Okay, so I finished another chapter after two days of watching Danny and finding ever reason why I can't write. Sorry. Anyway, to understand the rest, you need to know the definition of the title so…

phan·tas·ma·go·ri·a

noun

1.

a shifting series of phantasms, illusions, or deceptive appearances, as in a dream or as created by the imagination.

2.

a changing scene made up of many elements.

3.

an optical illusion produced by a magic lantern or the like in which figures increase or diminish in size, pass into each other, dissolve, etc.

The Phantasmagoric Images

Chapter 6

Danny struggled back to his feet, his head clasped between his hands. The images of Sam's corpse, blood everywhere, a single heart beating, bombarded his mind. He felt ill, he began to shake and thrust himself around violently, slamming into lockers and the hard, brick wall. His face was dripping crimson fiercely when the heart beat suddenly stopped and images began to fade. He released his throbbing head from his hands wondering if his horrific nightmares were over only to remember Sam, whom he catapulted through several rock hard walls. He frantically stumbled to his feet, as if he hadn't used them in years, to see a huge, gaping hole, curtained with blood, leading toward the cafeteria. He stared at the hole in disbelief and horror. The only words he could muster up were, "Where's Sam?"

Danny stared losing his mind, afraid to follow the red stained path. He began to shake Tucker violently, as if begging him to tell him he was dreaming, that Sam was okay. "Where the hell is Sam? Is she okay? Is she hurt? Does she still hate me?" Tucker's terrified faced changed to confusion and anger.

"Okay," Tuck began with a sigh. "In order. Through that hole about… maybe, in the cafeteria; No; Yes; and I don't know nor do I care at the moment! Now, let go of me! This is my good shirt!" Danny dropped tucker roughly on the ground and ran through the hollowed path into lunchroom only to find… nothing. Absolutely nothing, but a puddle of blood that trailed off through a solid wall on the other side of the cafeteria. Danny stared in confusion and fear. Tucker followed through shortly, tripping over the dismantled sheetrock, and tumbling into Danny causing them both to topple to the ground. Danny paid no attention to new weight on his back as he began to shake in terror.

"W-What happened to Sam?" Danny began to hyperventilate. "I-I blasted her way too hard for her to just get up and walk away, much less through a solid wall!" He couldn't think straight. Tucker lifted himself off his friend and helped Danny to his feet.

"Unless…" Tucker began, but quickly stopped himself when he thought of the conversation which was the prelude this event. It couldn't be…

"Unless what?" Danny asked, grabbing Tucker's shoulders roughly. Tucker could see the desperate could behind his eyes. He needed someone, anyone, to give him hope. He would do anything to know she's safe. "Unless what, Tucker? Please!" Tucker sighed. He knew Danny wouldn't like what he had been thinking.

"Unless a ghost pulled her through the wall, but who would—"

"Oh my god!" Danny's face turned sickly pale, as if he had been punched in the stomach. "The dreams!" Danny began to hyperventilate, clutching his heart.

"Okay?" Tucker stared at him, as he practically ripped himself apart. "I'm lost." Danny grabbed Tucker violently, pulling him to see the worry in his face.

"The dreams about Sam!" Danny screamed in his face. He didn't really belief what he was saying. It was too convenient to believe that it was as simple as a ghost, but Danny would believe anything right now. You could tell him that the grass was purple and he wouldn't question it. "Some ghost is trying to make me afraid to be around Sam! That ghost must have kidnapped her. That explains the other day perfectly!" he was completely insane.

"You've been dreaming about Sam?" Tucker teased, forgetting that Danny was in pain. Danny quickly glared at him. "Sorry, dude. But why would a ghost make you dream about Sam? I mean, it explains how the trail goes straight through a wall, but what could said ghost possibly gain by making you jizz yourself?" Danny swiftly smacked him on the back of the head.

"Don't push it, Tuck" Danny warned him, and then quickly got back to the matter at hand. "It has to be a ghost that would never want me around Sam. Or maybe it's just Nocturne fucking with me." Danny grumbled remembering the ghost of dreamland. He knew his weakness for he had witness his dream.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Danny yelled from the table to which he was bound in the direction of the dark ghost who reminded him of something out of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream. His body seemed to be a blanket of stars, his head resembled a ram. He spoke with a dark, seemingly oily voice, but dignified none the less.

