until he was blinded by the morning light. He Whirled around as his eyes adjusted. He was in the middle of trees, Leaves scattered everywhere. Rays of sunshine streaming down on him. If only he had seen the tunnel earlier, then Purpled and Drista, fuck even Tubbo, would still be here. He let out another sob as he chose a direction and started running, jumping over fallen logs and pushing through bushes whom scratched at his skin. He heard distant yells, they dont seem to be out of fear so he runs towards the noise. Flashes of red and blue seeping through the leaves. He could make out the yells now.
“Tommy!” It sounded like his older brother, a flicker of hope making him start to run faster.
“Purpled!” another voice. Though the voice of him made his heart hurt as he continued pushing through the brush.
“Drista!” and another, more clear than the others.
He broke through the brush onto a side road, police cars in the area, people rushing from one point to another, people holding gear, and a few tents set up. There at the edge was his two older brothers.
“Tech, Will!” He yelled, running into them, and hugging them tight.
“Tommy, oh! Oh thank Prime!” They both hugged him back. He lifted his head out of his two brothers to see Drista’s brother Dream, Tubbo’s sister and mother, Lani and Mrs. UnderScore, Purpled’s two brothers, Punz and Ponk, and lastly Ranboos foster mother, Miss Beloved.
“Where…..where are the others?” Dream spoke up, his green eyes burning through Tommy.
Tommy frowned, as he felt tears at the edge of his eyes once more.
“Gone……”
…
…
Ｏ(≧∇≦)Ｏ
In another universe-
He didn't know how long had passed until he was blinded by the morning light. He Whirled around as his eyes adjusted. He was in the middle of trees, Leaves scattered everywhere. Rays of sunshine streaming down on him. If only he had seen the tunnel earlier, then Purpled and Drista, fuck even Tubbo, would still be here. He let out another sob as he chose a direction and started running, jumping over fallen logs and pushing through bushes whom scratched at his skin. He heard distant yells, they dont seem to be out of fear so he runs towards the noise. Flashes of red and blue seeping through the leaves. He could make out the yells now.
“Tommy!” It sounded like his older brother, a flicker of hope making him start to run faster.
“Purpled!” another voice. Though the voice of him made his heart hurt as he continued pushing through the brush.
“Drista!” and another, more clear than the others.
He pushed through the brush, but all that was there was cranes and police cars with sirens wailing everywhere. In the middle of it stood Night Mare. Towering over cranes as the creature stalked up to Tommy. Tommy's body was frozen like ice, his breath quick and shallow. Cold sweat ran down his back as the creature stopped. Tommy had to crane his neck to look at Nightmare.
“гРł ₣ØⱤ₲Ɇ₮ ₮Ø ₥Ɇ₦₮łØ₦ ł ₵ØɄⱠĐ ₥ł₥ł₵ VØł₵Ɇ₴?” The screeches are loud and make Tommys ears ring.
“But.. But the cars…. Where are they… DId you……” His mind was racing. Why were there police cars here? Why is there no one? Did that thing kill them too?
The creature laughed as it leveled its body with Tommys eyes. Its face mere inches away. Tommy could feel the breath of the creature, it was cold and dry on his pale face.
“₮ⱧɆɎ ₩ɆⱤɆ ₦ɆVɆⱤ ⱧɆⱤɆ ₮Ø₥₥Ɏ.” The black ink mouth pulled up at the corners to form a wicked smile. Weird shapes of sharp teeth glistling in a beautiful red hue. “ł₮'₴ ₳ⱠⱠ ₳₦ łⱠⱠɄ₴łØ₦…”
The voice dripped with wicked glee as the world around Tommy melted, the police cars and cranes dipping into the earth, the sun lit skies faded into the dark blue sky of night. The brightness of the leaves on trees melting into deep dead brown. The grass filled ground beneath him turned to dirt, around his feet crumbling into a void of the melting clearing.
Soon enough, he was stuck on a floating piece of ground with the creature. Yards and yards away from the safe forest floor. Tommy found the will to move to look down. He could see the layers of the earth laying together, slowly crumbling into an ink like void.
He looked back at the monster only to jump when the face of the monster was right there, but the mouth opened bigger than his head, the black ink teeth engulfing Tommys vision as sharp pain shot through his neck, all feeling to his body gone as his vision went red.