Noah

It was ten past eight on a Saturday morning –a bright sunny Saturday morning – and I was beginning to get concerned when Mom hadn't risen to make her morning coffee.

"Mom? Mom, are you up yet?"

She was probably still asleep. I left it another fifteen minutes before I decided to wake her up. Where Mom should have been sleeping was just an empty space in the bed.

The next thing I decided to do was try calling her cell. I waited. There was nothing…except perhaps the endless ringing tone. I shook my head,

"C'mon, answer."

This time, the ringing spanned out and when it went to voicemail, the gentle familiarity in Mom's voice frightened me:

Hi, it's Amelia. I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now, so please leave a message.

Then I realised why I was trembling all over: Mom's phone was laying on the table. I told myself:

Maybe she just forgot to pick it up on her way to the store, but then why didn't she take her bag?

When I reached for the phone and started to dial 911, tension had long already snaked into my fists. My mind felt dazed by the quick turnaround everything had taken. Only last night, Mom and I had been watching TV, besides the rational warmth of the open fire.

And now, I was afraid.

It was mid-morning when I snapped to life at the sound of pounding against my door. Much to my surprise, Jamie waited at the edge of the steps. He was accompanied by the twins, Claude and Caleb. Standing beside them were Monty, Pippa and Cupcake.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi," I repeated, "What are you guys doing here?"

"We thought, maybe, you might wanna come sledding with us," Jamie explained.

I stitched a smile. "Sure."

I went to get my sled, paused, looked back. Jamie and his friends were looking at me questionably.

"Is something wrong?" Monty asked.

"Whatever it is, you can tell us," Pippa reassured me.

I wasn't smiling anymore. When I focused myself, I glanced at all of them and explained, "My Mom's missing." They were still chewing this revelation by the time I added, "And I think a ghost pulled us out of the pond."

I envisioned at least one member of the group lifting an eyebrow without saying anything.

"A ghost?" Pippa said.

"Do you think it's your dad?" Jamie asked me.

I shook my head.

"It's not my dad. The last time I saw him – the ghost – was at the hospital, two weeks ago; and he hasn't left me alone."

"Well, guess we'll call in an exorcist," Caleb teased.

"You guys, I'm serious," I added swiftly, "I'm telling you, that ghost, he was real." I lowered my voice. "Come in."

Jamie shot me a reassuring glance.

"I believe you, Noah."

That's why we'd become friends. Jamie was one of the few children who'd placed his faith in the unknown. Intrigued, Jamie Bennett always knew what he wanted to find. Discovering truths that many choose to ignore.

By the time everyone came inside, Pippa and Cupcake had settled in the living room. There was nothing I could say or do to hide my concern so I just smiled at Jamie and said, "Thank you."

We'd begun to walk into the kitchen when Monty's cries left me with an unpleasant dread that left my voice lodged firmly inside my throat.

"I think you guys better see this!"

Before we knew it we'd raced upstairs, Jamie and the others following me from behind. In addition to being a little out of breath and dumfounded by my mother's disappearance, I had a clear free-running sense of what I saw sprinkled on the carpet and on Mom's bed.

Black sand.

Jamie's eyes grew wide.

"What?" I promoted. "Jamie, what's going on?"

"You mean you don't know?" Cupcake murmured from behind me.

"About what?"

"Remember that year at Easter when there weren't any eggs or when the Tooth Fairy never came?" Jamie began. "Four years ago?"

"Yeah."

"There's no easy way to explain this, but…Pitch Black did it."

Disbelief threatened to submerge me.

"Who's he?"

"The Boogeyman," Pippa answered.

Cupcake held my gaze. "He's the reason we had nightmares."

"But he was defeated!" Monty started to yell, "How can he be back?"

"Pitch said Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman and Jack couldn't get rid of him forever," Jamie told us, "There would always be fear."

I blinked, staring stone faced at them. For a second, I wondered if we were climbing into a hole too deep to get out of.

"The night I lost my dad, during the crash… all of us got scared, really scared." My eyes threatened tears. "I think my mom and I caused Pitch to come back. Now he's stalking us."

Jamie reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"And maybe he's taken your mom," he murmured.

Jamie found his eyes dragged away from me, towards the window. Everyone looked around and saw the snowflakes drifting in from outside.

"Jack!" Jamie cried.

I turned to him. "What are you doing here?"

Jack said nothing, just leapt through the window, clutching his staff. There was silence for the next few seconds, broken only by Jack's uneven breaths.

