LEGAL STUFF: Ed, Edd n Eddy belong to the very talented and much envied Danny Antonucci. I'm not responsible for creating it, only butchering it via this fanfic.

SKIPPABLE CHAPTER NOTES: This is a rather serious prelude, but the story gets a considerable amount of humor (if you can call it that :P) in the next chapters. I can't seem to write completely serious stuff with these characters, so be prepared for some fluctuation with this story. ^^;

~Kit

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"Where the heck am I!?"

Eddy's voice echoed throughout the darkness. Not this again… anything but this.

Everywhere he looked, he was surrounded by a heavy, gray fog that could have been mistaken for smoke, had it not been for the absence of the choking, unsavory odor. No, this fog had a choking quality to it, but one significantly different from smoke… it suffocated from the outside the body, not through inhalation. Despite the incredible vastness of this place, the omnipresent fog made Eddy feel like a claustrophobic trapped in a crowded elevator with no way out.

But at least, had that been the case, he'd have someone to keep him company.

He had been here many times. It was all familiar, and yet it was quite unsettling all the same. Though he recognized the place, he still didn't know where exactly it was. The familiar thick haze constricted him, and no matter where the boy turned, all he saw was the drab grayness that swirled around him. He couldn't even see the hands he held out inches in front of his face.

The only comfort he had - although minor - was that he knew he was standing on solid ground. He couldn't see it, but he could feel the cold, pebbly surface beneath his feet. It was an uncomfortable surface that, no matter where or how far he walked, had never given way to a more comfortable texture like grass, carpet, or even cement. However, even this rough terrain was better than the thought of simply floating without direction or control in this unnatural mist. He was on firm ground. He could walk wherever he wanted without being a complete slave to the mist that enveloped him.

But what's the point of walking if it's all the same?

Eddy stood helplessly and looked around, knowing that only the cool mist would be there to greet him at every turn. He clenched the hem of his undershirt, unconsciously twisting and wringing it in his hands. "Hello!?" he called out, knowing well that his calls wouldn't be answered. Not yet. He was alone in a darkness that he felt was threatening to consume him. But he had always called out nonetheless… the sound of his own voice brought a small amount of comfort to him. It was the only voice he could trust here.

He shuddered as a chill went through his body. The mist was getting colder, and his sleeveless shirt and boxers did little to protect him from the chill.

Eddy sat on the pebbly ground and pulled his knees to his chest. He wanted to call out for Double D, Ed… or anyone for that matter. Hell, even Kevin! But he knew from past experiences not to; that it would only bring their mocking laughter. The laughter that haunted this place… as ghostly and eerie as the voices were, they belonged unmistakably to the children of the cul-de-sac. The kids he spent every day conversing with, even the two he trusted the most… how could he not recognize those voices? He knew that they would soon come to him, insulting him and jeering him, whether he called out or not. Speaking their names had always simply hastened their arrival. Eddy didn't know what was worse… being alone in this creepy place, or hearing the unseen presence of his "friends" taunting him mercilessly.

Eddy remained curled up for what seemed like forever before he heard an impish giggle. Here it comes… Eddy thought, preparing himself for the onslaught of verbal abuse that was sure to come. He only hoped it would go by quickly this time.

But something was different. It was the voice of only one… no one was joining in the solitary, unseen youth's laughter. Eddy blinked and peered into the haze warily, as if expecting to actually see someone emerge. That giggle…

"Well, well, Eddy," came an all too familiar voice. "Seems the shoe is on the other foot." The voice was familiar, but the tone was not. It felt as if it was laced with a sort of smug contempt.

Eddy watched as, for the first time ever, he saw the mist clear up in front of him just enough to see beyond the swirling grays. He could make out the outline of the scornful voice's source. He swallowed a lump in his throat, recognizing the silhouette yet wishing he hadn't. The figure came closer to Eddy, enough to where his features could be clearly made out, including the familiar sock cap adorning his head.

"Wouldn't you say?" he asked, looking down at Eddy with a piercing, cold-blooded gaze.

Eddy looked up, almost fearful as he noticed the expression on his friend's face as he looked down upon Eddy's curled up figure.

"Doub… Double D…?"