House of Anubis: One Last Stand

House of Prophecies/House of Nightmares

Joy knocked twice before entering on her own account. She saw that Jerome was wide awake while, vice-versa, Alfie seemed to be passed out. Jerome was on his laptop, but shut it and turned on the lamp as soon as Joy came in.

She shut the door quietly so the light wouldn't shine into the hall.

"I know you said you didn't want to see the stone again, but I had a feeling I shouldn't get rid of it. If anything, I should give it to you, and you do whatever's necessary for it." Joy held out the stone bashfully.

Jerome got off his bed and approached Joy. He gently accepted the stone from Joy's hand.

"Thank you."

Joy nodded with a slight smile. Jerome placed the stone on his dresser.

"But...why were you so bent on destroying it?" Jerome froze in place at this question from Joy. "I was just wondering..."

Jerome turned back around to face Joy. "Some things in this world are just so unfortunate to exist. Some things have mistakenly ended up in the hands of humanity...It destroys us. You see, the problem with godly things is that the Egyptian gods don't know how to forge power that people won't abuse. Simply because it isn't meant for us."

Jerome slowly neared Joy.

"So, why? Why was it even given for people to use?" Joy asked.

"Because not all gods are good." Jerome continued towards Joy. "You may see the Dream Stone and think it's nothing more than a rock that puts you to sleep. But the longer you have it, the more it starts to control you. And in the right hands, or wrong(depending on how you look at it), it can destroy souls. And the living body with it. It can ruin a man."

"In your hands, is it?" Joy clarified. "You can kill people with it?"

"Not me...But Eddie. And Nina..."

"They'd never-"

"-the Dream Stone was forged by Tithoes. And he lent it Amneris, the very first Chosen One. But then she cursed it. After all, that was her intention. And she put a prophecy over it. That, one day, the Osirion or the Chosen One would have it in their possession again. And that power would consume them."

"That's terrible..."

"Amneris wasn't much of a hero."

That information had been a lot for Joy in one night. She was pretty tired and decided that'd be enough to hear for the moment.

"Well, I should sleep now," Joy told him. "I'll see you tomorrow morning."

Just as she finished her sentence, Jerome got as close as he possibly could to her, lifting his hands up to her cheeks, and kissing her. And he kept kissing her.

Joy was taken by surprise and didn't know what to do. After all, it was the absolute worst thing to do. But she gave into the moment.

She kissed him back.

~~~~~
Meanwhile, Eddie was having a nightmare in his sleep.

He ran through dark, bare halls, sensing he had only one mission-to find Nina. He called her name which echoed on and on, but Nina didn't seem to be close by. But then he heard her voice. Her voice calling out to him with a cry for help.

The scenery suddenly changed, and he was outside of the gatehouse. On instinct, he hurried inside and up to the top room. In the circular room, the sarcophagi lining the wall were all open, and in the center of the room, Nina lay on the floor, unmoving. Eddie hurried over and knelt down to her, holding her up in his arms, and examining the blood on the side of her head.

He was too late.

"Eddie!"

Eddie was shaken awake by Fabian. He took a few gasps of air, relieved that it was only just a dream. But if it was trying to tell him Nina was in danger at the moment, he had to do something.

"Eddie, what happened? What did you dream about?" Fabian asked. "Why were you screaming?"

"I was screaming?" Eddie asked.

"Screaming out Nina's name in fact. Has something happened to her?"

"I-I don't know."

"Well, what happened in your dream?"

Eddie didn't want to worry Fabian further. If he told him Nina died in his dream, he couldn't have known how Fabian would react. And he really didn't want to find out.

"Nothing," was all he said to Fabian as he got up from his bed and left the room.

He went up the stairs to Nina's room, ignoring the sliver of light shining through the cracks of Jerome and Alfie's bedroom door. When he had arrived, he saw Amber laying on her bed and Nina on hers. Nina didn't seem to be in too much trouble, but Eddie needed to be there if she ever was.

Eddie took a seat right in front of Nina's bed for the rest of the night.

~~~~~
Not really a long chapter, but not too short at least. Let's see, you got a little Jeroy action. A nightmare from Eddie. And a whole lot of foreshadowing.

So, for discussion questions...

Should Jerome have kissed Joy?

Do you think Jerome is really in love with Joy, and that Joy is really in love with Jerome?

Do you think Eddie's dream will come true?

Until next time, Aristocrats!