OOC: This is a dream

The snow started to clear out to a thin, light fall which allowed Naomi and her family inside the car to see a long and wide icy stretch in their path. Naomi's father drove forward, anyway, but the car drifted sideways. It still went forward until they came to a slow stop in the middle of the ice.

Naomi's family got out of the car and made their way to the side of the road, without saying anything. There was a large sign that read 'Route-50'

Naomi is still in the car, though. She was the last one out from being a little too shaken up from the ordeal.

But when she opened the door and stepped outside, the ice began to collapse. It turned out it wasn't a road, but a pond. A deep pond, at that. The car capsized, and Naomi began to flail hard towards the edge of the ice. She can't manage to get up; it was too slippery and she was too small and weak, and if Naomi make some headway, the edge would break away more, anyway.

The white out began to pick up again. The car's headlights were just above water which painted out the silhouette of Naomi's family watching on. They were staring with blank faces as Naomi began to flail her arms desperately. They begin to fade out as the car submerged, the sun set, and Naomi just barely murmuring hopelessly, the cold water swallowing her. The car lights kept the hole lit, but the light began to die out.

Naomi smiled a bit when she found herself back in the car. Were those really...her parents? Her family? She was in the car? Had it truly...been all a dream? She remembered everything of course, she always did, but if they were here, sitting right in front of her, maybe it was all a dream. Maybe she had just fallen asleep in the car, and now she had woken up. It was strange to note how it was winter though. Why would they be going to Legoland in winter? Wasn't it closed then? Then her eyes widened as she saw the car heading onto the ice. "H-huh? D-dad? What are you doing?" She said with a whimper. What was going on here? She shuddered again as she saw them getting out of the car. "G-guys? Where are you going? D-don't leave me behind!" She squeaked as her heart started to pound. Oh god. There was no way! She wasn't going to lose them again! Not after all she'd been through! She whimpered softly as she started to move after them, and then panicked as she scrambled out of the car.

The ice...it was..breaking? N-no! She flailed desperately, doing her very best to try and climb to the top of the ice, to stay out of the water. She'd read about these things in books! Falling into cold water like that was really really dangerous! "P-please! Mom! Dad! Billy! A-anyone! Help me!" She desperately screamed out into the night as her family started to pull away. "N-no...d-don't go! I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" The girl's voice blubbered as the tears ran down her face, the cold already horrible beyond belief. The light was disappearing, and the cold was only getting worse and worse.

She shivered as she was pulled into the icy depths, terrified beyond belief. Her parents could have helped her! Why didn't they!? This was a nightmare! A true nightmare! She flailed desperately as she tried to keep herself alive. Knowledge was her shield right? Th-the ants could help her!? M-maybe...sh-she did know something? Something that could help?

15:07, Today: Naomi Brians rolled 3 successes using 8d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s.  Using Trivia Hound: Intelligence + Wits + 2 from Eidetic Memory.

There had to be something! Anything!

The ants worked furiously to bring back memories and images into the forefront of Naomi's consciousness: The car, Dad saying that he would be right back, the smell of the dead animal that she hid in...the sight of the Clown with its skeletal-gray hands holding the weapon, the murderous look in its eyes.

Then, like a puzzle being put together with ever-so-small pieces, Naomi could see the broader picture: This was a dream.

Just as she came to that conclusion, the vapid looks on the family's faces from the edge of the lake disappeared from view as Naomi's head submerged into the icy depths of the water...

A cold hand grabbed Naomi's right ankle, pulling her down with one hard jerk.

Ice-cold water stung at Naomi's eyes as she turned downward to look at what was pulling her down: It was Billy. His face was criss-crossed with slashed, deep grooves that cut into his white flesh. One eye was completely white. His baseball cap was frayed with age and rot.

His face filled with dull, expressionless hate, one eye bearing down on Naomi from below, he didn't say anything. Yet he did say something. Something terrible to Naomi without speaking anything at all:

You left me behind

Naomi's eyes widened with panic as she felt something grabbing against her foot, a hand trying to pull her down into the depths. H-how in the world could that be happening!? She was the only one falling into the pond! The rest of her family had made it out! She thought she was alone again! The girl panicked and started to breathe heavily, understanding she needed to do something, anything in order to survive this. Her jaw dropped as she looked into the inky depths, and saw something she would have never hoped to see. "N-no.....NO!" She shouted in shock as she saw her brother, Billy, there again in front of her. She knew what he was saying even without words. "N-no...I-I tried! Please B-billy! Remember! I-I tried!" She said, the tears falling down her face even as they were washed away by the inky water. "Wh-why woudln't you come with me? P-please...I-I'm sorry!" She shouted at him, at the heavens, at everything. She shook and flailed and tried to survive...but was there really a point? Would he let go of her? Did she even deserve to live?

She was trapped in this nightmare, trapped between the horrifying sight of the child and the darkness of the water above. What could she even do? How could she make it out of here? Was it a dream? Was it real? Nothing was making sense anymore!

Just as these thoughts swirled through Naomi's head, she woke up.

OOC: Naomi joins thread Noami: Waking Up and Getting Questions Answered.