Dream Walker

Disclaimer: I deny any ownership of any adolescent transformed shadow warrior chelonians.

Dreams can often be challenging but challenges is what we live for – Travis White.

Chapter Three – To face a Beast.

Jennifer:

I slipped into the washroom early in the morning and lifted up the bandage that I had wrapped about my arm, I wanted to ensure that the wound would stay clean and that it wasn't starting to get infected. My arm was still sore but the injure itself looked all right.

I felt droopy and exhausted from spending most of the night awake, and I blinked rapidly as I filled up the bathroom sink with warm water to wash my face.

I knew I couldn't tell my family what was going on, they just wouldn't believe me. Sure mom had ESP but she was very logical, I guess being an accountant did that to you, so she would be the first one to point out that the turtles weren't real, and that there was no such things as monsters. She would also insist that I had somehow in my sleep scratched or cut myself. Then she would point out all the reasons why these things couldn't happen, I could dream of murders or plane crashes and she would accept that as a fact of normal life, these things happen, but in the real world you wouldn't find mutated turtles fighting monsters in the sewers.

She would never accept it as truth, and if she didn't, neither would the rest of the family. Darren if he heard would only use it to tease and torment me.

I knew though, that the monster did exist and it was dangerous because it knew about me and it saw me as a larger threat to its existence then the turtles. I could hardly get my mind away from the thought that at any given time, the beast could break free and come after me. It would stop at nothing to find me, it could harm or even kill my family or numerous other innocent people all because it had to find me. I was very sure of that much, even if I didn't understand the rest of the dream.

Why did I have to dream of this thing, why did I have to know that it existed? Worse yet why did it have to know I existed?

I didn't know if the turtles themselves were real, sure I loved the cartoons the movies the comics but they were in essence just make believe.

However I knew dreams could use a lot of symbolism and association elements in them, ESP dreams did not have to be exact in every detail, just certain things and if you were open to reading them, you could gain more information. So the use of the turtles in my dreams might be just away of informing me that the creature was a mutant that lived in New York City. Perhaps the turtles might represent something even further about the beast that I still had to figure out. Maybe it was as simple as the turtles were mutants and introducing me to the beast that was also a mutation.

I chewed my bottom lip vigorously as I let the water loose and picked up the hair brush. I knew I had a choice to make either stay here, waiting for the creature to arrive, or go to New York City and face it in real life.

The very thought of going there made my legs feel like rubber under me and caused my stomach to churn. I didn't want to go any where near that thing, I'd rather run all the way to the opposite coastline or head further North or some direction then heading to it.

I mean if I couldn't even protect myself in the dream world how could I protect myself against it in real life?

I laid my hairbrush down and slipped quietly out of the bathroom as I headed into my bedroom.

I felt deeply cold all over and I shook in fear as I moved to gaze out my bedroom window.

The sun was shining promising another beautiful sunny day, it seemed so wrong to what I was feeling at the moment, as if the bright rays only wanted to mock me, or spite me in some way.

I mean somewhere out in the world there was a large dangerous monster out to kill me, but outside my window was a beautiful sunny day with birds chirping in trees, grass growing, and flowers blooming.

I didn't know what I was supposed to do, in an instant all the rules had drastically changed. I laid my head against the glass pane feeling a slight coolness there, and I took a deep breath as I tried to consider my options.

I knew though, no matter where I went the monster would find me, it would track me somehow. It wouldn't rest until it found me.

I didn't have a lot of school time left, only a couple more days and then a few exams at the start of next week before I was free for summer holidays. That meant I had all of summer to worry about a monster tracking me down to kill me, unless…

Unless I did something about it.

I just had no real idea of what I could do.

I had an Aunt that lived in New York City, not far from the North end of Central Park. Aunt Crystal and I got along well and I usually visited with her over some point of summer vacation, in fact she had been e-mailing me to see when I was coming to spend girl time this year.

I hated the thought of going, I would be closer to the monster and I would be placing my Aunt's life in jeopardy.

I didn't want either of those things and wondered if this year I ought to cop out of our annual get together, though I knew Aunt Crystal and I both looked forward to these yearly visits.

My family lived North of the big cities, in a place once known as North Tarrytown New York, now though North Tarrytown was better known as Sleepy Hollow as it is the city that featured in the story about the Headless Horseman and Ichabod Crane.

Much as I wanted to run from New York city and avoid it all together, I felt like I was being drawn there, as if some part of me was answering a call to go. I felt as if some deep inner part of me, knew that sooner or later I would have to confront the beast there in the big city.

I could run from it or it would find me, and no matter where I went sooner or later I knew that I would end up having to face the beast in some way or form so if I couldn't escape it as I thought why not go to the Big Apple?

I had heard if one took action then they are taking steps to overcome fear, because action means doing something while fear often just freezes you in one spot. Doing something is often better then doing nothing.

Still it is hard to feel brave when you are heading to the very thing that seeks to destroy you.

I knew at the moment, my fear of taking action had me feeling like all I wanted to do was spew out what ever was roiling around in the pit of my gut. I guess I wasn't made to be a hero.

