Jamie and Sophie are appearing- and we get a bit of MiM and Sam's memories in here to.
Note: Sam doesn't know about MiM. What she knows, as a rule, is limited to what she Sees- and she knows about the Guardians, as an organization, because Amay explained their role to her. Amay just forgot to tell her about MiM picking the Guardians- and Jack joining the Guardians. She's over a thousand years old- she forgets stuff like that. And to her, Jack joining the Guardians is basically the day's news report. She wouldn't think to mention it to Sam.
(Just for the future! :)
She could see nothing despite the feindish light- feel nothing but the heat, coming up from the floor that by some miracle hadn't burst into flames. The smoke hung thick and poisonous, both blinding and choking her.
She coughed and gagged, deasperatly trying to get oxygen into her lungs. What air she could inhale was superheated, seemingly scorching her throat as she tried to breathe.
The flames were everywhere, turning the tiny house into a terrifiying maze- and lighting the smoke-shadows into creatures of terror.
"Mom!" She cried. "MOMMY!" Back and forth she ran, desperatly seeking escape from the corridor in which she was trapped.
The screaming and pleading emenated from across the house, the horrible laughter following like an echo from hell.
She shrieked, feeling the shadows reaching for her-
Sam caught herself in mid-scream, sitting bolt upright in bed. She was coated in sweat, heart racing and out of breath, the covers tossed on the floor. Breathing shakily, she sat there for a moment, wrapping her arms around herself and drawing her legs into a cross-legged position. Sliently, she rocked back and forth on the bed, trying to calm down and regain control of her breathing.
It's over. It's over- Sam repeated the phrase over and over, chanting it in her head until her heart calmed and her breathing returned to normal. After a minute, she discovered that Emily, sleeping the sleep of the exhausted, had slept through her screaming- and the Nightmare had left her alone.
Well, thanks for small things, I guess. Still shaking, Sam swallowed, her eyes anxiously sweeping the room for any sign of the Nightmare that had visited her. Once again, it had vanished without a trace.
Only after she was sure it was gone did she allow herself to relax her tense body, closing her eyes for a moment.
Reflexively, Sam's hand dropped to the scars that curved their way up her feet and calves- the lines of lighter skin that glowed in the scant light filtering through the window.
Her fingers traced their lines on their own, having long since commited their patterns to memory. The scars were barely raised, and hardly noticeably unless you looked for them- they were barely a few shades darker than her own skin. But they were there forever, always reminding her of what she just wanted to forget.
Impatiently, Sam took her hand away and shook her mussed hair out of her eyes. One thing was for certain- she would get no more sleep tonight.
Silently, Sam unfolded her legs and slipped out of bed, feet making no sound as they touched the floor. As she stood, she caught sight of the stars shining through her window, cheerfully twinkling at the girl below.
Sam directed a withering glare at them. "Fat lot of good you were." She muttered, and turned away. For a moment, she assessed her options for the rest of the night- and decided to take a walk. Carefully, so as not to attract attention or wake any sleepers, she opened the door to the room and crept out.
The hall was dark, but Sam didn't care. It was the Shadows and the Nightmares she feared, not the dark. She couldn't explain how it was different; it just was.
Like a ghost in her pale, loose nightclothes, Sam walked along the hallways, her feet wandering ceaselessly. A few tendrils of golden sand still lingered her and there, and she dipped her fingers in them as she passed, smiling momentarily at the small images they created.
She let her feet choose their course, not knowing nor caring where they took her. Eventually, she found herself in the small playroom- unsure of how she got there.
The room was clear- the toys put away. But, for the first time that night, the first time in a long time, in fact, she saw the moon.
It beamed, brilliant and full, through the enormous windows of the playroom, creating a puddle of light that stretched from the center of the room to a small windowseat under the globe of light.
Sam didn't heasitate. Transfixed by the wondrous full moon, she walkled closer, her skin and clothes silvered by the light's touch. As she reached the window, she took a seat beside the cool glass, feeling safe at last.
Wondering, she reached out one hand, tracing the moon's curve on the window.
"The moon-" she whispered. "All children are safe in the light of the Moon." Dimly, the words seemed to strike a chord in her memory, and the moon's face seemed to wink in agreement.
Suddenly, she remembered where she had heard the phrase she had just uttered.
"Don't be afraid of the dark, Samantha." He mother said lightly to a clinging and much younger Sam. "Because look- outside your window, there's the moon. And, you know, all children are safe in the light of the moon."
"How do you know that?" Little three-year old Sam said, still fearful and inclined to doubt. Her mother laughed. "The moon told me so, little one. Now go to sleep."
Sam gasped at the long forgotten memory- and as she gazed up with new amazement at the silver face, she heard someone speaking- without speaking- speaking into her mind.
Night-Child and Sighted One. That's what you are, I think, young one- but who are you? And who will you become?
There was a considering pause, and Sam had the feeling she was being evaluated.
You have much to face- but don't be afraid. I will be here to guide you, if you trust me and my own.
"What do you mean?" Sam said, confused. "I don't understand."
You'll find out. Eventually. For now, sleep. The moon seemed to laugh. Sam bit back an angry retort- and felt her eyelids grow heavy.
"No fair!" She managed to get out, before she fell asleep on the windowseat. In the morning, she would wake up back in her bed, fully rested, with no memory or idea of how she got there.
After an early breakfast, Mitchel came to pick them up for the drive back to the shelter. Emily, Sam having told her about her new parents coming to get her today, was practically bouncing with excitement.
Sam, however, was less enthusiatic. Despite Amay's reassurances- and the Moon's comfort, there were doubts- and parts of moving that never varied. New school, new town. New people she'd never met. And, Burgess being a small town, everybody probably would know everybody else.
But- there was Amay's approval. And Sam was determined to make the best of it- simply because of that. Besides, it couldn't be any worse than any other home she'd already been in.
When Mitchel pulled up, Emily flew down the steps. Sam laughed involentarily, following behind her. Nothing like a child to make you feel happier.
She tranced out during most of the ride, wondering about where she was going. Even as she walked into Boredom Central and again found herself waiting, baggage at her feet, she continued to wonder.
The door to the conference room opened, startling her. She jumped, before realizing that it was Emily, wreathed in smiles.
The girl ran over to her, suprising Sam by hugging her tightly around the waist. She blinked in suprise- and returned the hug.
"So, I assume it went well?" Sam said teasingly. She glanced over at the couple who had adopted her little freind- and any worries about Emily getting a good family evaporated. The young woman smiled indulgently, pateintly waiting for the girl to come back to her, maternal affection clearly shining in her eyes.
"Yes!" Emily squealed, making Sam wince for a moment. "Come meet my new parents!" Sam allowed herself to be lead over to the couple, who smiled kindly.
"This is Patrick and this is Anna." Emily said seriously, pointing to the man and woman in turn. "But they said I can call them Mom and Dad if I want."
"That's good," Sam replied. "Hello." She added to the two adults, more shyly. "I'm Sam. Emily and I met yesterday."
"Sam's my freind. She told me lots of good stories. And she promised that you'd come!" Emily explained.
The woman smiled at her new daughter. "Than it's good to meet her." She glanced over at Sam and winked. "Would you like to give your freind your new phone number so she can come see you again?"
"Yes! I want Sam to be my sister. Can you adopt her too?" Anna blinked.
Sam laughed quickly, before the situation became akward, kneeling down before the little girl. "Emi, I've got my own family to go to now. But our towns are only a half hour away! I can call you whenever you want, and come see you as often as I can. See? I'll see you again! We'll be freinds as long as you want, 'kay?"
Emily frowned a bit, but mumbled "'Kay."
Anna mouthed a Thank You at Sam, before handing her a slip of paper.
"That's our number. Call Emily as often as you want- Freinds should stay together."
Sam put it in her pocket. "Thanks. I will."
Anna smiled. "I know how it is for you. I was a foster kid too- I got lucky and got adopted. That's why we're adopting." Then she left, taking Emily with her and her husband. Sam waved through the window at their car until it dissappeared.
When she could no longer see the blue station wagon, she dropped both her arm and her smile. Silently, she fingered the slip of paper and told herself she would not cry.
"Sam?" That was Mitchel. "Mrs. Bennett's here."
Her new home. Hurriedly, Sam wiped her eyes and picked up her stuff, to follow Mitchel back through the door and into the same confrence room as last time.
Sam was putting down her stuff when her new guardian entered. She had just placed the box on the table, careful of the aging cardboard, when she looked up into the gaze of the woman herself. Startled, she emitted a silent squeak of suprise before regaining her composure.
Mrs. Bennett proved to be a youthful looking woman with brown hair, and caring eyes. Sam looked at her curiously- and was suprised for the second time that day when the woman stood up from her chair to greet her.
