"Do you honestly think this will work?" Jacko stood with Jamie, Caleb and Claude just a few feet from a local "haunted" park attraction.
"We won't know until we try... what other option is there?" Jamie muttered back to the Halloween spirit as Jack nodded. He was there too, if only because he didn't trust Jacko.
"Let's go, not like anyone is going to believe you." Jamie had agreed that each of the Guardians was to find and send out a group of Jacko's people to a park To Jamie's surprise, there were more parks than there were groups... but when Jack had voiced this Jamie had just said that it was all the better in case some parks or amusement places didn't work out. Not every "haunted" place was going to be scary enough to invoke real fear and not every one of the places was for adults anyway. There were some kid-friendly versions after all.
"Um... this can get pretty bad... are you sure you want to come with us Jack?" He wasn't sure if his wintry friend would be able to handle the sadistic "carnage" of a modern haunted house... which wasn't just "jump scares" anymore.
"I don't trust Jacko." Jamie sighed.
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
"How bad can it be?"
"Bad. Ever seen the movie Saw?" Jamie muttered, falling silent as a group of people walked past.
"No, why?" Jamie let out a quiet groan. This wasn't going to be all that fun if Jack went with him, figured that his friend was too innocent for this level of scare and looked at Jacko. The two shared a look and seemed to sigh but Jacko nodded.
"I don't think it necessary for me to actually go through the place, just standing outside when this starts should be close enough."
"Wouldn't it be more effective to go through the haunted house though?" Jacko shook his head.
"As long as I'm within ten feet it's fine." Jamie was pretty sure, from the look the spirit gave him, that he was lying about that.
"Okay, well you stay here then and I'll go inside. Keep an eye on him Jack, though I doubt he'll do anything at this point." Jack just nodded and he and Caleb moved away from the two.
"Seriously? Do you think he's THAT naive?" Caleb asked.
"I don't know, but I don't want to find out. He's immortal Caleb, do you REALLY want to be the one responsible for scarring a Guardian for the rest of their life?"
"Point taken. Let's go!" He said the last bit loud enough to be heard by the two spirits who stood near the park's entrance as the sun began to sink.
"Geez, quite the crowd." Jack said as he looked at all the people who were waiting to get into the park.
"Yes, well some people enjoy this sort of thing. Although why is beyond me."
"I can't imagine that either... do people find this fun?"
"A select few, though I do not think you would be one of those; you would more likely find fun in doing the scaring."
"Only a few? Looks like a lot to me."
"Only a few. Most are just dragged along by their friends. I'm the Spirit of Halloween Jack, I know these sorts of things." Jack frowned a little but he didn't refute it as he saw the first group go in, along with his friends.
"Looks like the park is finally open." There was a moment of silence between them.
"How long do these things usually last?"
"Depends on the attraction. Usually 10 minutes for most, some go as far though as 15." Jack's curiosity began to get the better of him as they waited for the three teens to come out again.
"How long have you been doing this? I mean, I know my history, Halloween is a modern term, a contraction of All Hallows Eve."
"Very good, Jack. I've been around for a while yet. I don't remember my life from before, nor do I care to; it doesn't really matter but what I do know is that I came from the colonial era. I was... born, more or less, on this soil."
"So you were like me, a pioneer?"
"More or less, though I imagine you and I are years apart in terms of when we became spirits."
"Why Halloween?"
"Is this an interrogation Jack?" The winter spirit frowned.
"I'm just curious is all."
"Why?"
"Have to do something to pass the time don't I? Not like I feed off fear like you or anything."
"Why the sudden curiosity in me though? Why care?" Jack shrugged a little.
"You might have made a mistake last year and, well... everyone deserves a second chance. I might not trust you yet, but that doesn't mean I'm going to out right attack you or anything." Jacko stared at him for a long moment in silence.
"I can see why Jamie likes you." He looked at the other spirit in confusion.
"You, like him, are more than what you seem on the outside, Jack Frost."
"Er... I guess. I mean, North did tell me that not just anyone becomes a Guardian."
"He's right on that. Manny is very picky about who he chooses to be a Guardian."
"Do you have a center?"
"All spirits do, Jack. It's just a question of what that center revolves around."
"What is it then? Fear?" Jacko chuckled.
"I can see how you might think that, but no." Jack stared. It wasn't fear?
"What is it then? I mean, that's the most obvious of things, right?"
"Obvious, yes, but my center is courage."
"I don't think I get it. How is your center courage when all you do is scare people?"
"Yes, I do scare others, but only in good fun and all of the scares I give people are meant to help them stay safe. Scares children receive are ones they have to get over in order to become adults. To face one's fears takes courage, I inspire it by bringing them face-to-face with what they fear and help them conquer it."
"I guess I never thought of it like that."
"Few do. Most only see the fear or feel it." The screams that came suddenly sent a jolt through Jack and Jacko had to grab his arm to keep him from leaving.
"Don't forget Jack, there's no danger in this; they're fine, I promise." Jack nods, realizing that he'd been about to take off to get to Jamie; he was a little confused at the sound of laughter that faintly echoed in the distance as well.
"What are they laughing at?" Jacko smiled.
"They're having fun, Jack. This is a type of scare that is meant to be fun."
"I should have gone with them."
"I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"As I explained before, you're more apt to enjoy the scaring than being scared."
"Hmmm." A few minutes, and several screams and sounds of laughter later, Jamie and his friends appeared.
"That was great man!" Caleb was laughing while Jamie punched him playfully.
"You're not talking me into doing that again!"
"Who knew you could scream like that?" Caleb replied with a laugh. Jamie shook his head.
"Like you two were any better with that zombie clown." They looked over at Jacko, wondering what he would say.
"Well?" Jamie prompted.
"I believe your idea has worked, but I am waiting for my pet to be sure." There was a long moment of anticipation before an owl swooped down towards Jacko as he held out his arm.
"Nightngale. What's the news?" She clicked her beak and hooted softly, fluffing her feathers.
"That is good news indeed." Jacko looked over at the group.
"What did it say?" Caleb asked.
"She said that everyone is happily full. It seems that your temporary fix, has worked wonders." The group cheered and neither spirit blamed them.
"Now for a less temporary solution." Jamie nodded at the spirit's words. Halloween only came one night a year and its celebration was throughout the month in terms of attractions but that was it. Just four weeks out of the year wasn't going to be enough to avert the crisis. They had to come up with something else, but for the evening none of them cared. It had worked and that meant that the balance would be restored again; for a little while anyway.
"What do you plan to do now, Jacko?"
"Well, I think that I will return to my kingdom, for now, but I will return and discuss with the Guardians on a more permanent solution."
"Well, if you need or want help... You know where to find us." Jacko nodded.
"Indeed. Thank you, all of you. I will not forget this." With a smile, that wasn't too unlike the one Jack would give him before starting a snowball fight, the Pumpkin King leapt back into the nearest shadow and was swallowed into the darkness of its depths.