NiGHTS: Back to Earth

Actuality 11

A ten year old girl ran as fast as she could, her brown eyes were filled with clear watered tears, her orange hair was tied up into a bun, getting looser by the second. She ran all the way to the edge of the Dream Gate where the Dark Ocean was. "If he's not going to love me, then so be it!"

That was when NiGHTS came flying as quickly as he could. "Wait, Pammy no! He's just a…" NiGHTS hesitated for a moment, he knew that he would discriminate himself by saying it, "just a Nightmaren."

"It doesn't matter what he is," the orange headed Visitor cried, "I have a feeling for him that will never be returned!" Her arms spread out like a bird's wings, and she fell down to the Dark Ocean.

NiGHTS flew down to the Dark Ocean to save her. He grabbed her just right on time, or so he thought.

The girl's bun fell off, where the hair touched the black mist in the Dark Ocean, "Wow, why am I in the Dark Ocean?" She asked, with no memory of why she tried to jump into the forbidden zone.

Slowly, she disappeared, never to come back, or so NiGHTS thought was the case.

For once, Devin was frantic about what would happen to both his girlfriend and his little sister. He paced around the room as he said, "Oh my goodness, what are we going to do? They might die if their physical bodies are in the Dream World!"

Helen wasn't as frantic as Devin, even if they were trapped in the Dream World. "Well," Helen sighed, "Bridget probably has her cell phone."

Devin stopped pacing, "good idea, then we would know about what is going on in the Dream World." He took out his cell phone and speed dialed Bridget.

That was when they heard some music from Bridget's backpack. Helen dug through the backpack to find Bridget's cell phone. "That was a bad idea."

"What?" Devin was even more angry than he already was, "Bridget would never go anywhere without her backpack!"

Helen wished that Nicholas was there, he was always good at calming others down. It just wasn't Helen's forte. She was just about to panic herself, but since Devin didn't keep his cool, it was Helen's job to keep her own cool.

"This, place, is, awesome!" Bridget yelled out. They all ended up in Jackle's room in Nightmare, at the castle created by the Visitors' perspective. "Oh my gosh, I've never imagined the Dream World like this!"

NiGHTS was back in his Nightmaren form, it automatically came that way when they entered to portal.

NiGHTS sat on the air as he said to Bridget, "I'm glad you like Nightmare…first Visitor to enjoy it…yet you're not the first to like another Nightmaren."

Jackle had heard what NiGHTS had said, "What do you mean 'like'?"

A chuckle came to NiGHTS, "'like as a little crush."

Bridget blushed with full embarrassment, "NiGHTS, that was way too obvious."

"What?" Jackle was very surprised about the whole situation. He had desired many things such as, cards, Wizeman's world domination, cards, killing NiGHTS, cards, befriending Reala, cards but one of the many things; it was a Visitor as a girlfriend. Although he desired cards more. "Really?" Jackle asked as he quickly flew over to Bridget and held both of her hands.

Bridget blushed, she never had someone she liked touch her hands before.

"Okay, this is just wrong," said NiGHTS, "Jackle, tell me where Reala's room is."

"You forgot where Reala's room is?" Jackle began to laugh, "You've been a traitor for a long time."

"Be quiet Jackle," NiGHTS cried, "just show me to Reala's room."

"Fine," Jackle cried, "then I'll show you where Reala's throne room is!"

Pammy sat on Reala's throne, it was rock hard, and not comfortable at all, although she had been standing for a while, so it was good to sit for once.

Reala floated by her side, "at least you finally understand why I sent you here."

"Yeah," Pammy sighed, "but why did you hide it all of that time?"

That was the time for Reala to be truthful for once, "well, this is the first time…a Nightmaren and a Visitor was together in that matter. It's, kind of… embarrassing."

"Wait a second," Pammy realized, "what about Helen and Jackle?"

"They don't count," Reala went closer to Pammy, "we do."

"Yeah, I wonder about Jackle right now," Pammy contemplated, "he doesn't like the Waking World that much, so it will probably be chaos for him."

