Back at the store...

"Would you knock it off? I'm just trying to help my-- Aah! Friends!" Casey yelled, still blocking the chainsaw.

"What?! I can't hear you over the chainsaw!" Bernie yelled, still swinging the tool.

That's when the chainsaw stopped working, giving Casey more time.

"Give me a minute, here," he said trying to start it again, but Casey knocked it out of his hands.

"Ow!" Bernie complained.

"What is wrong with you?!" Casey yelled.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I'm a little high-strung. I haven't slept in 40 years. Because of the Dream Beavers," Bernie apologized.

"What are Dream Beavers?" Casey asked.

"They're beings of pure evil from another dimension. You see, it all began 40 years ago," Bernie answered.

"Nobody asked, dude," Casey interrupted.

"I was a physicist trying to prove my theory that our dreams take place in a dimension of their own. When a defective portal projector short circuited and I lost consciousness. The Dream Beavers had been about to break through into our reality, but instead, they materialized in the dream dimension. In my dream. When I awoke, they remained trapped in the world of dreams, unable to return. As long as this device remains operating," Bernie explained.

"Device? It's a book, Bernie!" Casey yelled.

"'Obturaculum somniorum' means 'dream plug'," Bernie continued, opening the book to show the device, "For 40 years, I have protected the plug to ensure that the Dream Beavers remain trapped. For 40 years, I have remained awake so that they cannot drain my life force. But they are always near. They attack anyone close to me and drain the life from them when they sleep. That's why I came out here, far away from everyone."

"Not far enough. They're draining my friends right now. And you're gonna do something about it!" Casey demanded, dragging Bernie out of the store and into the van.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N Good! Casey got the information he needed. Time to save the turtles!