Chapter 6: The Locket

Two figures were sleeping soundly, completely undisturbed by the world outside these golden walls. Lucy, relieved from her nightmares, was on her side hugging a pillow, her expression peaceful for the first time in weeks.
Pitch Black himself slept better than he had in months. Instead of that deep, deathlike slumber, he was snoozing on the trunk at the foot of Lucy's bed, ready to feed off any nightmares she had. The Nightmare King looked almost amicable himself without his signature smirk. A golden locket was resting in his slender hands, opened to reveal a sketch of a young girl.

Outside, the golden rays of dawn slowly took over the world. They came in through Lucy's window and crawled across the floorboards, chasing away the shadows of the night.

A ray touched Pitch's leg, making it roast like a sausage on the grill.

The Nightmare King's eyes snapped open. Quick as lightning, he bolted off the trunk and jumped into the last few shadows, desperate to get away from the light. An allayed smile appeared on his face as he watched the golden light fill the room. He reached under his collar, searching for something. At least he was safe. All he had to do was wait until dusk and...

Pitch's train of thought was cut off. He tapped his hands along his collar and neck, his movements quickening by the second. For the first time in what felt like eons, Pitch felt a small worm of panic form in his chest.
"Where is it?" He whispered to himself. Where could it have gone? He'd just had it-

Oh, no.

His gold eyes darted to the sunlit room.

His locket was lying face-down on the floor, right next to the trunk he'd spent the night on. "Oh, no." Pitch stepped forward, reaching out to retrieve it, but the sunlight sizzled his hand. The Nightmare King yelped in pain and drew back, hiding his burned hand in his robes. As the pain subsided, anger filled the Boogeyman like a different kind of fire.

Oh, great! Absolutely perfect! He always kept that riviere around his neck, and the one time he takes it off to admire it, he forgets to put it back on! Now, he had to wait until the sun went down in order to reacquire it.
His most treasured possession - out of his reach.

But it was well in Lucy's reach. Pitch could only trust that the child failed to notice the locket.

Right on cue, Lucy's eyes slowly opened. She noticed the sunlight streaming through the windows, sighed, and rolled on the other side of the bed.

"Lucy! You awake?" Franko's voice called.

The corner of Pitch's mouth went up as he watched Lucy pull the blanket over her head.

"Lucy!" Franko called again, less patient this time.

Lucy groaned under the covers. She threw them aside, "Yeah, yeah! I'm awake!"

"Well, hurry up!" Franko called, "You said you'd come with me to the carpenter's, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember!" Lucy called back as she grabbed her clothes. Again, Pitch looked away as Lucy changed. When he looked again, he saw that the child was dressed in black skinny jeans, a black-and-white checked sweater, and a black vest with white stars on it.
She was just grabbing her coat when Franko yelled, "Come on! The appointment's at nine!"

"I'm coming!" Lucy hurriedly put her coat on and was about to run out...when her foot hit something metallic.

Pitch winced. Oh, dear. The fat was really in the fire now.

Lucy stopped, a baffled expression on her face. She stopped and looked down, searching for the thing she'd bumped into.

A golden, heart-shaped pendant was lying on its side, attached to a long, glittering chain. Tilting her head sideways like a bird, she knelt down and picked up the necklace. It was very old, she could tell that much; rust was forming in the chains and hinges. But it was very beautiful; not only was the shape just right (not too large, small, or lumpy), but the metal was smooth to the touch. Inside the locket wasn't a photograph, but a sketch of a girl not much older than Lucy was. The girl was smiling and happy, with curly dark hair spilling down her shoulders.
Lucy found herself smiling softly at the picture.

"LUCY! WHILE WE'RE YOUNG!" Franko bellowed.

"I'm coming!" Lucy stuffed the pendant in her pocket before racing out of the room. She slammed the door behind her.

Pitch was literally trembling with rage. How...how DARE that girl steal his necklace? The only reminder of his old life, and she'd taken it!

This time, Pitch couldn't care less if the sun roasted him alive. He wasn't going down without a fight.

