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CHAPTER FOUR

Whatever Happened to Jamie?

"What's this about, North?" The tall rabbit leaned back on the globe's control panel, his arms crossed tight against his chest. "I still have three tunnels to dig out before Easter. I don't have time to sit around waiting for that bloody larrikin."

"Jack will be here." North set his eggnog down on the large wooden table in the center of the receiving room. "We are meeting to discuss Jamie Bennett."

"Finally…" Tooth broke off her never-ending dictation and hovered over them, gossamer wings fluttering continuously. "I've been so worried...I haven't collected wisdom teeth since 1936…"

"Jamie Bennett? The kid who saved us from being dusted?" Bunny's expression softened, his ears twitching as he frowned.

Sandman nodded emphatically, little sand pictures twisting above his spiked hair, vaguely resembling the fight with Pitch. Then, a clear picture appeared: a boy at his window, watching the sky.

"But he is no longer child. He is Luminary. We must discuss how we are handling his education." North frowned, folding his tattooed arms across his chest.

"I don't think we should leave him alone, anymore. He's so sad…The memories in those last teeth…they're…" Tooth bit her lip, her expression downcast. "He's lost so much...I wanted to call a meeting myself, but I know how crazy things get around the holidays."

"I was against this from the start." Bunny scowled. "It's our fault this kid had such a rotten lot thrown at him. The least we could do is talk to him."

North sighed and ran a hand over his beard. "I think…since I was once Luminary, Jamie should stay with me first…I still have many books that will help control power, but we should wait for—"

A bright portal opened in front of the globe. Bunny just managed to leap out of the way as Jack zipped past. The wind dropped the white-haired boy in the center of the group, his eyes shadowed with concern.

"He's gone." Jack's breath was ragged, his eyebrows knit in a solid line. "His window was open. There was snow everywhere, but his coat was still on the floor where he left it…with this in the pocket." He pulled a beaten leather wallet from his pocket and dropped it on the table. It fell open, revealing a school identification card, a few small bills, and outdated photos of his friends. "I checked everywhere I could think of…his job, the campus, his old house, the lake…" He looked up at North, dark circles under his eyes. If something happened to Jamie, it would be his fault. He'd failed his friend completely. For the first time since he'd taken his oath, he felt ashamed to call himself a Guardian…what if Jamie had been locked up? Or worse, what if he… Jack bit his lip, refusing to even consider that thought.

"Gone? What do you mean he's gone!?" Bunny demanded, turning his scowl on North and the others. "I thought you lot were keeping an eye on him!"

"That's not fair!" Tooth zipped across the table and hovered inches in front of Bunny's face her arms tense at her sides. "I've sent my fairies as often as I can and Sandy's kept watch every night for the past fourteen years!"

Sandman chimed his agreement, his thoughts exploding with pictures of shadows blotting out the moon.

"I trusted you! I don't have hoards of inconspicuous minions or a magic globe!" Bunny shouted. "I can't very well send the sentinels out to keep watch, can I!?"

"No one expects you to!" Tooth's feathers ruffled as she yelled, little baby teeth flitting about like little angry bees. "This isn't your fault, Bunny!"

"The globe….the globe!" Jack's eyes widened. The wind lifted him off the floor and swept him up around the northern hemisphere to land right over Burgess. There were many smaller lights around the town, but Jamie's blinding radiance had vanished.

"No…" Jack shook his head, his mind refusing to register the sudden darkness in the small cluster of lights. He dropped to his knees, hands shaking on his staff, eyes frantically combing the globe for his friend's light, but he knew Jamie didn't have money for a bus or a train, and he couldn't get far on foot without a coat. A numb dread filled his mind. Jamie was gone—gone—gone. A strangled moan welled up in Jack's throat as a thick layer of frost glazed across the surface of the globe, obscuring most of the United States and part of Canada. He swayed ominously, the wooden staff dropping from his fingers and ricocheting off the globe's equator as it clattered to the floor.

"Jack!" Tooth caught him just as he started to fall, her frail wings struggling under the extra weight. "Jack, snap out of it!" She set him down on one of the massive chairs and smacked his cheeks, trying to wake him.

