Chapter Four
Donnie looked up from where he was laying and rubbed his eyes. He found himself out in the living room in front of the sofa.
"What's going on? Why am I out here?" Donnie said to himself. That was when he saw the door of the lair open. Something was wrong. He looked around the room for any sign of his brothers or his master when he gasped.
On the floor lay his brothers, all broken and bloody. Then he saw his master knelt beside them. He was covered in spats of blood, but not his own. Donnie cringed in fright as Splinter lifted the still body of one of his brothers and looked at him.
"You could have saved them. Why didn't you help them?" Splinter said in a ragged voice, "They are dead.and it's ALL YOUR FAULT". Before Don could say anything, the dog suddenly appeared beside his sensei.
"Master, look out, the dog's gonna get you!" Donatello cried out desperately. The tall rat looked at the dog, not showing any fear. Then, he pointed to the remaining turtle that sat partially hidden in front of the couch. To Donnie's horror, the dog seemed to nod in agreement and growled ominously. He tried to scream, but his voice froze as the dog leapt forward.
"Nooooo!!"
He quickly sat up, gulping in air as if he had never breathed before, and looked at his surroundings. He found himself back in his bed, safe and sound. He wiped off the beads of sweat that formed on his forehead and sighed.
"Oh, it was just another dream," he said to himself.
The dreams that had been coming to him were getting worse every night, and he was getting less and less sleep as the days passed. It was affecting him so badly that he started having difficulties in practice. He ended up falling asleep early in the evening, but stayed up most of the night because of the dreams. He was about to lay back down when he heard movement in the bunk beside him.
"Hey, Donnie, are you okay?" Raphael asked as he sat up from under his blanket.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Donnie answered quickly. His brother looked at him, unconvinced.
"What, did you have a nightmare or something?" His brother asked, folding his arms, " Come on Donnie, what is it?"
Donatello ignored his brother and laid back down, trying to go back to sleep. Instead, he found himself being stripped of his blanket. Raph held it in one hand and looked at his brother expectantly.
"Come on Don, you have been acting weird ever since the dog attack two days ago, not to mention waking up every night, what gives?" Raphael asked him again. Don paused for a second. Two days? He couldn't believe it had been that long since the attack. He guessed he just was too distracted to notice. Everyone was a bit preoccupied since what had happened to Leo. Raphael had been grumpier and short-tempered, which was not good since Mike's pent-up nervous energy often resulted in some sort of mischief or prank to occur.
"I told you it's nothing," Donatello repeated, stating to become frustrated.
"Don't give me that, bro, something's bothering you," Raphael said," come on, spill it."
Donnie usually wasn't one to do anything disruptive, but his patience was worn out.
"I said I'm FINE!" Donnie replied angrily, and crouched on his hands and knees to rescue his kidnapped blanket.
"Donatello, Raphael, what is going on in here?" The two young turtles froze and turned towards the voice. Splinter had entered the room, a candle in hand. He walked up to the bunk beds, frowning slightly.
"Why are you two awake at such a time? What was the cause of this argument?" Splinter asked. Donnie plopped back down into his bed and hesitated. He didn't want to tell Splinter about his dreams, but Raph might say something. So he did something he thought he would never do: he lied, again, straight to his master's face, and put the blame on his brother.
"Raphael said he was cold and took my blanket. Then he said I couldn't have it back," Donnie fibbed. Raphael looked at his brother in shock. Did Donnie just LIE to Master Splinter?! Doesn't he know what would happen if Splinter found out that he lied? Needless to say, Raph was speechless.
"Wha-what?! No I- " Raph started, stuttering. Splinter put up a hand, silencing them.
"I believe this discussion can wait until tomorrow morning. But for now, both of you go back to sleep. Especially you, Donatello; you have been very exhausted for the past few days, and I am getting concerned. I want to hear no more arguing for the rest of the night, is that clear?" Splinter ordered.
The two turtles nodded their heads slowly. Splinter watched them as they lay back down. He saw Raphael giving his brother a dirty look, and Donatello's eyes remained downcast. Something is going on here, but what? Splinter thought, There is more here than meets the eye.
