A blur of light swept over my eyes. For a moment, I was spinning in circles, until the portal finally spit me out. I slammed violently against the ground with a huff.
I slapped a hand over my head as I rolled over, and my brain slowly stopped whirling. Things came into focus. Hot sunlight was streaming through the palm trees above. We were laying on sand, and I could hear the ocean at my side. The portal was still spinning above us, displaying the snowy landscape of the pole. As I watched, the gateway closed.
"Sandy…" Jack groaned. "Your elbow is digging into my shoulder."
I glanced down to find I was sitting on the other Guardian's back. He was sprawled below me, shading his eyes from the sun and spitting out sand. I smiled sheepishly and floated into the air so he could crawl upright.
"Ugh…" he sneered. "It's so hot…"
My attention turned to two young children in the distance, giggling and splashing each other in the ocean. I pointed excitedly.
"Well would you look at that," Jack murmured.
I grabbed his hand and tugged him closer. If the children noticed us, they didn't react. I approached and waved. When they still ignored us, Jack called out, "Hey, kids."
The pair blinked up at us in confusion.
"Hey…," the boy replied cautiously. "Who are you? I've never seen you around here."
The girl rushed forward with a gasp. "I know you! You're the Sandman aren't you? The Guardian of Dreams?"
A grin broadened over my face. I nodded and waved.
"Wow!" the girl gasped. "And who are you?"
Jack chuckled as he bent down to her level. "I'm Jack Frost. I'm kinda new to the Guardian business." He paused. "Wait... hey. How did you know we were Guardians?"
"We know a lot on the Isle," the boy chimed in with a suspicious glare. "Now why are you here?"
"We're looking for someone," Jack replied, and I nodded vigorously. "Red hair, freckles… uh… looks really… elegant?" He sent me a pleading glance for help.
I stepped in, building a tiny model of her out of dreamsand. I still remembered everything— her long, dainty fingers, her prominent collarbone, veiny hands and arms, the uneven dimples she had always complained about...
The kids stared for a moment, then exchanged a glance.
"You might want to come with me," the boy said. The girl nodded for us to follow, and the two of them bounded up the beach and disappeared into the underbrush.
Jack and I shared an apprehensive look, but we followed anyway.
The island seemed surprisingly average— plenty of palm trees, the scent of salt water… Everything was normal except for the silence. There were no bugs chirping, no birds flying… And, of course, there was the heat. It was sweltering.
I sent a concerned glance back at Jack to see he looked flushed and sweaty, but otherwise alright. I floated up and set a hand on his shoulder with a curious tilt to my head.
He ruffled my hair and smirked. "I'm alright, little man. But thanks for checkin' up on me." His voice sounded airy.
I reluctantly drifted back down.
After a few minutes of fighting through underbrush and leaves, we broke into a clearing. Before us sloped a valley shaped like a giant bowl filled with homes and various buildings. There were people everywhere, bathing in the sun and hanging wash and chatting with each other on their porches. And there, straight across from us, was a castle built into the hills.
The little girl waved for us. "Come on!" She skipped down the hillside, followed more slowly by her friend.
We entered the village. Everyone seemed normal, carrying out normal daily tasks. Many eyes turned to us as we passed. A couple of the people gathered together and began to whisper, shooting suspicious glances our way.
"Huh," Jack hummed thoughtfully. "Seems pretty happy for a place called the Isle of Stranded Souls."
But there was something a bit… eerie about their expressions— glassy eyes, blank stares, wistful glances up at the sky.
Other than that, the village was thriving. Jack and I made our way through the stone streets to the circle at the center of town, and a few more curious souls glanced up at us. Only now did I notice they had a strange aura around them. It was just barely visible, but it was definitely there, like a rainbow around every person, each a different set of colors.
The kids led us directly to the castle across the valley. It was beautiful: bright white, shining in the afternoon sunlight. The giant window above us glittered, and the door loomed overhead. Surprisingly, there were no guards. We just walked straight inside to be greeted by a dazzling chandelier showering sunspots over the long, white hallway and balcony.
"I'm going to get the queen," the little boy replied. He rushed up the balcony steps.
"No guards," Jack mentioned to the girl. "That's strange."
She grinned. "Oh no, there are guards everywhere. They're always watching."
Jack pursed his lips, and we exchanged a glance. "Right…"
I tugged on my fellow Guardian's sleeve, and sand images of a crown and a question mark appeared over my head. I pointed to the girl.
