Hmmm… How should I start this? Guess the best place would at the beginning. I have always been able to see them. Ever since I was young. I've seen the Sandman only a couple of times, up there on his golden cloud. But every time I stayed up to see him, I ended up passing out on the floor and waking up with multiple aching body parts. So I just assume he is there every night, making sure all the children went to sleep with pleasant dreams. I have seen Santa's sleigh sailing across the starry night sky, only to see it disappeared into a bizarre cyclone. I see the Easter Bunny every year. Well kinda. I always catch a glimpse. Whether it's a pair of giant bunny ears behind a bush or the sudden rustle of close by bush. But every time I tried to catch up to him, I always find little flower in perfect bloom, regardless of the temperature on that Easter morning.
I've seen the Tooth Fairy only once. It was when my last tooth fell out, so I knew this was my last chance to see her. I was able to escape the Sandman's glowing golden sand by waiting until the last moment that then using my black Greyhound as a shield. Then, little sand figures of dog bones and tennis balls danced around her head. I set her in the hall so that the Tooth Fairy wouldn't realize that the Sandman hadn't put me to sleep. It was so hard to stay awake. I fought my drooping eyelids for what seemed like hours. I was asleep when the silence was broken by a bizarre, soft puff sound. It took every ounce of will power not to move and to finally see the fairy who had remained unseen for all my childhood. Then I felt my pillow move ever so slightly; a movement that wouldn't have woken me up even if I was in the lightest sleep possible. Just as I was able to turn around and see her, my eyes widened as this little green humming bird popped out from under the pillow nest to my face. It hold my tooth in its tiny arms. Then the little bird quickly flew away with my tooth. I sat up quickly but it was gone. I looked under my pillow and saw a shiny new quarter saying there and I knew I had seen the Tooth Fairy.
Mom always called them the Guardians. They were here to protect the children of the world from the darkness and nightmares and I always believe her. It was so easy to believe since I had seen all of them with my own eyes. Well, all most all of them. Even to this day, I have yet to catch a glimpse of the sneaky Jack Frost. Mom said you can always see his handy work in the frost on the windows and the snow of the ground.
"Mom," I asked, one day. "Why do you always tell me stories of the Guardians?"
"I tell you of their adventures just as my brother, your uncle, told them to me when I was growing up." She said with a huge smile on her face. Mom never called them stories. She would always refer to them as adventures. "I wanted you to know who the true heroes were. The ones who will always protect you as long as you believe. But you must remember this. Never fear what is in the dark. Fear gives him strength."
I would always ask who "he" was, but she always dodged the questions. I didn't know if it was because she didn't know or she didn't want to tell me.
Even though I knew the Guardians were here to protect me, it never made my later childhood any easier. I was the result of a teenage pregnancy and in a small town, it was a scandal. Especially since she chose to not only keep me but raise me on her own. Everything was fine for a while when I was younger because every child believed. But as time went on, they slowly stopped. They all did at some point, except me. Soon, it was seen as childish. They started to ignore me, the girl who still believed that Santa brought her presents every year. I started to withdraw for people slowly. I had less and less friends each year. I hadn't had a boyfriend. Never got asked to a school dance. I became the girl no one wanted to associate with. As a result, I built up walls around me, hiding the true me, and I didn't let anyone close. I became aggressive and defensive as soon as any said something anything negative. It became my defense mechanism to everything and everyone. Except Mom and Uncle James.
Ok. So this chapter wasn't too interesting because this is just the whole built-up to the story. If you could review this, that would be awesome because it helps me to improve my writing and improve my stories. Thank you for reading :)
Rise of the Guardian belongs to whoever actually owns it. I only own Eirlys (which is pronounced AYR-liss).
