I do not own any of this. Paranorman belongs to Laika and Sonic The Hedgehog belongs to Sega.
With their meal being interrupted before it could even arrive, thanks to the angry guy back at the bar and grill. Mitch had to settle with ordering in some fast food from McDonald's instead, but due to his strict rules regarding his van, he didn't allow the bag to be opened until they had stopped at a motel, checked into a room, and finally sat themselves down at a picnic table located in the back of the motel.
Thankfully for all of them, the food was still warm by the time they finally got it out of the bag. Taking a bite out of his Big Mac, Sonic thought it was good, but it was nothing compared to that chili dog he had eaten earlier. He definitely believed that he had found his new favorite food on Earth.
After they were finished eating Mitch left with the bags to take out to the trash, where after doing that he'll go ahead to take a nice warm shower. Courtney meanwhile left to find an available outlet for her phone, which was dangerously low on battery. This leaves only Norman, Neil, and Sonic to sit alone on the picnic table as they all looked up at the cloudy night sky that showed only a few stars and occasionally the moon that peaked out from time to time.
Neil is filled with wonder for he loved star gazing, even if a cloudy night made it hard for him to see them. It was even better upon knowing that he now knows for a fact that there is in fact life out there on other planets and its all thanks to meeting Sonic. It's really too bad that Salma wasn't here, she would've loved to know this.
"Say Sonic."
"Yes Neil."
"Where would your home planet be if I pointed upward right now?"
"I honestly have no idea. I don't even think that you could see the star system from Earth."
"Too far, I taken."
"Most likely."
A large cloud soon began to slowly block out the stars, ending their star gazing for the time being as a cool breeze brushed past them. Norman, however, decided that now was the perfect time to take a walk around the motel. Getting himself up, he was quickly noticed by Neil, who waved at him. "Hey Norman. Where are you going?"
"Just a little walk in front of the motel." Norman quietly answered while slightly turning to regard him.
"Can I join you?" Neil enthusiastically asked.
"No thanks Neil. I like doing it alone." Norman replied, disappointing Neil a bit for he really wanted to walk with Norman for perhaps they could do some bonding. He'll respect Norman's decision however, so he kept up a kind smile. "Okay then Norman. Perhaps we can walk together some other time."
Going silent for a moment, Norman slowly began to walk away. "Yeah sure."
Sonic and Neil watched him leave until he disappeared around the corner. Once he was out of sight Sonic turned to Neil for he wanted to know on where he could get more of those chili dogs. He stops himself however upon seeing the disappointment on Neil. "Hey, what's wrong Curly Hair?"
"Oh nothing. It's that I just feel so sorry for Norman. I can see that he's very lonely, but no matter how much I try for us to hang out together, he always comes up with a way to decline it. Don't get me wrong, I know why he's like that, believe me after years of bullying you tend to withdraw from people. Yet, I hate thinking that he's going to be living a lonely life. Norman may have his ghost friends, but a living one would be just as good for him since a ghost can only do so much." Neil explained with a frown matching a sad puppy.
"I know how a lonely life feels." Sonic sadly remarked, he really didn't like to think of Ghost Boy going through the same thing as he did, but there is one way Sonic can help him not walk down the same path. "Perhaps I can talk to him."
Getting himself up from the table, Sonic slowly walked over to the corner of the motel. Looking over he sees Norman standing next to the wall, clearly talking to someone that Sonic couldn't see, most likely another ghost. He patiently waited for Norman to have a break with his conversation with the unseen spector before finally heading on over to him.
"Hey Ghost Boy. Having a nice chat?"
Looking over at him for a brief moment, Norman quickly turned back to the ghost he had been talking to. "Excuse me for a second." Having that out of the way, Norman can now fully address Sonic. "Yes"
"What are you chatting about?"
"Nothing important, just the casual stuff on how things are doing along with some questions about the Motel. You know, just in case there are several bad aspects of the place?"
"Is there anything we should know about?" Sonic very much hoped that there weren't any bug infestations or that the owner is a secret serial killer, who's waiting for them all to fall asleep, sneak unsuspectedly into their room, and then chop them all up with a machete.
"Just that room five has a broken shower and a spring is visibly out on one of the beds." It's very lucky that they were situated in room eight, but you know it felt a bit odd to tell someone on his latest conversation with the dead without receiving a odd look.
"Anyway do you need something Sonic?"
"You seemed a bit down at the picnic table earlier; I just wanted to make sure everything is okay."
Norman had slightly suspected that was the case as he let out a small sigh to himself. "I'm fine. I just like being alone more than being with other people."
"Is it because on how people have been treating you?" Sonic gently asked in which Norman sadly nodded in reply.
"For so many years I've been treated like a freak. I've been given nasty stares, names written on my locker every school day, constant mockery and teasing. And that's just half of the stuff I go through." Releasing a huff of frustration, Norman walked forward before sitting himself down on the curb, kicking a small pebble in the progress.
