when dreams become nightmares [earthbound cast]

[Tony]

Tony was probably one of a very precious few kids who could honestly say they'd never been to an amusement park before, but he'd heard about them-- magical places full of lights and sounds and laughter, the air saturated with sugary smells, bubbling with familial laughter and cheerful music. Such a place intrigued the boy, and while he was not the bravest, he certainly was eager, and he begged his parents monthly by letter to take him someday so that he could try at least one ride before his childish sense of worldly wonder had faded.

The place he found himself in was far from magical.

It was an amusement park, all right, almost exactly like the ones he'd seen in pictures, but something was off-- the towering rides cast sinister shadows over the completely empty area; it was devoid of music, of life, of anything, and what a feeling of dread it staked in the tiny brunette's heart.

He couldn't recall how he got here, all he knew was that he wanted to turn back right now.

“Hello...?” His voice kept soft-- even if it appeared abandoned, it felt as though he was disturbing a presence all the same, though he couldn't place what that presence might be. “I-is there anyone here? Hello?”

Receiving no response, the British boy dared himself to venture further, intent on finding a way out-- he could only hope this was some sort of bizarre dream.[/font]

[Ness]

Having lost track of his previous companion, Paul McCartney, Ness found himself traveling alone. After the experience with all the bug like creatures and other creepy happenings, the boy's paranoia level sky rocketed. At least with Paul he had the ability to force a bravery act, even if he was a teensy bit scared. Right now? There was no one but him, and he was pretty paranoid about being followed and watched.

After walking for what seemed like ages, but was really only about an hour or so, the dark haired child came across what looked like an amusement park. Or--what should be an amusement park? It seemed way scarier and a lot less exciting than amusement parks he remembered. Then again, it was to be expected. If they had a fun zone in a place like this.

He frowned, then entered. For some reason he felt like he should go in there, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Hopefully nothing wretched would pop out and scare the living daylights out of him.

Ness stalked around, holding his bat tightly in both hands, ready to smash in anyone's face should they approach him. He glanced back and forth as he walked, ready for someone or something to come out.

[Jeff Andonuts]

Jeff couldn’t grasp where he woke save for the moist air and that it was quiet. In fact, it was so quiet that he could have sworn that he was the only one in town. Was it abandoned, and if so… what for? The mere thought made his spine tingle with an odd dread—one that was vaguely familiar. It smelled an awful lot like the darkened, dread-filled town of night… Twoson, was it? The blond pushed through obstacles with care, taking in his surroundings slowly. There were definitely corpses about… he could smell it.

Wait, Twoson? That reminded him; where on earth are his friends? Are they here as well? If so, are they okay…? The boy’s heart thumped heavily in his chest at the thought. What about… Tony? The last time he saw his dearest friend was last night, wasn’t it?

…What if he was dragged into a place like this?

Jeff’s chest tightened. No, it’s Tony… he’d be fine, wouldn’t he? As long as he was able to find and stick with him, the other will be fine. The Brit took a deep breath and kept down his path in a rushed pace, albeit picking up anything considered “useful” along the way: a rusted bike chain here, a broken speaker there, anything he could fit into his pockets. However, the blond froze instantly as he heard a roar from a good distance behind him (78.245 metres west, he guessed) and the boy pushed his glasses up with a shaky hand.

“O-oh dear. Well then,” he coughed out. The way he ran toward the nearby park was anything but subtle.

[Tony]

Somewhere between what he assumed was some broken down ferris wheel and a deformed looking merry-go-round, Tony came upon a mammoth of a billboard, the wooden surface worn and scratched and surrounded by little bits of glass from the broken lightbulbs bordering it-- a map, no doubt. The boy exhaled in mild relief, nearly tripping and tumbling in his excited hurry; why, of all the luck you can have after waking up in the middle of an empty park! If he could just pinpoint where he was...

And suddenly, in a heartwrenching moment, his tiny frame literally screeched to a halt on the faded soles of his shoes as he came close enough to discover that some cruel vandal had made sure no one would ever read this map again.
Everything was crudely painted over in a bright, macabre red.

The poor child was crestfallen.

But a strong odor made him perk up, covering his nose to avoid the scent numbing his fragile brain. Curious, he lifted a dainty hand and placed it atop the map-- the paint was not quite fresh, but definitely still wet, as if the job had only been done about an hour or so prior.

Inquiry quickly turned to rage as Tony kicked the now useless sign, but rage then turned into a yelp of pain as he fell back, fairly certain he broke one or all of his toes. Well, even so, not important at the moment.

“Blimey, who could really hate me this much?” he whined, scraping up his knees and painted hands as he scrambled to get up.

[Ness]

Ness carried on as he was, clutching his bat so tightly his knuckles were white. This amusement park almost looked like it could have been a fun place, were it not for the fact that it was practically destroyed. He was seriously wondering just what happened here and if this is what Eagleland had turned out to be.

With a sigh, he trudged on, beginning to just drag his bat at his side now, rather than holding it defensively. He stared at the ground with almost bored eyes. As terrifying as it had been being chased, it was also kind of fun. It reminded him of back when he and his friends were going after Giygas. There were a lot of scary things back then, but together as a team, they'd manage to crush everything.

He supposed things were different now. For one--there was no team. He hoped to God his friends weren't hurt or killed in this apocalyptic dilemma. His brows furrowed and he looked forward again. Something had to be done.

While he slowly walked on, Ness thought he caught glimpse of a person in the distance. He wasn't sure exactly, but he knew there was something up there. He once again held his bat defensively and stared, walking toward said figure, whom actually seemed to be standing up at that very moment. He wasn't sure whether or not to approach silently or try calling out first just in case. Depending on the reaction, he was sure he'd know whether or not it was something worth attacking.

"Alright." He mumbled and paused. He raised an arm up and began to wave. "Hello?!! Are you lost?!!" He called, and as he did, there was an ounce of hope inside of him that said this person over there was worth trusting.