"So, Jackle," Bridget began to talk, "what would your favorite card be?"

"The king of hearts of course," Jackle answered her question with his infamous smile, "and yours?"

"Well, the two of spades, no one ever thinks about it, or likes it," was Bridget's answer, "like in Poker as an example."

"I love poker, it's my favorite game," Jackle exclaimed, "I have taught every Nightmaren in Nightmare how to play that game."

NiGHTS just rolled his eyes. He never liked the whole, "Nightmaren/Visitor" relationship. He even remembered when Pammy admitted her love for Reala. NiGHTS had thought Pammy was crazy. She was the only Visitor who had admitted her love to a Nightmaren, besides Bridget of course.

"I played Poker at the school's tournament," said Bridget, "just yesterday too, I'm a quick learner."

"Really?" Jackle asked in surprise, "then we shall have a match then."

"We don't have time for a match," NiGHTS darkly told the two, "we need to get Pammy and send both her and Bridget to the Waking World."

"Aw," Bridget complained, "you mean I met the perfect guy, and I will never see him again?"

This had made NiGHTS feel even darker, "yes, because Nightmaren shouldn't be with Visitors. It had torn Pammy's heart, and—

NiGHTS saw Reala's room, where he saw what he thought he would never see in his eternal life, Reala actually kissing a Visitor. Not in a despiteful way like he did three years ago, but passionately, like he actually was actually in love with her. "Reala, what are you doing?"

"Oh, shoot," Pammy yelled out, "It's NiGHTS, um…I can explain."

"You don't need to explain anything," NiGHTS yelled to Pammy, "it's Reala that needs to explain!"

"I didn't do anything," Reala yelled, "for your information; I'm in love."

NiGHTS was just plain appalled by that comment, "but you penetrated Pammy's heart. How could you just love her after that? How could she love you?"

"It's kind of complicated," Pammy whispered, "I was never really over him, even with a great boyfriend, Devin, larger parts in the school's plays and even great friends…I have always been thinking about Reala. I was clouded with despair all of these years, which was why I was so rude to Reala at first."

"Wow," Bridget put her hands to her heart, "that was deep."

"Well, Reala" NiGHTS sighed, "I can't put you on the spot for this one."

Jackle took out his Waking Watcher, "won't need this anymore," said Jackle, "now it's all mine again."

"Wait," said NiGHTS, "both Bridget and Pammy need to get back to the Waking World."

"What?" asked Jackle, he couldn't believe it, he finally found a girl that liked him for who he was then she had to leave? "No, you can't!" He squeezed onto his waking watcher with anger, so much that it tuned to Devin.

Pammy looked at the Waking Watcher, to see Devin…crying. "It's all over," he cried out, "I'm never going to see Pammy or Bridget ever again."

"Oh my gosh," Pammy whispered, she had been thinking so much about herself that she had completely forgot about Devin's feelings. He seemed worried sick about both her and Bridget. "You know Bridget, NiGHTS is right, we have to go back to our world."

Bridget began to shudder "but…but…"

"We have to go Birdget," Pammy sternly repeated, "we have family and friends back home."

That was when Birdget stopped shuddering and began to cry, "What friends? I never had a friend in my life! Ever since I went to school, people always thought of me as a freak. There was only one point in my life when I didn't feel outcast, which was when I met Jackle. He agrees with me, doesn't stare at me, and I actually thought he was the most compatible person…Nightmaren…for me. I would rather stay here Pammy. You can leave yourself! Just tell my parents and brother, okay?"

"Bridget!" NiGHTS told her sternly, "stop being so selfish. You are maybe an outcast to The Waking World, but I'm an outcast to the Dream World. That doesn't mean I will be staying in the Waking World, even though my friends are in that very world. I just wait for the residences of the Waking World to come to me."

"You're different," Bridget screamed out, "Visitors can come to your world, but Nightmaren can't come to my world."

