It's the fear that drew Pitch out of his lair. Not just any fear, either. Children's fear. It felt like so long since he hadn't seen some properly terrified children. He let it guide him to the source. He wondered what had happened. There was something very immediate to that fear. Not children merely getting lost. A bear attack? Maybe. Whatever is was, Pitch savored it.
But the fear was diminishing. It wasn't gone, but it was as if something else was pushing it away. He quickened his pace. A hesitant laugh made him clench his fists.
He came just in time to see a boy pull a younger girl out of danger with a shepherd's crook. They were all smile and relieved laughter. The fear was just gone. Pitch pressed his lips together. He could never have any fun anymore. Not wanting to stay here and watch the happy children, he turned to leave.
The cracking sound gave him a pause and the returned terror made him turn back. A smirk stretched his lips. It seemed that it wasn't over after all. One of the kids had still been standing on thin ice.
"Jack!"
The fear was even stronger now. The girl shouted the name over and over. The boy didn't resurface. Pitch came closer. He wasn't worried about thin ice. He walked to the edge of the hole, where he could have a good view of the little girl. He could see this Jack she kept calling, too. Her brother, most likely. The water was dark but that was no obstacle to him. He wasn't struggling anymore. His fear was fading. He wouldn't be conscious much longer. A pity.
The girl's scream had stopped, but her terror was even stronger. When he looked back at her, she was staring right back. Her eyes wide and terrified, her face drained of blood, she was actually looking at him. Seeing him. Pitch could almost have hugged the girl. Instead, he gave her a sinister smile.
"Hello, little girl."
She stood and tried to run. She stumbled, unsteady on her ice skates. She scrambled back to her feet and kept running. Bellow the ice, he felt nothing more coming from the boy. He was unconscious and soon to be dead. There was no point in staying here.
He had a new toy to play with.
I got my RotG DVD yesterday. Then I promptly got distracted by the book I had ordered at the same time, which is why there wasn't a chapter yesterday. Now that I'm done with my book, I can write again. This one had been on my idea list for a long time. And now I'm off to watch those DVDs (I got HTTYD too, I was previously borrowing it from my dad)
