.::I do not own The Outsiders::.

"Sweet dreams are made of these
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something
I'm gonna use you and abuse you
I'm gonna know what's inside
Gonna use you and abuse you
I'm gonna know what's inside you"

=Days later=

Cherry bit her bottom lip, "You promise you won't tell anyone?"

Pony nodded eagerly, "I won't I pwomise."

She looked up at Sharon who was chatting with a child's mother that was picking him up.

"Bob's my boyfriend," Cherry giggled.

Pony grimaced, "Bob? Ain't he big fow you?"

She shook her head angry, "No he's not!"

"Eewe, did you kiss yet? Youw gunna get cooties!"

His friend folded her arms, "Am not!"

Sharon greeted someone, "Hello there Sodapop haven't seen you around for some time."

"I...I've been sick. But I'm here!" He smiled,

Another one showed up, "Good afternoon miss Sharon, how are you doing Cherry?"

"Bob!"

Ponyboy hugged his brother, "I hate gwils." he said in a low voice angrily watching her embrace Bob.

Soda raised an eyebrow, "Why you say that hun?"

"Becoz."

Bob said goodbye to Sharon, he turned to Pony eyeing him, "Goodbye...Pony."

Sodapop narrowed his eyes, "C'mon Pone, chocolate cake is on the table at home waiting to be eaten."

Cherry waved goodbye, both brothers got inside the truck. Soda kept his eyes upon Bob driving away glancing at him. He pressed his lips into a line, "He creeps me out."

Pony nodded, "Yeah cweepy."

They drove off too, "So why do you say you hate girls?"

"Bob is Chewy's boyfriend."

Soda grinned. Aawe my baby brother is jealous. "You know it's just a game, they really can't be a couple.

"Suwe..."

"Hahaha gosh Pone. you make me wonder ..."

At home Darry was enjoying his day off sitting on his recliner sipping a beer. He drank it knowing Pony wasn't home yet not wanting for him to see it was normal. Johnny flipped through a magazine, Twobit was wrestling with Steve over some dumb comment. Dally was on the porch smoking just showing up after his small disappearance. The truck parked out by the gate, Pony was going to run inside but stopped seeing Dally standing there. Soda holding on to the small back pack walked inside, "Hey Dal haven't seen you in a long time. Where were you?"

He nodded a hello, "I can disappear when I wanna. It's a gift I have."

Pony stared down at his feet, Dally grinned remembering what he had said before leaving.

"Hey pipsquick, ain't ya gonna say hello or somethin?"

"Hi."

Dally snatched him up from the ground happy to see him again, "Awe don't be such a sissy."

"I'm not a sissy!"

"Then speak up kid, I ain't mad at you."

Pony giggled, "I missed you Dally. Pepsi missed you too."

The kitten meowed yawning laying down on the worn out couch placed on the porch licking at its paw. Dally smirked, "I bet he did."

Sodapop was now wrestling with Twobit. Johnny looked up cracking a smile, "Hey Dal."

Twobit with Soda grumbled a 'hello'. Darry went to the kitchen starting dinner, "Were you been Dal?"

"I have my days...Missed me a lot huh?"

Steve drank a glass of water, "Tim was asking for you. Said he wanted to meet up for um something."

Dally put Pony down, "I guess I'll go see Tim, bye guys."

Ponyboy went to the kitchen for a glass of water too.

"Steve can you give me watew?"

He gave him a plastic cup, "Here, waters in the fridge."

Pony scowled at him, the jug of water was too high up, "Jewk..." He mumbled

Steve stopped in his tracks, "What'd you say?"

That's when Pony opened the fridge ignoring his question purposely hitting Steve on the face.

"Ow! Why you little shit."

Pony grinned evilly running out of the kitchen with Steve behind him, "Jewk!"

Everybody saw them bickering, "Me? You slammed the door fridge on me!"

"Yeah well you dident give me da wateh! You know I'm too showt! I can't weach it!"

"Then grab a frikin chair and climb on it!"

"Why don't you stick dat chaiw up youw butt!"

Darry stoop up shouting, "All right already! Stop it you two!"

The rest were laughing at the funny scene, an almost grown greaser fighting with a small child was hilarious like a comedy show.

Steve pointed at Pony, "He started it!"

Darry snapped, "Yeah well I'm ending it! Pony? To your room! 10 minutes, now!"

Pony glared at Steve while he had a scornful smile. Darry again talked, "And you Steve know better than to do that. Jesus, I can only imagine what could happen if he was our age."

Soda snorted, "I can assure you there wouldn't be a 10 minute punishment."

Twobit said, "Enjoy him now fellas 'cause when he gets into his teens you'll be up for a ride."

Soda turned off the lamp getting cozy in bed with his little brother Pony by his side. Giving him a goodnight kiss he dozed off.

oOoOoOo

Pony saw Cherry playing with her hair, they were in a big field of grass the sun shining, sky filled with clouds. There was one big tree with red apples hanging off them. Cherry waved at him to come, he nodded getting closer. They laid down looking up at the sky.

"That one looks like a Pony." She giggled.

Pony bit his bottom lip, "Dat one wooks like a kitty...like Pepsi."

They kept gazing up, Cherry sighed, "This is so pretty."

"Yeah, like you."

She giggled again, "Oh Pony!"

He felt a kiss on his cheek, blushing he covered his face, "Chewy! Now I got da cooties!"

Suddenly an eerie silence, since there was no response from Cherry he peeked under his hands. Everything had changed, instead of a shining sun there was a moon, white clouds turned to big black ones. The red apples were now rotting. The grass turned into gravel. Pony sat up scared knowing he was now alone.

"Chewy?...Chewy?!" He asked frightened.

A gust of wind shook the tree making the rotting apples fall upon him. He ran from under the tree tripping on one falling on his knees.

"Chewy! Sodaa! Dawy! Help!"

He then saw a person standing a few feet away not recognizable. It was too dark too see it. Pony got up. "Hey! Im lost! Can you help me?"

The person got closer and closer, Pony stood frozen, it wasn't a person. It was the infamous shadow of his nightmares. His eyes widened in horror as it walked towards him, he abruptly stopped bending down for an apple. His hand extended it to Pony's face. The small boy trembled peering down at it. Trickles of blood flowed down the apple and then a booming voice coming from the shadow yelled. "It's time!"

oOoOoOo

Soda jumped up from the bed knocking down the lamp. Darry came barging in, "Pony!"

His little brother was screaming bloody murder. Not once had they heard him yell this badly, even Soda was shook up. Pony kept struggling in his blankets twisting around tears falling down his cheeks, Soda tried waking him up.

"Pony baby wake up c'mon!"

Darry gulped nervously holding firmly on to his legs, "Pony...Wake up it's just a dream!"

Finally after many failed attempts their young brother woke up gasping for a breath of air. He looked around nervously crawling quickly to Soda's arms clutching it tightly. Darry felt his forehead that was soaking in sweat, "This is the worst one yet."

Soda nodded, "It scared the crap out of me."

Pony whispered, "He's coming...He's coming..."

Darry went for a warm bottle of milk. Soda rubbed circles on the back of his brother's back who was shaking, "Who will?"

"The shadow...The shadow will take me..."

Soda took Pony's face in his hands making him look at his eyes, "I promised you nobody will take you. I mean it."

Pony shook his head slowly, "No, not even you can save me."

(Sorry for any grammar mistakes)