The above video link is what I think Anti hears in his nightmares. Like the sounds of hell or something. View the video for ambiance later in this chapter. Skip to 28 seconds for the sounds.
"So Uncle Jackie's your daddy?" Kallie asked him.
Anti wanted to die so fucking bad right now. Or vomit. . . . . maybe both.
His eye twitched but he just shrugged in response.
"That must be so cool!" Sammy grinned, "Uncle Jackie is the best super hero EVER! Mommy has him on the TV all the time when she watches the news"
Anti didn't know whether to laugh or be utterly disgusted, "Can we just finish building this stupid Minecraft house?"
"Sure! Can you get more stone?"
Chase and Jackie were peeking from in the hallway and Chase elbowed his brother, "Hear that?"
"That your ex-wife has the hots for me? Yeah, but I'd rather forget I heard it"
Chase swat him upside the head, "Not that. They're getting along so well!"
"Yeah, threatening children goes a long way"
"You didn't have to do that."
"Fuck, I didn't. Do you WANT him to hurt your kids?"
"Well no but-"
Jameson poked the two of them on the shoulder making them flinch, 'I'm going to start doing laundry. Do you two have your dirty clothes out of your rooms?'
"Why you worried about the laundry? Marvin will be back soon with the part he lost the last time."
Henrik frowned at them, "I have scrubs that need washed and by zhe time Marvin returns, the stains will set in and I'll have to get new!"
"Alright, alright" Jackie rolled his eyes, "I'll go grab some of my dirty suits from upstairs."
Chase shrugged, "I brought my stuff down this morning. Anyway! I'll get started on lunch. How's hoagies sound?"
"I vant my special mustard on mine"
'And you know Marvin will want his prosciutto on his' Jameson mentioned, 'And his special Sargento brand cheese'
"Why can't Marvin eat normal food?" Jackie complained, "He's gonna break the bank one of these days"
"Leave him be Mr. BLT" Chase snickered, "He may be fancy but YOU'RE unhealthy! You eat too much bacon!"
"I work out a lot!"
"Zhat doesn't mean shite!" Henrik whopped him.
Anti could hear the conversation from the hallway but just just rolled his eyes, uncaring about whatever he was building with the kids in Minecraft.
The last thing he wanted was to play house with these brats and act like some bastard charity case.
But hoagies did sound really good . . . . .
Whatever, he just went with the flow. He was tired after his little misadventure and burning his hands. They were still a little sore and messing with the controller wasn't helping.
Finally after what seemed like forever, Anti helped Sammy finish his little house, "Can we play something different? My hands are fucking sore"
Kallie gasped and smacked his shoulder, "You can't cuss! That's a bad word!"
"We'll get in trouble!" Sammy looked terrified.
Anti resisted the urge to smack Kallie back, "Whatever. I don't care. My hands are sore."
"Oh" Kallie saw how red his fingers still were, "What happened?"
"I burnt myself. Not a big deal. But I can't keep doing this shit" he motioned to the TV and controller.
Kallie ignored the cursing this time just like she did when her mother does it, "I have Animal Crossing, too if you want. There's not a lot of button stuff on IT."
"Or what about Pokemon or Mario Kart!?"
"That's too much button-pushing! And you gotta pick Minecraft! It's MY turn now!"
"No, it's not!"
"Yes, it is~!"
'Okay, that's it'
While the kids were distracted, Anti hopped off the couch, making sure the other egos weren't watching as he tried to slip out of the room.
"Hey Andy! Where you going?" Kallie caught him.
Anti rubbed the back of his head, "Nowhere. Just the bathroom. Mind yer own business"
"Okay, hurry back!" she sounded so happy but Anti was just exhausted.
In the kitchen, he could hear Jackie and Chase bickering about how to make the sandwiches and across from there in the laundry room, Henrik was griping about how much stain remover he'd have to put on his scrubs. The hell did he do to them?
No matter. It would give him just enough time to hide away from from them all. He just wanted to be alone right now.
He was tired, sore and getting hungry but lunch would be a little while yet. Who knew when Marvin would return? What was he going to go get again? Clothes? Some part or something?
He didn't know.
Anti couldn't escape to anyone else's rooms or any of the main ones so instead, he found a small storage room and snuck inside of it, shutting the door behind him.
Maybe he could get some sleep while he was in there where no one else could bother him. Hell, Jackie might not even be able to find him!
He was so tired and his nightmares weren't helping his insomnia.
But it was dark enough in the storage room so as he found a pile of old blankets, he found himself drifting off quicker than usual.
Loud screeching and what sounded like screaming filled the air.
It was dark and menacing.
As if this land of horrors went on forever.
Visions crept in Anti's mind of decaying bodies he knew and blood decorating their skin.
Usually, this kind of dream wouldn't bother him. Usually he'd probably even laugh.
But now . . . . he was terrified.
"Where did you go, Anti?"
He recognized that voice and chills ran down his spine like ice cold water.
"Leave me alone!"
"I'm never leaving you. Tell me where you are"
"Stay away from me, you freak!"
"I'M the freak? You're the one who lives for the thrill of torture"
The screeching and screaming continued. It rang in his ears so loud, he thought he'd go deaf.
"TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE!"
"NO!" he felt himself crying. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to go home!
"You think you can get away from me!? You OWE me! And now you'll do as I say or DIE!"
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
He could hear the screams louder. There was so much blood everywhere. He felt his body crumble as if he'd drown in it. His whole body felt as if it were on fire.
Was he in hell?
Was this what it was like?
But he deserved to be here then, right?
No, it wasn't his time! He wasn't ready! He couldn't die, right?! He was all alone. He didn't want to be alone!
Even though his body felt like it were melting, he felt so cold on the inside. . . .