"Wait here." A note of concern had snaked into his voice. "Just, wait here."

An image came to me of myself and the others hopefully trying to get him to calm down. He turned and disappeared into my room. When he reappeared, he crouched down and dived looks between Jamie and me.

"Has anyone been in here?"

As Jamie and I looked at each other, I scooped up the black sand from Mom's pillow and placed it in Jack's hands. Against the brightness of the sun, his face looked pale. Then his eyes widened.

"Pitch? He's supposed to be gone!"

And then, almost to myself, I murmured, "We think he's got my mother."

"But she's an adult. Why would he take her?"

"Jack," I said slowly, "There's no easy way of saying this, but my mom and I are the ones who brought him back. We didn't know. But he…he…he saved us! He just wasn't quick enough to save my dad."

"From what?" Jack asked, "Noah, what are you talking about?"

"Mom lost control of the car and we almost drowned," I told him, "Pitch pulled us out of the pond."

Jack shook his head.

"He saved our lives," I continued. "But I don't know why he's kidnapped my Mom."

I stood trembling, rooted to the spot, as Jack ran a hand through his hair. Jamie watched him, worried.

"This can't be happening…" he trailed off.

"Now what are we supposed-"

Something had startled us. We waited in the glowing sun and the bitterly cold wind which howled through the window, like a warning. Cupcake and Pippa were the first to peer towards the hallway as a key turned in the main lock in the door.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Gavin shouted.

"It's me!" I answered.

In a low, hushed tone, Caleb muttered, "Why does he have a key to your house?"

"He's a family friend," I explained. "Before Mom, Dad and I moved in, he used to live here."

"Does she know?" Pippa whispered. "About the key?"

It only occurred to me now that I didn't know the answer. In fact, I had never known. I never knew this might one day be important, not even when Gavin helped Mom, Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle John with Dad's funeral. Oh God, I hope Mom knew.

"Noah!" Gavin said. "I thought you'd be out."

When I was about to respond, Monty suddenly sneezed. Cupcake shot him a glare then looked awkwardly at me.

"Oh. You've got company," he went on. "Where's your mother?"

"Sleeping," I lied.

Gavin stood motionless at the bottom of the stairs. He hovered in front of the door, folding his arms, waiting.

"Can you wake her?"

I shook my head.

"She's working late tonight. She needs time to rest."

"Amelia!"

"She's asleep."

"I don't think she is. In fact, I don't think she's here at all, is she?"

I swallowed hard.

"The truth is… she's gone missing."

If you looked into Gavin's mind, you'd see the soul of a calm, patient man. The others, including Jack, gathered at the top of the stairs, looking down at him as Jamie held my gaze, and playing along, suggested, "Should we call the cops?"

"It hasn't been twenty-four hours, they won't even start looking for Amelia. Didn't anyone ever tell you that?"

While Jamie stood there stunned, Jack shot Gavin a look of complete and utter distain. According to Jamie, Jack never had much patience with adults anyway. To him, they were too ordinary, boring, always running around without any time to have fun. But such was life.

I knew nothing of Gavin approaching Jack and didn't even register it until he'd walked right through him. I squared my shoulders, looking Gavin right in the eyes.

"Why are you here?"

"Your father left some things for me," he answered. "I came to collect them."

No one said a thing.

Jack scoffed after Gavin left.

"Can you believe that guy?" he said to no one in particular, and stared at Jamie longer than he'd intended to.

I lowered my gaze and murmured, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry," Jack told me.

"Gavin's usually like that, especially when he's upset. It's been a difficult time lately."

"You think because of that that he might give you a break," Cupcake said, disgusted.

Pippa's eyes gleamed with instant recognition. She spoke to all of us, although she looked at Jamie.

"Why did your mom look so uncomfortable when he showed up to Mr Ryan's funeral?"

"Because she'd filed a restraining order," Jamie replied.

I froze. This was new information.

"How long have you known?"

"A few days."

"Why, Jamie?"

"I don't know," he said, "Noah, I don't know. But your mother's Kleptomania came up in conversation."

Jack knitted his eyebrows.

"What's Kleptomania?"

I let out a long breath and explained, "It means she takes things. She feels okay when she's doing it, then afterwards she starts to feel bad."

"Good."

I shot Jack a disapproving glare.

"That's exactly what Pitch did," he went on.

"My mom's nothing like him."

"Are you sure?" Jack responded.

"Of course I'm sure!" I snapped. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"It's okay." Facing Jamie, he asked, "Did your mom know Gavin came here again?"

