Time for another update. Hopefully people continue to enjoy what I have in mind for this story.

By morning, there was no sign of the storm from the night before. With daylight streaming through the window as she scrambled into her chair for breakfast, it would have been easy for Lucy to dismiss the thunderstorm and everything else that happened from her mind. But she knew it was real. She knew he was real.

"Did everyone sleep well?" asked Mommy as she set plates in front of her hungry children.

"The Boogeyman was in my closet," Lucy said simply as she scooped up a spoonful of scrambled eggs.

She received looks of sympathy from both her parents as they sat down across from her. Ben's expression suggested he was about to laugh at her. Lucy dropped her gaze to the orange toy cat in her lap. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. Her brother would tease her now.

"Did the storm give you nightmares again?" asked Mommy. "I'm sorry."

"What a baby," Ben muttered, picking up a piece of bacon.

"Benjamin Edwards, be nice to your little sister," said Daddy in a scolding tone. "You didn't like storms much either when you were her age."

"It wasn't a dream," Lucy said. "My nightlight went out last night. And the Boogeyman showed up in my closet. The storm, the dark, and him were all real and all scary. Honest."

Her mother gave her a comforting smile. Mommy looked more like Ben with their light brown hair while Lucy and Daddy shared black hair. She did share Mommy's light brown eyes rather than Daddy's darker ones. Mommy was just so pretty and nice. But Lucy knew she didn't believe her.

"I know you think it was real, but there's nothing to be afraid of," said Mommy. "Your father and I have told you before that monsters aren't real. They're just make-believe. There was nothing in your closet, Sweetheart. There is no such thing as the Boogeyman."

"Yes, there is," she said stubbornly. "He's tall, has gray skin, and glowing gold eyes. And he talked to me. He was scary. Not mean, but still scary."

"Dreams can seem very real, Lucy," said Daddy. "But they can't hurt you. It was just a nightmare caused by the storm and your imagination. The Boogeyman is just a story."

Lucy gave up. They wouldn't believe her, no matter what she said. They wouldn't believe the Boogeyman was real. They wouldn't believe that he came to her room in the middle of the night. And they never would. So she just quietly finished breakfast and hopped out of her chair.

Lucy headed towards her room, whispering into her toy cat's ears. Kitty might not be alive and was only a pretend friend, but she was still a good friend to play with and would always listen. Kitty might be a toy, but she would believe Lucy because that's how pretend friends work. Besides, Kitty would have seen and heard the Boogeyman too. She was in the room that night. So Lucy carried her orange stuffed animal up the stairs and whispered about how the Boogeyman was real.

As she reached up for the doorknob, Kitty was abruptly yanked out of her grasp. Lucy spun around with a cry of protest already on her lips. Ben stood on his tiptoes and dangled Kitty just out of reach. He smirked as the girl tried to get her toy back, practically jumping for the stuffed animal. She knew better than to go crying to Mommy and Daddy over this. Being a tattletale would only make things worse.

"Give her back," she said, stretching as high as she could.

"Why? You gonna cry like a little baby?"

"She's mine. Play with your own toys."

Still dangling Kitty just out of reach, Ben said, "Come on and jump. Jump for it."

"Stop it. You're being mean."

"Are not. You're just a baby. You're always crying and scared all the time."

"Give her back, Ben."

Sneering at the shorter child, he continued, "Maybe the Boogeyman will gobble you up next time. I hear scared little girls are the tastiest."

"Nuh-uh," said Lucy, her voice starting to quiver slightly. "He wouldn't eat me."

With the smug look of someone who possessed all the knowledge of the second grade plastered on his face, Ben said, "Uh-huh. Monsters always eat kids. That's what they do in all the stories. If you aren't careful, he'll crawl out of your closet again and get you."

"Stop it, Ben. And give Kitty back now."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, tossing the stuffed animal back at her. "Here. A scaredy cat for the scaredy cat."

Lucy hugged Kitty close as Ben stalked off. Her brother headed for his room while she hurried into her own, stroking the orange fur gently. Once she closed the door, the girl slumped down to the floor and blinked her burning eyes rapidly.

Ben was right. She was a scaredy cat and a baby. He wasn't afraid of anything. That didn't mean he needed to be so mean.

