Pitch Black's Daughter (Rise of the Guardians FF)

Ch.18 Nightmare

Ch.18 Nightmare

I woke up to the sound of silence. My neck was throbbing painfully and I was laying at a funny angle on a bed. I realized that I could hear someone else's quiet breathing. Two more people in fact. I shifted a bit to ease the pain in my neck, and to see Ivy's slumped form in the bed across the room.

My eyes traveled to the next person. Jack. Not surprised there. His eyes were wide open, watching both of us. He gripped his staff tightly while hunched over in his chair. He didn't seem to notice that I moved.

"I'm sorry Ivy." He shut his eyes for a moment and turned to look at her. "Why did you leave us and go to Spain?" He whispered to her sleeping form. "I tried to find you, but you were hiding."

There was another stretch of silence and I dared not move for fear that was something I wasn't supposed to hear.

"I'm here now." Ivy's quiet response made both Jack and I jump in surprise.

"Yes, yes you are." I could see a faint outline of a smile playing on his lips. "But why did you leave me? Us?" He twirled the staff nervously.

"This might seem childish but," Ivy sighed and turned around in the bed so that she was facing Jack. "I left because I saw you drawing pictures of you and Tooth kissing."

"What?" Jack raised his eyebrows in question, but his cheeks were obviously pink. I could tell that even in the dark. "I never-"

"Don't lie." Ivy's voice hardened.

"No, I swear, that wasn't me!" Jack's voice raised.

"Shhhh!" Ivy hissed urgently. "Do you want to wake Thea?" Ok, so they didn't know I was eavesdropping.

"It wasn't me." Jack repeated, much softer. "It was Aunt Fearling! We chased her off once we figured out that you were gone."

"Really?" Relief flooded through Ivy's voice.

"Positive." Jack's smile returned.

"That makes me feel a lot better!" Ivy laughed a little bit. "Goodnight, Jackie." She turned around again and was soon snoring softly.

"Thea." I tensed up as he said my name. "I'm sorry about all this. Sorry that we couldn't take you away from Pitch." I had no idea if he was actually talking to me like he wanted a response or not, so I just stayed quiet. "But he got stronger in a short time. I'm sorry that he used you and your brother like that."

At the mention of my brother, I bolted up, scaring the living daylights out of Jack. "Isaac!" I yelled. Frantically, I pushed the covers off and ran for the door.

"Hey! Thea!"Jack rushed after me, taking hold of me by the arm. "Hold up! He's fine. Look at me, he's fine." Jack turned me around and looked me in the eye. "Ok? You got that? He's perfectly fine and he's getting his sleep." He could tell that I would still make a run for it to see Isaac. "You can visit him in the morning."

I lowered my eyes, avoiding his gaze. "Ok."

"Now go back to sleep." Jack tucked me in then sat back in his chair.

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I woke with a start this time. I was no longer in the same room. I wasn't even in a room, but standing outside a broken and run down house literally in the middle of nowhere. It gave me a creepy feeling.

"Thea! Thea!" I turned around to see Ivy running towards me, fear lit in her eyes.

"Ivy!" I called. "What are you doing?" I watched as she ran closer.