Bill poked his head out from underneath his blanket. Was that it? Was it over?
There was another bright flash and his ears rang. He burrowed his head farther under the covers. His ears couldn't take it anymore!
Everyone else was outside contributing to the ruckus of flashes and booms. Bill jammed his fingers in his ears. His ears felt overwhelmed at the sudden influx of sound, and his head spun detecting each new crash.
Flash. Red. Boom. White. Crackle. Blue.
Something touched his shoulder and he jumped.
"Bill?" A voice squeaked.
Bill peeked out of his mound of blankets to see Mabel, looking concerned. He hadn't even noticed her enter, his senses were so overwhelmed.
"I know it's New Year's," Bill stammered. "But must the world destroy my eardrums?"
Mabel patted him on the head.
"I know it's loud, Waddles is hiding too!" She said cheerily. "Wait here, I have something that might help!"
Bill nodded and Mabel pranced away. Bill rubbed his eyes. An image of him in his old form kept appearing in red with every flash from the fireworks. He didn't understand why, but it bothered him and reminded him off the monster he was...
The light in his temporary room flicked on.
"There, that should help!" Mabel declared.
Bill blinked, realizing that the light in the room dulled the brightness of the fireworks. Mabel walked over to him and handed him some paper, crayons, and earmuffs. She sat down and started drawing, and Bill clambered out from the pile of blankets, putting on the earmuffs and joining her.
He sighed. The booms were muffled thanks to the pink fluff over his ears. He relaxed, picking up some crayons and a sheet of paper. He drew a giant turkey in a top hat, an apple, Waddles, and a dog. He gazed happily at his art, glad that visions of his old self had stopped swimming through his vision.
Bill glanced at Mabel's masterpiece, and his smile grew. She was drawing the Mystery Shack crew (including Bill) flying kites with Waddles.
He didn't understand why he was struggling. Perhaps exhaustion? He hadn't slept the past few nights. Ever since he'd been noticing owls everywhere, he was at wits end trying to decide if he was crazy or if there was danger lurking around the corner...
That night Bill lay awake. He couldn't sleep no matter how hard he tried. Something was bothering him. He wasn't sure what, but it was something important. His human brain couldn't wrap around it and he lay on his bed. He groaned. If he was in his old form he would know. He should know everything and he wouldn't have to struggle to remember. And whatever was going on it wouldn't bother him. He could just snap his fingers, cause chaos, and laugh it off...
No. He shook his head. He was who he was now. There was no way he was going back to being the monster he'd been before. Even if he knew how.
Being human had taught him that. Earlier that day, Mabel explained to him that New Year's was a time for new beginning's. A time for celebration. A fresh start.
Bill pushed his fretting aside and gazed out the window.
His friends needed him. If something really was happening, he needed to be there for them to protect them.
He needed to push aside the nightmares, the overwhelming senses that had been thrust upon him, the fear of being the monster he used to be, the past that constantly haunted him...
No, he needed to forget all of that. He heaved a sigh and closed his eyes, and drifted off without noticing.
And for once, there were no loud sounds. No nightmares. No owls. No grievous past...
Just warm wind blowing across his face. A never ending blue sky, and a long stretch of and in front of him. The pyramids towered over him.
Bill smiled at the familiar sight. It'd been years since he'd been here. He'd relished the picnic he'd had here in another life, and remembered how the whole trip had changed him.
With a wave of his hand he changed to scene to the snow covered Mystery Shack. He looked at the fresh blanket of snow then up at the moon.
He grinned. Enjoying the pleasantness of his dreams. After all, it wouldn't last long...