She wouldn't cry. Lucy rubbed her burning eyes with her hand. This wasn't enough to make her cry. Ben picking on her a little was normal. Sometimes it bothered her, but he knew better than to push Lucy until she cried. Mommy and Daddy would get mad at Ben and he'd get in trouble. But that didn't mean she liked him taking her belongings or calling her names.

Or telling her things that would give her nightmares.

Lucy glanced at her closet across the room. In the daylight, there was nothing much to see. Her clothes hung in a neat row and she could even see the wall behind them. There was nowhere to hide in there. Mommy and Daddy would say nothing could sneak into her room from her closet. But night time was different. With shadows and darkness, the closet transformed into something different and Lucy knew the Boogeyman came from there.

He seemed scary. Not mean, but scary. He wouldn't eat her. Ben was just making stuff up. He wanted to scare her. The Boogeyman didn't want to gobble her up. He wouldn't come back to eat her.

…Right?

Lucy hugged Kitty closer. She didn't know why the Boogeyman showed up last night. Maybe she was wrong and he did want to eat her. Maybe her nightlight chased him off just in time. Now that Ben brought up the idea, Lucy couldn't get it out of her head. It didn't seem as scary while the Boogeyman was gone and the sun was out, but she knew she would be afraid when night fell.

And she was starting to feel afraid already.

Pitch managed to shake off the effect of seeing the girl. It took longer than he expected. But once he felt more like himself, or at least his newest version of himself, he went back out. Avoiding the Tooth Fairy's flock and the tendrils of Dream Sand, Pitch sought out other children. He made the mistake with the girl of trying to turn her fear toward him. He should have left it alone. For the others, he simply worked with the fear already in place. Pitch coaxed their terror of storms, heights, aggressive animals, spiders, and monsters into something stronger. Those fears were legitimate things to be cautious about. Those were fears worth cultivating.

So he managed to spread fears to a handful of children across the world without catching the attention of the Guardians. And even more importantly, Pitch didn't have another unexpected reaction to one of the children. After the first girl, everything went smoothly.

Somewhere in Norway, while whispering into the ear of a boy to beware of wandering into the mountainous forest near his home, he heard it. A fear began to echo around the back of his mind. It wasn't from someone close to him. It wasn't an especially powerful fear either. Not like what he encountered with the girl. No, this wasn't an overwhelming terror that rang out across the world. This was more direct and personal.

"I'm afraid the Boogeyman wants to eat me. I'm scared my brother was telling the truth and the Boogeyman will eat me."

Pitch smiled at the whispered fear. Someone believed in him. Someone feared him. Someone truly believed and feared him. That's what he wanted. Granted, her quiet fears weren't very accurate, but they were still about him. Those fears were the ones he sought out above all others. Fears about himself provided the most power.

He melted into the closest shadows. And with a vaguely familiar voice whispering in his mind, Pitch traced the fear back to its source. The morning daylight streamed in, prompting a little caution from him. While he was once strong enough to withstand direct sunlight when he attacked the Tooth Fairy's palace, he didn't think he should risk it yet. So he began to reform beneath a bed where the shadows were darkest.

Pitch only materialized partially, the space beneath the twin-sized bed slightly limited. The carpet felt soft under his hands a few dust-bunnies lurked with him. The bed was pushed against the wall on one side, providing a little more darkness for his comfort. And beyond the shelter of the bed, Pitch saw the source of the fear. He saw the one who fear and believed in him, one of the little lights that occupied his hollow metal globe.

The girl with the absolute terror of the dark. The black-haired girl who looked impossibly familiar. He saw her sitting on the floor next to door, her legs drawn up and hugging an orange stuffed animal. Her fear wasn't as strong as the night before. She mostly seemed upset, but the fear was there. Fear directed towards him, which made up for how small it was. And because he was not caught unprepared and with the daylight making the differences easier to see, her appearance didn't drag up those ancient memories as badly this time.

"What if the Boogeyman really does want to eat me? What if Ben was right? That scares me."

"You know, I may have to meet this Ben person who speaks so highly of me."

