Me: Welcome to Running!
Danny: Don't you have other things to write about?
Me: Like what?
Sam: Baby
Tucker: How I Met You
Jazz: Fire Day
Dani: Four Heroes Becoming One
Vlad: The Monkey Boy and the Teen Ghost…
Me: SHUT UP! I KNOW I'M BEHIND! JUST PLEASE BACK OFF!
Danny: So, why are you starting now?
Me: Figured I better start. Some people have been waiting awhile for this.
Sam: Fair enough.
Me: Okay. I don't own Danny Phantom. He and his fellow characters belong to Butch Hartman.
Danny: Read and Review.
Chapter One: My World Shatters, Again
"Leave them alone!" I screamed.
The shadow just chuckled. "Why should I?" he asked. "I enjoy watching you suffer from the pain your friends and family feel,"
I looked at the wall again. Vlad, Jazz, Sam, Tucker and Dani were cuffed to it.
"Let them go!" I shouted.
"Never," the shadow whispered as he pulled the lever. They started squirming and screaming and my mind was running in a million different directions. One part was telling me to go ghost and save them, another was saying run away before you get put up there next, and another was saying to attack the shadow.
I tried to move. I tried to follow that first voice and save them but my legs wouldn't respond. I was in a full blown panic. I screamed at the top of my lungs and fought against whatever was holding me back but I couldn't get away.
Then it was over. They were dead. Not a single one of them made it. Feeling in my legs returned and I fell to the floor, sobbing. Why? Why did he have to take away what I loved?
The shadow began to walk toward and I tried to run. But I was glued to the floor. There was no escape as the shadow pulled out a sword. He advanced and I struggled to harder then ever. Nothing. I couldn't move.
The shadow towered over me. "Good night Daniel," he said but laughing like a manic and plunging the sword toward my back.
I screamed.
I shot up and screamed for a full minute before I stopped. I opened my eyes and looked around. I was back in my room at Vlad's and there was no shadow. I sat there for a minute, expecting Vlad to have heard my screams and burst into the room, but he never came.
I looked at my clock. It was one thirty eight in the morning. I sighed. It was the same nightmare every night and I seemed to be losing sleep. I just couldn't keep up.
I lied back into bed and closed my eyes. I really needed to sleep or I was definitely not going to keep Vlad from figuring out my nightmare. The last thing I need is Vlad worrying about me.
I was just about to fall asleep when I heard a bang I knew to well. It was a gunshot and I was immediately wide awake. I was shaking and I turned into Danny Phantom to be on the safe side. I've had enough experience about being shot.
I quietly slipped out my room and headed for the living room. I knew Vlad normally there at this time. Talking to Skulker. Skulker. Could he have shot Vlad? Could Vlad be hurt? Could he be… dead?
"Stop thinking like that Fenton!" I scolded myself. "Vlad's going to be fine. Probably just a misfire of that new Ecto-Gun Vlad's been working on,"
Even though part of me had believed me when I said that, the other part wanted to go and check. I heard footsteps, changed back into Fenton, and hid behind a suit of armor.
I saw a man in a cape. I couldn't see his face, but I saw something silver in his hand. I saw a pistol.
My eyes widened. Could he have killed Vlad? Did he shot Vlad because we wanted to get to me without interference? Did he think Vlad was me? I shook my head and ran to the living room. I needed to check. I needed to see Vlad, alive and well, and tell me that the man I saw was just an image of my imagination.
I reached the living room and looked around. I didn't see Vlad, dead or alive or even in ghost form. But I saw the fireplace and I needed to look in front of it before I assumed that Vlad was in his room.
"Vlad?" I asked. "Are you there?"
No response. I sighed and went to put out the fireplace. But the moment I got there my blood ran cold and my world shattered again.
There, laying in a pool of his own blood, was Vlad Masters.
My legs gave out on me and I bit back a scream. None of this was a dream. Shadow had come and had took his first victim. Vlad. Vlad was gone. He was dead. The only other halfa in the world was dead!
I jumped up and ran to the bathroom. I threw up and washed my face. This had to be a dream. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be true!
I only had two thoughts. One: call the police. Two: Get out of the house.
I ran back into the living room and dialed 911. I was impatient as the phone ring. "Hello," a voice said. "This is 911. What is your emergency?"
"My adopted father got shot," I said in a hushed voice. "He's dead and I think the guy that shot him is still in the house,"
"Sir," the voice said. "Where are you?"
"Masters Mansion," I said. I heard a crash and cursed. "He's inside the house,"
"Please stay calm sir," the voice said. "We have a cruiser on the way,"
"I've gotta go," I said. "He's gonna kill me,"
I hung up the phone and ran to my bedroom. I didn't see Shadow and the moment I got to my room I locked the door. I grabbed my backpack and stuff my clothes and fifteen dollars into it. I grabbed the thermos and went ghost.
Then there was banging on the door. "I know you're in there kid!" the man shouted. "Open the door!"
I opened the window and flew out and didn't stop flying until I was far away.
I landed and collapsed. I needed a place to hide until morning. Then I'll start running again. I needed to get as far away as possible, I needed to lead Shadow away from everyone. I might have been too late to save Vlad but I would save everyone else! I chuckled under my breath as I climbed a tree and settled down for the night.
"Come and get me Shadow," I whispered as I fell asleep.
