Arielle got the mugs for the hot chocolate and poured their drinks into them. She went to grabbed a bag of marshmallows from one of the cardboards and looked at Jack.
"Here, catch!" Arielle called out as she threw the bag at Jack. Jack turned quickly and caught the bag before it could hit his face.
"Whoa there spit-fire, easy on the arm there!" Jack laughed as he gave her a playful look. Arielle just smiled at him as she grabbed the three mugs from the counter.
" "Spit-fire", is that my nickname now?" She asked as she made her way to the living room.
"Why not, I think it suits you!" Jack stated.
"How am I a spit-fire? I'm not that angry of a person," Arielle asked as she turned to him, somewhat serious on the matter and curious about why he would nickname her that.
"No, not because of anger. You have determination and spunk, brings a sense of fire out of you," Jack said with sincerity and thoughtfulness on the topic. And he wasn't lying either. Arielle couldn't help but blush at the comment, that was the last thing she thought of herself as.
"Well, okay then, I guess, "spit-fire" it is!" Arielle proclaimed as she sat in front of Jamie and Sofie on the floor and handed out their mugs of hot chocolate.
"Thank you," both Jamie and Sofie said as they took their first sip. They both looked at each other with wonder and then smiled.
"Wow, this is amazing!" Sofie stated excitedly as she went for another sip.
"It really is, Arielle, what did you put in this?" Jamie asked as he tasted his drink again and pondered on the taste.
"Good right? That's my little secret," Arielle stated proudly at the two and took her sip. To think it is because of opting out one liquid for another, Arielle thought with pride.
"Aww man," Jamie said with disappointment, but it easily went away when the sudden thought of what him and Sofie were here for.
He looked at Jack who was looking at Arielle and Jamie never saw Jack give an expression like he as giving right now; lovingly. Jamie couldn't help but smile warmly at him as he thought back to their conversation quite awhile ago. But soon Jamie got his mind on track and he coughed loudly enough to draw Jack's attention to him while Arielle and Sofie weren't paying attention. Jack saw the look and small gesture in Jamie's eyes and knew it was time, Jack gave him the nod. Before Jamie and Sofie left to come to Arielle's house, Jack asked them an important favor and that was to explain their connection to the Guardians and Pitch. But to explain it in away that made it simple and not too serious. Jack also had to explain to Jamie and Sofie about what happened last night in Arielle's room and this had them both concerned.
"So, Arielle, I was wondering if you would like to hear me and Sofie's story about how we met Jack and the others?" Jamie asked. Hopefully I'll be good enough, Jamie thought.
"Oh, yes! That's right, I would like to hear it!" Arielle stated excitedly as she put her mug down and reached behind her to grab a pillow and placed it on her lap. A habit she always had when it came to getting relaxed and to keep her warm.
Jamie told Arielle about his and Sofie's adventures about how they encountered the Guardians. Arielle laughed when he told of how Jack was playing with Jamie, the sledding incident, and a couch that hit Jamie and knocked his tooth out. Then telling of Jamie's encounter with all the Guardians in his room. Arielle was almost in tears at that one, she could picture it now. But when she heard of not only Jack and Sandy, but also the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Santa were in his room she went hysterical with excitement.
"Oh my God, they exist too!?" She looked at Jack and then to Jamie. Jack and Jamie both had a surprised look on their faces from the outburst and then they looked at each other and smiled. Jack knew this would happen. Sofie was giggling the whole time.
"Yes, they exist too," Jamie concluded for her and he went to continue on until Arielle asked him a question, one that would flip this story on its back.
"So why were they all in your room?" She asked as she settled down, trying to get her act together, but struggling in the process as she gripped her pillow tightly between her hands.
"Well, they were all collecting teeth for Tooth," Jamie stated.
"Wow, she must be lacking some helpers there or something, can't imagine doing all that in one night," Arielle joked, but then she saw the look on everyone's faces. Their happy and joyful expressions turned into something that threw her off. Why do they look nervous all of a sudden? She thought.
