Vengeance

Nightmares

Jack was startled awake by the door to his room creaking open. He sat up to see a cloaked figure enter his room.

"Who--who's there?" Jack stammered, fearful that a pair of yellow eyes would meet his gaze.

"Shhhh! No need to work yourself into a tizzy, Frost!" the figure hissed, flipping back the cloak's hood.

"Oh, Merida, it's you," Jack sighed. "...Why are you here in the middle of the night?"

Merida dropped her gaze. "I'm running away."

"Okaaaay," Jack said, "but why are you here specifically?"

"Because you're coming with me," Merida whispered, "now put your strange blue shirt on and come!"

Jack untangled himself from the bedsheets and grabbed his hoodie, which had been thrown into a corner and forgotten. Merida grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the room.

"So what's the plan?" Jack asked quietly as they crept through the stables.

"We're getting on my horse and getting out of here," Merida said in a hushed tone. "Angus!"

Jack heard a soft whinny a few stalls down and a black horse poked it's head out.

"Angus, there you are!" Merida called quietly before her horse and mounting his bare back. "What are you waiting for?" she calls quietly to Jack, holding out her hand to help him up.

"Go, Angus!" Merida whispered into her horse's ear, and they took off through the stables and into the night. Merida waved at the guards as they galloped through the gate and into the forest.

"So, where are we going?" Jack asked as they raced through the dark forest.

"Somewhere far enough away that my mother won't find me," Merida said, "which means we need to leave Scotland behind."

"Whatever you say, Princess."

"Don't call me that!"

"Sorry." Jack smirked. "Princess."

~~~

Mirage waited until Jamie was asleep before taking the note from his window. She unfolded the paper and read the scraggly writing.

Jack,

Pitch came here today. He told me that I walked through you the other day, which can only mean that I've stopped believing.

I didn't want Pitch to be right, but the more I think about it, the more worried I get that he is. I haven't seen you in weeks, and I think it's all my fault.

When you get this note, please come find me. Interrupt me, wake me up, whatever it is you need to do to get my attention, do it. Please.

I want to believe.

"How sweet." Pitch said behind her. Mirage jumped. She hadn't heard him approach.

She passed him the note, and he crumpled it in his fist. "Now what?" she asked.

"Now comes the fun part," Pitch said, grabbing her wrist and melting into the shadows.

They reappeared in Jamie's bedroom. Pitch stalked towards the sleeping teen and leaned over the mattress to sprinkle black sand on Jamie's head. Instantly Jamie's facial expression went from peaceful to frightened, and he curled his knees up to his chest.