When she saw Jack's face fill with terror and panic, she was confused. She didn't understand why he was looking at her like she was about to get kidnapped or something.

They won, hadn't they? Pitch was gone thanks to the Sandman.

Everyone was safe and happy, even having a snowball fight. But a sliver of fear made itself known in her stomach as she saw Jack fly towards her.

She was still confused but when she felt a pair of arms go around her waist and neck and she gasped with the harsh cold that those arms brought.

Panic filled her bones as she screamed for Jack, struggling to get him but the arms were too strong.

She saw the pain and horror on Jack's face and she heard someone laugh in her ear and that laugh made her body go cold with dread.

She knew that laugh.

She heard that laugh so many times in dreams right before they turned into nightmares.

She felt herself being dragged away as her heart raced with fear and terror as she struggled to get away, but those arms were so tight and cold and unforgiving that it hurt for her to even breathe.

The fear she was feeling was nothing, nothing, compared to what she had felt in her nightmares because this time, she couldn't wake up.

Because she was already awake and this was a living nightmare.

"Let her go, Pitch. You're outnumbered." Jack said threateningly and she never felt such short lived relief and love until that moment where Jack had come to save her.

But that joy was short lived when the shadows covered her mouth with their cold touch.

Her fear ratcheted up so high, she was almost choking on it. She struggled hard against Pitch's too tight hold on her waist.

She wanted to get away. She wanted to run away and go straight to Jack's arm where she would be safe and unharmed.

"I don't think so, Jack. I wouldn't do that if I were you, Bunnymund. One attack and I send her into a world of nightmares that she will never awake from."

Hearing those words come from Pitch made her whole body drain of blood and her body break out in a cold sweat as he grabbed the back of her head, and pulled, forcing her head back.

She winced, her cries muffled by the shadow that covered her mouth like cool, sticky wax as fire ripped through her skull.

Tears began to fall in earnest now because Pitch was so cold and her head felt like it was being ripped apart and her heart was racing and her adrenaline was coming out in gushes, causing her to tremble and heighten her awareness and she realized how hopeless and vulnerable she was.

"Don't hurt her!" She heard Jack yell and the pain and helplessness in his voice caused her heart to ache.

She wanted to comfort him, to reach for him but she was struggling in Pitch's hold as he laughed and it sent shivers down her spine and all over he body not because of the cold.

Because of how heartless and cruel his laughter was and it sent another bucket load of fear in her body as her skull felt like it was going to come off at any moment because it hurt so much and the more she struggled to get away, the more it hurt.

But she couldn't not try to escape. She had to because Pitch was going to do something to do Jack and he was using her as bait.

She could practically feel the terror and frustration that Jack was feeling in waves and it just pushed her to keep fighting but it also pushed her fear to escalate.

"You like this human girl, don't you, Jack? Not very good for a Guardian, now, is it?"

She whimpered as Pitch tightened the hold on her hair and she wanted to yank his hands away because it was burning her skull. Her skull itched and burned and throbbed with pain as she whimpered into her shadow covered mouth that seemed to be sucking at her mouth and she felt so dirty and useless, unable to escape from Pitch, unwilling to give up even if it was killing her head and body and heart.

"Let the girl go, Pitch. You're outnumbered. You're too weak." Santa Claus said and she saw him hold his swords but she closed her eyes, unable to keep them open because it hurt so much and it helped relieved some of the tingling and burning in her skull.

"Weak, am I? Every second this girl fear hits me, I get stronger. She's filled to the brim with fear and I love it."

She felt sick to her stomach as Pitch's words hit her. She was completely drowning in fear since the moment Pitch had grabbed and she couldn't seem to stop. Every second she was near him, her fear kept growing and growing and she couldn't seem to stop it.

She heard Jack yell and felt something hit the tree behind them, yelling at Pitch to let her go.

Oh, how she wished Pitch would let her go. She was terrified not only for herself but for Jack who seemed completely unhinged at the moment.

She wanted to leave and try to control her fear but couldn't. Pitch was too cold, too ruthless, too strong for her to get away.

"You destroyed everything I cared for. I'm just returning the favor." She heard Pitch say and dread began to fill her body in icy cold drips.

"Do you know what her fear is, Jack? Huh? Do you?"

She struggled and whimpered against Pitch's caress and hold because new terror had seeped in and she was frantic now. She didn't want Pitch to say it. She didn't want Pitch to make her fear come alive.

She didn't want Jack to know.

It was no coincidence that Pitch had taken them to the lake as Jack watched. She didn't want Pitch to know.

She didn't want to die and she was starting to cry now.

"Here's a hint."

No, No, No, No. Stop this!

She wanted to yell out loud but her heart was racing and the blood was drumming in her ear, making it hard to hear except for the pounding of her heart.

"She's scared of the water and do you know what else, Jack?"

GET AWAY! GET AWAY! GET AWAY FROM THE LAKE! GET AWAY!

"She can't swim."

The shadow left her mouth and she screamed in horror and dread as she felt her body drop from Pitch's hold, the air rushing past her, her hair flying up as gravity pulled her down.

She flailed her arms, searching for a hold in the air as her screams ripped her throat out and it was raw.

She heard Jack scream a desperate No, and she wanted to have him save her but it was too late.

The icy cold water swallowed her whole and she nearly screamed under water as the water burned her body. It stung and burned and she was choking on the little water she had consumed before closing her mouth.

The shock of the cold water was harsh on her body and she couldn't even move because it hurt so much, like someone tying her entire body with rope as she struggled in the icy, cold water.

Her lungs were spasming and her body was numb with pain and she was shivering, body hurting so much she could barely think.

She kept kicking and kicking but she was sinking faster and the water was getting colder and her skin felt like it was being burned alive as the water pierced her body like sharp needles.

It was too much for her and she was struggling not to open her mouth that was fighting to get in some air in her body, not knowing it was water that would be coming in and not air.

It felt like trying to hold back a yawn but worse because she was shaking and trying to kick and reach but she was so numb with pain and cold, she couldn't tell which way was up or down.

She was delirious with pain and her lungs were squeezing painfully, burning her, hurting her and her stomach was sucking itself in, forcing her to open her mouth, feeling the back of her throat contract so her mouth would open and she was trying so hard to it, trying not to let it open because she was going to die and her heart was racing too hard and she felt lightheaded from the lack of air.

But oh, the cold. It was so cold and it burned her so much, she couldn't feel her legs and arms anymore.

Her vision was dimming and she was so, so tired as she sank farther away from the tiny hole that would mean freedom.

A nice, warm feeling began to invade her body as her body began to stop fighting, surrendering to the inevitable as her hair floated up and away from her face, her arms and legs floating.

She couldn't feel anything anymore and she couldn't see anymore. She couldn't remember anything. But her body was jerking, her heart was bursting, her lungs were spasming and she couldn't keep her mouth closed anymore.

She couldn't stop anymore.

She couldn't control anything anymore.

She was done.

She opened her mouth...