Nicky Roth x Maritza Esposito

Hello Neighbor Tag Team Chapter In your Dreams

I was huddled in bed after a long day of school, practice, and searching for my friend Nicky Roth. It had been almost a month since he'd disappeared and right now my other friends are either worried. His parents aren't the same either and who can blame them? They loved their son and had shared almost every memory together. Every birthday, every holiday, every moment the moved from town to town. Those three had been together for years. If I were raising a child and this happened, heaven forbid, I would become a broken person...maybe do some things that I may never regret. No parent should have to suffer this pain of losing their kid. 

Right now I keep remembering that last time I had seen Nicky. It was nighttime and it was very late. Nicky's parents had called me, my brother Enzo, and my friend Trinity over to their house to see if we knew where their son was and to provide any information to officer Keith. Of course we had no idea, but then Trinity suggested that we look into his room, though I do wonder why the three of them didn't thought of that idea before. Anyways, as we searched Nicky's room for anything that would lead us to him, we discovered something which made us froze in shock. There were the missing posters of our friends Aaron and Mya Peterson. For a while now Nicky was determined to find out where they were and if their father Mr. Peterson had anything to do with their disappearance. But when we managed to come close and had the evidence to support our theory, the police turned it down and turned a blind eye to everything. This however didn't make Nicky give up though, he couldn't just let this go so he persisted and studied his neighbor Mr. Peterson some more. One time we were on his trail again until we disproved a mannequin. Back then I had thought Nicky had pulled some sort of sick prank on us but he claimed that this wasn't him. Looking back I now regret not believing him since he's been making it clear yet we didn't believe him. 

When Nicky returned to the house, his parents were pagan questioning him where he was and we all showed him what we found in his room. Nicky had tried to explain that it wasn't him and it was Mr. Peterson who had done this and when I think about this I sometimes wonder if he had broken into the Roth's house by using his son Aaron's lock pick set or if he had used the tunnels beneath his house to break into enter the Roth's. Thinking about that makes me worried if he is also capable to do the same to me and my families house too. But another thing that stuck out to me, Enzo, and Trinity was that Nicky had mentioned Mr. Peterson taking back the phonebook. He knew what we did and there's a chance we might be next. 

The more I remember that moment is the more regret I had covering Nicky like that. He was all alone while this nightmare tore him apart. I should've listened and believe in what I had seen. Nicky...I'm sorry. I'm sorry for what had happened.

After punishing myself and thinking back on that day, my mind had finally become worn out and I was in need of some rest. So I closed my eyes while I took a dive into my bedsheets and pillows, finally getting into that deep slumber.

As I opened my eyes, I noticed that I was no longer at home, but somewhere else. This place looked familiar. I suddenly noticed a billboard which had an Apple Shape. As I looked closer, I recognized the color of that sign and realized that I was at the Golden Apple Park. "How did I even came here? Goodness, this is very weird."

As I looked around I suddenly noticed that Nicky was right beside me. I also noticed that he was not sweating like he'd use to. Which meant he was not all there. He looked as if he had another thing in his mind. It was like another person was inside of him. It was just, unsettling.

"Nicky!" I exclaimed. But he just stared out in the open. like he was in a trance. "Right now, you already know where I am and wondering how to solve this problem." Nicky said. "Yes, but even if I were to tell people where you, same with Enzo and Trinity, no one would believe us and they would do the same thing what they did when you we looking Aaron." I said. "Are you with Aaron though?" Nicky took in a deep breath, like he was fearful of something. He then exhaled and gave me his answer. "Yeah, I found him, but he is beyond recognizable. And soon I won't be the same and become like him if no one finds me." He explained. My heart pumped fast. I was afraid of what was happening. 

Before I could ask Nicky more questions, I was in shock of who was in front of me. My old friend Lucy Yi. My mind had millions of questions. But as I took another look at her, there was just something not right about her. She looked pale snd worn out. She wasn't the same.

"It's already too late for Mya and me, but there is one person who will explain everything and show you the truth. And that is Nicky." Lucy explained. I was desperate, determined to learn and find out what they had, but then I was taken to a different plain of existence. I suddenly heard a booming voice coming out of a PA system and I was quickly able to recognize it, for that voice was Mr. Peterson's. "Welcome boys and girls to the Land of Under. You'll howl with excitement, flip your lids, and you will have fun fun fun!! HEH HEH HEHE HEH HEH!" Mr. Peterson exclaimed. "I'm going to run run run from here!" I said.

As I sprint through this weird environment, I saw all sorts of carnival and amusement park equipment. A carousel spinning at an ungodly speed, a ferris wheel somehow able to fit in this underground environment, two mannequins sorting out spare parts, another mannequin pulling out wires, causing them to explode in sparks of electricity and half burnt prizes like the ones that were a part of the Golden Apple Amusement Park. I was getting very dizzy from all that I was seeing. It was just insane. But I stopped abruptly as I saw one thing that had me shock. There stood before me were Nicky and Aaron in a dirty and messed up stated. Their eyes were red, they had blisters on their hands, and had sweat and dirty pouring all over themselves like they had just finished mining a tunnel as if their lives depended on it. "Nicky? Aaron?" I asked.

Nicky walked up to me, staring with his eyes. He then proceeded to say these words. "Find me and I will show you what I've learned." Nicky said to me.

As I woke up, I let out gasps of air. I then looked around only to see that I was in my bedroom and it was still nighttime. That dream or better yet vision I had embraced felt so real! So..lifelike. But I do know this, dream, vision, or real, I have a task, a task to find Nicky and learn the truth! But, I will need some more help. Some allies to aid her.