"She really was that night, cause there is another myth that started to cause…. problems," Jamie looked at Jack to make sure he is okay with this. Jack looked at him and gave him a reassuring smile.
"Another myth?" Arielle asked, she suddenly felt like something cold ran through her and it wasn't the room and it wasn't Jack. This was running through her being like this was something seriously bad.
"Before they went to collect teeth, there was another being that was causing trouble, he went to Tooth's Palace and took almost everything she had. Which are her helpers, Baby Tooths, and also the teeth she collected from every single person."
"Baby Tooth." Arielle re-ran the name through her head, that name didn't sound familiar.
"They look something like a humming bird, but more people like and very small," Jack described to her with a small smile. Remembering back to the Baby Tooth that hung out with him throughout that adventure, he would have to bring her next time.
"So, who is "he" then?" Arielle asked as she looked from Jack to Sofie and then Jamie.
"He goes by the name of Pitch, also known as the Boogie Man," Jamie let out slowly and looked at Arielle's expression. She looked surprised and almost bewildered, then it changed into a serious thoughtfulness. "Pitch" or "Boogie Man", those names ran through Arielle's mind as she thought of the book that had the information on him. She hated him the most and the reason is as clear as day. He causes nightmares and feasts on them like it was the best thing in the world. Never giving any care to how the dreamer feels, it's about what he wants.
"Arielle?" a voice called out.
A mythical being that crawls throughout the night like a shadow and creeps up on anything that can have dreams or has fears and grabs them in a choke hold of darkness. Swallowing them and consuming their mind with everything they fear, everything they don't want to remember, and everything in their darkest hour. As these thoughts went through her mind, she could only go back to last night. The nightmare she had and how this being, Pitch, was possibly responsible for what happened in her dream.
"Arielle?" another voice called out as she felt something grab her shoulder lightly.
"He's responsible…," Arielle said in a whisper to no one in particular as her mind was being consumed in worry and fright. Her hands gripping the pillow so tightly it turned her knuckles white.
The images of her and her dad played in her mind and the shadow that came like a slithering beast was about to swallow them whole and throw her into another nightmare that was worse than the shadows - the hospital.
Jack didn't know what was going on in Arielle's mind the moment she started pondering on the story of Pitch. But as he looked at her and waited for a response he noticed she was starting to go into a daze. Sofie was the first to call out to Arielle and got no response. Jamie scooted closer to her and he put his hand on her shoulder and spoke to her. Her expression change into something like disgust and heard her whisper. Jack, who was at the time sitting on the edge of the couch, got on his feet and walked quickly to Arielle, clearly worried now. Jamie and Sofie looked at Jack to see what he would do.
Jack saw Arielle start to shake slightly as her eyes started to widen in fear, but Jack wasn't going to let her think back on that night. He quickly got in front of Arielle and wrapped her in a hug and held her tightly.
"Arielle, you need to fight that darkness, don't go back to that," Jack whispered into her ear and soon the shaking stopped and he felt her take in air and let it out slowly.
"Jack?" Arielle questioned as she noticed she was being held by Jack tightly. She honestly didn't know where she was for a few seconds and it started coming back to her as she looked at the worried expressions of Jamie and Sofie.
"You okay, Arielle?" Jamie asked with concerned. Maybe we should stop, Jamie thought. He clearly didn't know she would breakdown from the story, especially when he just mentioned the name "Pitch."
Jack pulled back with his hands on her shoulders and looked into Arielle's eyes and saw that she was completely out of that dark world she was sucked into. Jack smiled at her warmly and squeezed her shoulders.
"Glad that your back!" Jack said light-heartedly as he shook her a little which cause her to huff out.
"Sorry, I had a moment there," Arielle smiled apologetically. Though Arielle couldn't explain it herself, she remembered what she felt like when she was thinking deeply and slowly being consumed. But she was soon embraced by a cold, but warm presence. She felt like nothing happened. Her emotions went blank and she just let that warmth consume her until she was finally "awoken."