Jack nodded. He turned back to the little girl, who was now sitting on the floor braiding her hair.
"So, who is this queen of yours anyway?"
"Queen Beckett," she replied simply without looking away from her hair.
Before Jack could question her again, the little boy appeared on the balcony. Right after him followed a woman with blonde hair tied up in a bun, long white robes, a jeweled headdress, and tall heels. She blinked down at us through her thick lashes, and her brown eyes shimmered curiously. "Sandman. Jack Frost."
The little girl jumped to her feet and bowed, so we did the same.
"What is it you need?" the queen asked.
Jack awkwardly rose up from his bow and cleared his throat. "We're looking for someone."
"They're looking for Aila Galloway," the little girl replied.
The queen fixed me with a suspicious glare. I felt my skin begin to crawl with an apprehensive heat beneath her eyes. "Since you're already here, I cannot stop you. You know the consequences of your actions. But let me make this clear… The souls on this island cannot leave. It's for their own good. If I find either of you trying to take a soul off the island, believe me, I will find you."
I gulped hard. Jack and I nodded vehemently.
The queen took another moment to stare us down, then addressed the young boy and girl, "Take them to Aila."
They led us back to the door, but before we could get far, she called out again, "And Sandman?"
I turned to her.
"Do not forget... the Man in the Moon has rules. There will be consequences for this."
I narrowed my eyes. I nodded seriously, and out of the corner of my eye, I could see Jack furrow his brow.
And then, we headed out the door.
. . .
The little boy and girl led us through the village again. They pointed out a little cabin across the valley and claimed that was where we were headed, then walked with us along the outskirts of town.
During our walk, I could see Jack peeking over at me. He would stare for a while, open his mouth like he wanted to speak, then would hesitate and look out over the ocean. I didn't respond though, because I was suddenly wondering whether or not this was the best idea.
What I was about to do had finally registered. Fear was tearing my heart to shreds, and my stomach felt nauseous. I wrung my hands as we trudged on.
Finally, Jack voiced his concern, "I don't mean to press, but you're being awfully… cryptic here. What exactly did the queen mean about the Man in the Moon's rules?"
I finally met his eyes. He must've seen my expression, because he didn't press anymore.
It felt like we walked forever until we reached the cabin. The little girl and boy said something before they left, but I couldn't hear them anymore. I just stared at the door as terror roiled through my whole body like a living creature.
"Sandy?" Jack asked, voice high with concern. He sounded far away. "You ok there, buddy?"
The heat of the island suddenly felt sweltering. What would I find behind the door? I lifted my arm, and it felt like dead weight. My fist neared the wood to knock.
"Aila, I think there's someone at your door."
The voice came from the side of the house. Jack and I peered around the corner. Somehow I hadn't noticed it, but there were three women sitting in the garden, all lounging and watching the sun set over the ocean.
And there she was. I suddenly couldn't feel my heart beating.
She was under an umbrella— her pale skin had always been sensitive to the sunlight. Her curly red hair was half tied up in a bun, half laying over her shoulders. Her brows were raised in a nonchalant sort of curiosity as she eyed the odd visitors on her porch. She was watching me.
Seeing as I was crippled, Jack butted past with a winsome grin. "Would any of you fine ladies happen to be Aila Galloway?"
Aila nodded politely. "I am she."
Her voice sounded just like I remembered. High pitched, but smooth and confident, with just a hint of a Scottish accent. Every word deliberate and considered.
My heart started beating again. Suddenly, I was moving. My arms reached out against my will. I had to touch her. I had to make sure she was real... that she wouldn't crumble. My palm nearly connected with her face, but she gently pushed my arms down. Her forehead crinkled in concern and bewilderment.
"Hello there..." she greeted, a bit uneasy. "Is there something I can do for you, dear?"
I didn't know what I had been expecting. I knew she wouldn't remember me. But for some reason, I still felt a powerful ache split through my chest. My hands fell back to my sides.
"Uh… Sandy?"
I hesitantly tore my eyes from her and to Jack. He was pointing behind the house.
"We might wanna get out of here now…"
There was a portal opening in the distance— one of North's portals. And out of it poured dozens of nightmares, snorting and stamping their hooves in anticipation. Then, there was Pitch. He stepped through and surveyed the land disdainfully. To my horror, his eyes connected with mine.
"Sandman?!" he cried, then growled in rage. "Get her!"
The nightmares leaped into action immediately, galloping for us at full speed.
