Chapter One: Enter the story teller
"So why did I have to come again?" Alice asked her mother as they drove to the hospital.
"I told you the people who were supposed to come entertain the children today canceled."
"Yeah I heard, the first twenty times I asked, but you still haven't told me why I have to go." She said with a sigh.
Her mother was quiet for a little while then started rummaging through her bag. After a few minutes she pulled out an object wrapped in an old scarf. She tossed the object into Alice's lap. Alice picked it up and looked at it curiously. She then started to unwrap it. Once she finished she stared at what she had discovered, and her face turned bright red.
"Where did you find this." She said sounding horrified as she clutched what she was holding to her chest, as she looked around fearing someone would she what she was holding.
"In the closet in the living room in a box..."
"A box that said never to be seen by anyone; ever." Alice interrupted in a pained voice.
"Well you always have been on the melodramatic side of things." Her mother said with a laugh.
"It's not funny." Alice groaned "And I am not melodramatic."
"Look dear it'll be good for the kids, and they really are good stories."
"You read it! Mom that was private." She turned to her mom feeling betrayed.
"I'm sorry, but when they called, and told me what was happening I suddenly remembered all those delightful little stories you used to write, and it hit me; the children would love them to. Oh, I think you should tell them the one about that little wintery boy…"
"Jack Frost?"
"Yes, Jack Frost, I liked that one. I think it was one of my favorites."
"Mom I can't believe you. Why did you have to get my PRIVATE journal? We have plenty of books at the house." She said quietly.
Being around her mother always exhausted Alice. She was a sweet and smart lady, but sometimes she did not think things through. Once she had an idea she ran with it, and generally drug Alice along with her. She looked down at her story journal and smiled slightly as she thought about her mom saying that she liked the stories she wrote. The stories that Alice had never really known how she came up with. They always just popped in her head on nights when the moon was full and bright or when she was walking out in the snow. She would always hurry to her grandfathers when she finished a story because he loved to hear them, but that was a few years ago when she was a kid, and her grandfather was still alive. She was sixteen now and sixteen year olds to not write stories about magical boys with white hair or any other sort of mythical being. Such stories were for old people or little kids who need to be comforted.
"Alice you have always had a knack for comforting people. You seem to know how to take them away from their pain and sadness for a little while; you bring them joy, and speaking as a nurse that does help people to recover faster." Her mother said as she parked in the back lot at the hospital.
"Fine I'll read to the kids, but you're so not off the hook for getting into my stuff."
Alice had just finished reading to the kids, and was heading back to the nurse's station to find her mom. Just as she reached the end of the hall she felt someone grab her hand. She looked down to see the sweetest set of brown eyes one the face of the cutest little boy she had ever seen in her life.
"I liked your stories." He said happily.
"Thank you I'm glad to hear that." She said quietly.
"Yeah well Jack Frost is awesome." He said excitedly
Alice blinked rapidly for a moment. That was the first time she had ever heard that come out of a kid's mouth before. Winter was her favorite time of year, so she wrote about wintery stuff Santa, Yetis, Jack Frost, and so on. Usually it was Santa or the Yeti the kids liked. Not her though; she had always liked Jack Frost. After all he was the one who brought winter to her. It seemed that this kid agreed with her.
"Yeah I think so to." She told him.
"That's so cool. You know how you came up with those stories and all." He continued on excitedly.
Alice watched the kid as he rambled on and on about how much he loved the snow and all the fun times he and his friends had together. For a kid in a hospital he didn't act very sick. He wasn't wearing a hospital gown either.
"Why are you here you don't look very sick to me." Alice said after the kid had slowed down to take a breath.
"Oh, I'm not sick. My little sister fell and hurt her ankle, so my mom brought her to see a doctor. I was waiting outside the room, and I heard you telling the other kids a story. It sounded really interesting, and then a nurse said I could go listen to it while they took my sister to get an x-ray, so I did." He said rapidly.
"Jamie, they said your sister was fine. We're going home now."
"Okay Mom. I'm coming." He said to the lady at the end of the hall with a cute little blonde girl in her arms. "Thanks for telling such a cool story."
The kid then ran down the hall after his mom. Alice couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her lips or the huge grin that she knew was on her face. She continued down to the nurse's station. When she saw that her mom was not there she asked one of the other nurses where she was. She was quickly directed down the hall to a room that held a girl who looked so sad and lonely that it broke Alice's heart.
