Frozen Chains

Chapter 4

The lights on the dark globe danced above Jay, mocking him, laughing at him, teasing him about the punishment he was about to receive. 

He was in the globe room, another cavern like room in the lair, which had a high ceiling. It was full of Nightmares, the dark horses that caused Jack and his brother so much pain.

Pitch had his arm in an iron grip and threw him against the ground, hard. Pain exploded in his senses as his face hit the stone floor. Jay was sure his nose was broken. 

Jack hit the ground next to him, moaning as he cracked his elbow on the ground. 

"What did you think you were doing?" Pitch demanded. 

Jay didn't know what he had been doing. Neither did Jack, apparently, because he looked confused as well as terrified.

"The Nightmares tell me you tried to freeze them. Is this true?"

Jay started to panic. His heart thumped in his chest and sweat shone on his forehead. He hadn't done it. Jack wouldn't do it, either. They both knew better than to do that, because Pitch would punish them if they did.

The way he was about to now.

"Is this true?" Pitch repeated.

When he didn't get an answer, he grabbed Jack by the hair and yanked up.

"When I ask a question, you are to answer me. Understood?" Pitch seethed. Jack's eyes widened with fright, his breath coming in uneven gasps.

Pitch struck the side of his face. Jay watched his brothers' head snap to the side, blood spraying from his lips.

"Understood?" Pitch pulled harder on Jack's hair. Jack gave a choked whimper, cringed, and nodded. "Good," Pitch said turning to Jay and dropping Jack to the floor, "Now, once again, did you attempt to freeze the nightmares?"

Jay shook his head.

Pitch snarled and kicked him in the stomach. Jay coughed and fell to the ground, his vision blurring.

"Don't!" Jack begged, "Don't h-hurt him!"

You're so stupid, Jay thought, You're going to get yourself hurt, protecting me like that.

"Another liar. You did try to freeze the Nightmares, didn't you? I shouldn't have even bothered to ask." Pitch shook his head. "We can't have that. You'll have to be punished, won't you? Don't you deserve it?"

"Y-yes," Jack whispered, and Jay nodded, his heart pounding. Was Pitch even expecting a different answer?

Pitch snapped his fingers and thick tendrils of dark dreamsand snaked across the floor, binding themselves tightly around each boys' ankles and wrists, pinning them to the ground.

Jay lay perfectly still. If he struggled, it would only give Pitch more reason to hurt him. 

Footstep.

Make it quick.

Footstep.

Let me go unconscious.

Footstep.

Why me?

Footstep. 

What did we do to deserve this?

Pitch kicked him in the ribs once, twice, three times. Jay felt something snap, and then pain wrapped its fiery fingers around his chest. He bit his lip to stop from screaming, but his lower and upper teeth met each other, completely piercing through his lip.