About half an hour later they arrived at Johnny's house. From the outside, it appeared old and falling apart. It had been started many years before, but for some reason it was never finished. The carpenters had finished the bottom level and put the floor of the second story on top, but got no further than that. The most popular explanation was that the prospective inhabitant had run out of money and couldn't afford to have it finished. However, there were rumors that money wasn't the reason, that something had happened to the buyer and some of the workers. Whatever the reason, Johnny had come to live there years ago, furnishing it with couches, chairs and tables picked up off the side of the road. However, only Johnny could have been thrilled by what he had found while cleaning out a back room. Moving apart a particularly loose board, he found a secret passage leading to a whole new level below. He found that there were many more levels below this, each with various torture devices and instruments of death. It had reinforced his decision to live there, Johnny having had his homicidal tendencies well established by then. How they had gotten there, Johnny didn't know, but he wasn't complaining, heh heh heh.
"Alright everyone, we're here," announced Johnny as they all piled out of his grey car. "According to my watch, the thing should be out in about 3 hours." For a while they stood in front of the house, sizing it up, psyching themselves up, and finally they went inside. Johnny was taken by surprise by the sudden attack of chlaustrophobia he experienced as he walked in, and it was all he could do not to bolt for the door or vomit. The dreams were so vivid, he seemed to remember them even better than events that happened in real life. Devi saw his brow bead with sweat, his jaw lock, and his temples begin pounding. She tried to calm him, but he didn't hear. All he heard was a deep, booming voice in his head:
Three hours, Johnny, and you're walking right into it.
He started hyperventilating and almost ran, but in the midst of the voice's loud, resonating laughter, Johnny discerned a small, familiar voice in his mind:
Don't give in, Johnny. You have to be brave. For Devi, for Todd, for everyone.
"Nail-bunny?" Johnny whispered, and the voice became louder until it was no longer only in his head. Johnny pulled the rabbit's body out of his pocket and examined it.
"Yes, Nny. I'm back- for the time being. After this, I'll be gone." Johnny's smile vanished
"But... you just got back! I don't want to lose you again!" Johnny began pleading desperately.
"It'll be ok, Nny. My voice will rejoin you, so you'll never be without me. I was originally part of you," the rabbit's voice explained. Johnny bowed his head sadly, but nodded, accepting what he was being told. Suddenly, Devi looked down into her purse.
"Does that mean Sickness is better now, too?" she asked, and a small voice answered back.
"Well, why don't you see for yourself?" Sickness replied, and Devi took her from the purse. She wasn't moving around by herself anymore, so she was again wholly part of Devi.
"I'm back to my old, IMMOBILE self. This sucks like nobody's business. But I do admit, it is good to be in control again," said the doll. Devi spoke up again.
"Nail-bunny says that he will become part of Johnny again after this. Does that mean that you will be part of me again, too?" she asked.
"I suppose so," said the doll painfully. "I would much rather be out here, but you'd really be much better off with me inside of you again." Devi nodded her head, staring at the doll.
Throughout all of this, Todd had been absorbing everything, and he guessed that Shmee would go away if the thing was defeated. I don't want Shmee to leave... I'd be so lonely... There has to be some way... I don't care what it takes, but they can't make Shmee go away. With a look of hard resolution, Todd glanced at Johnny and Devi, who took no notice of it. I'm sorry, guys, but I've made up my mind. I don't care what it takes.
The look of calm acceptance on Todd's face as the clock struck midnight was strange. Johnny was puzzled; he had expected Todd to panic and start running around aimlessly, going "Squeeeeeeeeee!!!" all the while. In fact, Johnny appeared more scared than the boy. Devi, however, looked scared enough for both of them. Johnny gave a reassuring glance to her. However, that glance never had the desired effect, as the house began trembling. At first it was small, barely perceptible, but it grew, until it felt like an earthquake. Todd managed to calmly keep his feet, while Johnny and Devi fought to stay upright and failed. They fell, and it was lucky that they did. At that very moment, the wall seemed to explode, sending wooden planks and splinters flying through the air. They sailed over the unflinching Todd, missing by mere inches. As Johnny and Devi struggled up, Todd spoke in a tightly controlled voice:
"Guys, there it is."
"Alright everyone, we're here," announced Johnny as they all piled out of his grey car. "According to my watch, the thing should be out in about 3 hours." For a while they stood in front of the house, sizing it up, psyching themselves up, and finally they went inside. Johnny was taken by surprise by the sudden attack of chlaustrophobia he experienced as he walked in, and it was all he could do not to bolt for the door or vomit. The dreams were so vivid, he seemed to remember them even better than events that happened in real life. Devi saw his brow bead with sweat, his jaw lock, and his temples begin pounding. She tried to calm him, but he didn't hear. All he heard was a deep, booming voice in his head:
Three hours, Johnny, and you're walking right into it.
He started hyperventilating and almost ran, but in the midst of the voice's loud, resonating laughter, Johnny discerned a small, familiar voice in his mind:
Don't give in, Johnny. You have to be brave. For Devi, for Todd, for everyone.
"Nail-bunny?" Johnny whispered, and the voice became louder until it was no longer only in his head. Johnny pulled the rabbit's body out of his pocket and examined it.
"Yes, Nny. I'm back- for the time being. After this, I'll be gone." Johnny's smile vanished
"But... you just got back! I don't want to lose you again!" Johnny began pleading desperately.
"It'll be ok, Nny. My voice will rejoin you, so you'll never be without me. I was originally part of you," the rabbit's voice explained. Johnny bowed his head sadly, but nodded, accepting what he was being told. Suddenly, Devi looked down into her purse.
"Does that mean Sickness is better now, too?" she asked, and a small voice answered back.
"Well, why don't you see for yourself?" Sickness replied, and Devi took her from the purse. She wasn't moving around by herself anymore, so she was again wholly part of Devi.
"I'm back to my old, IMMOBILE self. This sucks like nobody's business. But I do admit, it is good to be in control again," said the doll. Devi spoke up again.
"Nail-bunny says that he will become part of Johnny again after this. Does that mean that you will be part of me again, too?" she asked.
"I suppose so," said the doll painfully. "I would much rather be out here, but you'd really be much better off with me inside of you again." Devi nodded her head, staring at the doll.
Throughout all of this, Todd had been absorbing everything, and he guessed that Shmee would go away if the thing was defeated. I don't want Shmee to leave... I'd be so lonely... There has to be some way... I don't care what it takes, but they can't make Shmee go away. With a look of hard resolution, Todd glanced at Johnny and Devi, who took no notice of it. I'm sorry, guys, but I've made up my mind. I don't care what it takes.
The look of calm acceptance on Todd's face as the clock struck midnight was strange. Johnny was puzzled; he had expected Todd to panic and start running around aimlessly, going "Squeeeeeeeeee!!!" all the while. In fact, Johnny appeared more scared than the boy. Devi, however, looked scared enough for both of them. Johnny gave a reassuring glance to her. However, that glance never had the desired effect, as the house began trembling. At first it was small, barely perceptible, but it grew, until it felt like an earthquake. Todd managed to calmly keep his feet, while Johnny and Devi fought to stay upright and failed. They fell, and it was lucky that they did. At that very moment, the wall seemed to explode, sending wooden planks and splinters flying through the air. They sailed over the unflinching Todd, missing by mere inches. As Johnny and Devi struggled up, Todd spoke in a tightly controlled voice:
"Guys, there it is."