"You know when I was once six. My grandma once took me to the park, there I met this kid in the sandbox digging a hole. We talked and bonded pretty nicely, we were really becoming very good friends, until a ghost of a police officer stopped by and tipped his hat at us. Not wanting to be rude I greeted him by saying how good the morning was, but the kid only saw me talking to nothing but thin air from his perspective." Squinting his eyes in a mix of frustration and sadness, Norman very well remembers what came next. "He then looked at me as if I was Frankenstein's monster, called me weirdo, then threw sand at me before running off."
Placing a hand under his chin, Norman shut his eyes as he breathed in and out softly; recalling those memories always brought forth negative feelings that would cause him to shed tears. "Ever since then, I have always avoided getting close to people because I know from experience they will abandon me and treat me like trash. Just like the rest of the kids at school."
Norman's sad tale pulled hard on Sonic's heart strings. It's absolutely distasteful that people would treat him like this to the point he's cautious on gaining any living friends. But he could fix that, he could let him know that things don't have to be like that anymore.
Gently sitting himself down right next to Norman. He gave him a very gentle smile. "You know, I don't exactly fit in Blithe Hallow either."
Slowly turning his head to face Sonic, Norman slightly open his eyes.
"I know people would've freaked big upon laying their eyes on me to the point they would bring out the pitchforks and torches. There were times I felt that perhaps it would be best to stay in the woods, especially during my first year on Earth." Sonic reminisce. "But I never let those feelings rule me. I also found someone who I can relate to and I know; you know who I am referring to."
"Me"
"You bet. When I first saw you, I instantly thought that you were cool. You may not know it, but I stopped several bad things from happening to you."
Looking to him fully now, Norman tilted his head a bit. "You have? Like how exactly?"
"Well for starters; I was the one who stopped that baseball from hitting you in the face."
"So that's what happened to it." Norman just thought that the ball had simply missed him. Now really thinking about it some more, he does also recall several incidents where it seemed that things disappeared from thin air. "Thanks for that."
"No problem Ghost Boy." Sonic winked. "When you really think about it. We are so similar to each other; we are both lonely and have awesome powers."
"I guess. When you put it like that." Norman replied with a small shrug for both of their gifts are vastly different to one another.
"But we don't have to be alone, especially you. There are people who do want to hangout with you Norman, and you know who I'm talking about."
Neil immediately came to mind. He was definitely trying to hang out with him and has been showering him with kindness every time they spoke with each other. Perhaps he should let Neil hang out with him, but then again, what if he weirded him out to the point where Neil avoided him?
"I can see the doubt in you, Ghost Boy. But trust me when I say that Neil will definitely stick by your side, just as a good friend should. The people who think you're weird are nothing more than no-necked chumps. Your powers make you unique, and you shouldn't let their opinions bring you down."
Norman thought hard about this as he slowly looked back up to the night sky with Sonic happily by his side.
Unknown to both of them, Courtney is peeking out from behind the door of the main office. She has been asking the manager about the Wi-Fi password, when she heard her brother's and the hedgehog's voice. With the manager in the backroom checking up on the password, she decided to do a little bit of eavesdropping just to pass the time.
Having overheard their entire conversation, she cast her eyes downward in shame as she reflected on how she had been treating her brother over the years. Very quietly, she closed the door.
The night grew longer by the time they all decided to go to bed. They all agreed that it would be a bit weird for them to sleep together in pairs on separate beds. Mitch brought in some sleeping bags from the van and set them up on the floor, where it was then decided that he and Courtney would sleep in them, while Neil and Norman took the beds. As for Sonic; he is comfortable sleeping in a open drawer.
Norman was honestly very surprised that Courtney offered to sleep in a sleeping bag, not that there wasn't anything wrong with that as they do look comfy, but he very much figured that she would very much prefer to sleep on the beds instead. He knew from past experiences while during previous camping trips that his sister very well made her opinion known that she hated sleeping on the ground, so why would she voluntarily choose to sleep on the floor?
He kept this in mind, even way after the lights were shut off and everyone was fast asleep. Eventually, sleep overcame him as well and dragged him into the abyss of dreams.
However, the moment he fell asleep, the strange phenomenon from the bar and grill returned. The peeling was much more faster now, and this time when it was finished, Norman found himself standing inside what appeared to be the town hall of Blithe Hallow as what it once looked like over three hundred years ago.
It was creepy and a bit cold, but what really stood out in this place were the seven people looking down at him in disgust. Slowly, he recognized them as the seven victims associated with the witch's curse.
Just why was he seeing them? Especially now? He knew that the anniversary was coming, but he's miles away from Blithe Hallow. Unless of course the witch's curse was actually real and for some reason he seemed to be seeing the famous trial with him being in the witch's place.
