AN and Disclaimer: Sadly, I own neither Rise of the Guardians nor Ghost Whisperer. Now, this is my first real attempt at a GW crossover, and it's been a while since I watched any of the episodes, so if you notice anything completely out in left field, please give me a heads up and I'll fix it. Also, I'm not 100% happy with the title so it may change, fair warning. (^^) Well, enjoy!
~Burgess, NY~1728~
The little village was still in the quiet night. The soft snow seemed to glow with its own gentle luminescence beneath the pale light of the full moon. Silent flurries of snow danced on the light breeze that teased through the village commons looking for someone to play with. Inside the crude cabins, hearth fires were banked and candles were being blown out one by one as families slipped into a pleasant slumber.
In one small wooden home, a young mother held one last lit candle as she peered into the tiny room where her to young sons lay sleeping. Hannah Abbot smiled at the still forms of the twin boys that rested peacefully. James, the younger son lay curled protectively around his older brother Jack. Jack snuggled firmly against his younger twin, their thin bodies tangled together. Carefully Hannah moved past her sons to the window, checking that the shutters were firmly latched against the whirling winter wind whispering cheerfully outside in the darkness. Reassured she gave her sons one last kiss goodnight. "Sweet dreams." She sighed closing the door softly behind her.
As the door closed against the candle's light the room fell into darkness. Neither child stirred as the darkness twisted into shadows, as the shadows drifted closer to their little bed. "So…" The voice was soft and smooth and deceptively kind. "This one must be James…" A thin finger pointed to one of the boys, "making you Jack." The shadows shifted as the dark figure gently ran a hand through the hair of the brother curled around his twin. "I am sorry, Jack." He murmured as his fingers wrapped gently around the boy's neck. "But I can't allow you to grow up."
Jack frowned in his sleep as he felt James thrashing against him. When the younger boy's foot hit his shin painfully he jerked awake with a soft gasp. Then he saw the wraith-like man holding his brother. His tiny gasp of shock was lost in his twin's gulping attempts to breathe past the hand wrapped around his throat. The man laughed, dropping the limp figure as the remaining twin screamed.
Hannah awoke to her son's shrill cry, her wide brown eyes filled with fear as she exploded up from her own bed and ran to her children. By the time she reached them, her younger son was dead. "Jack!" She cried, gathering her living son in her arms, her eyes horrified by the sight of James' empty eyes. "Jack, what happened?"
"I-it was the B-bogeyman!" He shrieked. "The Bogeym-man killed J-Jamie!"
Hannah stood beside the four simple graves, her eyes red from her tears as her small son stood beside her. "Mother?" Jack asked softly, unsure in the face of his mother's sorrow.
"It's going to be okay." She said, kneeling to hold him.
"But the Bogeyman-"
"Do you know how to fight the Bogeyman?" She asked him, a small, sad smile on her lips. "The Bogeyman is just fear. If you can laugh and have fun, you won't ever be afraid, and he won't ever be able to hurt you…" She looked away from her living son to the fresh grave of his brother. "I should have told you that." She said gently.
Slowly Jack reached for his mother's hand. "I know now." He said quietly. "He won't ever get me. I won't let him hurt anyone else, ever again." His voice grew firmer with every word, determination seeping into him. "I'll protect people now."
Well, there it is. The first real chapter is already written, it just needs to be proofed. It may be a bit before we see the ROTG characters, but I promise they will be here! Hope you like!