((Note: Just a heads up, there's been a time skip. It'll flash back later to what happened at the Haunted Mansion. Also: warning, there's kidnapping and attempted underage molestation in this chapter. If that might trigger you, please just skip this chapter or something.)

Jack is late. He was supposed to be here two hours ago. At this rate, the sun's going to rise and the kid was going to wake up before we even got the chance to try and scare her.

I could just give the kid a nightmare. I don't need Jack here to approve my work. Right? No. Jack said that the Guardians laid down rules about my scaring habits and I'm not supposed to give anyone nightmares without a Guardian present in case anything went wrong. I have to wait for him.

What have I come to? Hiding under a bed, waiting for a Guardian to come help me do my job? This is ridiculous and humiliating. I'm leaving. I slip through the shadows and arrive at the frozen lake in Burgess. It's a little early in the year for it to still be frozen, but Jack stays here whenever he can manage.

I look around, hoping to catch the frost spirit playing hooky, but the area is as still and quiet as my lair. That's...new.

Looks like I'll have to actually go searching for the brat. Fine. It shouldn't be so hard. I can read that boy like an open book, so I can take a guess. He could easily be at the house of that boy- his first believer. I would never forget where that kid lives, my most recent downfall was his fault. I slip through the shadows once more, this time apperating in a loud neighborhood. There are bright, colorful lights of red and blue flashing in my face. How annoying.

I get closer to listen to what the officer in front of the boy's house is saying.

"I'm sorry ma'm, we're getting a search party together. Do you have any idea where or why he might have gone? Anything he might have said, or someone he might run to?" The mother in front of the officer clutched her child closer to her chest, tears in her eyes. The fear of a mother wanting for her child's safety. Less appealing than a child's nightmare, but it's still something that I can feel my powers clinging to and leaching off of."No. Sophie woke me up and told me that Jamie hadn't come back from looking for trolls. I-I don't know what was going through his mind to make him leave the house at this hour-" The lady's sobs were interrupted by the little blonde girl who didn't seem worried at all.

"S'okay. Jack'll fine 'em." She stated sleepily. The officer looked at the mother questioningly. "Jack?"

"I'm sorry, don't listen to her. She thinks that Jack Frost is looking for him. Look, just please, I need you to find my Jamie. He must be so scared- It's dangerous to be out at night-"

I've heard enough. It's obvious that Jack backed out of our deal in favor of running off to play with his first believer in the middle of the night. I don't need him anyway. In fact, I'm going to find Jack and tell him that I don't care for his half-hearted help. I can scare just fine without his assistance or support. I'll scare little Jamie so bad that he won't leave the comfort of his bed for days.

I reach into the shadows and soon become them. I would have done this sooner were it not for the fact that after this, I won't be able to use my power for a while. I can see everything the shadows see, feel everything they feel, and sense everyone who lurks in the darkness.

Ugh. There are so many unsavory things that go on in the dark. Shadows are meant to hide the creatures of the night and the horrible things that they do, and this is why there is always a fear of the dark. Some things are not meant to be seen. Such unpleasant actions give good reason to be frightened. There are reasons that I don't do this often.

There he is. I can feel Jack's presence, I disconnect from the shadows of the world and find myself in a warehouse of sorts. That's not exactly what I was expecting. If the sight before me was anything to go by, Jack and Jamie had certainly not come here to play in the snow.

The fearlings inside me are practically ecstatic at the overwhelming scent of forced fear in the air. Jack is terrified. Jamie is, too. Their fear is so intoxicating that I feel the fearlings clawing at me, trying to become me so they can feed on it. I haven't felt this strong in a while, and I would want to simply stand there and bask in it were it not for something else calling for my attention.

The two I had come for were tightly roped to chairs, their backs up against each other. Jack had cuts all over his face, but not a single drop of blood came out. His blood was too frozen to fall out. Jamie has a cut or two as well, along with a bruise forming on a part of his arm that's been exposed by the position. I can feel Jack's fear seep through me, his terror can be felt and smelled from a mile away. Right now, there is nothing that terrifies him more than the prospect of them killing or hurting Jamie.

...Them?

Jamie is is less scared. There's a dull, mute sort of feeling to it, leaving it unreadable. It's like he knows he should be absolutely terrified, but is honestly not overly concerned with the idea of dying. Disgusting. He should treat life with a little more respect, that impudent little brat should be scared out of his wits. This whole situation is revolting and a little insulting. This terror has a foul taste that makes it more difficult for me to fight the fearlings.

Jack notices my presence and tries to say something, but anything he might have said is muffled into a gurgle by the cloth that gags him. Jamie looks in my direction, but he obviously can't see me. He looks through me.

I only got here seconds ago, and all I can really think about is that stench in the air. This kind of fear is just...not right. Not good. It's wrong, I can't stand it. Before I manage to gather my thoughts and realize the situation, I hear keys jingling from behind me and my instinct kicks in. I slip into the shadows and for all the world it seems I was never there.

Two men enter the room, both of them first looking toward Jaime, then to Jack. How can they see Jack? They're adults, this is- this is wrong- this is so wrong. How can this be happening? How can they believe in him? I don't understand.

There it is. I've seen it in my shadows. I've seen it time and again. I tried to not think about it. I always distracted myself and my goals of being seen.

If I had given Jamie more nightmares and scared him enough, he would have been too fearful of what lurks in the dark to leave the house late at night. He should have given more care. He would have, if I had enough power to frighten him.

The men take off both the boys' gags. "How about it? Which one goes first, you or the kid?" One of the men looks to Jack.

"Me." The ice spirit replied confidently. "Take me first."

No. Jack doesn't know. He doesn't understand. He can't see it on their faces. They're not going to kill him, they're going to-

They've detached Jack from the chair and thrown him to the ground now. The taller man was crawling on top of him and Jack's restraints weren't letting him do anything but freeze the ropes around his wrists and make it more impossible to escape. He's helpless. I have to do something. I can't just stand here. Jack may be a brat whom I would very much like to strangle later, but this is far worse than that.

I can't let this happen. "Jack." I speak loudly and with a firmness I haven't had in a while. The men don't hear me. Jamie doesn't hear me. Only Jack, whose head turns toward me in terror. They're touching him.

I finally manage to get out of my state of frozen shock and move, doing the first thing that came to mind and transported both Jack and Jamie away using my shadows. I'm lucky they were both so scared, or I wouldn't have been able to do that.

But now I'm still here. I can't travel by shadow, I don't have enough fear. Still, perhaps I could have a little fun here. The men were confused, angry, and frustrated that their playthings had gone away. There was a slight sense of fear at the unknown power that had taken their prey, but I think I can do better. They still can't see me, but they know something is in the darkness and they're scared enough for me to manipulate the shadows just a bit- just enough to let them see things and hear things that aren't really there.

I watched as they both scream out in terror and I walk closer to them and out of the shadows. They might not enjoy this much, but this was my favorite part. This is the part where I remind them of every horrifying experience they have ever had, and they have nowhere to run this time.

Jack awoke in Pitch's lair with Jamie right beside him. They were still both bound, but Jamie's bonds were loosened because of the sudden disappearance of the chair he'd been tied to, and he eventually wiggled out of it and took his gag off, helping Jack get out of his ropes as well.

Neither of them said anything. They weren't ready.