Confessions

Chapter 7

STILL NOT MINE!

Sophie had to stop at home before she went to the tree-house. She had dressed for the warm spring weather of the Warren. Not the winter temperatures of Burgess. She reached the tree-house before Jack.

When Jack arrived, Sophie was flipping through a journal she had taken from Jamie's room.

"What's that?" Jack asked, sitting next to Sophie.

"This," Sophie said, half closing the cover and tapping on it, her voice choked by tears, "This is what Jamie did during the summer. When you couldn't come to visit him. He...he was compiling information about every immortal or spirit he could. Calls it 'The Encyclopedia Journal.' I added to it a bit, mainly stuff about Aster. He has some stuff about Pitch I thought could help."

Jack wrapped his arm around the 11 year old, "We'll find him Sophie. Don't worry. Now, what do we have on Pitch?" Jack asked, trying to distract himself as much as Sophie.

"He has possible under the bed entrance locations and something about a thing called, 'Fearlings'. It says 'Purpose unclear. Could form Nightmares when mixed with Sandy's dream sand. If human or spirit infected by Fearling...could form True Nightmare.' What's a True Nightmare?" Sophie asked.

"No..." Jack whispered.

"Jack, what is a True Nightmare?" Sophie asked, looking up at the spirit, whose normally pale skin turned as white as a sheet.

"If Pitch infects Jamie with a Fearling...He could destroy the Guardians forever. Jamie is the strongest believer in the world. If Pitch turns him into a True Nightmare, it could weaken the others so much that they disappear completely," Jack said standing and beginning to pace the tree-house.

"But they're immortal! Nothing can kill an immortal," Sophie said, standing too.

"Aster, North, and Tooth are only immortal if they have believers. Sandy and I can go on without believers but not the others. If they don't have enough believers for long enough, they'll start to fade. And when they're gone, nothing can ever bring them back.

"Pitch did it once before. It made his first Nightmare. The only one that has been in every battle against the Guardians. She still has her smarts. I never met her, the real her. But to hear North tell it, she was the most amazing person you'd ever meet. He picked her himself. Aster says he's never been the same since. Always has a hint of sadness in his voice and actions, always a bit mere reserved," Jack said softly, flipping through the book, "Her," Jack said, pointing at a page, "Anya Claus."

"North was married?" Sophie asked incredulously.

"He was in love. Then Pitch took her."

"Wow," Sophie said. "Look at this! Fearling antidote!"

"What? Let me see!" Jack said, taking the book from Sophie. "Sophie, your brother is a genius! We have to show this to North! This could save Mrs. Claus!"
"And Jamie!" Sophie added, standing. "Jamie has more books like this. I'll go get them and we can head back to Santoff Claussen."
"Great," Jack said, flying out of the tree-house.

Sophie climbed down out of the tree-house and ran to her house, filling a bag with her stuff and a bag of Jamie's stuff.

"Okay Jack, let's go," Sophie said, shouldering her pack and wrapping her arms around Jamie's pack after taking a snow globe from the top of the pack.

"Santoff Claussen," she whispered, and threw the portal.

Jack went first, holding the book with the recipe, Sophie close behind.

"North! North! We found it! A cure for Fearlings!" Jack called out into the workshop.

North looked up sadly, "Jack, have told you. Is no cure for Fearling."

"But there is! Jamie found it, we have it right here!" Sophie said, taking the book from Jack and showing North the recipe.

North looked at the book. "Sophie, where did you get this?" North whispered.

"Jamie's been working on this book for eight years, its part of a set, 7th of eight. I grabbed the whole set while I was at home. Is Sammie up?"

"Don't know. I have been working on the globe. Almost got it fixed."

"I'm going to check on Sam. I got something from Jamie's room that might help," Sophie said, turning to go the infirmary.

Jack made to follow, but North put his hand on his shoulder.

"Jack, I need to talk to you."