Sorry this took me so long to get out, I've been having a bit of writers block. But, lo and behold, I got a chapter out, so I hope you enjoy!


As soon as John got back to the flat, he collapsed into a chair. A lot had happened, which meant a lot to think about. However, his brain had other plans, and soon sleep took him.

Again, John had vivid dreams, no more pleasant than the last. This time, he stood behind closed curtains, as if waiting for a cue. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was not, in fact, a person, but instead a reddish animatronic with ragged brown shorts and a hook in place of one of his hands. When he noticed that he only had vision out of one of his eyes, John realized that he was playing the part of a pirate.

Pirate. Wasn't there something about a pirate?

When he tried to remember, it was like looking through fog. His mind seemed clouded. Wasn't he always like this? What was he trying to think of?

John's train of thought was interrupted by a horn which he instinctively knew was a cue for his appearance. Stepping out from behind the curtains, it seemed as if he went into autopilot. As if he already knew what to do.

Walking back and forth across the stage, he entertained the kids by singing and taking various pratfalls until the show was over. Then he waited. John felt as if he were more of an onlooker from the point of view of the character than actually in control, but other than that the dream was extremely vivid. He could smell the grease from the pizza the children were digging into below the stage, hear the bustle of the workers at the restaurant. Funny, it seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place it.

After a while, the call sounded again for him to come out. Again he stepped out from the curtains and performed his routine for the kids. Again when he finished he returned to the dark space behind the curtains and waited.

John's mind remained clouded; all of this seemed familiar, as if he knew what it was, but there was some sort of mental block. He felt out of place, like he wasn't quite himself. Then the call sounded for a third time, and mechanically John started to step out from behind the curtains.

Then he noticed something different.

Something out of place. Something that didn't belong.

Standing to his left, leaning against a wall was a man. Out of focus, as if seen through an opaque glass. All that could be seen was purple. Lots of purple, in the shape of a man, with a wide, gaping smile and black pits for eyes.

It made his blood run ice cold, and his body froze. He stood staring into his eyes, unable to break his gaze.

The man made no move.

Finally, John managed to regain control, and he pulled the curtains aside, stepping out onto the stage.

Silence.

Pure silence.

In place of the children awaiting the arrival of the character there were corpses. Just sitting there.

John would've gotten ill right then and there if not for the sole fact that he knew it was a dream.

Just a dream.

Not real.

Not real.

SAVE THEM

John woke up when he ran into the wall. He had been sleepwalking, a trait which he was not aware of ever exhibiting. Rubbing his sore nose, he returned to his chair and tried to calm himself down after the nightmare. He was shivering in a cold sweat. Taking a shaky breath, he glanced at the clock.

4 A.M.

He'd been asleep for two hours. For the first time that night, he thought about Sherlock by himself in that God forsaken place and grew worried.

What if Pirate Cove came for him?
What if he couldn't get to the door switch fast enough?
What if they reached him before he ever got back to the office?

John sighed and tried to push his concerns from his mind. However, as he did, the memories from his dream came flooding back to him, and a fresh wave of chills came over him.

The corpses.

The smiling man. The smiling, purple man.

Sitting alone in the main room, John stared. Stared and remembered.

Remembered staring into his eyes.

John knew those kinds of eyes.

Black, souless eyes.

The eyes of a killer.


Dream sequences call for choppy sentences am I right? Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! I really appreciate it!