They’ve picked up tricks of the trade here and there now that they’ve been doing this for years. Things like rock salt and iron weapons. Things Merton knew about before, yeah, but now they’re things that they trust to work when the wolf isn’t enough.
Vampires, shape shifters, ghouls, witches, trolls… they’ve seen just about everything in Pleasantville now. They’ve even taken trips to nearby towns when there’s enough evidence to support supernatural activity.
This time, though, nothing works. Not the rock salts and Latin enchantments that occasionally save their asses. Not Tommy’s superhuman wolf strength or Merton throwing objects at the creature’s head from his hiding place behind a well-located bench or tree.
Nothing.
“Merton! Move!” Tommy shouts, the words covered by a fierce growl as he makes another go at the invincible creature terrorizing them. They’re heading toward the row of rocks marking Merton’s current hide-out and he never can fight properly when he isn’t sure his partner-in-town-saving isn’t safe.
“Try the spell again!” Merton shouts back at him even while he ducks around the rocks to a really thick tree some ways away. “The new one I told you about.”
Tommy tries. He does. The Latin words roll off of his tongue with surprising ease but they do nothing to affect the sweeping blows and determined swings of his attacker, countering his moves with seemingly no effort at all. “It’s not working, Mert!”
“Noticed!” Is Merton’s frantic reply as he moves again, toward another pile of rocks, this one less defendable than the previous one. “I’m working on it. Not a demon, not a vampire, not a ghost, what is it?”
“Work faster, then! Figuring out what it is and how to beat it is your department.”
The unconquerable beast roars and attacks again, jumping away from Tommy and toward what is obviously the easier prey here. “Merton!” He shouts out, but there’s nothing he can do.
Tommy hears more than he sees – which is more than enough, really – as the unstoppable monster descends on Merton. He hears his best friend scream in pain, hears the sound of flesh and bone being ripped away. Then, he hears nothing.
Nothing.
He doesn’t moved, doesn’t speak, doesn’t even breathe for he doesn’t even know how long.
“Tommy.” He hears, somewhere in the suddenly pitch black and silent forest they’d been fighting in. “Tommy!”
He closes his eyes. There’s no way Merton survived that. There’s no way anyone would survive what they know this creature can do.
“TOMMY!”
Something shoves him hard in the ribs. He fears another attack from the murderous creature who had dared to touch Merton. He wheels around to face the monster only to find himself falling. He lands with a hard ‘thud’ on ground that is not forest floor. Instead, it’s the soft carpet of their bedroom in their apartment. The sheets are tangled around him and Merton – God, Merton’s okay, Merton’s alive, Merton’s here – is staring down at him looking something between amused and irritated.
“What was that about?” The black haired boy demands, rubbing his eyes.
It was just a dream, he realizes. Only a dream, didn’t happen, Merton’s here, with him, safe. He’s back on the bed in seconds as the realization hits, arms tight around Merton.
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Vampires, shape shifters, ghouls, witches, trolls… they’ve seen just about everything in Pleasantville now. They’ve even taken trips to nearby towns when there’s enough evidence to support supernatural activity.
This time, though, nothing works. Not the rock salts and Latin enchantments that occasionally save their asses. Not Tommy’s superhuman wolf strength or Merton throwing objects at the creature’s head from his hiding place behind a well-located bench or tree.
Nothing.
“Merton! Move!” Tommy shouts, the words covered by a fierce growl as he makes another go at the invincible creature terrorizing them. They’re heading toward the row of rocks marking Merton’s current hide-out and he never can fight properly when he isn’t sure his partner-in-town-saving isn’t safe.
“Try the spell again!” Merton shouts back at him even while he ducks around the rocks to a really thick tree some ways away. “The new one I told you about.”
Tommy tries. He does. The Latin words roll off of his tongue with surprising ease but they do nothing to affect the sweeping blows and determined swings of his attacker, countering his moves with seemingly no effort at all. “It’s not working, Mert!”
“Noticed!” Is Merton’s frantic reply as he moves again, toward another pile of rocks, this one less defendable than the previous one. “I’m working on it. Not a demon, not a vampire, not a ghost, what is it?”
“Work faster, then! Figuring out what it is and how to beat it is your department.”
The unconquerable beast roars and attacks again, jumping away from Tommy and toward what is obviously the easier prey here. “Merton!” He shouts out, but there’s nothing he can do.
Tommy hears more than he sees – which is more than enough, really – as the unstoppable monster descends on Merton. He hears his best friend scream in pain, hears the sound of flesh and bone being ripped away. Then, he hears nothing.
Nothing.
He doesn’t moved, doesn’t speak, doesn’t even breathe for he doesn’t even know how long.
“Tommy.” He hears, somewhere in the suddenly pitch black and silent forest they’d been fighting in. “Tommy!”
He closes his eyes. There’s no way Merton survived that. There’s no way anyone would survive what they know this creature can do.
“TOMMY!”
Something shoves him hard in the ribs. He fears another attack from the murderous creature who had dared to touch Merton. He wheels around to face the monster only to find himself falling. He lands with a hard ‘thud’ on ground that is not forest floor. Instead, it’s the soft carpet of their bedroom in their apartment. The sheets are tangled around him and Merton – God, Merton’s okay, Merton’s alive, Merton’s here – is staring down at him looking something between amused and irritated.
“What was that about?” The black haired boy demands, rubbing his eyes.
It was just a dream, he realizes. Only a dream, didn’t happen, Merton’s here, with him, safe. He’s back on the bed in seconds as the realization hits, arms tight around Merton.
“Nothing.” Tommy replies.
Nothing.