The Things Nightmares Are Made Of
Taylor's POV: Late afternoon at the Hebert home:
She had been having a horrible day. Now as she sat at her desk, she could take a moment and process.
'But then again… having a horrible day is nothing new for most people at Winslow High. I'm not special in that regard.'
The 'Trio' had been at it again, being particularly vicious in their pursuit of her.
She had thought that the day would continue on that track; but she got the shock of her life at lunch.
Most people left her to her business, and she would be the first to admit that she typically ate alone these days. Preferably away from others as it was one of the only bits of peace that she could get during the school day.
The 'Trio' hadn't been content to let her have her peace today though and had followed her to her chosen table after a moment so that they could most probably throw some small barbs at her before attending to themselves and their own lunches.
That wasn't the surprising part though. The surprising part came in the fact that someone had stood up for her!
"Hey Hebert! We're gonna talk about you not looking at me when I'm- "
Sofia, the DeFacto leader of the 'Trio' had been in the midst of speaking, when He stepped in.
"Hey Sofia! Why don't you and the Bitch Brigade give it a rest, huh?"
The small smattering of students that had actually bothered to inch towards us to watch the ensuing verbal attack, were completely thrown for a loop.
The 'Trio' themselves were completely gob smacked for a moment… but Sofia, being her usual self didn't stay that way for long.
"What the fuck did you say to me you theatre geek?!"
Sofia's face had pulled back into a particularly nasty looking snarl, but her target looked unfazed.
Julian Agros was in the same grade as us. I could remember him easily, because he was supposed to be a year ahead of us. He was 16, and while he'd been held back a year for missing academic credits for a prolonged absence for something medical related; he didn't let his detractor's words about him being held back bother him.
I honestly wished I could be him in a way. His personality hung off him like an invisible cape, or a suit of armor.
He was outgoing, adventurous…bold even. The guy wasn't afraid of anything…or at least that's the vibe everyone got from him.
He was one of the technicians for the theatre club, as well as one of the lead actors for the schools upcoming presentation of 'Grease'. He would admit himself that singing wasn't necessarily his forte, but he could in fact play the electric guitar, and the saxophone. And play them well.
I'd seen him in school plenty of times. It's hard to miss someone when they are as outgoing and as boisterous as he seems.
One other thing I forget to mention about Julian however is that besides being outgoing…he literally doesn't seem to have a care for what anyone thinks of him.
He may have been held back but it wasn't for a lack of being smart, in fact if memory served, I knew he was vying for one of the top five spots in our grade as far as marks went.
The guy seemed crazy smart, and most days it was like he wasn't ever trying to earn said grades. You could often catch him reading something that had absolutely nothing to do with the subject he was in.
That alone would have been enough, but what had cemented his infamy was his Attitude.
It didn't matter if you were a jock, a fellow theatre kid, or any other part of Any of the other click at the school.
'Hell at least one teacher had been caught on the end of Julian's verbal assault.' (And boy had That one been something. Who calls an administrator 'Ineffectual' to their face?! And getting away with it?! Insanity!)
Julian didn't seem like he had any friends… a lot like... Me in that way.
But the distinct difference between us was that Julian seemed to have manufactured his own personal solitude. He genuinely seemed to want to keep people out, or at the very least at a distance.
Sure, he seemed friendly enough, open…and even downright charming at times.
But it was also common knowledge that he had a hair trigger temper, and that he didn't really have a set crowd or group that he hung out with when the bell would ring. Any socializing that he did do, was strictly during school hours.
Standing at 5'11 he could be considered one of the taller kids in our grade, for obvious reasons. He wasn't overly large in the body department, at least at first glance. But he definitely had a sizeable reach. He proven it in the few fights he'd apparently been in.
He was lanky, his limbs long enough that people could hazard to guess that eventually he'd probably range somewhere around 6'4 by the time puberty was done with him.
His black hair hung at medium length around his head and came off as wind swept and shaggy. His slate gray eyes, a kind of piercing that was almost impossible to describe as words seemed to fail in marking on their intensity.
I only knew his eye color because I could swear, I'd caught him staring at me once or twice. ('Yeah, Right Taylor. Why would someone like Julian be looking at you?' Or at least… that's the kind of thought I'd typically have. His involvement in the lunchroom actually changed my opinion on that.)
Some people claimed that Julian was rather plain looking, though I had often heard other girls commenting on him in a positive light.
It's hard not to attract attention from others when you have that certain charisma, the kind that he seemed to ooze when acting or performing. The only other time I had ever seen it from him was when he'd either be in a discussion with someone about Capes, or if he was drawing. Only certain things brought it out…but when it would come out it was plain as day that Julian was intense. Passionate.
And that intensity, that passion could draw others in.
'…maybe even me.'
The incident in the lunchroom showed the opposite side of Julian's behavior though.
There was him when he wanted to be open, and charismatic.
…And then there was the Julian that got into arguments, and even outright fights.
And lo and behold, there he was.
He had just stood there in the face of Sofia's scowl like it was nothing.
There were guys on the Football team that couldn't and outright wouldn't do that.
In my paranoia about him possibly looking at me (which now seemed warranted) I had caught a glimpse of something that you'd only ever see during tests or large projects.
Julian's look while facing down Sofia had been set in the look that I myself had privately deemed his literal 'Test face'.
But this wasn't the kind of face that you'd expect out of someone our age, nor was it one that you'd want directed at you if you were anywhere near sane.
As it was when taking a test, Julian was looking at Sofia like he was about to flay her open. Take her apart. Puzzle her out and then take all her secrets from her; to only then expose them to the rest of the school.
To put it simply… Julian had been looking at her like a small puzzle, a nuisance; and he had seemed to be weighing what to do next in dealing with her.
His follow up was quick and decisive.
"You heard what I said Sofia, I didn't stutter. But if it's the case that you need me to Enunciate it for you I will. Take. The Bitch Brigade. And Piss. Right. Off."
His voice had been loud as per the normal, but a measure of solidity had been in there that people typically heard when he was about to ruin someone's day.
A larger crowd had gathered, and the rest of them looked just as stupefied as I felt as we all had front row seats to someone putting the always confident Sofia on the proverbial backfoot.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that if I'd ever been more vocal; one of the teachers would have done something to help me. (Or at least I hoped that would be the case.)
But no one... not a single soul at Winslow High had ever stood up for me the way Julian did then.
Sofia had looked downright murderous then, and the other two didn't look much better; but believe it or not the entire thing was ended by the bell ringing signaling the end of lunch so that we could be sent off to our next period.
As the 'Trio' turned reluctantly to leave... something else happened that caught Me, and Emma more specifically completely flat footed.
"Emma!"
I hadn't even known that Julian knew Emma, and from the look that had been on her face Emma was just as surprised.
The words that came out of his mouth next…told me that not only did he know her; but he somehow knew at the very least Some things about Me. About Me…and Emma and I's former friendship. It solidified the paranoia that I'd felt about Julian, and it made his involvement in pulling me from the locker; and everything else after that more suspect than before.
"She used to be your friend! You should be ashamed of yourself."
Emma looked… as I'm sure I looked in that moment had I been able to look in a mirror; like she'd been smacked across the face.
Julian held eye contact with her for almost a minute after that, all the while others awkwardly continued to file out of the lunchroom mumbling to and amongst themselves.
After a moment more of the staring, Julian shook his head and then turned and walked briskly from the room, offering me a small parting look as he'd left.
That wouldn't be the only shock of the day.
Emma winding up in the nurse's office after having what was described as a full-on mental breakdown during study hall, was another thing that would shock me.
That… and the small smile and nod that I caught one Julian Argos giving me as school let out.
Emma's POV: During Study Hall earlier that day.
She was absolutely livid.
Livid…but also shocked if she was honest.
How that theatre geek knew Anything about her, and 'The Weakling's' prior friendship escaped her.
Sofia's plan to keep Taylor isolated had Always been genius, and the majority of the stupid sheep at the school were quick to fall in line and just add fuel to the fire.
'So how did that freak nobody, all of a sudden find out that we used to be friends?! "Poor little Taylor's" too weak to make friends anymore.'
Emma hated that she didn't know; didn't have any answers.
Sofia had been wroth with rage over Julian standing up to her the way he did, even though she herself had later said that she wasn't all that surprised given his character.
'But...It's the principle of the thing. The weak should know their place.'
Sofia had immediately grabbed Emma by the arm and bodily pulled her into the bathroom when they ducked out of the lunchroom. She had demanded to know "When did that piece of shit become friends with the Mouse?".
But Emma didn't have any answers. Not for Sofia…and most of all not for herself.
Julian was an odd one.
He stood out like a sore thumb in the fact that he was a mass of contradictions.
He was very visible in school activities, and classes in general.
But he didn't have friends...or a crowd...he was on his own. While he seemed like he could handle himself, Sofia constantly dismissed the boy as "All Talk."
It made it easy to under and overestimate him.
The worst part about all of it though…was that she could hear the jerks voice in her head echoing his words back to her.
Over and over again.
His words...
Had they, gotten to her?
…
She couldn't focus.
Her and the girls had study hall with him, and she could see him sitting there just a couple tables away; engrossed in what looked like Edgar Alan Poe all for the world as if he hadn't just embarrassed her earlier.
It would have been better if she could have had a break from his stupid face, but there he sat…just seemingly taunting her with the fact that he'd called her out in front of everyone.
She closed her eyes and brought her hands up to massage her temples, but his words just wouldn't stop.
She looked over at Sofia after opening her eyes and decided that enough was enough. She was gonna follow her friend's example for once.
She'd always been happy to be on the sidelines for the treatment they levied against Taylor. But with this she was gonna be the aggressor.
After all, if Taylor wasn't so fucking weak then she'd be able to take care of herself.
Emma Never wanted to be as weak as her former friend.
'Never. Again.'
"Sofia. Can you distract Mrs. Kushman?
She whispered the request as best as she could, and Sofia clearly heard her as she locked eyes with her. They held eye contact for a moment, and Sofia noticed Emma's sideline glance at Julian.
Sofia stood while shaking her head a bit, the smirk never leaving her face as she made her way over towards the teacher with her voice raised; questioning if she could get a spare English book or something.
Emma wasted no time wondering about it and stood up.
She tried to walk as casually as she could while still moving forward with purpose, before she quickly came around his table and slid the chair directly to his left out and sat down next to him.
She planned to knock the book out of his stupid hands, make him focus on her so that she could ask him the questions that were brimming in her head.
" Why are you worried about that mouse? Why does she matter? How do you know about us? Why are you interested in her and not me?"
She brought her right hand up in an ark… but she didn't get far.
Cobra quick, Julian's left hand had let go of the book and he caught her by the wrist.
His head turned unnaturally fast, and his eyes locked with hers
The words he said should have terrified her, but she didn't have time to process them.
" Couldn't wait for play time huh? That's fine. Game On."
...
A strange sensation overcame her.
She found herself hit with the feeling as if she'd just taken the first steep drop at a really tall rollercoaster.
The feeling subsided within seconds, and after that Julian shook her arm from his grasp; then all of a sudden, he was quickly bringing the same hand up and snapping his fingers in front of her face.
" Barnes! Earth to Barnes! You just gonna keep sittin here looking like a Spaz, or are ya gonna leave? I don't want to talk to you."
Emma found herself completely confused.
" You…You Just-What?!"
" I just what? There's no 'just' about anything. You came over here, sat down, and then you proceeded to stare at me for what is more than an uncomfortably long period of time. Take a hint. Go back to your table. I'm not just gonna sit here and spill my guts to ya because you make doe eyes at me."
Emma sat still, looking at him again. His face looked pinched with annoyance.
'How long was I sitting there? It couldn't have been more than a few seconds.'
The whole situation made her feel off. She had wanted to talk to him, right? So why wouldn't she say anything? And what about what she swore he'd said? Him grabbing her arm? Surely someone else saw that.
She watched as Julian's face went from what looked like annoyance to outright hostility, before he began to raise his left hand to get the teachers attention.
She decided then to just cut her losses. Besides him raising his hand others of the class had been staring. She stood up, but her stomach started to feel awful as the same feeling hit her again. That feeling of falling. It brought with it a sense of vertigo that almost saw her falling to the ground on the spot.
She reoriented herself and took a couple steps forward away from Julian's table, before she was forced to brace herself on one of the other nearby tables as the same nasty feeling kept rocking her to her core.
Then… a strange sound assaulted her ears.
It sounded like metal on metal, directly up against both of her ears.
She blinked while shaking her head slowly to try and rid herself of the horrible feeling, all while trying to shut the horrible feeling out she brought her hands up and rubbed both of her ears due to the assault of the unknown noise.
She closed her eyes for a moment.
Then opened them.
...
She blinked again.
The room... and everything in it looked slightly…different.
She shook her head again with her eyes open, trying to focus herself.
She took three more steps forward and actually made it back to her seat, plopping down into it with a bit of force.
The room seemed paler in color… everything slightly off kilter... it was if her vision had been put through and settled onto that of an old and worn-out photograph.
She brought her hands up to her eyes and rubbed the palms of her hands deep into her face, trying to chase the nasty feelings and oddness away.
She heard steps approach, and then the table shook a bit before Sofia spoke to her
" So… what the fuck? I get Kushman's attention, and you don't do shit? The fuck's up with you?"
The whisper is like a wasp's stinger. Brutal and quick. She's still rubbing her eyes as she answers.
" I'm sorry. I just…don't feel good all of a sudden."
Silence stretches on for a moment, before Sofia speaks again. This time slightly softer.
" Emms' are you alright?"
It's not just the tone… that sets off the warning bells...but it's the tone and the nickname that was said in that stops her cold.
'That's not possible.'
Emma brings her hands down as she brings her gaze up…and she realizes that things are completely different.
The room still somewhat looks the same…and yet it doesn't.
The room is bathed in strange kind of light, and it's darker than normal yet she can see just fine. A pale orangish red glow having settled over everything.
Everything is where it should be, yet there's so much more. Leaves are strewn about the room, some of the tables and desks on the other side of the room are laying in broken heaps stacked upon each other, but the most glaring part is that part of the ceiling is missing; exposing a sky that's wreathed in dark clouds with crackling orange lightning.
All the other kids from her class, the teacher, her close friends…they're all just gone.
…And in their place... is Taylor.
Or at least…a version of Taylor.
But this version is from when they were kids! Young kids when they used to have sleepovers! When they were actually friends!
" Emmmmmm's! It's not nice to ignore people!"
Emma can't believe what she's seeing.
The little girl sitting in the pulled-out chair, same hair as back then, same Alexandria themed pajama's as back then, same overly large glasses on her face…just sitting there comically swinging her legs back and forth as she's too high off of the ground for her feet to touch the speckled tile floor.
" I'm So happy you got to come for the sleepover! But…you Silly Billy you've gotta put you Jammies on before we play any games!"
'What…what the fuck?'
Emma is completely baffled… and after another moment of silence it seems that's not gonna work for the pint-sized version of Taylor.
The little girl crosses her arms, and effects a pout on her face. Briefly locking eyes with Emma before she turns her head and blows out a raspberry before speaking again.
" Fine! If you wanna be mean, then I won't play with you!"
Emma shakes her head, trying to will herself to wake up.
But after a moment the Way that Taylor said what she said registers; and she goes to ask what the little girl meant by that.
She's beaten to the punch as Taylors voice becomes disembodied, while she watches the small child version of her former friend dissipate… into a veritable Swarm of fruit flies!
" Buuuut… He'll be happy to play with you! Get Her… Mr. CuddleBuns!"
The voice is slightly distorted and deeper in pitch and volume towards the end.
A strange pallor falls over the room, but it doesn't last long.
SCRAAAAAAAAPE!
The sound of something sharp scraping along wood causes Emma to swing her head back and look at the second teacher's desk in the room, the one that's normally stationed next to the 'Fire' exit to keep people from trying to ditch class.
A Large dark furred hand is placed upon the wood from underneath, and the long gleaming black nails on said hand are carving small trenches in the desk.
A second hand much like the first, slowly comes up to join its companion; a pair of unnaturally long arms are jutting out behind them showing that they are connected to something under the desk.
'This…it's a dream. This is a bad dream. I'm gonna wake up now. I'm gonna wake up. '
Emma shakes her head with her eyes closed, the Mantra playing over and over before she decides to open her eyes again and see things as they're supposed to be…
…Only to see that now the hands Aren't alone.
Long dark ears are pulled back behind its head. It's eyes, a set burning bright and gleaming orange... like hot coals.
Slowly… its head comes up further over the desk, showing that there's a massive line carved diagonally along its maw from above it's right eye down towards its upper left lip; the wound still weeping fresh black blood.
Finally, it's face is fully in sight. It's nose twitching as it stares Emma down.
She Wants to stand. She wants to Run! But she can't move. Even her tongue feels like lead in her mouth. She feels like someone laced her body with metal, having planned to turn her into a living statue to be preyed upon by the beast in front of her.
She watches as its lip's slowly peel back…and That's when she realizes she's in absolute danger.
Two large buck looking fangs are now fully on display, hardened into points…its mouth opening further to look like its formed into an Octagon.
Rows upon rows of gleaming short spiny-looking teeth accompany the large daggers at the front. A long and think forked black tongue spilling out to hang from the beast's mouth as it stares at her unnervingly.
Terror grips her weight laden body…
All of sudden things get even worse.
