Chapter Three
Author's Note : I'm starting to love this story myself… let's hope it doesn't end badly, since I have several ideal chapters in my mind. Here is a short chapter to everyone who loves ROTG out there! Remember, R&R…
Jack waved his hand, and darkness seeped out, obscuring the four Guardians' sight. Then it cleared, and the Guardians gasped in fear and horror at the sight in front of them : even in the complete darkness, they could see outlines of children, young or close to adulthood, were all trapped in small metal cages. All of them had a slightly crazed look to their eyes, which were black voids like Jack's, only said boy's was much more dead and deadlier.
"Fear, that's right," a voice that vibrated throughout the vast dark cavern without a single ounce of light sent a chill down the four Guardians' spines. Sandy cautiously magicked up some glittering sand whips that provided a tiny spark of light. Up close, the children looked even more lifeless, they just sat there with their legs crossed, not moving and blinking slowly like a zombie.
"Who are you, and why have you brought us here?" North demanded, trying his best to keep his brave facade, while Tooth was fluttering around trying to get the children to talk and cheer up to no avail, they could be corpses if not for the slow and hypnotic rise and fall of their chests.
"Oh, I think you've heard about me," the voice, which the Guardians agreed it wasn't Jack, it was way more creepier, continued. "The monster who hides under children's beds, the monster who preys on fears, the monster who is also known as Pitch Black, Boogeyman," the person, now known as Pitch Black, snarled like the feral monster he was.
The Guardians did indeed knew Pitch Black, for he was one of the mythical legends like Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman, which they believed in, even at their age. But they didn't fear him.
"So?" Bunny challenged. "Why bring us here?"
Pitch seemed surprised. "You believe me, but not fear me…" he mused slowly. "How interesting, you Guardians. But interesting won't save your happy human lives. Jack, take them to the Horror Chambers,"
The dark boy, whom they came to the conclusion that he was also one of the children that had been bewitched (though the others were in cages and he was not), suddenly appeared in front of them. "Here, let me show you your chambers, which you will be staying there for a long time," he said, chaining the now not struggling Guardians and gliding them deeper into the cavern. "What does a long time equal to?" North asked, feeling queasy. "My, you lot do ask many questions. Hm, for you four, maybe 75 years, give or take," he replied with amusement. Bunny suddenly spoke up. "How long did it take you to submit to that monster?"
Jack chuckled darkly. " 200 hundred years," he lapsed into silence, leaving the Guardians to wonder if he was tricking them or not.
They continued, not sure they were going up or down now. If anything, the darkness seemed to grow, enveloping them in a threatening way that created new goosebumps onto the old ones.
They came to an abrupt stop, causing North to bump into Bunny, Bunny into Tooth and Tooth onto Sandman.
They couldn't help themselves, they laughed. Even in the grim, scary and frightening situation, they laughed, a sound of mirth. Pure, innocent, untainted mirth, however small it was. The darkness seemed to freeze around, then started to seep away. Gasps could be heard as the children reawaken, some cringing in fear, but most of them in hope, and Bunny smiled, causing the tiniest bit of light to appear. Children clapped and laughed and marvelled at the light, but more cheered in awe at the sand Sandy made into sand animals.
They were so distracted they almost missed the cry of rage from Pitch, he growled, and the children whimpered and returned to their first state. Sandy caused the sand animals to disparate. But now the Guardians had hope that the children could return to their original.
Hope.
Now, that wan't a cliff hanger, was it?