"Hey mom, I finished telling the stories like you ask me to. I was wondering if we could go home soon." Alice said from the door way.
"No, I missed the story." The little girl said from her bed. Big tears gathered in her eyes and started to fall.
Alice felt her own eyes water at the sight. The little girl started to sob as if her heart had been broken.
"No. Now I won't have good dreams. I always have scary ones when I miss the stories."
Alice watched as her mother tried to console the crying girl. Nothing seemed to help though. Alice couldn't stand to see the kid so afraid.
"How about I give you a private show then; so you know; you won't have scary dreams." Alice said softly as she walked over to the bed.
After an hour of stories the little girl had finally fallen asleep. Alice smiled as she watched the little girl breath peacefully.
"Thank you sweetie." Her mother said as she smiled proudly from the chair across the room.
"Yeah well I couldn't let her have nightmares if I knew I could help." Alice said as she got up to stretch.
"You ready to go home…"
"Anna, Marge just got really sick and has to go home we need you to fill in for her." Another nurse said as she helped someone who Alice assumed was Marge out to her car.
"You want me to see if you can sleep in the break room tonight." Her mom asked as she picked up her bag to go change into her uniform.
"No, I'll just walk home. It's not that far." Alice said as she grabbed her coat and headed out the door.
"Are you sure?"
"Yep." Alice said as walked out.
"Okay I should be home sometime in the early morning."
"Got it. See you later mom." Alice zipped up her coat and ran outside.
Alice did not want to stay in a hospital overnight. It brought up too many bad memories. She had spent too many nights here while her grandfather was sick. Way too many nights. At the end it was really bad, and she did not want to come at all, but she had to. He always seemed to do better if she came to tell him stories. But he still…
"Ah yes sorrow. It is so lovely on a young face." A voice said from somewhere near her.
Alice nearly jumped out of skin and then she slid in a patch of ice that she had just walked past a second ago.
"Who's there?" Alice asked
After a few minutes without a response Alice got up off the ground. Great just one day back with these stupid stories and she was already hearing things. That's why she stopped writing; her imagination was just too vivid, and she always ended up scaring herself. That's why she put this stupid book away. She stared at the book in her hands.
"When I get home I'm going to hide you somewhere where my mom will never find you." She told it. "Great now I'm talking to inanimate objects. Thank you so very much mom."
She started to continue walking when she thought she saw a shadow out of the corner of eye. So she stopped dead in her tracks.
"Alice, yes I do remember you. You always had such vivid nightmares. But what else is to be expected; I mean people like you always have such wonderful nightmares."
That voice. Why now after three years did she hear that voice; again.
"I'm so flattered it seems that you remember me as well."
She had to get home now. It was getting dark she did not want to be out here in the dark with that voice. It would only be worse in the dark. Alice took off in a sprint. As she did the voice started to laugh. She felt sick as she realized the she was scared of something she could not see; something she wasn't even sure was there.
"Oh I am here Alice. I do believe that you are the reason that I was denied what would have been a lovely nightmare."
Suddenly there was a dark mass in front of her. She stopped just before she would have collided with it. He stepped out then. He looked just as he had when she was a child. He haunted her dreams and she would always run to her grandfather to stave off the nightmares.
"But grandfather is not here now; is he Alice? He left you all alone just like everyone else. Just like your mother has done all of your life; just like she is doing right now. Everyone else's children are more important to her than her one and only child."
Alice's heart began to race as that old fear was brought up again. She knew it was not true. She knew her mother loved her, but there would always be that little bit of resentment in her heart because of all the times she was left alone while her mom cared for someone else's child.
"Yes Alice feel the fear. Because you took away my nightmare I'll just have to get one from you." He took a step toward her.
Alice took a step back, but she could go nowhere. She was surrounded by darkness. She felt tears gather in her eyes. Her mother had no idea what she had done. She would never know; because Alice would never tell her. She would never tell anyone why she was so afraid. She would never say why she was one of the boogeyman's favorite victims.
"Now Alice, I do believe you are a little old to call me the boogeyman. I think you should call me Pitch. Pitch Black; ironic isn't it. You remember don't you? That is after all how all your nightmares ended; in darkness."
