The Sphere

Chapter 14

Billy's feet slapped hard against the ground. He had to have run for at least a mile, or so he thought. In reality he had only been running for about five minutes. His chunky figure was failing him as he slowed down. He ducked quickly around a corner and sat on the ground with his back against the wall of what appeared to be a former deli. Billy's heart was beating rapidly in his chest. He felt it pounding so hard he thought it might burst. His throat burned, tongue was dry, head pounded, and he was drenched in sweat. He ran as fast as he could. But from what?

"From what?" He said outloud feeling silly. He tried to make himself seem silly for running from what seemed like nothing, but he still couldn't shake his terrified feeling. "There's no way something was following me. I mean, there's nothing out here. S-so then it couldn't be. It just couldn't be anything." He repeated and repeated these things to himself. But to no avail, He still found himself looking back around the corner for something, anything that could explain the footsteps, or whatever he thought he heard.

"Billy!" A familiar voice called and Billy jumped to his feet. He turned the corner again to see Kelly running up the street toward him. Instantly he was filled with joy, to finally see her face again. But he second guessed it and froze once he remembered what he had done to her before. He took a step back and prepared himself to run away. But once Kelly reached him, she wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Oh Billy! I'm so happy I found you again! Oh I was so worried about you. Are you okay? Did anything happen?" She spoke quickly and frantically barely taking time to breathe in between questions. Billy hugged her back slowly.

Did she not remember? Or did she just forgive and forget? That wasn't really like her to forgive and forget. But maybe this entire experience changed her in some way. Maybe John had gotten to her more than Billy thought.

"Guys! Billy! Kelly!" No way was this voice coming from behind Billy. He ripped himself from Kelly to turn and see John running toward them, arms spread wide ready to join in the love.

"John?" Billy asked, a smile spread across his face. He was so happy, it had to all be over. Of course it was, that's why everyone was together now. Billy didn't know how but they were all done fighting, and everything was done. All they had to do was leave. "So everything is okay now?" He questioned to make sure.

"Of course Billy. Everything is just fine!" John rubbed Billy's head.

"Why wouldn't everything be okay?" Kelly asked. She was acting clueless as if she didn't get the worst of what had happened back in the dungeon. Both John and Billy had hurt and injured her.

But Kelly looked clean as a whistle, as if nothing had ever happened, as if she didn't get annihilated by an army of dwarves. What did happen in that dungeon? Billy thought about asking, but figured now wasn't the time. It must've been good. It must've been great! So it didn't really matter now did it?

"So we can go home now?" Billy says excitedly.

"What?" John cocked his head to the side and raised his eyebrow at Billy. "What are you talking about buddy?"

"Home. Can we go home now? Where's The Sphere so we can get out of here?" Billy looked at Johns hands that were at his sides. No sign of The Sphere.

"Uh, Billy are you feeling okay?" Kelly asked sounding concerned. She felt Billy's forehead checking his temperature. This made Billy kind of upset. Why were they acting like he wasn't in his right mind?

"Hello! Stop playing now? Let's go! Get The Sphere, and let us out John." Billy said raising his voice.

"Billy what sphere? We are home. I think he's a little shaken up from getting lost." John spoke over Billy's head toward Kelly who nodded in agreement.

"Must be."

"I am not crazy! Take me home right now!" Billy began slamming his palms against John frantically. His feeble attempts at hurting his friend were laughable, but John kept his composure. "Take me home!" Billy kept yelling. John and Kelly kept the same confused looks on their faces as he pounded and pleaded. "Take me home! Take me home!" Suddenly John's chest felt rock hard. He was cold, and extra hard. So hard that it hurt Billy to keep hitting him, but Billy kept at it.

Now John had stopped moving, stopped talking. So did Kelly. They were both deathly silent, unmoving. Billy wasn't even sure if they were breathing. Still he couldn't stop himself.

"Take me home!" With a final blow John was knocked over. Like a statue with no support, he just leaned back and hit the ground, and shattered. He shattered into a million pieces like he was made of glass. Billy jumped and the tears wasted no time. "No. NO! I didn't mean to! I mean, he was just here, he was real! Wasn't he? Kelly!" Billy whipped his head around to look at her. Still blank, still idle. He reached his hand out to feel her. "Kelly?" As soon as his hand made contact she fell over, and once she hit the ground Billy bounced awake.

Awake?

Billy looked around and he was sitting against a wall. Back on that same corner he ended up on after running from his phantom. Face flooded with tears, hands throbbing from thrashing in his sleep. He was dreaming the whole time. The whole thing. He hadn't really seen his friends, and he was still just as alone as he felt at the end of his nightmare.