Chapter. 1

Night Terrors

The creature kept getting closer, it seemed that no matter how fast he ran, he could never escape. Oswald could feel his heart racing, even if it hadn't beat for years. He scrambled around broken glass, mounds of rubble and twisted metal struts. But the thing was always on his tail.

" GET AWAY FROM ME!" he shouted at the creature, but it kept coming at him. His remote, more like a tazer than a remote, was a hopless piece of swiss cheese. Blotlettes, small drops of Blot, had eaten through it, rendering it usless. Oswald took a look back to see the inky black creature only two feet away. Oswald ran faster, but the creature was still behind him, it's lime green eyes peircing into his soul.

Suddenly, Oswald felt a upturned piece of metal grab his leg and trip him. The black and white rabbit when tumbling head over heels, landing in a heap. Oswald tried to get up, but his leg hurt. He glanced down and saw piece of glass set deep in the gash. He felt something warm running down his face. He reached up and saw blood dripping into his eye from a cut to his removable ear, that had nearly amputated it from his head. Then came the dreaded chuckle of the inky black monster. It seemed to slither forward, toward the downed rabbit.

" What do you want?" shouted the rabbit at the creature as he backed away. His injured leg dragged on the ground, through piles of broken glass and his hands became embedded with glass and splinters from broken wood beams. The creature came up to Oswald, it's eyes glaring down at him. The creatue appeared to look like him. But it was completly black, and it's skin bubbled and boiled like the wax in a lavalamp. It grinned with sharp lime green teeth.

" loOKs LikE YoU'Re LUck rAn OuT OSwaLd," it growled out.

" No! No! Please! NO!"screamed Oswald, holding up bloody hands to try and sheild himself from the attacker. The monster pounced, sharp teeth biting into his chest, and claws ripping long gashes across his face.

" NO!"Oswald screamed, sitting up suddenly. His eyes darted around. Table lamp. Bed. Blankets. Ortensia. It had been some horrible dream. Ortensia stirred and opened her eyes.

" Oswald? Are you okay?" she asked in her soft sweet voice. Her voice calmed his nerves that were currently twitching like a salvo* on a battleship. He sighed deeply and took a look at his wife, her tail twistching nervously.

" I'm fine, Ortensia. Really. It was just a nightmare," he said, forcing a grin. He knew she could see in the dark, like all cats can, and he didn't want to make her nervous.

" Are you sure? You were screaming."

"Yes, hun. I am okay now."

" Okay," she sighed softly. She layed back down, and was still, purring quietly in her sleep. Oswald took another look around the dark bedroom one more time before laying back down. But he didn't go to sleep right away. That chuckle of the Blot creature still bounced around in his head.

" loOKs LikE YoU'Re LUck rAn OuT OSwaLd." Oswald pulled the covers closer and he shivered in fright. He took one last look at the clock on the night stand. 1:48 AM, this night was too long.

A couple Bunny Children bounced around Ostown, making mischief for everyone around. Animatronic Donald was busy trying to fix his tugboat, but he kept hitting his hand or thumb with the hammer and going into a rage. The bunny children stole his tools and hid them in strange places, making the robotic duck very ticked off, but they managed to keep out of his sight. They currently were hiding in the garbage can behind Ortensia, their mothers, house.

They heard footsteps and went quiet. The footsteps got closer to them. Suddenly the lid opened and they jumped out at the revealer of their hiding place. Oswald was thrown to the ground, as his kids pounced on him.

" Hey!" he shouted in surprise, spilling the contents of a waste basket on the lawn.

" Sorry dad," said one. Oswald sighed and started to clean up the mess. The Bunny Children looked at their dad. He had black circles under his eyes, and he seemed paniced about something.

" Dad, did you sleep well?" asked one.

" Why are you paniced?" asked another.

" Did you make Mama mad?" asked a third.

Oswald thought for a moment." Well...yes, no and no. I'm fine and Mom isn't mad at me today," he smiled. This was a lie, but he hoped he could fool them long enough to get back inside and sleep. Oswald tipped the waste basket into the can and he quickly left the Bunny Children behind.

" Was daddy telling the truth?" asked a third.

" He seemed really tired," added another.

" I wonder what is wrong," said a fourth.

" Maybe dad had a nightmare?" said one.

" NAW! Adults don't have nightmares," said the others. Then they bounded off to cause more mischief. As they left, something crawled out of the garbage can. It was small, and black. Little beady eyes stared out at the world. Its body was a mix of paint and thinner. It gave a very small giggle of malicious intent and slunk into the shadows, taking the paint from some grass as it went, leaving a path of ghostly transparent grass.

" Move alittle to the right, I think that should do it," said Gus as he directed the other gremlins moved the projector screen to Tomorrow City back into its proper position. The screen locked into its possitioned with a soft click.

" I think that should do it, uncle," said Marcus.

" Well, give it a test, nephew," he said.

The gremlin flew off to test the screen to see if it would funtion. Suddenly, a person jumped out the projector screen to Ostown. Gus recognised her right away. Ortensia walked up to the lead gremlin, who hovered around her like a lazy bee.

" Hello, Gus," she said softly.

" Hello Ortensia," Gus responded, bowing as he talked. The cat girl smiled.

" I see you got the projector screen to Tomorrow City working," she said, as the screen flickered back into focus.

" Yes, it took some work to get it upright and positioned properly." He looked at her face, it seemed to be is a soft frown." But I have a feeling your not here about the screen, am I right?"

" Correct. Oswald has been asleep all day. I can barly keep him up on his feet," said the cat girl.

" Did he stay up late?" the gremlin asked.

" No, he and I went to bed at the same time. But, he woke up screaming in the middle of the night. He says it was nothing, but I think something did happen. But, he won't tell me," Ortensia said, concern in her voice.

" Hmmm...I'll go talk to him right away," Gus said, before ducking into the projector screen, with Ortensia following close behind.

" Leave her alone! Leave my wife alone!" Oswald screamed at the Blot creature. It held Ortensia in a brutally misshapen claw by her neck. It gave a horrid cackle.

" i DoN't HAvE tO LiSteN To YoU! I haVe ThE poWEr heRe. WAtcH aT whAt i CaN dO to hER," It growled, then Ortensia's face went white, and she faded into a ghostly figure, the creature then dropped the drained toon.

" NO!"screamed Oswald. The rabbit threw himself at the creature with all his might, but the creature moved out of his way and grabbed Oswald by his ears. It brought him up to it's face.

" yOu ShOULd LeaRN NoW ThAT iF I coULD dO That tO yOU'Re WifE, IMAginE whAT i cOUld Do tO YoU," it growled, it's inky body bubbling furiously.

Suddenly, Oswald felt something shake him violently, and he opened his eyes. Gus flew around him and Ortensia looked concerned.

" What's wrong?" he asked sleepily.

" You had another nightmare, didn't you?" Ortensia asked.

" No!" Oswald snapped." I didn't."

" You did too have a nightmare, you nearly punched me while you were asleep," Gus said sternly.

Oswald sighed, he couldn't lie, caue they knew he was wrong." Yes, I did have a nightmare." Ortensia sat next to him, took his hand and looked into his eyes.

" What happened?" she asked.

* A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute.