SPRINGBOUND SUMMER COUR

Cast aside to a sea of black

The two psychic kids woke up with the embroidered purple bags over their faces still, but they were swiftly torn off by weird figures draped in dirty rags with sleeves that jutted out to resemble that of pauldrons. They had beady eyes that beamed into the two kids' souls, hidden behind a brown bag tied around their necks with a dirty witch hat on top of each of their heads. In their hands, they held spears longer than they are with a red ribbon tied around the spearhead that made resemblance to that of both entrails and the sign of ouroboros. They kept their spears fixed on the two.

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold up, hold up, seriously, I have no clue what a bogeyman is. Why are you accusing me of being one?!" Ninten yelled.

When he got no answer, he tried to lift his hand to threaten one of the bag-heads, only for his hands to feel like they had enormous amounts of weight tied to them. Paula couldn't lift her hands up either.

"It seems that we've been taken to a place outside of Magicant's peace. Because of two things. One, psychic abilities seem to work. Two, you aren't a silly looking boy scout anymore.", Paula remarked.

Ninten blinked for a moment before looking down at himself, and sure enough Paula was right, he was back in his slightly dirty and bloody baseball uniform. He continued to struggle despite all efforts.

"Well happy, happy, happy for you at least! I'm still getting accused of being some damn nightmare creature!" He retaliated.

"If there wasn't a Psi barrier causing me to not be able to lift my hands i would have bonked you on the head with my hand, but this isn't the time for an argument.", She turned to the Bag-heads,

"Hello dears. Can you please tell me exactly what's occurring?"

The Bag-heads gave no answer, as they pushed their spears closer to the two. Paula cringed as she felt one of the ribbons trickle over her legs.

"Okay okay, so you don't respond to being babied, okay. Here then, can you tell me what in the world you mean by calling Ninten a Bogeyman?" Paula asked.

And once again, no answer. One of the bigger bag-heads, with a cloth tied around its face that gave it a much more mysterious look, waddled over and put its spindly, gloved hand around Ninten's left wrist.

"We can see impurities, and smell them. You both stink and smell of deep despair and hopelessness. And for that, we have been told by Springian to cast aside those that are prone to Bogeymen into the Sea of Eden to awaken them and cast them out.", The Commander uttered.

Their voices were a bit muffled so it was also a bit hard to hear, but Ninten could hear very well. He kicked his legs in retaliation, kicking a spear out of the long slender fingers of the smaller beings.

"To hell with whatever you just said! I ain't getting waterboarded in some Eden Sea that, if i recall from Paula's little child-talking, is where EVERYTHING is terrible! Hey, hey, here, I got an idea I can propose!" Ninten barked.

The Bag-heads pushed their spears towards Ninten again, making the two kids shuffle away on their feet for a moment before a Bag-head gripped them by the shoulders and kept them in place.

"I do not think that will be possible. Bogeymen only want to terrorize us, and destroy the beauty and cycle of life. I do not think it will be possible for you to propose a deal to us that will not clear you of your Bogeyman status.", The smaller Bag-head replied.

Ninten grumbled, kicking up dust from the floor under him, which was sparkling and white, with specks of yellow and blue. Paula's dress was getting dusted lightly by it.

"You just won't listen to me cause you're stuck in that mindset you idiots! The hell happened to giving someone a second chance and the opportunity to explain themselves?!", Ninten snapped, spit flying out like with the mayor.