Chapter 5
By the next morning, Grace did her morning ritual and then headed out to the woods, carrying her sketchbook with her cat following behind.
"Hello? Pitch, are you here?" she called out.
"I am," he said from behind and Grace jumped in surprise. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"Liar, you enjoy giving children a scare," she replied.
"True, but only to the bad ones," Pitch said and noticed Canaletto, brushing up against his leg.
"How odd, Canny never warms up to strangers that quickly," Grace said as Pitch petted the Ragdoll cat.
The boogeyman then noticed Grace's sketchbook. "How often do you come to these woods to draw?" he asked.
"I don't just come here, I go anywhere, see," Grace said and featured a drawing of a farmhouse. "For today, I want to sketch Erebos, if he is fine by that," she added.
The Pegasus lifted his head when he heard his name and gave a loud neigh.
"I take that as a yes," Grace said and Pitch nods in agreement.
Then, Erebos got down on his knees and started to roll in the dirt. "Erebos!" Pitch exclaimed, he was embarrassed by what the Pegasus was doing.
"No, wait, let him do it," Grace said and watched carefully. When Erebos was done, he got up from the ground and shook his body and flapped his wings.
Grace shut her eyes and then opened them, again and began to draw.
Pitch watched the girl's hands as she ever so elegantly drew the Pegasus when he was rolling in the dirt.
When she was finished, Grace showed the piece to Pitch. He was quite speechless of how detailed the Pegasus was, including his head and legs.
"Now I want to draw your hands," Grace said and Pitch looks at her in surprise.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"Your hands, I like to draw them," Grace repeated and she took them in hers. "Your hands are so cold," she added.
"I know," Pitch said, but didn't give an explanation.
Grace positioned the boogeyman's hands the way she wanted them to be. "Now stay still, don't move them," she commanded and began to draw.
The way she posed Pitch's hands made them look like he was cradling one with the other. He stayed still for a long time, but he was patient and waited for Grace to finish.
A few minutes passed and she was done, Grace showed her finished work. "I have to say Grace, you surprise me every time," Pitch said, astonished by Grace's piece of his hands.
"Grace!" someone shouted from the house.
"That's my mum, I have to go," the girl said and packed up to leave.
"Grace, can I ask you something?" Pitch asked and she looks at him, "I would like for you to do another sketch of me."
"Maybe someday, but I have to go," Grace replied and left him.
Erebos nudges his muzzle at Pitch and the nightmare king scratches behind the Pegasus' ear.
"I wonder what my old friend is thinking, if he saw this," he said and Erebos shakes his head.