"Bridget…" NiGHTS sighed, but soon was interrupted by Jackle when he threw a card at NiGHTS, which actually hit NiGHTS. "Watch it!" NiGHTS was about to get back up, when Jackle put his foot onto NiGHTS' head.

"You do not mess with Bridget," Jackle whispered demonically, "If you send her back to her world, you will die!" He was sure about his words. NiGHTS tried to put his head up, but Jackle pressed his foot harder onto NiGHTS' head, "oh, no you don't!"

Pammy wanted to be mature about this, "Okay, I will go back to the Waking World, I will see Reala in my dreams anyway."

"Well, actually," NiGHTS cried out from under Jackle's foot, "you fell partially into the Black Ocean…"

"What do you mean partially?" asked Bridget.

"What do you mean Black Ocean?" asked Pammy.

The amnesia that cursed Pammy was very annoying, but Bridget explained it to her, "the Dark Ocean is at the edge of the Dream Gate, if a Visitor goes in there, it could tear up their soul completely…although, I don't know why NiGHTS meant partially."

"I was so close to saving her," said NiGHTS, "just her hair came into the Ocean."

"Does that even count?" asked Reala, "I doubt it," he stood up, "I will send Pammy back to the Waking World, as long as she visits me every night.

"Sounds good to me," said Pammy, although unsure if she could physically come to The Dream World, she really hoped so.

Reala paralooped Pammy back to the Waking World, she waved as she sank all the way to where she originated.

A black hole appeared at the middle of Helen's room ceiling where Pammy emerged from. Or at last fell from the ceiling and right onto Helen's bed.

"Pammy?" Helen looked at her confused, she was happy to see her, but it just seemed so random.

"Well," She brushed her skirt and got up, "I'm back." She looked at Devin wet dark blue eyes, which she couldn't bear to see anymore. She knew it was too recent to dump him after getting back together, but she only had him as a boyfriend to attempt to get over Reala.

Devin gave her a hug, "I'm so glad you're back!"

"Um, Devin," Pammy knew it was best to tell him the truth, "Reala and I….well…um…" She couldn't believe she hesitated; this was the worst time to do that, "I was never over Reala."

Devin looked at Pammy with confusion, "you were never over him? But, I thought you were beyond him since the day we met?"

"I thought I was beyond him for three years." Pammy came to admit, "It took me to meet him again to realize that I still loved him. And…well," Pammy was hesitating again, "he actually returns my love this time."

"Oh," was all Devin said. He didn't seem mad at all, just disappointed. "Should, we break up again then?"

"I guess," Pammy told Devin, "I know that it feels like it's a bad idea, but we can still be friends…right?"

"Yeah," said Devin, "we can still be friends."

That was when Helen realized, "Wait, so, no strings attached, you and Reala?"

Pammy nodded her head, "yeah, and we kissed…he was so passionate about it, unlike last time, that kiss tasted quite…spiteful."

"So you think he's a changed maren?" Helen interrogated, she was sure that Reala was probably tricking Pammy again. It was the most logical thing, since Helen didn't trust Reala at all.

Pammy saw right between those words, "you think this is another trick," Pammy cried out, "well, it isn't a trick at all! How could he act shy about the whole situation?"

"Shy?" asked Helen, "you seriously think that Reala is shy?" Helen couldn't believe what Pammy was saying, "remember his good acting skills?!"

"I don't care about his acting skills, because he's not acting at all," Pammy was still yelling.

This was very awkward for Devin, since he wasn't part of the group back in the days when Reala tricked Pammy. He just got up, grabbed Bridget's backpack and left.

"And look at poor Devin," Helen too Devin's action as an example, "he had been so awesome to you, and you dump him for a Nightmaren?"

"What is wrong with Nightmaren?" Pammy asked she never knew that Helen could be so speciesist.

"How about you just leave?" Helen cried out, "because don't consider us friends anymore!"

"Fine," Pammy stomped to the door, "I don't want friends who doubt me anyhow!" It was final; Pammy had to sacrifice two friends for Reala. Reala sure hoped that he was happy about that. At least she could see him in her dreams… maybe.