Jamie shook his head.

"I don't think so."

Jack took a deep breath, opened his mouth, then closed it. Looking at him, I realised I didn't want to ask what he was thinking after all. My concern for Mom was always there, especially after what Gavin said earlier. But he didn't know the truth like us. Because he hadn't seen. Or believed. I was already walking into the living room when a hand fell on my shoulder.

"I have an idea," Jack said.

A little way outside my house, the street ended at the crossroads. Once Jack waited for Jamie and I to catch up, we realised he was reaching into his pocket and holding something.

"The snow globe?" Jamie asked curiously.

"Well if I'm taking you both to the Pole, I figured we should at least have a decent shortcut."

"All right," I said, "Where exactly did you get that?"

"I may have borrowed it on my way over," Jack told me.

Jamie's eyebrows rose.

"I see."

Jack threw it high into the air, and when it transformed into a portal, we followed.

As our feet touched the ground, Jamie and I glimpsed around in awe.

"This place is amazing."

"Wow."

We heard footsteps and saw Jack was approaching.

"Pretty cool, huh?"

"Jack!" A Russian voice shouted.

We met the wide eyes of an evidently bewildered Santa.

"WHAT ARE THEY DOING HERE?"

Much to my surprise, I realised the second voice belonged to the Easter Bunny. He was much taller than I originally thought, about six foot and I didn't expect him to be Australian either.

"Hi." My voice had gone quiet, but my expression remained calm. "It's nice to finally meet you in person."

"Wait a minute!" a female voice quipped and before I knew it, the Tooth Fairy hovered in front of Jamie and smiled at him.

"You're a lot taller than I remembered."

At that, Jamie chuckled.

"It's good to see you again, Tooth."

I stepped back a bit. That was the moment she embraced Jamie and peered over his shoulder.

"Noah?"

"Hello."

"Hi."

Afterwards, I realised Jamie was exchanging hugs with a much smaller figure.

"Sandman!" I exclaimed, "How are you?"

He grinned and raised both thumbs.

As Jamie and the Guardians began speaking to each other, I paced over to the window and stared down at the mountains. Then ran both hands over my face and started to dry my eyes. Jack crouched down and continued to hold my gaze.

"Don't worry. We'll find your mom soon."

"Wait, what?" Bunny asked. "What do you mean? What's going on?"

Jack sighed.

"Pitch is back, and we think he's got Noah's mom."

"Mate, tell me you're joking."

Jamie and I shook our heads as Jack inclined himself and replied, "Pitch pulled Amelia and Noah out of the pond because their fear was strong enough to set them free. After that, he wouldn't leave them alone."

"So now he's taken Amelia?" Tooth concluded.

"If he's supposed to frighten children, why has he turned to adults?" Jamie wondered.

"I'm not sure. None of us are," Jack went on. "If we look into Noah's memories – or Jamie's – maybe we'll find answers."

My throat went dry, but I started to try to say something anyway. Before I could make a sound, Jamie managed to cut in first.

"This is so weird."

What escaped from my throat was a terrified exhalation of air. I moved my head so that I was looking at Tooth, my tone and face grave when I asked, "So where do we start searching? Wherever Pitch is keeping my mother, do you think we can get inside?"

"I'm not sure," Bunny admitted. "Last time we looked, Pitch's lair was sealed right under. We had no way of getting in at all."

I hesitated for a moment then said, "So we look someplace else."

Jamie nodded his agreement.

"But where?"

"Jack and I will take the kids to my palace. If Jamie and Noah can look into their memories, maybe we'll find clues," Tooth explained.

After North threw the portal into the air, Jack, Jamie and I followed Tooth through it. We arrived at a grand palace incremented with detail then moved slowly through the building and came after Tooth.

At the end of the corridor was another of many rows containing boxes of teeth, all stored in alphabetical order. While I waited with Jamie and Jack, Tooth reappeared holding Jamie's memory box and passed it to him. That was the moment I chose to look around. I turned and saw Jamie opening his box and when Jack asked him if he remembered anything important about the last few days, he shook his head and placed his golden box back onto its shelf.

We came to another one after five minutes. One that had 'NOAH RYAN' plated with gold. I hesitated a moment, looking the three of them right in the eyes.

"Don't worry," Jack teased, "These ones don't bite."

And when I peered towards the shelf, I felt my stomach drop. They must have been aware I was frightened, because they looked at me as though struggling to search my eyes. When Jamie said my name, I turned to him and replied, "My teeth are missing."