Heroes weren't afraid to take action, they just did it, while action was the last thing I wanted to take, except if that action was running to hide.

Michelangelo:

We made it home, if only because the creature had become distracted heading off in another direction even though it had to of seen right where we were standing in front of it. We weren't about to complain just used its sudden interest elsewhere to our advantage vanishing quickly like the ninja we were.

Though I had to wonder if some where in what seemed to be a dim witted brain, if that beastie was able to come up with some fairly intelligent moves and think things out. I mean maybe it only wanted to let us slip off, then follow the scent of blood and what have you back to the lair.

That creature had to have a good sense of smell it must smell the blood from all of us, and we didn't exactly have time to wash it off to help in diverting it away. Still Don was badly hurt and my arm, where the creature bit me wasn't exactly in the best of shape either, so we had to take the risk and go with the higher priority of getting home to medical attention.

Splinter had enlisted me to help take care of Don, while he would wait to tend to my injuries for the moment, always the one most injured in battle got top priority so Don was looked to first.

Meanwhile Raph and Leo set about trying to fortify the lair so that if the animal did track us down it would hopefully let off a warning to us so that we could either evacuate or attack depending on what course of action seemed appropriate at the time.

After all we had gone through, the injuries we had obtained from the beast, I had to wonder if we stood a chance against it, it seemed little that we had would divert it or slow it down for that matter.

Don was really the best one for this able to research obscure items, theorize or rig up effective traps and alarms that would help us in battle. We could really use Don's creative juices and his ability to know just about everything there was to know. Only thing was Don wasn't exactly in any condition to be of use to us, but hopefully sooner rather then later we could have him back on the team again.

The infirmary in our home was a simple affair really, it was a rather crude hospital but it's served its needs and its purpose.

There were two twin beds in the room with a nightstand between the beds, a chair by each bed, one close to the corner area of the sewer pipe the other up against the wall. There was a cupboard area full of medical supplies, syringes, needles, thread for stitches, bandages of all shapes and sizes, herbal remedies for just about anything and everything. We also had equipment for I.V purposes and blood transfusions, though it was a system made up of spare parts that Don had rigged up, it did its purpose because in our life style we couldn't avoid giving some trial runs to ensure that fact.

I gazed at Don, he looked small and weak, though he was breathing well and Splinter felt that he would come around soon. Don had an I.V. in him at the moment to replace the fluids that he had lost.

I swallowed as I couldn't help but think that we might all be in his condition soon, especially considering how easily the monster had just tossed us around and about, but I didn't voice my misgivings at the moment, nobody really needed to hear my doubts when our home was full of tension and unspoken fears.

Splinter gestured to me " Sit down now Michelangelo so I can tend to your injuries" he gestured to a chair, his face was drawn, tight looking with concern, the same look he had when we had first entered but he sighed a bit and that look eased ever so slightly " Donatello will be all right. He just needs to rest now." He assured me.

I sat down in a chair, allowing Splinter to probe ever so gently at my wounded shoulder with long deft fingers he grunted slightly before turning to get some supplies to tend to the injury.

" Master" I began then halted.

Splinter turned to face me, his dark eyes penetrating my own as if he was seeing beyond me and into the depths of my soul, his nose only a few inches from my own beak, as he gently cleaned the wound and applied a poultice made of herbs to draw out infection, and to stop the bleeding before wrapping the wound securely.

There was a strength and wisdom in his eyes that could not be detected in his slightly bent frame, or the way that he leaned heavily on his walking stick for support. His hair around his face was more grey then brown, and his hair was thinning in spots, his well loved kimono was faded and slightly tattered, and he was thin yet in spite of it all he was still at heart a ninja, and I knew he could hold his own against many things.

I shook my head " Nothing forget it," I mumbled, as I hung my head suddenly not wanting to speak of my fears or uncertainties.

It wasn't normally my way to think badly of any circumstances we found ourselves in, but this one seemed so far out of our depth, so impossible to stop that I didn't think that even I could make light of the situation at hand.

" No Michelangelo, you are not alone in your doubts or concerns. Speak and let them be a burden to you no longer." He advised kindly.

" I was just wondering with how that animal treated us, why it just didn't kill Don out right. It could have but it didn't?"

Splinter's tail twitched " Most animals kill for food not for sport. Perhaps it was not hungry enough to kill" Splinter paused, " For that we ought to be thankful, for it means we have not lost Donatello."

Or maybe, I thought grimly to myself, it is so tortured that it will inflict pain upon others for the sake of doing so.
Leo entered the infirmary walking on silent feet " My bet is Baxter controls the beast somehow and wouldn't allow it to kill Don."

Splinter turned " Are you sure that it is Stockman behind this my son?"

" Who else Master?" Leo replied, " Only Baxter would have the resources and knowledge of how to genetically engineer something like that beast" he pointed out, " He'd want to control it because to control something like that makes Baxter feel powerful. Only thing he has failed to see is that a creature like that can turn on him at any given time."

" That said Leo we ought to go and stop Baxter and this creature soon" Raph essayed he stood behind Leo arms across his plastron his tone challenging. " After all we don't know when Baxter is going let his pet play with the people topside. That is if he can even get it back ta the warehouse considerin' it followed us down to the sewers."

