(( Ha ha. Nice xD Well, I guess I'll take it just to keep the story going ))

Casey stared at the strange woman who appeared before her in silence. Her widened eyes slowly looked down at the dangerously close sword. After a few moments, her lips slowly curled into a painful smile as she chuckled lightly. To those who didn't know Casey, it would simply look like she was foolishly mocking the woman, but in reality she was laughing because she was nervous. It was an odd habit that she had been trying to rid herself of for quite sometime, but a giggle or chuckle still manged to escape from time to time.

A laugh? She's threatened with a very sharp and wicked blade, and the child laughs? To laugh to Sai... such was essentially decreeing one had no will left to live. "Tsk, Tsk... one shouldn't mock the hand of death." Her voice was both thick with an acccent and clear as a bell, for it spoke to the very heart the message of depression and death. Fear to curled around each word she spoke. The very tip of her blade moved to just barely prick the underside of the human's chin. A sensitive area, one that would split apart nicely.

"I ask again, child. Other than a laugh of meager proportions, do you have any other last words before the steel of my weapon decides to have a taste?"

She quickly brought her hand to her mouth, to stifle the giggles, her eyes focused on the woman intently. Slowly lowering the hand, Casey opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. She was still trying to make sense of the situation in her head and try and put it into words.

"I...don't understand," she finally managed to say. "This is just a dream, isn't it? Yet I can feel everything. What is this?"

The nightmare laughed, leaning in close ot the girl's ear and speaking again, slow, steady, and rather creepily.

"What else? A Nightmare."

A press of her blade, and Sai thought she felt the skin part. A glorious sensation she ought ot know. It wasn't a hard cut. Just a shallow, wound, no worse than a paper cut. Twas only the beginning.

She quickly covered the small wound with her hand and drew back. She didn't move any further though; merely stared at the girl in confusion.

"This is different. If this were a nightmare, I still wouldn't be able to feel anything. And I would have woken up by now." Casey's curiosity sometimes got the better of her. The little voice in the back of her head telling her to run was drowned out by her need to know.

Sai withdrew her weapon, spinning it around in her hand for a moment. Before letting it all but disappear for the moment.

"That is how it used to be, Casey..." Her voice was still as eerie as before, if not worse with the emphasis on her name. "But that no longer was enough. As it turns out, you humans needed a more agressive nightmare for this day and age... and this is it..."

Her weapon was out again, held back in the ready position. "It hurts, and if you die... you really...don't...wake up..."

Casey stumbled back, staring at the girl. Her lips formed into that awkward smile again as she laughed; partly from disbelief and partly from fear.

"That's a lie!" she shot back as she continued to laugh. "You're lying!"

She brought her hand back to her lips to stop the laughter. Her giggling came out more like squeaks through the spaces between her fingers.

Vatcher crawled out of the stream,hopeing nobody could see him.He paused a moment,then shook some mud and water off of his back,about ready to snarl out loud at himself for drawing blood from Casey,and for letting that other human girl step on him.He couldn't belive he had actually missed seeing her comeing across the river!Not that he had been physicly injured,but his ego had taken a worse blow than his squash-and-streach body had in quite a long time.He started off again,about angry enough to grow inch long fangs and bite something.Or someone.He glansed sourly at the sky,and decided that a slight change of scenery was in order.With hardly a thought,he had a small stone-walled cottage appear next to a section of the path were he was sure no humans were looking at the time,disarmingly covered with decoratve ivy and morning glory vines.And plenty of well-lit windows,most of which would be too small for a human to fit their shoulders thru...A small friendly curl of smoke at the chimney and a bit of moss at the base,to give it the appearance of haveing been there a while served to compleate the piture,now all he needed was a reason for people to go in...A few storm clouds gathered at the horizon within seconds,prompting a small smile from the now pleased nightmare creature as he sliped in the front door,closeing it softly behind him.

Sai laughed, a cruel harsh laugh. "If I were lying, how do I know your name? Why do you feel pain? If this were an ordinary dream, you'd have woken up from the simply prick."

The nightmare simply rolled her eyes. "You can deny it all you'd like. It means so little...Because in the end... you'll die like the rest..."

As much as she tried to hide it, Casey's eyes shimmered with fear. Her hands grasped at the sleeves of her PJ top as her mouth remained slightly agape, as if waiting for a reply to come from her mouth, but when nothing happened, she simply closed it and swallowed hard.

What was she to do now? Run? That's probably what the woman would want. To see her victim run blindly through the strange land in terror, obviously at a disadvantage. But...she couldn't keep standing there. That certainly wasn't going to save her dreaming and waking life. She had to do something. She wasn't going to end up one of those sniveling girls in horror movies that crumbled to the ground in tears, begging for their life to be spared.

She narrowed her eyes at the woman before bolting to the left through a mess of twisting trees at full speed.

The woman's response was simple. She leaned agaisnt the tree, watching as her prey ran away. Definitely its best choice in this case. She had seen the fear, knowing she'd grown stronger for it, the wry grin on her face, clearly pleased by it.

She leapt into the trees after a few moments, tailing her prey. "Run, run, little Casey. You can't avoid Sai, or death, forever." She unvieled her weapon once more, tossing it in a careful arc, so it embedded itself in the twisted trunk of a tree, just as Casey was passing by. Careful, careful aim.

Casey stumbled away from the struck tree, almost tripping over her own feet, but her hand reached back and pushed off another tree so that she may continue at her speedy pace. It was more difficult to run than she had first imagined, though. She winced ever time her bare feet stepped on a rock or branch. He PJ bottom were long and baggy and would sometimes get caught over her feet, causing her stumble from time to time. But she persisted on...unsure of what else to do.

Username: .pixie dust.
Name: mirinda sprite
Age: 18
Gender: female
Human or Nightmare: nightmare/pixie (shhh dont tell anyone hehe)
Appearance: [x]
Bio: mirinda was born in the small town of movid on the shores of valura. she was born to a modest household and lived a normal life. one day when she was wandering in the woods on the outskirts of her little town she met a pixie bard. he told her tales of the sprites and pixies who once lived in the wood. the tales awoke something within mirinda. something evil and so powerful she couldnt resist. she cried. she cried for days by the bards side. when she finally recovered she was changed. she knew she could never return to her home again. they were far to afraid of the abnormal to welcome even their daughter back with open arms. her family mourned her death. she cared not. better they mourn her death than hate her for who she has become. mirinda gathered her feelings and found a new path. the path to her people. the ones who once resided in the woods around her (once) home. she spread her wings and with some trouble, taught herself to fly. she has been searching the lands with her bard at her side since that day.

((You can't be part pixie. Only Humans and Nightmares aloud))

Lacy was tired of just walking around wondering where else to go. It was hopeless and she wanted to wake up so badly it hurt. "There has to be some way out of this stupid, stupid dream!!"she persisted. Sighing she kept walking until she heared footsteps at a fast pace. She looked around and saw nothing, until she ran into a girl. She looked exhausted. Cautiously, she took a few steps back. "Hello.." she said, examining this young woman

Casey held her chest as she panted from running so fast. She looked over the girl for a brief moment. She appeared human. She glanced back in a worried manner before grabbing the girl's hand and pulling her down behind a bush. Casey sat on her knees and covered the girl's mouth as she brought a finger to her own lips.

"Shhh, please be very quiet," she instructed the girl in a hushed tone. "I'm afraid I'm in alotta trouble, and you will be too if she finds you..."

"Wh...Where am I?"Aero said.
"Huh?" Just then,he noticed he was in his favorite pawprint pajamas in the middle of a forest.
"Okay. I'm scared now. Oh god...noooo...I don't wanna be one of those kids who gets caught by a 50 year old pervert and gets killed and buried and ThEn ThEy CaN't FiNd Me AnD I EvEnTuAlLy GeT FORGOTTEN ABOUT AND THEN THE POLICE STOP LOOKING FOR ME AND OH MY GOD I'M GONNA DIE!!!!"
He was freaking out now.
"GRADUATION IS TOMORROW AND I'M GONNA DIE!!!!"
Then,Aero decided to calm himself down.
"1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9..10
Okay..Now he's obviously not here yet.I'm gonna try to make a run for it."

Lacy was about to ask this strange person whether or not she knew what was going on, but before she knew it, she was grabbed with a hand over her mouth! The young woman said something about being quiet, but instincts took over and she elbowed her in the stomach and took her arms so they were behind her back. "Ok, your crazy. What the heck is going on?" she asked, in a whisper, just in case what this person was saying was true.

Ok, so maybe suddenly grabbing her like that wasn't the best idea, but Casey was in a panic! She wasn't thinking very clearly...She winced at the slight pain her stomach but took breath to ease the pain before looking back at the girl.

"Please, I didn't mean to scare you," she explained quietly and a bit more calmly. "It's just, I have this dangerous woman after me. She said that where we are now is a nightmare. But this isn't any normal nightmare. We can feel pain. We can't wake up. And she told me that if you die here, you die for real. I was only looking for a place to hide from her, and when I saw you, I didn't want you to be caught be her."

Originally Posted by Uzura

Ok, so maybe suddenly grabbing her like that wasn't the best idea, but Casey was in a panic! She wasn't thinking very clearly...She winced at the slight pain her stomach but took breath to ease the pain before looking back at the girl.

"Please, I didn't mean to scare you," she explained quietly and a bit more calmly. "It's just, I have this dangerous woman after me. She said that where we are now is a nightmare. But this isn't any normal nightmare. We can feel pain. We can't wake up. And she told me that if you die here, you die for real. I was only looking for a place to hide from her, and when I saw you, I didn't want you to be caught be her."

She listened carefully but when she stopped talking, she didn't like what she heard. "Die..for real?" she asked, pausing for a moment before she concluded, "Your lying. This is just a bad dream and I'll wake up any second in my bed.." I hope.. she added in her head.

This was all too much for her! But what she really feared, was that what this girl was saying was true. No, it couldn't be..or could it? I'm losing my mind in here!! she thought, shaking her head.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I had said...but here I still am," she laughed nervously.
"And...um...could you let go of me now? My arms are starting to get sore," she added with a slight fidget.

He began to run.
And run.
And run.
But no matter how far he ran,he still ended up in the same place.
"WHAT IS WITH THIS FRICKIN' FOREST?!?!?"He screamed as he fell to his knees.
"I WANNA GET OUT OF HEEEERRREEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Silence,though,he knew someone heard him.
You see,he heard footsteps from a distance.
But,they weren't coming toward him.
"Ughhhh..."
Then,he got up.
"I just wanna get out of heeeereee...."Aero moaned.He had no idea what would come next.

***

The next night,(it was always night,but it felt like a day to him.)he decided that it wasn't a pervert that was after him,but he knew that there would probably be trouble.
So,what he did was probably the smartest thing he had done the whole time he had been there.
"Okay..."he said,as he climbed up a tree.
"I get this here,and tie this here..."
"There!"he said.
A bow.
The handle was made of sturdy wood and the string of thread he found in one of the cottages.(luckily,a nightmare wasn't in there yet.)
He was very proud of himself.
"Now,to make some arrows..."
And with that,he gathered clay,wood,and feathers from crows.
So,he began to get to work...

Originally Posted by Uzura

"Yeah, that's pretty much what I had said...but here I still am," she laughed nervously.
"And...um...could you let go of me now? My arms are starting to get sore," she added with a slight fidget.

"Oh, yeah sorry," she said, unaware that she was still holding the girl with her arms behind her back. Letting go, she asked, "Who was chasing you again? Some woman?

Casey rolled her shoulder to stretch it out as she spoke. "I-I don't know. Just some crazy woman with a very large sword," she mumbled before glancing over the bush, making sure said woman wasn't coming. She turned back to the girl, trying to put on a polite smile. "Oh, and I'm Casey, by the way."

"There...we...Go!"Aero exclaimed as he finished the last out of 1000 arrows. He always knew that shop class wasn't pointless.
"Whew. That was some work. Well..."he began,picking up his newly made bow and arrows."...I guess I should make a quiver right now. I'm not just gonna lug around these arrows all day by hand,am I?"

He sloshed around in mud.
"Posh,plosh,plop,plish,slish,slosh"
He came to a lake.
In front of it,a log. The perfect size of a quiver.
"This'll do!"
He sat right there,then,and picked up some leftover clay he had carried with him along with the arrows.
"Okay..."He said,molding the clay into the size of a lid,and stuck it on the quiver.
"There!"
He stuck the arrows inside.
Then,he took some near-by driftwood and formed it into a handle.
Putting it on his back,he began to think to himself.
"Hmm..."He thought.
"I wonder if I'm the only person here..."
Then,he had a brilliant idea.
He decided to make a flare,to make it known that he was here.
Just then,tied to a nearby tree,was-oddly-fireworks!
He went over to examine it.
"Wh-what?"
"Attached to the tree,there was note.
Written..
In blood.
"Dear Aero,
I hate you.

Your worst nightmare,
Neon."

"Huh?"
This was strange.
Who was Neon?
How did the fireworks get there?
Why did it hate him?
He decided not to think about immediately,so,he continued on with his plan.

***
As he went back to his camp,he gathered some flint stones.
When he finally got back,he stacked the fireworks on a rock and prepared to light them.
Aero lit one.
Skyrocketing into the air,it exploded.
Beautiful,yes,but it was a signal.
He waited a bit,and lighted the next one.
He kept repeating the process.
"I hope someone comes.."