Rise of the Guardians 2: Return of the Nightmare King

Returning Anger

                                                                                 Angela's P.O.V.

I opened the door to my house and held it for the Guardians. We couldn't fit the wagon without carrying it, so Jack was leaning on Tooth for support. His yells and groans of pain echoed around the town. I wanted to cover my ears and huddle under my sheets. Even though I had survived Pitch, shot him with a crossbow, and ran away from Nightmare bats, I wasn't prepared to see a deep wound. I was only fourteen years old after all, so I wasn't used to seeing these kinds of things. It scares me to see someone suffering like this and the Guardians knew it.

They rushed into the house and I shut the door behind me. I locked it just for good measure and led them to the basement. "You guys go in there, I'll search for the medical supplies." They went in without a word. Tooth looked back at me with an apologetic smile. She knew that I was about to collapse on the floor. She knew that I was terrified. She knew that seeing Pitch brought back some not so good memories. I just nodded my head and ran off to find the first aid kit.

I felt a lump in the back of my throat. I tried swallowing down the pain. I would not cry in front of the legendary figures. I went to my parent's room and rummaged around in their bathroom. All the simple things in the cabinets made my eyes fill with tears. I saw my dad's shaving cream, my mom's hairbrush, both of their bath towels, and various other things of theirs. I found the first aid kit and placed it next to me. What I saw next stopped me in my tracks. A small purple bracelet that had charms on it was tucked away in a basket. I pulled it out and ran my fingers over it. It was the bracelet I had bought my mother for Mother's Day. My dad helped me pick it out.

I covered my mouth and choked on a sob. Tears streamed out of my eyes and dripped onto the floor. Each sob shook my body violently. I stuffed the bracelet in my pocket and wiped away my tears. My anger towards the Guardians returned, but I still picked up the kit and headed to the basement. I swung open the door and stomped down the stairs, not caring if they heard me. I stood on the edge of the bottom step and kept my head down. All I saw was Jack's bare feet. I held out the first aid kit with one arm. "Here, take the kit. I'll be in my room." No one said a word, even Jack's yells of pain stopped. I heard the delicate steps of the Tooth Fairy approach me. She took the kit from me but stayed in front of me. "Angela-"

"Don't talk to me!" I ran up the stairs and slammed the door behind me. I rushed into my room and closed the door. I slid down against the wall and pulled my knees to my chest. I crawled to my bed and climbed up slowly. I pulled the blankets over my head and snuggled my gray bunny toy. All the fear, the hate, sorrow, and the exhaustion finally settled on my shoulders. I tried to breathe, but the sobs took over my body. Everything that had happened in the past few hours caught up to me. I felt sick to my stomach. I felt unbearable pain rush through my body. Not physical pain, but the pain of sadness and despair.

I saw a soft light through my blankets. I pulled the sheets off of me and looked out the window. The moonlight was shining on me. I furrowed my brow and angrily turned my head away from the moon. "Why do you let these kinds of things happen? Why do you turn your back on everyone who needs you? When the Guardians failed, you could've helped them! You could've stopped him from killing my family! They were the only ones there for me and you let them die! You let Pitch take over Burgess and spread fear around the world. You failed everyone! I don't even know why I still believe in you guys anymore."

I closed my eyes and squeezed my bunny tighter. I sniffed and wiped my nose with the back of my hand. "I helped them escape. I brought Jack what he needed. I tried to forgive them, but when I saw that bracelet..." I choked on another sob as I trailed off.

"When I saw that bracelet, it just reminded me that my family is never coming back. They're gone and it's all your fault!" I looked up at the moon, hoping to get a response, but I got none. I rose to my knees, "What more do you want from me?! I did everything a thirteen-year-old girl can do, but I'm still angry! I still feel the pain! I am still afraid and I still remember the last look that my parents gave me. I just want to forget. I just want things to go back to normal. I want everything to be full of joy again. I can't keep going on like this any longer."

I collapsed on my back and curled up in a fetal position. I heard something crumple underneath my pillow, so I reached under to see what it was. It was none other than the picture I had shown Tooth. It was slightly bent, but it was otherwise undamaged. Instead of laughing or smiling at the memory of that Christmas, I frowned and stuffed the picture back underneath my pillow. I grabbed the sides of my head with both my hands and screamed! I looked around my room and saw a small glass cup on my bedside table. I grasped it and threw it across the room with a furious yell. It shattered into a thousand pieces, making a loud crashing sound.

I felt so angry that I felt the need to break things. I looked around my room, desperately trying to find more things to throw. My throat was starting to hurt from yelling so much, but I didn't care. I wanted to let the Guardians know that I was angry. I wiped all the stuff off my bedside table and kept screaming. My senses were overloading. I couldn't see anything. My anger was blinding me. I felt hands on my shoulders. They were holding my arms at my sides. I heard someone's voice, but I couldn't make out what they were saying. My throat felt raw. My muscles were burning up. I felt hot. Suddenly, a blinding white light pierced my eyes and I slipped into darkness.