"Whatever you were going to do, you better do it fast," Jack replied.
I faced Aila again. She turned her nervous eyes from Pitch to me. I scrunched my face apologetically, and then I began to weave dreamsand around her. At first, she gasped in awe of the beautiful golden speckles, and then the dreamsand tightened like ropes around her body.
"H—hey!" she shouted, struggling in her binds.
Her friends screamed and ran to the back of the house as the nightmares drew closer.
I waved for Jack to follow, and then we rushed around the corner with Aila floating above me.
"Put me down!" she was shouting. "This is not dignified! Do you know who I am?!"
I struggled to push her livid cries out of focus as we ducked back onto the main street. People dove out of the way, screaming, as we plowed past. Jack hopped nimbly over picnic tables and around young children, once in a while apologizing or yelling, "'scuse me!"
We swerved around one of the houses. Too late, I realized we were heading straight for a washline of white linens. All three of us crashed at full speed directly into a large sheet, ripping it right off the line and tumbling down the hill. We finally skidded to a halt in a messy tangle of legs and arms wrapped in white cloth.
I scrambled under the sheet. I finally managed to fight my head out just in time to see Aila slipping free and racing across the field. Before I could leap after her, Jack tripped in the blanket and fell right on top of me.
Black sand entwined Aila's body. She screamed, writhing to break free, but Pitch sprung up from the shadows below her with a wicked grin. He reached out to touch her, but she spit on him. "Keep your hands off me, you scabby rat!"
I finally detangled myself and yanked Jack up. I guestered to the portal he still held.
"Ok," Jack said. "Where are we going?"
I waved my arms in the air. Anywhere!
Without waiting for him to respond, I raced into the field. Pitch saw me coming, and I crossed my arms as I approached.
"Sandy," Pitch smirked. He glanced over Aila. "So this is her?" He brushed his fingers through a lock of her hair, and she scrunched her nose in disgust.
I charged him.
A group of people seemed to just appear in front of me. I skidded to a halt seconds before colliding with them. It was a line of soldiers, all dressed identically in navy army robes, carrying spears.
"Release her!" one of them demanded. He lowered into a defensive position, spear just barely scraping Pitch's chin, and the patrol behind him followed. Pitch raised an eyebrow, then sighed in exasperation. He raised his hands in the air.
The black sand around Aila disappeared, and she dropped to the ground. I automatically jerked towards her to help her up, but something inside forced me to stop. I just stood there and watched against my will as she pulled herself up, brushed dirt off her skirts, and fixed her hair. She crossed her arms with a huff. "The nerve," she grumbled.
"You're under arrest for attempting to kidnap a Stranded Soul," a soldier declared to Pitch. "We will take you to Queen Beckett and—"
Pitch began to chuckle. "Oh, you're not taking me anywhere."
He flicked his wrist, and suddenly, black sand wound around the soldiers. They screamed as they were dragged to their knees.
Before I could step in, Jack barreled directly into Pitch with a cry of frustration. The Nightmare King heaved a wave of nightmare sand, knocking Jack backwards into the pile of soldiers. Then, Pitch turned back to Aila. He hurled a rope of nightmare sand towards her.
I stepped in between them. The rope snapped around my arm, and I yanked. Pitch tumbled towards me. Over his head, I caught a glimpse of Jack shaking a globe. He threw it to the ground, and the portal flared to life.
I wound up and slammed a fist into Pitch's face, sending him sprawling straight through the portal. He disappeared with a outraged bellow, and the portal closed around him.
"Come on," Jack hurried up to me. "He'll be back," He pulled out another globe from the pocket of his hoodie.
I shot him a stunned glance and he grinned. "Come on, of course I stole an extra one."
A mare whinnied behind us. Jack and I gasped. When we glanced back, a horde of nightmares were snorting and stomping on the hill. They reared and erupted over the mountainside.
"Stop!" someone shouted. On our other side, the soldiers were gathering themselves and hurtling towards us.
Jack shook the globe. I glanced over at Aila. When she saw my apologetic smile, her face contorted with anger. "Oh no you—"
I wrapped her in dreamsand again, and she cried out in rage.
Just before Jack could speak into the globe, a soldier barreled into him. The globe flew from his hands and exploded into swirling colors.
Jack was able to ward off his attacker. "Go!" he shouted.
I pulled Aila closer, and the two of us ducked into the portal. Jack followed closely behind. The last thing I heard was the furious clamor of nightmares, and then the Isle of Stranded Souls faded.
