The whole next day, Princess Peach and the younger plumber walked through the castle with half lowered eyelids. Mario was worried sick to think that Peach actually stayed up the whole night for fear of her dream. He was even more worried to see Luigi in the same shape.
His younger brother's head rested limply in his palm, scrunching up his cheek. He only had two bites of his breakfast when he dropped his fork and his eyes closed. Five seconds later, his arm slipped and he fell headlong into his plate.
Mario lifted a disapproving eyebrow as he ate his own meal.
"Read too much of comics, did you?"
"Mmm-nuh, yeah," Luigi mumbled as he sat up and picked bacon from his hair.
Peach, actually hearing the conversation for the first time, looked up sleepily.
"Nuh-uh," she managed between barely parted lips. "You were havin-Owe!" After a sharp kick from Luigi she stopped and frowned, glaring at him and eating in silence.
"Having what?"
"Having a darn good time," Luigi answered quickly. "You know how comics get to me."
Mario answered with just a grunt and a nod.
Luigi stared blankly out the window of his room when he heard a soft knock. He looked up, startled. "Oh, hey there, Mario."
His brother walked in rather quietly and sat in a chair across from him.
"Can I help you with something?" Luigi asked curiously after a moment's silence.
"I want to know why you couldn't sleep last night."
Luigi rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Mario, I was reading comics."
"No, I mean it. I-I'm supposed to take care of you, and that includes unhealthy sleeping habits."
"But you know how I like staying up late!" he protested.
"You could never pull an all-nighter."
"Well, I just did."
"Weegy……"
"Don't call me that! You know I hate it!" he exclaimed, standing up.
"Then tell me."
Luigi looked at him a moment longer, then sat back down, sighing. He ran a ahnd through his dark hair nervously as he stammered.
"I uh…had a bad dream. That's all."
"What about?" asked Mario, concern marring his face.
"It doesn't matter. But…it felt like I was there, ya know? The walls were pushing in, I felt so crushed, trapped. I felt it, Mario. Peach woke me when I…was literally stuck between two walls." He looked distraught just remembering the nightmare, and his sweaty hands held the arm rests as if to never let go. "I…felt like I was gonna die for sure."
Mario studied his brother, concerned by his unnatural fear. Of course Luigi was claustrophobic, but he had never been this shaken up over a dream.
"Luigi. That stuff's not real," he said gently.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know." Then, managing a smile, he stood up, stretching. "I might nap for a bit."
"Fine by me. You need your rest."
That night......
"Oh, man," breathed Luigi in an anguished whisper. "Not again." He was awake, or so it seemed, and on in the same room as the night before. Empty and made entirely of concrete. He shut his eyes tight. "It's a dream, it's a dream," he kept saying to himself.
"I'm afraid that it's not," came the familiar, deep rumbling voice.
"Bowser," began Luigi. "I don't have time for games. You want to fight us, do it face to face, like a man--"
"With one exception, string bean," the turtle interrupted. I am not a man. Nor am I humane."
"No one said you were!" the lanky man shot back. No sooner had he spoken the words than the same two walls on either side moved closer to each others, close to Luigi. He groaned, halfway between a whimper and a sigh, and shut his eyes again.
"It's just a dream, it's just a dream, it's just a dream…"
Mario turned over in his covers. He was awake now, and couldn't sleep. He was worried about both the Princess and his brother, but…something else was keeping him awake, it seemed. His room was dark and he felt his surroundings weren't right. Carefully he got out of his bed and reached in his bedside drawer for the fire-flower he always kept handy. Not finding it and growing alarmed, he searched blindly with his hands all around the dresser. Objects fell off the table, making small bouncing sounds. Then something crashed.
Grimacing with frustration and confusing, Mario reached for a light switch. He flipped it, and a child's spinning night light came on. He frowned, then looked around the room in disbelief.
A young boy's trophies set on a shelf, and ancient baseball cards were covering the floor under his feet. His bed was smaller, more child size….
"How did I get here?" he wondered aloud. He picked up a picture of a woman cradling a baby. He squinted to make it out in the faint light, but a sudden, low zipping sound distracted him. Silently, he cracked open the door and peeked out. No one was in sight--wait, what's that shadow? Heart pounding, he pushed the door open more. He could have sworn he heard Bowser's sinister laugh. Then he heard a small voice, calling his name desperately.