The yelp and the spike of fear from the child felt nice. She jumped and scrambled to her feet, her eyes searching for him. The girl was such a frightened and timid thing, dressed in a green shirt and blue shorts. It was glorious. Pitch felt perfectly satisfied to bask in her terror of him a little longer.

"He's back. The Boogeyman is back, I can't see him, and he's going to eat me. I'm scared. I didn't think he could come here during the day. I'm scared. Where is he? The Boogeyman will get me."

"W-where are you?" she whispered.

She glanced at the closet, making him chuckle. Another increase in her fear as she jumped at the sound just made Pitch laugh a little more. He may not have his world filled with terror, which would admittedly not work out well for anyone else, but this wasn't bad. Sometimes even the little things could be the most pleasurable.

"The closet may offer more space, but I prefer somewhere not quite as bright," said Pitch smoothly. "During the day, your closet just doesn't have the right foreboding atmosphere that I require. You only fear your closet when the shadows conceal the contents from sight. And it no longer has many shadows for me to gain entry. Traveling by shadows is faster than any other method. No matter how quickly you run, no matter what shortcuts used, and no matter how fast even light travels, darkness will already be there waiting. And so will I."

She didn't seem to completely understand what he meant, but the child still seemed intimidated. She also seemed to take his hint. Or perhaps she just managed to follow his voice. The girl lay on her stomach and peered under the bed. With him pressed at the very back where it was the darkest, there wouldn't be much to see where he melded directly with the shadows. She still managed to meet his eyes with her nervous gaze though.

"Are you going to eat me?" she asked quietly.

"Please don't eat me. I'm a little afraid."

Grinning in the darkness, Pitch said, "While an interesting idea, eating children is not my preference."

"What's that mean?" she interrupted.

"It means I usually don't like eating children and choose not to. I leave that to the other monsters and spirits. There are enough predators stalking in the darkness with a taste for human flesh and bloodshed. Redcaps, trolls, Baba Yaga, ogres, kelpies, Krampus, wendigo, strigoi… With so many out there who would want to eat you, there is no reason why I should need to join them."

And that sparked off another wave of fears. At this distance and with a little focus, Pitch could pick up every fear that plagued the child. Even those that weren't currently affecting her at the moment and were simply buried in her heart waiting to strike, he could hear them whispering in his head.

"I'm afraid of all those monsters the Boogeyman named, even if I don't know what all of them are. And the Boogeyman is still kind of scary, even if he isn't going to eat me. I'm afraid of the dark. I'm afraid of thunderstorms. I'm afraid of heights. I'm afraid of deep water. I'm afraid of big dogs. I'm afraid of going to school in the fall and meeting all those strange people. I'm afraid that Ben will someday get completely tired of me, start hating me, and won't want to play with me ever again. And I'm afraid of being afraid forever."

So many fears. She must live in constant terror. What a wonderful discovery. This was what he needed. His own personal frightened believer, a tiny and terrified light on the globe. Anytime that he might need a little more power, this child would be easy to provoke into fear that he could use. She would be worth keeping track of. Especially if some of her other fears turned out to be as powerful as her terror of the dark.

"Are… are they going to eat me, Mr. Boogeyman?" she asked.

Smiling at her fright, Pitch said honestly, "They could eat you. But not today. Most don't prowl around here, though a few can travel. They lurk in the wild places that children are told not to go. If you should walk somewhere you shouldn't and fear grips your heart for reasons you can't explain, then you may have wandered where monsters dwell. But for now, I am the only one here. For now, you do not need to fear being eaten in your home. There are far more and far better reasons to be afraid."

Some of her terror lessened, but it didn't completely fade. Still lying on her stomach, the girl cuddled her toy closer. She didn't do anything else though. She just stared into the darkness under her bed, her eyes wide.

"If you aren't here to eat me and no one else wants to eat me, why'd you come back, Mr. Boogeyman?" she asked.

"Your fear called to me. Even from half a world away, it called to me. I always hear when someone is afraid of me. And I'm the Boogeyman. Not Mr. Boogeyman." He paused briefly before adding, "My name is Pitch Black."

She blinked in surprise and said, "Okay. Nice to meet you, Pitch Black. My name's Lucy Edwards, but everyone calls me 'Lucy'." