The Phantom Nightmaren

Chapter 4

Claris was going to college in California for Musical Performance. Not only would college improve her singing, but she will learn how to act and dance. Being in Los Angeles, she will also acquire connections from college.

Only one issue: Claris wasn't a very good singer. Claris wasn't good enough to get into a good school, and she wasn't good enough to get good marks for her singing classes. All Claris was good at was Music Theory.

At the end of her second semester, she talked to one of her professors about changing majors.

"Well, you have a good knack for sound," said the professor, "have you tried composing?"

The next semester, Claris had tried the introductory composing class, and loved it. Claris switched her major, and minored in Theatre which required more things, like tech, directing, and playwriting.

Around the same time, Claris had discovered a movie called, "Rocky Horror Picture Show."

She went to a midnight showing one weekend. It was an amazing movie, the interactivity, the aesthetics, the music. That movie was inspirational to Claris, ands he starting going every month.

Around that same time, Claris discovered that she had more powers than she thought she previously had.

Claris hadn't seen NiGHTS in a year, but was still able to get to The Dream Gate. After each sleep, Claris felt a little funny in the head, and kept going back to The Dream Gate, even if she was awake. She began to adjust herself to eventually be able to go to the Night Dimension anytime. Since Claris had more time to explore the Night Dimension, she discovered a lot more about the place. She eventually got to Nightmare.

It was a drab place, where many horrors could occur. Yet it fascinated Claris. She often went back to her dorm and wrote about what she saw. Until she got caught by a familar face.

"So you're the rat that's been going about this place," it was a red and black jester with a golden mask on that was right behind Claris.

Claris screamed and fell down, then she screamed again. She is actually in Nightmare, and she didn't know what would happen to her now that she got caught. Is she going to be captured? Tortured?

"Oh, you're the girl that defeated Wizeman." Reala glanced at Claris, "you look… different."

Claris was dressed in all black with fishnet stockings, and black make up. Yes, that would be different. It was a surprised that he recognized her at all, they really haven't talked much at all.

"What are you doing here?" Reala snapped at Claris, "It's probably afternoon where you are. Don't tell me you're napping!"

"Um, I found a way to go to the Night Dimension on my own, and did some exploring. I started sketching the things I saw, and writing down the concepts I have for something I've been writing. You see, I'm writing a rock opera, and I'm getting the ideas from here."

"Ideas?" Reala asked, "So you're stealing our work?"

"More like taking inspiration from you," Claris explained.

Reala's eyes perked up, "oh, so you'd like to see our work? Let me show you around."

And that has happened through a few trips. Claris had seen many works of many nightmaren, until she asked about the wrong one, "what about Jackle?"

Reala opened his mouth, then shut it again with a cock of the eyebrow, "who?"

"Jackle, you know, that other jester like dude in red. He has a cape, he throws cards, he can't do much without his cape. Jackle!"

"You don't want to know," Reala snapped at Claris.

Claris was smarter than that. She very well wanted to know. Claris has seen Jackle's work before, oh, how he tormented her as a child. She wanted to meet Jackle eye to eye and compliment him for the inspiration. Claris was now a writer, and Jackle's work is something she can use. "If I don't want to know, why do I want to know?"

Reala slapped his face so hard that the Persona came off. Reala promptly placed it back on his face, "Jackle has been banished."

"Why the Hell would Jackle be banished? Was he too scary?" Claris asked.

Reala sighed, "no, he was too powerful for Wizeman. The best thing to do was to shut him down."

"Well, where is he? I can go anywhere, and I will find him." Claris was not intimidated by Jackle's supposed power. She was determined to find Jackle.

"Probably mucking up someone's Nightopia somewhere. He often goes for the most innocent, so yours is out of the picture."

Claris brushed off the snide comment, and made a deep smiled, "oh, I'll trap him alright."

Lucid Dreaming was Claris' middle name. Yep, it was Claris Lucid Dreaming Sinclair. Claris raised the Nightopian count, and grew as many flowers, butterflies, and unicorns as she could. She made the unicorns fart rainbows, because it wasn't innocent enough. Claris sat and waited, until she saw a unicorn turn black. It neighed towards her, with a red jester with a gold mask that covered half of his face behind that black unicorn.