He gasped a little and started. He looked up to see his own room in the Princess' castle, and Toad in his little nightcap. He was tugging at Mario's blanket just below the plumber's knee, looking frightened.
"Hey there, kid. You havin' nightmares too?"
He shook his head hard, and his voice trembled with urgency. "No, but I think Luigi is!"
"Again?" He almost never has nightmares! What has he been watching on TV?
Mario got up hurriedly. "All right, let's check on him."
"It's a dream, it's a dream, it's a dream, it's a dream." Luigi chanted to himself. But his eyes weren't closed anymore. He watched the wall in front of him come in closer, and the one he was leaning against push him closer to the former. Closer, closer…ten feet…nine feet…eight feet….Luigi whimpered, shaking his head.
"I want to get out!" he shouted hopelessly. The walls ignored him. Six feet….five feet….four feet….
Luigi thought he would go insane from waiting. He crossed himself and tried to push away the wall in front of him.
"It's a dream, it's a dream…" Three feet….his arms were slowly pushed back to his sides like an accordion, and his voice grew thinner and more tired.
"It's a dream…"
Two feet.
Luigi gasped breathlessly as the walls slowed, but only a little. As if to further his painful death.
"Stop it! Mario!!" he cried, as if his brother could hear him close by. The wall was right in front of his face now. He felt himself being compressed, and the pressure on his chest was too hard. He couldn't catch a breath.
He exhaled painfully, feeling faint. Then a voice reached his ears.
"Luigi!"
Mario?
"Luigi! Wake up!
Owe!
"Wake up!" A sound like rushing wind, and Luigi thrashed at the bed sheets, trying to sit up. Mario tried to hold his shoulders. "Luigi! Luigi, just calm down."
Breathing quickly and trembling, Luigi gulped for air. "He…he's trying…to k-kill me. He w-wants to kill me."
"Calm down Luigi. Take a deep breath."
The younger Mario shook his head but tried to comply anyway. His shaky breath was interrupted by a sobbing gasp, and he shut his mouth, holding a weak hand to his forehead and holding himself in check.
"Okay," began Mario, taking a deep breath himself. It was like Luigi was a kid again, and need comforting after a terrifying dream or accident. "Now, tell me who's trying to--"
"Koopa," he whispered fearfully, like the word suddenly held so much of his respect now.
"Kooopa?"
Luigi nodded slowly, a hand to his chest, still catching his breath. "M-mario. It's the…same dream."
"From last night, you mean?"
Luigi nodded again. It seemed like the only thing he could do. Mario watched him carefully, thoroughly worried now. Now we're all having nightmares.
(Wow. That was….profound. *watches TV and chews gum*)
Nothing is ever good enough for you, is it? And how did the TV get in my room??
+ *flops in a chair and pouts* +
What's your problem, woman?
+Where am I??+
[In Robin Lee's room. *reads SMB Adventure book*]
+I mean in this good for nothing story!+
(And you called US babies…)
Look, I'm sorry…
+Sorry?? I had only one freakin line!+
Don't get your undies in a bunch! You're in the next chapter and a good lot, too.
(Why can't we see Peach's dream?)
*nervously* Ummm…content editing purposes.
+What?!?!+It's indecent! I'm actually doing you a favor by keeping the mystery. Consider it a gift....Merry Christmas.
+Awe, thanks. *slaps Luigi's nearby head* I didn't get any gifts from you two this year!
::Both still intrigued by their diversions, Luigi slaps Mario's nearby leg casually and holds out business envelope. Mario spits bubble gum into it which is handed to Peach carelessly.::
[*preoccupied with book* Feliz Navidad…]
A/N: Ok, I admit. Boring chapter. Full of....bore-age. Hmm, rhymes with porridge. Tee hee.....
At any rate!!!...Are you still feeling scared? Feel like you're there? Or are you like, "Dude! Why is she writing this crap about a person's dream? Why doesn't she just--Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!" O_o *sweatdrop*......Yeah, that would be a tragedy. It will get better, I swear!