The Sensei's thoughts were interrupted by a small tug on his kimono. He glanced down to see Michaelangelo up on his elbows, looking at him with bleary eyes and clutching his robe with one hand.
"Wha's goin' on Masser Splinner?" Mike asked tiredly, his words slurred. Splinter knelt down and patted his small hand.
"It is nothing, Michaelangelo. Go back to sleep, my son," He assured him. The little turtle nodded obediently and fell back to sleep, purring a little snore. Splinter returned his gaze to his two sons, and sighed lightly.
"We will continue our conversation in the morning. Goodnight, my sons," Splinter said. He glanced at Leonardo's empty bunk worriedly, and then left the bedroom, casting it once again into darkness. Donnie hugged his pillow and tried to go to sleep, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see his brother looking at him with anger and shock at the same time.
"You lied to Master Splinter! Don't you know what he says about lying? 'It doesn't take much to lie, but once it's done, it's even harder to take it back'. When Splinter finds out, you're gonna get in a lot of trouble," Raphael told him before going back to sleep.
Donnie thought about his brother's words. He didn't like being dishonest, but he was too scared. The fear of what would happen when Master Splinter found out about his deception lingered in his mind. Donnie knew that their father sternly disapproved of lying.
He remembered the first time he saw the consequences of not being honest. Mike and Raph had snuck out of the lair to look at some snow that had fallen through an open grate. When they came back with Mike having a bruised arm (from falling on some ice), they tried to say that he had done it during a sparring session. However, the accidental mention of snow ended up exposing their little lie. As for their punishments, well, let's just say they had a hard time sitting for about half an hour. Splinter could be very strict when it came to administering punishments, especially when it came to lying.
Donnie's mind raced nervously. He didn't want to get in trouble, but he had already lied to his father- twice. How much more did he have to do? If only he wasn't so scared about Splinter finding out about the dog attack! Then this would never have happened!
He soon came to the conclusion that he wasn't gonna get out of this easily. He also knew that he certainly was not going to be able to go back to sleep that night.
If only he knew the nightmares that lie ahead.
Donnie looked up from where he was laying and rubbed his eyes. He found himself out in the living room in front of the sofa.
"What's going on? Why am I out here?" Donnie said to himself. That was when he saw the door of the lair open. Something was wrong. He looked around the room for any sign of his brothers or his master when he gasped.
On the floor lay his brothers, all broken and bloody. Then he saw his master knelt beside them. He was covered in spats of blood, but not his own. Donnie cringed in fright as Splinter lifted the still body of one of his brothers and looked at him.
"You could have saved them. Why didn't you help them?" Splinter said in a ragged voice, "They are dead.and it's ALL YOUR FAULT". Before Don could say anything, the dog suddenly appeared beside his sensei.
"Master, look out, the dog's gonna get you!" Donatello cried out desperately. The tall rat looked at the dog, not showing any fear. Then, he pointed to the remaining turtle that sat partially hidden in front of the couch. To Donnie's horror, the dog seemed to nod in agreement and growled ominously. He tried to scream, but his voice froze as the dog leapt forward.
"Nooooo!!"
He quickly sat up, gulping in air as if he had never breathed before, and looked at his surroundings. He found himself back in his bed, safe and sound. He wiped off the beads of sweat that formed on his forehead and sighed.
"Oh, it was just another dream," he said to himself.
The dreams that had been coming to him were getting worse every night, and he was getting less and less sleep as the days passed. It was affecting him so badly that he started having difficulties in practice. He ended up falling asleep early in the evening, but stayed up most of the night because of the dreams. He was about to lay back down when he heard movement in the bunk beside him.
"Hey, Donnie, are you okay?" Raphael asked as he sat up from under his blanket.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Donnie answered quickly. His brother looked at him, unconvinced.
"What, did you have a nightmare or something?" His brother asked, folding his arms, " Come on Donnie, what is it?"
Donatello ignored his brother and laid back down, trying to go back to sleep. Instead, he found himself being stripped of his blanket. Raph held it in one hand and looked at his brother expectantly.
