Just a little further…

There. Made it. Layton quickly locked and bolted the door behind him, and then stood with his back against the door, further guarding it from intrusion. He was too busy catching his breath he almost didn't see Luke and Flora staring at him. When he looked up, he met their questioning gazes.

"Professor?" Luke asked tentatively, "What happened?"

Layton sighed as he recalled the events of the day. He wasn't really in the mood to explain, but he had to tell Luke and Flora someting.

"Well Luke, you see, it all started this morning…"

Layton had arrived at the University early as usual that morning. It had been a normal morning apart from the fact that whenever he passed a group of girls they called out to him. Then, when he greeted them in return they turned to each other and giggled. He hadn't thought it strange at the time. He just assumed they were excited for his lesson. After all, today's lesson was very impressive if he said so himself. The rest of the day proceeded as normal. Then, when he left, all hell broke loose.

Layton was walking home when he got the unmistakable feeling someone was following him. He was tempted to look behind him, but that would alert his pursuer to his knowledge of him. Instead, Layton decided to try and lose him by dodging into a crowded café. As he was mingling in the café, he caught a backwards glance at his stalker. When he saw her, he immediately relaxed. It was just one of his students. Julie, he thought her name was. He decided to leave the café before approaching her. After all, if she had been too shy to talk to him at the University, surely she wouldn't appreciate being called out in a crowded café. Once he was safely back on the streets, he turned around and called out to her.

"Julie. You've been following me for a while. Is there something you'd like to talk to me about?"

When he turned around to face her, Julie turned pale. When he started to speak, she started shaking. Layton approached her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Julie? Are you all right?"

"I… I… I don't think I can do it."

"Do what?"

Julie took one long, shaky breath in what seemed an effort to collect herself. Then, she screamed.

"GET HIM!"

Get him? Why on Earth would she scream something like that? Layton soon found out however, when a mass of girls came running toward him from Julie's direction. He started running as fast as he could down the street in order to escape the mob that was so keen on crushing him. Just as he thought he was making a good distance between them, another mass of girls came running from the direction he was running in. The Professor thought this was surely the end for him, until he saw a thin alleyway off to his left. He dashed off into the alleyway, hoping desperately the small passage would be enough to slow them down.

Even when he was clear of the alley, Layton didn't stop running. He didn't dare look back either, for this would slow him down. On his way home, he took lots of detours and went through several busy stores and streets. It was a relief when he finally made it back to his apartment. He could finally relax, knowing he was safe from all the college girls chasing him. Sure, they had been chasing him home from work, but he'd lost them, hadn't he? And surely they hadn't bothered to figure out where he lived…

"So," Luke said, "You were being chased?"

"Precisely Luke"

"That must have been awful." Flora sympathized.

"Nothing I couldn't handle, dear."

Luke sighed. "I wish I had fangirls."

No sooner had Luke finished talking when there was the sound of hundreds of footsteps rushing toward them, like a stampede. Then, screaming.

"LAAAAAAAYTOOOON!!!!!!!"

The professor could barely manage to get out an "oh no" before he felt the crushing weight of hundreds of girls against the door. He, Luke, and Flora tried to keep the door closed for as long as possible, but it was no use. Soon, the group of girls had broken through the door and was now crushing the three of them. "This is it." thought Layton. "Look. Even more of them are crawling through the windows…"

Layton screamed. He was sitting bolt upright in bed, covered in a cold sweat, and clutching his cover tightly to his chest. Then, when he realized what had happened, he relaxed.

"A nightmare," he thought. "Thank heavens. But goodness, that seemed incredibly real."

"Professor?" Layton heard his apprentice call from the hallway.

"Com in Luke."

"Professor, are you all right?" Luke asked as he sat down on the bed beside Layton.

"Yes Luke. It was just a nightmare."

"You always tell me it helps to talk about it. Do you want to?"

"No Luke. Maybe I'll tell you when you're older."

"Okay. Goodnight then Professor."

"Goodnight Luke." Layton watched his apprentice leave the room, smiling as Luke collected a concerned looking Flora on his way out. He lay down to go back to sleep. He hadn't the foggiest idea why he'd had a dream like that. A situation like that was simple preposterous. After all, he wasn't THAT popular…