"I am Nocturne, The ghost of sleep." he answered the boy tied to the table. "And what I want I already have." He motioned toward Danny. "You're dreams. The dreams of everyone in this town." He stepped back from Danny who starred up at him with a questioning look. 'A ghost that absorbs dreams?' The ghost continued to speak in his chilling voice. "I travel from town to town, absorbing the energy from dreams. With billions of people in your realm, imagine the energy there is to harvest." 'Harvest?'Danny was at first a little frightened, but quickly covered in with indifference.

"Okay, I-I get in already," Danny began to freeze the clasped that bound him to the table. "But do you get that I won't let that happen?" He struggled slightly, but quickly broke the icy restraints. "All that beauty sleep's left me rested and stronger." He became invisible. "Not a great idea!" The tall ghost showed surprise at the child's power and began to look around the room frantically for him, knowing that something was coming. A ghost ray burst through the floor, knocking Nocturne into the electrical wiring in the ceiling, shocking him. He fell to the floor roughly. "That'll teach ya' to steal people's dreams!" Nocturne looked up at him with a smile on his face.

"Stealing is such an ugly word." He stated with a slight chuckle. "I prefer the term, 'harvest' for energy!" he tried to form a ghost ray in his hand but failed to his surprise. Danny laughed.

"Looks like you need it. You're running out of steam!" Both ghosts took their battle stances, ready to attack or be attacked at any moment, but Danny wanted answers. "So, what's the big deal about people's dreams?" Nocturne chuckled again. The boy was so naïve.

"Asked the ghost boy who dreams of the Goth girl?" Danny's voice caught in his throat for a second. He was winded. He quickly covered his embarrassment with wit as he always did when he had enough control of himself.

"Oh… man. T-that was… private."

"Dreams are the gateway into the subconscious."

"The gateway…" Danny mumbled to himself. Tucker had been staring at him for the last few minutes in awe. It was as if Danny had left that body, as if the body was just a shell that blinked and changed expressions every so often.

"Danny?" Tucker slowly approached him, afraid he might unintentionally hurt him. "Are you alright?" Danny gazed up at Tucker as if he was confused as to where he was or how he got there. Tucker took a shot in the dark. "Where were you?"

"I-I was… with Nocturne… in the lab… I… she…" he continued mumbling to himself. Tucker stared. He was right. Danny wasn't there. He was reliving parts of his life and apparently seeing things that scared him deeply. "I-I don't think… Nocturne is behind this…" Danny stated as calmly as he could. Tucker looked up at him, letting him know he should explain. "Nocturne wants power. He gets power from dreams. If he was harvesting my dreams, he would give me sweet dreams, not nightmares, for fear of me waking up."

"Vlad, maybe?" Tucker guessed, trying to give Danny some hope. "I mean, he is your arch enemy. He might be jealous because you have Sam and he's a lonely, old fruit loop with only a cat to talk to."

"No," Danny sighed deeply, realizing that Tucker would be no help. "I think its way more complicated than that." Tucker tried to think outside the box.

"Clockwork?" That was really outside the box. Danny gave Tucker an exhausted glare.

"Why would Clockwork kidnap Sam?" Danny snapped. "He's a good guy!"

"What if it has something to do with your future?" Tucker thought aloud. "His duty is to the timeline, not to you. The only other ghost I can think of is the evil, puss-pack, alternative version of you."

"I defeated him, remember!" Danny almost lost it at the thought of his evil counterpart.

"But where, exactly, did he go?" Tucker asked inquisitively. "He could still exist, you know." Danny shuddered.

"And he's trying to keep me away from Sam because he knows that it will drive me crazy," Danny stated. Tucker became filled with the same dread.

"And if it drives you too crazy," Tucker tried to hold back the thought.

"I'll become evil," Danny stated solemnly. "He wants me to turn into him!" Danny started shaking. He couldn't turn into him. He wouldn't. He promised everyone that he would never become him. Never. And how could he have given him the dreams? Nothing makes sense anymore. "But where would he take Sam?" Danny began to imagine the torture he was putting Sam through. He imagined her chained and humiliated, stripped of all dignity. He imagined him slapping her around like a rag doll, as if her life was meaningless. She was just a pawn in his plan to get to Danny. His eyes flashed a bone chilling emerald as he visualized the way his evil alternative was treating his best friend. It made him sick.

"To the future?" Tucker asked nervously. Danny suddenly snapped out of his horror filled nightmare and regained basic control of his emotions.

"Well, this has been a productive chat." Danny stated. "Well then, we're going back to the future!"

"That is possibly the worst pun that I have ever heard!" Tucker gave Danny an annoyed look.

"Who ya' gonna call?" Danny said flatly.

"Good point."