Claris snapped her fingers, and her Nightopia went back to her liking.

"Well this one isn't fun anymore." Jackle rolled his eyes, "I better take my leave."

"Wait!" Claris ran over to Jackle and grabbed his cape.

Jackle looked back, "oh, you're that Claris girl? You've gotten… taller… and… bigger boobs."

Claris blushed, "hey, it isn't my fault they grew so large! I need to talk to you!"

Jackle tried to fly away, but a group of Nightiopians pushed him back towards Claris, "Nope, you're mine until the end of the night."

"What do you want? It's your fault I got banished!"

Claris looked around, "What?"

"Okay, maybe it's more that you were the inspiration for me, but that's not the point! What do you want?"

"Well, I want to thank you," Claris said, "for inspiring me for my composing and writing."

"So you aren't a singer anymore?" Jackle asked, "Goodie! You were terrible at it!"

Claris sighed, "yeah, my grades will say the same thing. No, I have discovered that I was better at composing, and I have been inspired so much from your nightmares that I am working on a full rock opera."

Jackle sat on the air and thought for a moment, "a rock… opera? Oh, what a good idea! Opera did need a new spin! You must be a wonderful composer to find that mixing the two works well!"

"Um, no, I didn't come up with the concept; I'm using it to write an opera."

"And why do you need me?" Jackle asked.

"Well, I want to see your newer works." Claris said, "it must have improved since I was fourteen."

Jackle formed the nightopia to a dark and gloomy scape, "I mostly use Nightopias as my palate now. Even Lucid Dreamers like you can't overcome me. Try!"

Claris tried to form it back, but with success the Nightopia looked awesome again.

"Huh, would you look at that?" Jackle scratched his head, "must be the whole 'almost defeating Wizeman' thing."

"Speaking of Wizeman," Claris said, "I could probably get you back on his side."

"To return the favor?" Jackle asked, "I don't think you can do that."

"Try me," Claris stuck out her tongue.

Helen went on about the convention. She sat at her booth to sell albums, and got a lot of fans who bought her album, and she signed them with her beautiful handwriting. Yet it was nerve-wracking for Helen to know that Jackle was about the con. In real life. Not in a dream. In the scape of reality. Outside of her head. Where he could do real damage.

A tall man with frameless glasses, and blue hair came over to Helen's booth, "Are you aware of a 'Nightopia?'" It was Elliot Edwards, from the Super Edward Brothers, the brothers who created VidCon. Helen knew who Elliot was, yet she was more of a fan of Ian, and his Twilight songs and his science. Yet it was VidCon, meeting a famous author like Elliot wasn't too much of a surprise.

"Y-yes, I haven't been there in forever," Helen slowly answered.

"Knew any Nightmaren personally?" Elliot asked, "Sorry if this is too personal, but there is something strange going on with our systems."

"I'm already aware of what has gone about." Helen had answered, "Is Jackle explaining everything?"

"No, I've been since 1996 and stop going there in 2003. It's a tad coincidental that a Nightmaren has gone to our con, but stranger things have happened."

"Stranger?" Helen looked at Elliot with confusion.

"Okay, nothing stranger than this," Elliot dismissed the entire comment, "But we are trying to manage this. We can kick Phantom Jackle out because he hasn't done anything wrong. It is working up a rumor mill though. He said something about being the fiancé of a famous YouTuber, and was going to marry them this weekend."

A passerby squealed, "I know, right? This is so romantic! They've met before they became famous! I bet it's Erik Erikson! He's perpetually single, and he's mentioned many secret admirers!"

Another passer by scoffed, "no, it's totally Holly Heartland! She's just as strange as that cosplayer, and they're a perfect match!"

"Holly is a lesbian, she can't marry a guy!" the other passerby called out!

"How do you know this strange visitor is a guy? She might be a girl!" the passerby called back!"