The desk that probably weighs anywhere from 50 to around 80 pounds goes flying across the room at a speeding cars pace, only to crunch into a pile of kindling with the two now crumpled metal bookshelves it collided with.
She can't help but let out a yelp of terror at not only the show of strength, but the loud crash that came from the act.
The Impossible... thing... now fully visible to her.
The head, that of a mutated parody of a bunny. The body and arms are those that you'd picture on a werewolf from a horror movie, all lean muscle and sinew overlayed with the same dark fur that's on the head. Its lower body... being the most disturbing part. From the waist down, the thing is a snake. Gleaming black scales glisten in the odd ambient light that bathes the room.
Mr. CuddleBuns…tilts its large head at Emma, its long floppy ears drooping to the side, alongside the strange and nasty looking tongue.
The things breathing… all of a sudden, is at a larger increase in uptake.
Deep…wheezing breathes slowly but steadily start to come out at a more rapid pace, as they become shallow and frantic.
Then... it happens.
It stands up, halfway upon its coiled under half and looks as though it will touch the ground with the back of its head. Even then, it stands almost as tall as the ceiling which is eleven feet in height…before an unholy shriek rends from its mouth into and through the room.
Emma had already been fighting to stand, but the moment an inkling of sound came from the thing she was finally up and running; screaming bloody murder as she bolted for the room's main door.
The sound of the other tables being dashed to the wind mixed with the shrieks of the monster, along with a sound that she could only equate to a carpet being rolled down a flight of stairs at speed.
She dares not look back as she ran for the door as fast as she could.
She made it to the door and opened it, quickly spinning around to slam it in place.
She caught one last glance at the beast before she shut the door.
'Oh God.'
The resounding thud from the force of the beast's collision with said door put her on her ass in the hallway, leaving her to stare at the massive dent in the reinforced assembly.
She quickly brought her hands up to her face, covering her eyes like a frightened five-year-old as she pulled herself into a seated fetal position.
'It's not real, It's Not real, It's Not Real!'
…
A shriek rent itself from her throat as a loud bang sounded out from in front of her.
Her eyes settled on the forms of her classmates as they stare at her, the sound she'd made from Sofia slamming her hand on the table having startled them.
After a moment longer of staring at her, Sofia snorted and picked up a book to focus on while everyone else seems to go back about their business.
" The fucks the matter with you huh? You not getting enough sleep at home or something?"
Emma shook her head, as she brought a hand to her chest while she tried to still her rapidly beating heart.
'Christ, I must have fallen asleep.'
Emma closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a deep breath.
A hand coming down solidly on her right shoulder drew her gaze up.
If That... had been a nightmare, then Emma Barnes had No Clue what to call what was standing before her now.
'…The Siberian.'
She'd heard a vague story once about the monster that had injured the famed cape, Alexandria.
And now, said Monster was standing over her…. with... with Sofia's head in her right hand. Blood-stained lips pulled back to show equally blood-stained teeth.
But the nightmare wasn't over.
The Siberian actually Spoke…
And she sounded just like Little Taylor had!
" My Turn to Play!"
…
Emma's head snapped up off the desk as an unholy scream tore from her throat, as tears began streaming down her face.
She began to hiccup sporadically and shook in terror from the intensity of the nightmare.
Sofia attempted to subdue her as she stood up and started to freak out but wound up with a broken nose for her trouble, while the rest of the study hall class watched on in stupefaction.
As Emma was being carted out of the study hall room mumbling to herself, she caught a glimpse of him…
Julian… looking right at her.
A small smirk sitting at the right side of his mouth.
What set Emma off into a brand-new tangent of tears and expletives however… was the three shades of three figures standing beside him as they waved goodbye at her.
Little Taylor, a Blood-Soaked Head toting Siberian….and Mr. CuddleBuns.
AND FIN!
Well guys I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at story in the Worm verse. I will outright say right now that I only know what I talk about with one of my best friends about, as well as what I find on the wiki when I find myself curious about this world. This right here is Supposed to be a one-shot, but with that being said I've already made notes to attempt to carry this on into a full-fledged story. If you are interested in such a thing let me know, and I'll do my best to make that happen. I have a fantastic beta reader Lol. Looking at you Sauron! As always, I hope you all are staying safe, happy, and most of all healthy! Please be sure to Fave, Follow, and as always, I welcome constructive reviews and PM's. I hope to see Ya'll in the next one. Sojiro Signing Off!