Rain sighed heavily as she exited the tent.
The rest of the Neo- Americans and Shuffle Alliance sprang to their feet, eyes alertly searching her face.
"He'll be fine." Rain told them, before they could ask. "He just needs a couple of days of rest. You can go in now- and if anyone's unable to sleep, I'd like to ask that you keep an eye on him and come get me if anything changes- but he's asleep."
"Thank you, Rain." Shirley said sincerely, smiling through tears that she refused to let fall.
Rain returned the smile. "You're welcome." She looked at Domon. "Coming?"
Domon's ears burned red. "Yeah."
The rest of the Shuffles and their crews also rose to their feet and, bidding each other good night, went to bed.
*
It was that damned clown again, except this time the voice taunting him was female. "Shame, shame, shame." it mocked derisively, and laughed.
"Shut UP!" Chibodee raged, drawing back a fist.
A sudden pain in his shoulder told him he'd been hit, and he found himself paralyzed, unable to attack the clown face that loomed over him, laughing, laughing, always laughing till he thought he'd go mad... and then the voice changed.
"CHIBODEE!"
'Four- part harmony?' he thought bemusedly, opening his eyes.
Eight more returned his gaze, one pair with the strange glimmer born of light reflecting off glass...
"You're awake." Shirley's voice observed, heavy with relief.
"We were so worried!" Bunny cried- in more than one sense of the word, from the sound of it.
"Did you hurt your shoulder when you jerked like that?" Cath inquired.
"You should probably go back to sleep..." Janet's voice trailed off, "but I'm glad you're awake. You had us concerned there for a while." she all but whispered.
His bruises and cuts reminded him just what had prompted the dream. "I don't think I could go back to sleep." he complained gruffly.
"We'll help you." Shirley said, with a significant glance at the other girls, who nodded. Taking a big breath, they sang together...
*
"Domon! Do you hear that?" Rain hissed.
Domon was instantly alert. "What?"
Rain turned her head, listening intently. "It sounds like- singing!"
They lay in silence for a few minutes. Then-
"Isn't that the song Chibodee's girls sang for him when he was fighting the clown?" Domon asked, befuddled.
"You're right." Rain confirmed a moment later. "They must be singing him to sleep- that's so sweet!"
"Mmph. You woke me up for THAT?" Domon whined, rolling over.
Rain contented herself with punching his shoulder and letting the muted song put her to sleep as well.
Sorry about the delay in getting this out, but I was at my aunt's house for two months and couldn't update... and then I get home (I'm actually typing this the very same night I got back! Aren't you proud?) to find that someone's deleted the file with all the past chapters in it... probably my father... *grr* So I don't have anything to look back on but what's on FF.net, and my notes for the rest of this fic are lost... so I'll be winging it from here on out and hoping to God it turns out okay. *sigh* I deserve cookies... I think I'll go get some. :) Review, please!
The rest of the Neo- Americans and Shuffle Alliance sprang to their feet, eyes alertly searching her face.
"He'll be fine." Rain told them, before they could ask. "He just needs a couple of days of rest. You can go in now- and if anyone's unable to sleep, I'd like to ask that you keep an eye on him and come get me if anything changes- but he's asleep."
"Thank you, Rain." Shirley said sincerely, smiling through tears that she refused to let fall.
Rain returned the smile. "You're welcome." She looked at Domon. "Coming?"
Domon's ears burned red. "Yeah."
The rest of the Shuffles and their crews also rose to their feet and, bidding each other good night, went to bed.
*
It was that damned clown again, except this time the voice taunting him was female. "Shame, shame, shame." it mocked derisively, and laughed.
"Shut UP!" Chibodee raged, drawing back a fist.
A sudden pain in his shoulder told him he'd been hit, and he found himself paralyzed, unable to attack the clown face that loomed over him, laughing, laughing, always laughing till he thought he'd go mad... and then the voice changed.
"CHIBODEE!"
'Four- part harmony?' he thought bemusedly, opening his eyes.
Eight more returned his gaze, one pair with the strange glimmer born of light reflecting off glass...
"You're awake." Shirley's voice observed, heavy with relief.
"We were so worried!" Bunny cried- in more than one sense of the word, from the sound of it.
"Did you hurt your shoulder when you jerked like that?" Cath inquired.
"You should probably go back to sleep..." Janet's voice trailed off, "but I'm glad you're awake. You had us concerned there for a while." she all but whispered.
His bruises and cuts reminded him just what had prompted the dream. "I don't think I could go back to sleep." he complained gruffly.
"We'll help you." Shirley said, with a significant glance at the other girls, who nodded. Taking a big breath, they sang together...
*
"Domon! Do you hear that?" Rain hissed.
Domon was instantly alert. "What?"
Rain turned her head, listening intently. "It sounds like- singing!"
They lay in silence for a few minutes. Then-
"Isn't that the song Chibodee's girls sang for him when he was fighting the clown?" Domon asked, befuddled.
"You're right." Rain confirmed a moment later. "They must be singing him to sleep- that's so sweet!"
"Mmph. You woke me up for THAT?" Domon whined, rolling over.
Rain contented herself with punching his shoulder and letting the muted song put her to sleep as well.
Sorry about the delay in getting this out, but I was at my aunt's house for two months and couldn't update... and then I get home (I'm actually typing this the very same night I got back! Aren't you proud?) to find that someone's deleted the file with all the past chapters in it... probably my father... *grr* So I don't have anything to look back on but what's on FF.net, and my notes for the rest of this fic are lost... so I'll be winging it from here on out and hoping to God it turns out okay. *sigh* I deserve cookies... I think I'll go get some. :) Review, please!