Chapter Sixteen
Johnny lies on the floor of his room, staring emotionless at the ceiling. His right hand casually rolls around his knife. He doesn’t know how long he’s been lying here. After his little breakdown in the basement he kind of just drifted up here. He barely even remembers the trip to the surface.
There’s a small knock on his door.
“Johnny, are you okay?” Devi asks cautiously.
It takes him a few minutes to answer. “Fine.”
“We’re coming in,” she warns and starts to turn the knob.
Johnny slams his foot against the door, holding it shut. “Don’t.”
“Listen, Johnny,” Tenna speaks up, “we’ve been talking and we think it’s about time we took control of the situation.”
“We’re going to see Satan and ask if he knows where the Nightmare might be hiding or something,” Devi adds, “you should come.”
“What help would I be?” Johnny grunts.
“What do you mean?” Squee asks.
Johnny sits up and leans against the door. “I’m nothing more than a hindrance. You don’t need me. If anything I’d only make things worse for you. I can’t do anything right.”
He grips his forehead, digging his fingers into his hair. “He was right in front of me. He was right there and I couldn’t do a fucking thing!”
“But, Johnny, we do need your help,” Squee mutters.
“Don’t try to flatter me, Squee,” Johnny scoffs then sighs, “you guys go. Go beat the Nightmare, gain your freedom. You can do it. You’re all much stronger than me.”
“But, Johnny-,” Squee whimpers.
“Leave!” he barks.
Devi growls and squeezes Squee’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go.”
Squee reluctantly follows the girls down the hall. “I never thought Johnny was a hindrance,” he mumbles.
Johnny’s ears twitch as they pick up the words. He stares at the floor with surprise and moans painfully. “How the fuck am I supposed to react to that?”
His hand lashes out and grabs his knife. He rolls up the sleeve on his left arm. He brings the blade to his wrist and slices through his skin.
He stares indifferently at his new injury and watches the blood drip to the floor.
“Why don’t I feel anything?” he asks, “why is there no pain? If-if I don’t feel pain, then what am I supposed to feel?”
He stabs the knife into his arm, slices it across his forearm, his elbow. But no matter how hard he cuts, he feels no pain. Nothing.
The bloodied knife falls from his hand into the growing puddle of blood. He glares at the floor, panting relentlessly.
“Why is there no pain?” he barks, “if I can’t feel pain, what the fuck am I supposed to feel?”
He slams his fists onto the floor, cracking the linoleum. He rests his forehead on the ground and gasps for air as a sob forms in his throat.
“Aw, poor Nny.”
Johnny’s head perks up and he looks at his vanity table. Sitting on the reflection of the counter are Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, and Reverend Meat.
He growls and looks away. “What do you want?”
“We were just checking on you,” Eff shrugs.
“What’s the point of being in my mirror?” Johnny grunts, “I can’t do anything to you. It’s not like you’re in any sort of danger if you see me in person.”
“Aw, Nny. I don’t like it when you’re depressed,” Meat sighs.
“I do,” D-boy laughs, “it’s much more interesting.”
“You’re wrong, D-boy,” Eff argues, “it is much more fun when Nny is happy.”
“I’m never happy,” Johnny grunts as he lies down on the floor.
“Right. I meant when you’re close to happy,” he clarifies.
“But don’t you feel bad for him?” Meat asks, “I mean he can’t feel anything anymore. Not even pain. What’s the point in living if he can’t feel anything?”
“Exactly! That’s why he should join us,” Eff exclaims.
“Right. What do you say, Nny?” D-boy asks, “one last time: join the Nightmare.”
Johnny stares at them then looks away.
“Come on, Nny,” Eff insists, “do you remember how you felt when you were working for the Daydream, to keep the Nightmare trapped? Nothing could touch you. You could kill in the middle of a crowded street and never get caught.”
“If you join the Nightmare, you could have that multiplied by a hundred,” D-boy adds, “you will be invisible to everything you want to be invisible to. You can do anything you want with absolutely no consequence. What do you think?”
Johnny sighs and glances at them. “Why do you want me so bad? You already stole all of my imagination to revive yourselves.”
“Ah, but that’s the thing. We didn’t,” Meat says.
“You see, Nny, you are a special breed,” Eff explains, “with most people, when their imagination is stolen it’s gone forever. They become a useless husk. But you, Nny, you are different.”
“Nny, you have an endless well of imagination inside of you,” D-boy continues, “we can completely empty it, but more will just come back. That’s why the Nightmare wants you.”
“I’m like an endless snack,” Johnny clarifies.
“Exactly,” the Doughboys nod.
“It’s not just you though,” Meat adds, “Squee is the same. That’s why the Daydream is protecting him.”
“But you don’t have to worry about that,” Eff says quickly, “if you join the Nightmare, you won’t have to worry about anything. You will be protected and taken care of. And all we ask in return is to feed off your bottomless imagination.”
“Like parasites,” Johnny comments.
“Eh, tomato tom-ah-to,” Eff shrugs.
He sighs and sits up. “I’m tired. Tired of people, tired of feelings, tired of everything. And death won’t help. It didn’t before. So maybe… maybe I should just join you.”
“Exactly! If you join us, you don’t have to worry about any of those troublesome things,” Meat exclaims happily.
“All you have to do is say yes,” the Doughboys purr.
Johnny stares at them. He looks at the floor and sighs. He can feel a dark presence spreading throughout the room, slowly entangling him. His mouth hangs open as that one word starts to slip through his lips.
“No, Nny! Don’t do it!”
Johnny jumps and looks back at his vanity, the darkness suddenly disappearing. “Nailbunny?”
He grabs the picture of the severed bunny head and holds it up to his face.
“Don’t listen to them, Nny!” Nailbunny’s voice seems to ring throughout the whole room. “Don’t let them tempt you! You don’t need them! You know it.”
“What’s the point of fighting anymore?” Johnny growls, “I’m weak. They’ll get me eventually. There is no point in fighting.”
“What about Devi and Tenna and Squee?” Nailbunny asks.
Johnny gasps and stares at the floor with surprise. Then he scoffs, “what about them?”
“You liked them. And they liked you,” Nailbunny replies.
“So what? It doesn’t mean they need me,” Johnny grunts.
“Johnny C. you know that is not true!” Nailbunny barks. Johnny is so surprised that he drops the picture.
“You are the only one who can fight the Nightmare!” he snaps, “the only one who can defeat them! So stop being such a selfish, depressed asshole and help your friends!”
Johnny stares at the bunny head with surprise. “You’ve never yelled at me like that before. Or is it just my own voice?”
“Either way, you’re right,” he sighs, “I have been an asshole.”
He stands up and stretches his arms to the ceiling. He rolls his sleeves down over his arms and grabs his jacket. The many knives hidden inside clang together as he pulls it on.
“Nny? Nny, what are you doing?” Eff asks frantically.
“Leaving, obviously,” Johnny grunts.
“This is your last chance!” D-boy barks, “if you leave now, you will forever be an enemy of the Nightmare.”
Johnny smirks at them as he grabs the doorknob. “When have I ever been anything else?”
And with that, he leaves. He can feel the darkness riling angrily. But instead of freaking him out, it makes him feel accomplished and maybe just a bit confident.
He smirks. “This’ll be interesting
