[The dream seems to shift. The lights flicker, like an old movie, and all of the sudden J is not moving, not breathing, utterly still at the bottom of the swing. His head snaps over, his eyes glow an unnatural bright white, he lets out a deep, violent growl and all the shadow people are standing behind him, waiting.
He stares, for a moment, and the static now overlaying the visual of the dream gets violent - and then dies, and the dream is back to normal, J swinging as if the masked man isn't there.]
*As soon as the static fades Masky rises to his feet. Without moving any part of his legs or body he seems to levitate into a standing position. Around him snow starts to swirl, obscuring him like static.*
[You're disturbing the dream, now. J falls off the swing and stumbles forward, hacking up blood in ridiculous quantities - and then he turns and hisses, and the shadow-things (having amassed behind him again) all rush for Masky, screaming static.
J stays, kneeling, on the sand, hacking up blood and sobbing profusely.]
*He stands against the onslaught, the cold nothingness of the shadows pass through him and he jerks backwards, but then recovers. He snarls at them and the snow swirling around him falls to the ground and lies still. He looks over at J.*
*Behind J's back Masky has abruptly gone from masked man to Tim. He's sitting on the sidewalk, feet in the gutter, smoking a cigarette and taking in the scenery.*
It's not pretty and you don't want it. *He puts his hand out, catching a falling red snowflake. He squishes it in his palm and watches the bright red droplets fall out of his fist.*
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He stares, for a moment, and the static now overlaying the visual of the dream gets violent - and then dies, and the dream is back to normal, J swinging as if the masked man isn't there.]
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J stays, kneeling, on the sand, hacking up blood and sobbing profusely.]
No, no, please, just leave me alone...
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No.
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[Oh, hey. The snow's red now.]
Please, just leave me alone. I just... I don't...
[He sniffles, laying down fully on the sand and curling into a ball, back to the masked man.]
I don't want to die.
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Not dying.
*He slowly spins around watching the trees for signs of movement.*
Shouldn't be here.
Shouldn't be in the forest.
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The forest isn't-
[Slowly, J reaches out in front of him and traces a little circle in the sand.]
I can't leave.
[He starts to trace an x through it.]
I can't leave the sand.
[There's one straight line, and it trails off as he twitches violently, pauses, starts to draw the second.]
Can't go in the trees. Can't go in the snow...
[There it is, the Operator symbol. It starts to shift and stutter on the sand, and he watches it idly.]
The snow is so pretty. I wish it would snow every day.
[He wipes the symbol clean from the sand, coughing violently.]
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*Behind J's back Masky has abruptly gone from masked man to Tim. He's sitting on the sidewalk, feet in the gutter, smoking a cigarette and taking in the scenery.*
It's not pretty and you don't want it. *He puts his hand out, catching a falling red snowflake. He squishes it in his palm and watches the bright red droplets fall out of his fist.*
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[He's standing at the edge of the oval, directly across from where he'd been, and he looks over into the trees.]
You might not understand it, but.. I do.
[He turns his back on Tim and puts his hands against the air, pushing, as if he's trying to push onto the sidewalk.]
It's so quiet there.
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Static is not silence. It's deadening and deafening and you. don't. want. it.
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You don't understand.
[His eyes are dead.]
I need the noise to stop.
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It's not stopping by you coming out here. Hiding in the trees.
*Still holding onto J's arm he starts to lead him down the path out of the forest.*
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No. I.... I can't.
[He pulls away, looks away.]
I'm really sorry, Tim.
[He starts to walk back to the swing, and the red snow starts to fade back to white.]
I can't ... stop.
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Don't apologize to me.
Not me, of all people.
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[He runs a hand over one of the chains of the swing, looks back at Tim.]
You deserve it. It's my- it's our fault you're...
[He looks away sadly.]
...like that.
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