He marched out of his shadow, ignoring his robes' hissing and his skin burning. Quick as a bullet, he leapt in Lucy's shadow. The moment he could, he'd reclaim his necklace. Then, he'd give this little fool the fright of a lifetime. He didn't care if he put her in a coma. She deserved it.


Lucy sighed as her uncle continued to talk with the carpenter. She didn't really know what they were talking about; something about coffee tables, maybe. She'd only agreed to come along because she felt she needed some time out.

Boy, had she been wrong. At least at home, she had stuff to do. She could read, write in her diary, study, or play with her puzzles. Out here, with no one to play with, she had virtually nothing to do. She couldn't even listen to the two men's conversation: it was beyond boring.

She left the store and was greeted by the cold morning air. The wind whipped at her short hair as she sat on the bench outside the store. After a few minutes, she was instantly bored again, so she began kicking her legs rhythmically and humming to herself. It helped pass the time a little, but when she checked the window to see if they were done, the two men were still talking.
This clearly wasn't going to be short.

Lucy sighed a second time. What a wonderful Saturday.

As she shifted in the bench, she was made aware of something heavy in her pocket. For a second, she was confused. Then, she remembered the jewelry she'd found on her bedroom floor. That sparked curiosity in the girl. Where had it come from? Who did it belong to? How had it ended up in her room?

Glancing around to make sure no one was looking, Lucy fished the necklace out of her pocket. Whoever owned it certainly had money. Judging by its antique style and weight, Lucy guessed it to be worth at least two hundred bucks. She opened it, staring at the drawing again. The little girl certainly was happy-looking. Maybe it'd belonged to a parent? But if that'd been the case, why not use a photo? Why draw a picture of your kid?

"Oh?" Lucy noticed something scrawled underneath the sketch. She brought the amulet closer, trying to decipher the writing.

It was pretty untidy, but after a moment, she could figure out the words:

Eartha Pitchiner

Lucy felt like her insides had been scooped out. She had no clue who 'Eartha' was, but she had a pretty good idea as to who this 'Pitchiner' person was.

Pitchiner.

Pitch.

Pitch Black.

The King of Nightmares. The Boogeyman.

Lucy felt her heart hammer against her ribs as the truth sunk in. She slapped a hand over her chest, trying not to look too terrified. She didn't want to believe it, but it was staring her right in the face.

The Boogeyman had been in her room. No wonder she'd heard something last night. He'd probably snunk into her bedroom and...

Lucy stopped. Jack had told her that Pitch gave children nightmares. But she'd slept like a baby last night. But there was no doubt about this pendant; it clearly belonged to him, and judging by the position she'd found it in, Pitch must've just dropped it.

Lucy's blood ran cold.

If the Boogeyman carried something like this around, it must've surely been dear to him. She didn't want to imagine what lengths he'd go to get it back. He could very well be watching her right now.

Without another thought, Lucy darted off the bench and around the building, into its shadow. Looking around to make sure no one would hear, she straightened up and called, "I know you're there."

For a second, nothing happened.

Then, a figure stepped out of the blackness. Lucy felt her blood roar in her ears, but she stood her ground.

The figure was two feet taller than her, and lithe in appearance. He was dressed in black robes, and his glossy dark hair was styled in curves behind his head. His skin was pale gray, and he had sharp facial features. His golden eyes locked with her chestnut ones.

His expression was completely blank.

"I think you have something of mine." He stated in a silky voice.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Lucy held up the necklace.

The Boogeyman's impassive mask cracked; the tiniest of smiles appeared on his face. "Smart girl." He held out a long-fingered hand, "Now, hand it over and I'll let you walk away."

Lucy didn't need a second invitation. She took a few steps towards him, taking him by surprise. Then, she carefully placed the necklace in his hand.

"Why all that?" The Boogeyman asked, "Why not just toss it over to me?"

"I didn't wanna risk breaking it." Lucy answered. With a small bow of respect, she scurried off.

Pitch watched her go with an arched brow. He hadn't expected her to take such caution on something that didn't even belong to her, and he definitely hadn't predicted the bow.
Still, he wasn't complaining. He had his locket back, and that's all that really mattered to him.
"Such an interesting girl." He mused to himself as he slipped his trinket back on, "I suppose I should..." A cool smile appeared on his face, "...return the favor."