Splinter's tail thumped the ground " No my sons you must not go after it blindly. Look at your injuries. If you seek to destroy it while blind, you may be the ones to suffer death not it." Splinter disputed sharply.

" News flash for you Splinter, that thing is seeking us, are we supposed to sit down here and wait for death to bash in our door? Face it we are no better then a rat caught in a trap if we hang around." Raph snapped.

Splinter curled his lip, his tail slashed the floor in agitation and his hair bristled ever so slightly at Raph's poor choice of words " Be silent Raphael and learn wisdom" Splinter hissed.

Raph snorted " It isn't wise to sit around here when that thing is out there" Raph declared unwilling to back down.

" It is far more foolish to go into battle when you stand no chance of winning" Splinter countered sharply, he sighed and his look softened, " You are too impetuous my son and while that can be a good trait, your impudence makes it much harder for you" Splinter reached one arm the hand came to rest on Raph's cheek " Be careful of rash decisions for you may destroy more then yourself with them." Splinter replied kindly.

Raph looked deep into Splinter's face, I thought I saw a flicker of acknowledgement or perhaps something else, a sign of acceptance, understanding, I'm not really sure what, I only know it was there and then gone again as the wall Raph managed to keep between us and him crashed down again. He whirled about heading for the dojo under a full head of steam.

Splinter sighed wearily his shoulders slumped " I will meditate in hopes of learning what I can" he announced as he left the infirmary.

Leo moved the other chair from the empty bedside over towards me where I still sat. I glanced at him and he at me we spoke silently but for a moment it was the only communication we felt the need or desire to express.

Until that was it got too much for me " How are we going stop something that doesn't seem to feel our weapons Leo?"

" We'll find a way Mike perhaps for now you and Raph might want to consider switching to a sword it seems to feel that if you hit it hard enough." Leo replied he glanced at me " we have been through some very difficult times before this Mike we can handle the beast too" he assured me.

I had to wonder who he was trying to fool more with those words him or me.

" It has to have a weakness somewhere and we will find it" Leo declared.

" Yeah all we have to do is find out how to stop a tank," I agreed in a half joking way. I think more because he would expect that sort of comment from me.

Leo gave a small smile " There are ways of doing that Mike."

I got up knowing Leo would keep watch over Don, because once Don awoke and once Leo assured Don was up to it he'd be trying to learn from Don every thing he could about the monster.

I was about to leave when Leo's next words caused me to stop right where I was.

" Raph is right about one thing, we have to stop Stockman's creation before it breaks loose and it will break loose, something of that size and power is not going be contained."

I don't know why but somehow I got to thinking of Jurassic Park, a place for cloned dinosaurs where every precaution was taken to ensure the creatures wouldn't break out and cause trouble but of course in the end trouble is exactly what these things caused, because as Ian Malcolm put it 'life would not be contained."

This was a real monster, designed and created by some insane scientist, nothing like it had ever been known to walk the Earth at any given point of time, until now, but it was a creature that had to be ruled by animal instincts, those instincts would cause it to fight for freedom at some point.

I didn't fancy the idea of going back to face the beast but I didn't care for the thought of what it might do when it broke free and was no longer controlled by any body.

" Let's hope Splinter learns something Leo we could sure use it right about now" I stated as I left the room.

Being a hero wasn't all it was cracked up to be, but I knew when the time came we would stand guard against the beast, facing it, in hopes of destroying it but most likely we would be laying down our own lives in hopes of protecting innocent lives, it was what we were trained to do.

Damn Stockman he should never have messed in things he had no understanding of.

TBC

Pacphys: A very thick hide does have its uses. Why it wants Jen will be revealed later on, right now suffice to say it considers Jen far more of a threat then the turtles. I know I sent you a separate e-mail about the error I made in last comment it is AJ3 Something Wicked. A gratitude for your insight.

ChibiRoseAngel: Don can't get it this early on, it wouldn't be half as much fun as killing him or someone else later on in the story. Haven't decided yet but this might be one fic where character death does happen. May just have to see where the muses lead me. A gratitude for your insight.

Lunar Ninja: No I haven't seen the Three Amigos. Jennifer's name appeared in the first chapter when her mom is calling to her, so you must not have been paying attention or what was going on with the turtles caused you to forget my OC's name. A gratitude for your insight.

Reinbeauchaser: Yuck, Yuck warped is right where this author is concerned. I guess it comes from reading far too many horror stories in my youth. As for the beast not killing Don it probably sees Don more as a play toy at the moment though Leo might have a point too. Ah, you know me too well, I am going have to try and out think you somewhere along the line. A gratitude for your insight.

Gemdrive: It isn't easy for Jennifer and she is quite shook up by recent events you can be sure of that. Come to think of it, it probably won't get much easier on her either. A gratitude for your insight.

Pretender Fanatic: Really You guessed that well hmmm? Sounds like I have to out wit more then Reinbeauchaser as this story progresses. I am glad you like Jenny's character, I haven't decided if I like her yet or not, but that is okay it is much easier to write terrible things for a character I don't care for. A gratitude for your insight.