"Ladies!" Elliot called out, "don't start a fight in the dealer's room! Whoever it is, I bet they're really happy to have their lover return!"

"I bet it's Claris," it was Natalie, who had just sat down next to Helen with a gyro, "he did appear in front of her."

"Yeah… but didn't Jackle say it's a YouTuber. Claris is more of a rock opera composer," Helen shrugged.

"Don't you know that Claris has a series of Vlogs?" Natalie mentioned, "It totally counts, those are how she got her opera famous enough for all three of them to be made into movies. By the way, congrats on getting signed for this movie, and thank you for talking her into having me be the sound mixer!"

Helen really needs to find a CD with Claris' rock operas. She really doesn't know anything about them.

Helen was invited to the host the panel on The Divine Opera, but as a surprise host. She stood back stage where she waited with Athens Hilton. How did Claris get Athens Hilton to play the part of The Devil's daughter? It's a fitting role, but still! Helen was breathing, this was her first big appearance at VidCon, and no one was expecting it.

"Nice hair," Athens noticed on Helen. Helen had this layered mullet about her that was recently retrimmed.

Did Athens Hilton compliment her? Helen took no care about celebrities like her, but a celebrity like her complimented her hair! "Thank you, I go to an alt place in Bellbridge."

"Oh, that other city with a huge clocktower! I'd say, it's better than the one in London, I performed there once back when I was a bigger sensation."

"I did when I was twelve," Helen said, "it was a huge deal for me since I wasn't famous like you are right now."

"Oh, you're totally famous. Claris can't stop talking about you and how you should play Jeanie!" Athens laughed, "She's a really cool lady! You'll come to like her!"

The MC called out, "and playing Claris' lovely daughter, is Athens Hilton!"

Athens had left Helen's presence as everyone else looked at Helen. They whispered. Athens wasn't cool with the nerd community, so her talking to Helen could turn a few heads.

Helen looked over at the panel, and Paris started singing.

"In one end, I'm and angel,

The work of God.

In the other, I'm a Devil,

From Satan herself.

I don't care who I am!

Just let me party!"

Suddenly, a huge crash occurred. The chandelier of Conference Room A came falling out, and was going to crash into Athens. Helen ran to the stage and pushed her out of the way. Only that Helen was now at the center of the crash. Helen ducked, and the chandelier hit the now empty table.

After all of the screaming, there were whispered. What was Helen Cartwright doing here? Did a musical sensation like her just save Athens Hilton's life? Was that a new haircut? There were many mutters.

Lucy threw Helen her violin. Helen immediately propped it up, and played a little fiddle music she remembered from secondary school. She danced with the beat in a jolted light hearted way. Everyone cheered. It seemed like the message went across.

Then suddenly a voice boomed from all over the conference room, "Now that's the real star you should be excited about for this movie!"

Claris shivered, "Jackle, we had enough of your crap! We all know that Penny Reno is the star, not Athena or Helen!"

Jackle suddenly appeared on stage by putting on his cape, hat and mask. "So you don't want me to announce that my fiancé is going to be in your movie?"

All the girls screamed with delight. Who knew that it was Helen who was Jackle's secret fiancé? Well, Elliot Edwards seemed to know, but he cheated.

Claris just stared at Jackle, "were you naked on stage before you appeared?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Jackle snarked at Claris as his put his hand on Helen's shoulder. Helen shivered and tried to push Jackle off, but that was all moot. Everyone awed with delight from this romance.

"She's uncomfortable!" A young man called out.

Everyone looked around, they didn't know who caught the nonverbal and had the balls to call that out. But the man with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes came onto the stage. No one knew who he was, mostly because he wasn't famous like the others on the stage. He grabbed Helen's arm and dragged her out of the stage.

They kept on running until they got to an empty patio with a small bush and a picnic table.

Helen couldn't believe it, Will came to rescue her from that awkward situation. Helen didn't care about all the gossip that would be about her, she was just happy that Will came to rescue her.

You were the man of my dreams,

And you were here for me.

From the time we were young,

Now my heart can go free.

It has been way too long,

Since I saw you first.

But can you get me through the worst?