Love within the shadows

Total Nightmare

That night, Synyster Gates tossed and turned, caught in the grip of a vivid, unsettling dream. The world around him was shadowy and dim, as if he were walking through the back alleys of his own mind. In the distance, he saw a faint figure standing in the fog, silhouetted against the dim glow of a flickering streetlight. Syn took a hesitant step forward, and as he moved closer, the figure came into focus—it was M. Shadows, looking both eerily serene and hauntingly familiar.

"M... Matt?" Syn's voice was barely a whisper, his heart pounding in his chest.

M. Shadows turned, his gaze steady and piercing, and nodded. "Yeah, it's me."

Syn felt a wave of emotions crash over him—grief, confusion, and a strange sense of relief. But there was something dark in Matt's eyes, something urgent that unsettled him even in this surreal dreamscape.

"Syn, listen to me," M. Shadows said, his voice low and intense. "I don't have much time. You all got it wrong—Johnny didn't kill me. None of you did." He took a deep breath, looking over his shoulder as if he expected something terrible to emerge from the shadows. "It was Big Bill. That duck... that twisted, monstrous duck."

Syn's brow furrowed, his mind spinning. "Big Bill? You're serious? You mean the duck Joeharry brought around?"

M. Shadows nodded solemnly. "Big Bill was no ordinary duck. There's something... wrong about him, something evil. And he's not done yet. I came here to warn you—Big Bill is coming after Johnny next."

Syn could feel his pulse quicken. The surreal nature of the dream faded, replaced by a raw urgency that cut through the haze. "But why? Why Johnny?"

Matt's expression softened, filled with regret. "Johnny was always... different, always vulnerable. Big Bill senses that, sees him as an easy target. And he's got a vendetta, Syn. If you don't do something, Johnny won't stand a chance."

Syn took a shaky breath, the weight of Matt's words settling on him. "But how do I stop a murderous duck?"

"You'll figure it out," M. Shadows replied, his voice echoing strangely, fading into the mist. "But you have to act fast. You've got to protect Johnny... for all of us."

Before Syn could respond, the scene began to shift, and Matt's form started to dissolve, his outline scattering like smoke in the wind. Syn tried to reach out, to hold onto the moment, but it was slipping through his fingers. The last thing he saw was Matt's gaze, steady and filled with a sense of quiet urgency.

"Don't let him down, Syn," M. Shadows whispered, his voice barely audible as the dream faded.

Synyster jolted awake, his heart pounding, drenched in cold sweat. He sat up, staring into the darkness, his mind racing as Matt's warning replayed in his head. The absurdity of the situation struck him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was real. Somewhere, deep down, he felt the weight of Matt's words, as if they'd imprinted themselves on his soul.

Without wasting a second, he grabbed his phone and called Johnny. After a few rings, a groggy, annoyed voice answered on the other end.

"Syn... it's two in the morning. What do you want?"

"Johnny, listen to me. You need to be careful, okay? There's... there's something after you." Syn hesitated, wondering if Johnny would believe him, but the urgency in his gut left no room for doubt.

"What are you talking about?" Johnny asked, sounding more alert, if still confused.

"It's Big Bill," Syn said, his voice trembling slightly. "That duck Joeharry brought around. He's the one who... who killed Matt. And now, he's after you. HE'S AFTER YOU, JOHNNY."