"Hello, Samantha," she said in a clear, soft voice. "I'm Grace Bennett. You probably don't remember me- the first time I met you was at the funeral. Your mother and I were good freinds in high school. It's very nice to see you again- even if it does have to be under such rotten circumstances."
Sam was momentarily stunned- she dropped the duffel bag she was still holding onto the floor with a suprised thud. Not even her relatives introduced themselves to her- they just showed up to collect her and her baggage and sign the requisite paperwork. "Ah- Thank you, Mrs. Bennett. It's nice to meet you again, too."
Mitchel coughed across the room. Sam flushed.
"And thank you for taking me in," She added, directing an angry glare at him.
Mrs. Bennett shrugged. "It's the least I could do- I volenteered to take you in after the accident, after all. But your family thought it best-" She gestured emphetically.
Well, that's news to me, Sam thought. I'd've taken this lady over my family any day.
"Well, now that you two have met, let's get the paperwork done," Mitchel said hurriedly, breaking in before Sam could react. "I'm sure you're eager to be on your way, Mrs. Bennett."
"Very, actually. My son Jamie's in the car, waiting."
Sam felt a jolt go through her. Jamie-?
Abruptly, she stooped to pick her duffel bag back up. "Here- I can go put my stuff in your car, if you want. It'll help speed things up." Sam offered.
Mitchel raised a suprised eyebrow. Sam never offered to help- she usually didn't speak at all, instead prefering to glare stonily at whatever relative was taking her.
Mrs. Bennett smiled. "Go ahead. Jamie's in the car- he should let you in. It's the blue sedan- I'll be out there as soon as we finish."
Sam nodded, giving the woman a small, tentative smile as she straightened. "Thank you."
Mitchel coughed, to cover his suprise. "Well, then- if you'll follow me, we'll go get the paperwork done."
Sam covered a snicker. Well, Mitchel, you finally did it. A home I actually might like.
She waited until they had dissappeared down the hall before walking out to the Bennett's car. Spying it, tucked into a corner of a parking lot, she walked over and knocked gently on the window, trying not to drop either her box or bag.
The boy inside looked up from whatever he had been entranced in, his light brown eyes curious.
"Hey." Sam said, loud enough to be heard through the window glass. "Can you open the door, please?"
The boy she assumed to be Jamie nodded and laid his book aside, scooting over to the other side of the backseat to open the door for her.
Sam walked around the back of the car to the open door. Carefully, she set the heavy box down on the seat, the duffel bag on the floor, relieved to be rid of the weight.
She wiped her hands off on her jeans and smiled at Jamie. "Thanks. I'm Sam. You're Jamie?" He was rather adorable, she considered, with messy brown hair and those soft brown eyes. Sam suddenly understood why the Guardians might have been so interested in this particular child.
"Yep." he awnsered, already returning to his book, plainly uninterested in her. Sam looked at the title.
"Bigfoot, huh?" She questioned, teasingly.
Jamie looked up at her, suprised. "Yeah- they found DNA in Michigan a couple years ago, and this reasearch team made a book about it."
"Well, I'm from Michigan," Sam said, shutting the door and climbing into the passenger's seat up front.
Jamie's eyes lit up. "Really? That's awesome! Did you ever see one? Ever? And-"
Sam laughed- and immediatly found herself liking Jamie Bennett. "Nope. But I have seen some cool things, before. And not all in Michigan."
"Like what?" Jamie asked curiously, bookmarking his page and setting the book aside. "Is it really true you've been all over the country?"
Sam smiled. "Not quite the whole country- but quite a bit. I've been to California, Arizona, Michigan, of course, I lived in Massachusets for a while. And I've been in Pennsylvania for a while now."
"Did you see the Grand Canyon?" Jamie asked. "Or-"
Just then, Mrs. Bennett appeared in the parking lot, carrying a folder full of paperwork for Sam's custody, and looking very much like she wanted to get under way.
Sam flicked her eyes to her, and then back to Jamie. "Hey, squirt, how 'bout I tell you when we get to your house? 'Cause I have some stories I'm sure you'd love, but I don't want to sound crazy in front of your mom."
"Stories like what?" Jamie asked, sounding very much intrigued- and his eyes growing wide with some realization. "Do you mean, like, stories about the-"
Just then, Mrs. Bennett arrived at the car, unlocking the door.
"Maybe," Sam said, winking at Jamie, before turning back around- realizing, to her own suprise, that it gave her great pleasure to amaze kids, to delight them. "You'll find out."