"Agatha Prenderghast" The judge on the wooden stand spoke up with such power; it seemed that his voice was the only sound in the entire room. But what got Norman's attention the most was the last name the judge has spoke of; Prenderghast. That was the last name of his estranged uncle his family, mostly his father, forbidden him on seeing. Was he, related to the witch? It seems to be, and that's a pretty scary thought.
But back up on the stand, the judge continued. "Of his Majesty's province of Massachusetts, on this day you have been arraigned for the horrible crime of witchcraft. Witnessed by whose testimonies have been heard. You have, by this court, been found guilty!"
Now despite that he knew that this was nothing more than some vision of the past. The unsettling stares from all in the room, along with the intimidating voice of the judge is enough to make Norman slightly back up a bit in fear.
"And it is passed on you, according to your grievous crimes, execution!" The judge bellowed out loudly.
Norman had just about enough of this. Swiftly turning around, he found the courtroom disappearing into a white void with a single door at the end. He didn't know if he was running or swimming, but regardless, he didn't care; just as long as he was moving forward, while all around him people were screaming about killing the witch, a screaming angry mob, and someone saying that the gallows were ready.
These voices only served to freak him out even more as he doubled in his effort to reach the door that never seems to get any closer. But soon another voice came through the void, a voice that really confused him for it was a young girl's voice, a girl who's been crying out of fear.
"Please stop! I didn't do anything wrong! I was only playing. Please don't do this!" The girl's voice then swiftly changed to absolute fury. "I'm going to make you all sorry! I'm going to get you all for eternity!" A crackle of lighting then flashes through the void, nearly deafening Norman with the fallowing loud boom of thunder.
The door is closer now and with a fresh new frightful thought of what had actually happened at the witch trial. Norman very much hoped that he was wrong about this hunch, but he feared that the crying girl he saw back at the bar and grill may have been the accused witch. Yet, surly they wouldn't hang a kid, right?
The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to get out of this place. Reaching forward for the door knob, while taking a great leap at the door, Norman could feel that his nightmare is about to be finally over.
That was until he felt a hand clamp down tightly around his left ankle. Jumping in fright over the feeling of fingernails digging into his skin, Norman is then forcefully pulled away from the door.
Turning around fast, Norman's eyes widened for holding his ankle is the girl from the bar and grill with a fresh noose around her neck. Without her hands covering up her face, Norman could see a deep scowl with glowing yellow eyes, while her hair crackles up in electricity as it stood up straight.
"Where do you think your going!"
Letting out a scream, Norman desperately tried to get himself out of her tight grip as she continued to pull him further away from the door. He didn't know what she was planning on doing with him, but he certainly wasn't sticking around to find out.
Her grip on his ankle must of loosen up during his struggle because with one final yank, he manages to get his ankle free. Taking this fortunate advantage, Norman makes way for the door. He could hear her coming after him from the crackling electricity getting louder and louder.
He didn't know if he was going to make it to the door before she could wrap her arms around him in a much more tighter hold and then drag him off into the white void to do who knows what.
But once he bumped against the door, Norman wasted no time on opening it and jumping into the dark void. He just felt the wind from a swinging hand just missing the back of his collar.
Gasping for breath as he sat up straight in bed. Norman could feel his heart pumping like crazy, while he glances around the safety of the motel room. Now both fully awake and most importantly away from that white void. Norman let himself relax as he leaned himself against the headboard of the bed.
"Had a bad nightmare?" The girl suddenly whispered into his right ear.
Flinching in fright, Norman turns his head in a flash. She is right there at the bedside, right in his face with this unnerving smile before lunging at him.
Sitting up in bed, Norman nearly let out a scream, but just manages to hold it in.
Feeling a strong sense of deja vu as Norman once again looked around the motel room. He at least makes sure that this time he wasn't having a dream within a dream by pinching himself on the wrist.
Upon feeling the pain, Norman released a soft sigh of relief for at least that nightmare is finally over. Checking over at the digital clock for the time, Norman sees that it's at least sixteen minutes after three in the morning before slowly laying back down on the bed. Now looking up at the ceiling, Norman collected his thoughts over that whole nightmarish ordeal.
That girl, she had shown him the undesirable and shocking truth that the witch hung all those years ago was in fact a girl about his age. They really killed a little kid, but how could they do such a horrible thing? She couldn't have done anything to warrant such a horrible fate, and he very much doubted she used witchcraft; there had to be something else.
Thinking more harder with a squint of his eyes. Norman slowly recalls the shape of her eye pupils before he woke up. They were very similar to his eye pupil shape. Could it be that perhaps she could see and talk to the dead as well.
It might explain a lot of things, but Norman just wasn't sure. He had to think about it some more, and that's exactly what he did, staring up at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep until the clock finally struck four.