Jamie didn't know if he should continue the story or not and brought it to Arielle's attention. "Do you want me to continue?" He asked and it didn't take Arielle a second thought.
"Yes."
Jamie then continued his story with the struggling battle against Pitch and his Nightmare army and how the children and the Guardians won the battle. The whole time that Jamie was telling the story, Jack kept an eye on Arielle to make sure she was going to be okay. She was absolutely in tuned to the story and showed many expressions of surprises, to anger, to happiness. He was glad in the end that she took all this information smoothly.
"…and that's how we defeated Pitch," Jamie ended the story with pride in his voice. Sofie, of course, got up and jumped in the air with pumped fists.
"And he's never came back!" Sofie stated excitedly. Arielle couldn't help but laugh at Sofie's outburst. She couldn't help but think that if she had a little sister, it would be Sofie.
"That is quite a story, an adventure I must say," Arielle said as she got up from her spot slowly and stretched her arms above her head and leaned to the side. When she straightened up she looked at the clock and her eyes widened in surprise.
"I can't believe it's almost five o' clock!" Arielle exclaimed loudly and then looked to the three on the floor.
"Oh no, I told our mom we would be back by four-thirty!" Jamie got up from his spot and quickly made his way to the front door with Sofie trailing behind.
"Just blame me for you guys being late," Arielle told them as she also made her way to the front door.
"I'm sure I will come up with an excuse, if not I'll blame Sofie," Jamie joked and felt something hit his arm. "Ouch!"
"Don't blame me!" Sofie cried out in a huff of irritation and walked out the door. Arielle gave Jamie a surprising look and pointed at him.
"Don't make her mad now," she laughed. Then a sudden thought came to her mind. "How did you guys get here anyways?"
Jack suddenly snuck behind Arielle and wrapped his arm around her tightly as he made her run to the outside of the house.
"Jack!" She called out in surprised and soon she felt a rush of cold wind and the force of leaving the ground. She wrapped her arms around him tightly since this was only her second time being in the air with Jack.
"Like this," Jack stated as he stopped in mid-air and looked down at Jamie and Sofie's laughing smiles. Arielle looked at Jack with a confused expression.
"You can't carry two people…. can you?" She asked as she imagined how that must look with both Jamie and Sofie. She snickered inwardly at the thought.
"Not just me, the wind and my staff as well. But I can only carry two people at a time," he stated as he slowly came back to the ground.
"As much as you guys want to hang and talk, we really need to be going now, mom isn't patient," Jamie said as him and Sofie walked to them. Arielle looked at Jack with a warm smile and couldn't help but ask him.
"Will you be back soon?" She asked as she felt her cheeks warm up and not because of the cold.
Jack feeling a little brave wrapped his arm around her again and pulled her close to his cool body and moved his lips to her ear.
"Would tomorrow night be okay with you?" Jack whispered in her ear. The coolness of his breath that brushed unto her ear made her flush more with a shiver that shook her inner being.
"Yes," she said and she swore she could feel him grin against her.
"Then tomorrow night!" Jack gave her one last tight hug and released her. He walked over to Jamie and Sofie and put the staff on the ground. Jamie and Sofie grabbed onto the staff.
"Good bye, Arielle!" Sofie called out as she waved with her available hand. Arielle started to wave back at them.
"See you later, can't wait to see you again!" Jamie called out as the wind started to pick up with great force.
"I'll see you guys later!" Arielle called out to them one last time. She looked at Jack and saw him with his trade-mark grin and winked at her. She winked back at him.
Before she knew it the wind was starting to pick them up with great care and noticed no struggle for grasping unto Jack or his staff. As if they were in a barrier. The wind soon carried them off into the sky at a great speed and were soon out of sight. She smiled warmly into the distance in which they were heading. All of a sudden there was a loud honk behind her that made her jump in panic. She whiped around and saw her mother in her car.
"Just in time."