"Come on Don, you have been acting weird ever since the dog attack two days ago, not to mention waking up every night, what gives?" Raphael asked him again. Don paused for a second. Two days? He couldn't believe it had been that long since the attack. He guessed he just was too distracted to notice. Everyone was a bit preoccupied since what had happened to Leo. Raphael had been grumpier and short-tempered, which was not good since Mike's pent-up nervous energy often resulted in some sort of mischief or prank to occur.
"I told you it's nothing," Donatello repeated, stating to become frustrated.
"Don't give me that, bro, something's bothering you," Raphael said," come on, spill it."
Donnie usually wasn't one to do anything disruptive, but his patience was worn out.
"I said I'm FINE!" Donnie replied angrily, and crouched on his hands and knees to rescue his kidnapped blanket.
"Donatello, Raphael, what is going on in here?" The two young turtles froze and turned towards the voice. Splinter had entered the room, a candle in hand. He walked up to the bunk beds, frowning slightly.
"Why are you two awake at such a time? What was the cause of this argument?" Splinter asked. Donnie plopped back down into his bed and hesitated. He didn't want to tell Splinter about his dreams, but Raph might say something. So he did something he thought he would never do: he lied, again, straight to his master's face, and put the blame on his brother.
"Raphael said he was cold and took my blanket. Then he said I couldn't have it back," Donnie fibbed. Raphael looked at his brother in shock. Did Donnie just LIE to Master Splinter?! Doesn't he know what would happen if Splinter found out that he lied? Needless to say, Raph was speechless.
"Wha-what?! No I- " Raph started, stuttering. Splinter put up a hand, silencing them.
"I believe this discussion can wait until tomorrow morning. But for now, both of you go back to sleep. Especially you, Donatello; you have been very exhausted for the past few days, and I am getting concerned. I want to hear no more arguing for the rest of the night, is that clear?" Splinter ordered.
The two turtles nodded their heads slowly. Splinter watched them as they lay back down. He saw Raphael giving his brother a dirty look, and Donatello's eyes remained downcast. Something is going on here, but what? Splinter thought, There is more here than meets the eye.
The Sensei's thoughts were interrupted by a small tug on his kimono. He glanced down to see Michaelangelo up on his elbows, looking at him with bleary eyes and clutching his robe with one hand.
"Wha's goin' on Masser Splinner?" Mike asked tiredly, his words slurred. Splinter knelt down and patted his small hand.
"It is nothing, Michaelangelo. Go back to sleep, my son," He assured him. The little turtle nodded obediently and fell back to sleep, purring a little snore. Splinter returned his gaze to his two sons, and sighed lightly.
"We will continue our conversation in the morning. Goodnight, my sons," Splinter said. He glanced at Leonardo's empty bunk worriedly, and then left the bedroom, casting it once again into darkness. Donnie hugged his pillow and tried to go to sleep, when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see his brother looking at him with anger and shock at the same time.
"You lied to Master Splinter! Don't you know what he says about lying? 'It doesn't take much to lie, but once it's done, it's even harder to take it back'. When Splinter finds out, you're gonna get in a lot of trouble," Raphael told him before going back to sleep.
Donnie thought about his brother's words. He didn't like being dishonest, but he was too scared. The fear of what would happen when Master Splinter found out about his deception lingered in his mind. Donnie knew that their father sternly disapproved of lying.
He remembered the first time he saw the consequences of not being honest. Mike and Raph had snuck out of the lair to look at some snow that had fallen through an open grate. When they came back with Mike having a bruised arm (from falling on some ice), they tried to say that he had done it during a sparring session. However, the accidental mention of snow ended up exposing their little lie. As for their punishments, well, let's just say they had a hard time sitting for about half an hour. Splinter could be very strict when it came to administering punishments, especially when it came to lying.
Donnie's mind raced nervously. He didn't want to get in trouble, but he had already lied to his father- twice. How much more did he have to do? If only he wasn't so scared about Splinter finding out about the dog attack! Then this would never have happened!
He soon came to the conclusion that he wasn't gonna get out of this easily. He also knew that he certainly was not going to be able to go back to sleep that night.
If only he knew the nightmares that lie ahead.