Jack's eyes fluttered open, but he averted them from Tooth, burying his face in his palms. "I shouldn't have left…" His voice quavered at the gravity of his failure. "I shouldn't have left…"

"Oh, Jack…" Tooth's feathers seemed to wilt as she wrapped her arms around him. She stroked the boy's white hair, ignoring the chill seeping through her many layers of down.

"That's it. I'm going out to look." Bunny adjusted the belt slung across his chest, making sure his boomerang was secure. "I don't care what the globe says. Jamie's alive and I'm going to find him."

A golden exclamation point appeared over Sandman's head as floated around the group. He gestured at the globe, still bursting with images of a boy in the window vanishing into dust.

"Bunny is right. We should start looking before it's too late." North grunted and turned to one of the yetis by the door. "Prepare the sleigh. Dingle!" Several elves jumped out from their hiding places. "Organize search party. Yetis search woods. Elves search town."

Sandman huffed and crossed his arms, little plumes of sand piping out of his ears like steam. Floating easily up on a cloud of golden sand, the little man punched the thick coating of ice—once, twice, in quick succession. Cracks appeared on the surface and a groan filled the hall as great slabs slid off the sphere and crashed to the floor. Elves and yetis scampered about in panic through a layer of frozen debris. North, Bunny, and Tooth stopped and stared up at the little man. Sandy created a replica of Jamie's light and pointed forcefully to it as a picture of a boy appeared over his head. He then crossed his arms in an X and shook his head from side to side as the boy dissolved into a tombstone.

"Jamie… not…dead?" Bunny guessed. "Jamie's not dead?"

Even Jack looked up now, a flicker of hope in his eyes. Sandy nodded emphatically, pointed to himself, then both his eyes, and finally the light.

"You saw him…?" Tooth gasped.

"Well, what happened?" North bellowed. "Where is he?"

Sandy took a long breath and made a huge replica of Jamie's window. They could see Jamie on his bed, looking out at the sky. The golden figure shivered and stepped onto the floor. Something seemed to startle him and he turned, backing toward the open window. Darkness began to eat away at the golden sand and Jamie ran toward the door. Before he could reach it, the shadow swallowed him and everything behind the window went black.

Jack stood up, eyes narrowing at the ominous display of lights. "Shadows…" He looked at Sandy. "It was shadows?"

Sandy nodded and a clock appeared over his head. 9:30—early bedtime.

Jack turned to look at North and the others. "It's not…it can't be…"

"Pitch." Bunny's eyes darkened as he scowled.

"What would Pitch want with Jamie?" Tooth asked rubbing her arms as she hovered by Jack.

"Jamie stood up to him…" North mused, crossing his arms. "He refused to stop believing and banished fear from his heart…This is what revived Sandy, and truly defeated nightmares."

The Sandman sank to the floor and nodded, showing pictures of Jamie inspiring his friends to stand before the Guardians.

"But why is his light gone?" Jack picked up his fallen staff and gestured to the globe. "What did Pitch do to him?"

North looked at Bunny as he continued. "Many centuries ago we visited Pitch's domain. The walls were filled with lead from Earth's center. This metal has never known light, so it absorbs any and all it touches. If Pitch took our friend, we wouldn't see his light."

"That door is locked up tighter than a frog's arse." Bunny frowned, polishing one of his egg grenades. "There's no way we're getting through."

"What about the entrance in the woods?" Jack asked, swinging his staff over his shoulder. "That's how Baby Tooth and I got in."

"That time you ruined Easter." Bunny chimed in, reproachfully.

"Bunny…" Tooth frowned and punched him in the arm.

"In woods?" North rubbed his chin. "Is worth try. I will send yetis to door in Bunny's tunnel. Maybe with new technology we can break through."

"Well all right, then." Bunny returned the egg grenade to its holster and stood up straight. "Let's nick off and find the little bleeder."

"To the sleigh!" North bellowed.

Chapter Five: The Art of Imagination: A Beginner's Guide to Belief will be available January 18th, 2013. (Japan Time)

Thank you for reading! As always I appreciate your feedback!