He no longer realized this was just a dream.
Was this the end for him?
Chase threw a piece of bologna at Jackie, laughing, "Didn't see that coming, huh!?"
"That was a cheap-shot! I wasn't ready, you prick!"
"Whatever . . . God, if Marvin doesn't hurry up, we'll have already ate all the stuff without everyone"
"He should be here by now" Jackie agreed, "The sound of that fucking washing machine is giving me a headache. Screeching like wails of the damned."
"Marvin'll have it fixed when he gets back and we can all have lunch and play games and have fun and shit" Chase stuffed a piece of cheese in his mouth.
"Better be soon or else I'll-"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"
"The fuck!?"
The two bolted out of the kitchen and Chase feared the worst only to see both Kallie and Sammy on the couch just fine. Except . . . . .
Jackie suddenly looked troubled, "Where's Anti?!"
The kids looked confused but Chase covered for him, "You heard him! Where's Andy, kids?! I thought he was in here with you!"
"I . . . I don't know . ." Sammy got timid quickly.
Kallie was still just as shocked to hear the scream, "H-he said he w-went to the bathroom!"
Another scream belted out throughout the house. It sounded like he was in pain and Chase could barely stand it. Jackie was also in a panic and he didn't know why.
'Did the idiot decide to hurt himself!? Where the hell IS he!?'
Henrik and Jameson came out of the laundry room having been folding clothes from in the dryer but they didn't have enough time to ask questions.
Jackie just bolted towards the sound of Anti's screaming.
He sounded like he was hurt, for sure but what the hell happened!?
"Aaaaaaahahahhhhhh!!! HELP!!!!!"
Something in Jackie broke and he checked the bathroom but no one was there! Where was he!?
"ANTI! ANTI, WHERE ARE YOU!?" he shouted, "ANTI!!"
Chase was right behind him, "It sounds like it's this way!"
They ran towards the storage room and Chase tried to open it but it was locked, "Dammit! Anti, open the door! It's locked!"
"AhAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHuuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahaaaa!!!!!"
He wailed and cried and it was making Chase falter but Jackie had other ideas.
He kicked open the door, slamming it off its hinges, running towards where Anti was laying on a pile of blankets.
"ANTI!" Jackie slid towards him, shaking him, "WAKE UP! DAMMIT, WAKE UP!"
Anti had claw marks all over his arms and neck as if he'd been scratching something off of him, his little hands still red from burning himself earlier.
He just cried in his sleep, still screaming.
Jackie didn't know what else to do so he slapped him, making him stop.
Chase was about to hit Jackie for being too rough but it seemed to have worked.
Panting, Jackie brushed the sweat off from Anti's face that was making his hair stick over his eyes, "Kid? Kid, wake up. . . . . . . . . . . brat?"
"Anti?" Chase was still shivering but came to lean on the other side of him, rubbing his head, "wake up. . .. you're okay, bro. Just a dream . . . come on . .."
Anti whimpered and curled in closer to Jackie feeling safe but slowly opened his eyes.
But he still didn't look like he was . . . . okay.
Jackie didn't know what to do. Here he was holding the kid version of his sworn enemy . . trying to find the best way to comfort him. It felt too weird but he didn't move.
"Jackie? Y-you stay here with him. I'll go get Henrik real quick, okay? These wounds gotta be bandaged"
Before Jackie could argue, he ran out of the room, leaving the hero alone with Anti.
Anti just gripped his little hands on Jackie's shirt, staring into nothing as if he had just seen death.
He felt . . .. bad for him.
"It's okay, Anti . . . You're safe . . . . . I'll protect you"
It was as if those words had jolted him out of his little trance and Anti blinked.
His eyes looked around slowly in the dark and looked up to see Jackie.
He was startled for a moment and in shock until he came back to and suddenly scrambled out of Jackie's arms, "THE FUCKING HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!? FUCKING CREEP! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
"Oh, what the hell?!" Jackie yelled back, "You were the one freaking the fuck out because of a nightmare! Why the hell were you in here anyway!?"
"I was sleeping!"
"Obviously! And had a nightmare and scared the shit out of everyone! Just look at yer fooking arms!"
Anti did so and sort of looked a bit gaunt. . . did he really do this?
Jackie then realized Anti hadn't known about that, "Must have been some nightmare, brat . . . you were screaming and wailing like you were being . . .. well, tortured. I mean usually I'd say it'd serve you right but . . . . ." Jackie sighed heavily after everything that just happened, "Are you okay now?"
Anti didn't know how to answer that, "I heard . . . . screeching . . . screaming. . . high-pitched. Have been for . . . few days now"
"Screeching . . .." he could only think of one thing that made that sort of noise and it was turned off now, "You mean like the sound the washer makes?"
"What?"
But before Jackie could continue, the others were clambering up and inside the room. Jameson had to hold the kids back from breaking in and checking on their new friend.
"ARE YOU OKAY!?"
"WHAT HAPPENED!?"
"IS ANDY ALRIGHT?!"
Chase tried to console them while Henrik quickly attended to Anti's wounds.
Meanwhile, Anti could just hear the sounds still in the back of his mind.
And that voice . . .
Who did it belong to?
Pretty soon, though, Anti was taken back into the living room with the kids and Chase served them their lunch.
Right when Marvin came back with the washer part and new clothes for Anti he thought he'd like. The others filled him in on what happened and the issue was quickly resolved with Marvin fixing the washer.
Now Anti wouldn't have anymore nightmares like that again.
Right?
The washer is what caused all of this . . . .
Wasn't it?
Anti wasn't entirely sure but he was quiet the rest of the day and by that evening, the kids would stay in the living room all together with Chase. It was like a little sleepover.
Except now Anti wanted to do anything BUT sleep.