A/N: All together now…

YES! SCHOOL IS OVER! YEAH! UPDATES EVERY DAY! ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL! FREE DONUTS ON TUESDAYS! W00T!

The Shadow

Pebbles opened her eyes sleepily. The room was quiet and everyone slept soundly. Grey rain pattered softly against the window.

She yawned. I love Christmas break, she thought sleepily, stretching and getting out of bed.

As it turned out, her brother was going to a party that night and her parents were going to another Christmas party, so the house would be quiet in the evening and most of the night, long after the fictional characters had fallen asleep.

After eating breakfast, she walked upstairs to find Erik reading and Amanda playing chess with Cricket.

"I thought everyone would be awake," Pebbles sighed, gazing at Holli, Willy, and Victor, who were sleeping soundly.

"It's strange," Erik muttered, turning a page in his book and continuing to read.

After another hour, all 3 sleeping characters had woken up.

"Wha happened?" Holli mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

Willy's face lit up. "MUMBL-" His face fell quickly. "Ah, gosh darn it, I'm too sleepy."

Victor yawned widely. "As am I."

Pebbles threw a dog toy across the room. "Let's just get ready for the day, then I'll put you in the pen and see what's going on outside. It never rains in winter here; it's supposed to be snow!"

Amanda stood up. "I'm first."


Pebbles gazed at the clouds, sticking her hand out from under her umbrella in time to watch a heavy raindrop plop onto her hand. The pen was stored safely in the inside pocket of her coat so that it wouldn't get wet; heaven knew what would happen if it did.

She kicked at a puddle and kept walking. Practically every human being on earth would be inside in this weather, so she sang softly to herself.

Just a day, just an ordinary day

Just tryin' to get by.

Just a boy, just an ordinary boy, but…

He was lookin' to the sky

And…

She twirled, a smile appearing on her face.

As he asked if I would come along
I started to realize-
That everyday you find
Just what he's looking for
Like a shooting star he shines…

He said:

She walked briskly down the sidewalk. She was now out of her section of the neighborhood.

Take my hand

Live while you can

Don't you see that dreams lie right in the palm of your hand?

She stopped looked over the rail of the bridge to watch the brook that ran through the neighborhood babble along, the tinkling of the water mingling with Pebbles' voice.

And as he spoke, he spoke ordinary words
Although they did not feel
For I felt what I had not felt before
You'd swear those words could heal.
She glanced upwards a bit.

And as I looked up into those eyes
His vision borrows mine.
And to know he's no stranger,
For I feel I've held him for all of time.

She pattered away on her tiptoes, feeling like a happy five year old, despite the terrible weather. It was quite beautiful, really, once you really thought about it. Grey was always useful for artwork.

And he said:

Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand?

In the palm of your hand?

She sighed dreamily and stopped on the sidewalk to lean against a tree, holding the umbrella at a slight tilt in front of her so that she wouldn't get her socks wet.

Suddenly she heard a very soft voice; it wasn't anyone in HER group of characters; it wasn't Willy, Victor, or even Erik. No, it was an entirely different voice, a male's, but still very pretty and dipping and rising at the right parts, while staying in tune to the song that Pebbles was recently singing.

She stayed silent, listening.

Please come with me
See what I see
Touch the stars for time will not flee

The voice rose in volume as wing swirled about Pebbles' face.

Time will not flee…
Can you see?

It stopped as the wind died down, and Pebbles continued the song. Subconsciously she knew the voice and who it belonged to, but somehow she also knew that it wouldn't start up again…not here, anyway.

Just a dream, just an ordinary dream…
As I wake in bed
And the boy, that boy, that ordinary boy!
Or was it all in my head?

She shouted/sang, running as the neighborhood swelled up a hill.

Did he ask if I would come along?
It all seemed so real!
But as I looked to the door,
I saw that boy

Standing there with a deal

And he said:

She slowed down a little bit, not even feeling tired as she kept running. She was halfway up the hill now.

Take my hand
Live while you can
Don't you see your dreams lie right in the palm of your hand?
In the palm of your hand!
In the palm of your hand…

She sighed again and slowed and quieted down as she reached the top of the hill and the final section of her neighborhood, but kept walking.

Just a day, just an ordinary day
Just tryin to get by.
Just a boy,
Just an ordinary boy.
But he was looking to…

She sat on a nearby bench and gazed up at the grey, cloudy sky.

The sky…

Everything was silent as Pebbles sat on the bench, catching her breath. The rain slowed down gradually, and eventually…

Ground.

To.

A.

Halt…

Pebbles looked around, wondering why the rain had stopped. The wind picked up again, whistling in Pebbles' ears.

Suddenly her umbrella was swept away, along with her coat and her sweatshirt.

She was now left down to her jeans, her black sneakers, and her green hamster T-shirt.

She did the only thing she could think of.

"Hello? Anybody out there? Hello!"

The wind picked up, howling dangerously and sweeping through her long hair, causing it to flare up behind her in true Hollywood style.

Her pen, which had not been swept away with her coat, rolled to her foot and clacked against it, stopping.

She looked down. Without thinking, she swept it up and pressed the button.

Each and every character was out in front of her. Victor stumbled a little bit.

"What's going on!" he yelled over the wind at everyone.

Pebbles ran up to him and clutched his coat. "Hell if I know, but I don't like it, whatever it is!"

Holli pointed fearfully up at the sky behind the group. "What IS that? Holy crap!"

Everyone turned slowly towards where Holli's finger was pointing, and gasped collectively at the sight.

A huge, swirling shadow was hanging in the sky among them, with flashes of dark orange, red, and blue appearing in the center. The wind wasn't coming from it; instead, it was being SUCKED into it. Notes fluttered down from the shadow and towards the group.

Willy tried to catch one of the notes, but yelled in pain as it touched his hand, quickly letting it fall to the ground, where it disappeared. Erik tried, but it burned to a crisp as soon as he caught it. Cricket, Amanda, Holli, and Victor all tried to snatch a note, but Cricket's turned to a leaf and flew away, Amanda's vanished, Holli's gained 100 pounds and caused her to drop it, and Victor's melted into water.

Pebbles snatched at the air and caught one.

Nothing happened, and she opened it up and read it.

This is it…

Erik and Amanda gasped and fainted, disappearing as they hit the ground.

Pebbles' eyes widened in horror as she tossed the note to the side and grabbed another one; it read:

the ruler is waiting…

Holli and Willy screamed in pain and fell, also vanishing.

Pebbles gritted her teeth and grabbed another note.

be prepared…

Cricket and Victor froze as one, and turned into a fine mist, which immediately disappeared.

Suddenly Pebbles heard a voice in her ear. It was a girl's voice, hissing with hatred and menace.

"Your turn."

Poor Pebbles felt an iron hand clasp her heart, filling her mind with hopelessness and despair. Her legs wobbled as she felt herself being swept away into blackness…


A/N:
…o.0

'Kay…

Get yourself some hot cocoa, 'cause you'll be getting a great gift tomorrow!

Also, my awesomely-awesome friend, Kristen (yes, she actually DOES exist!) gave me The Nightmare Before Christmas Special Edition DVD, so now I can watch Tim Burton's short film, "Vincent", whenever I please!

Since all of mah main reviewers (Love ya!)seem to be away on holiday, will all of the lurker readers review for them? Many thanks and cookies!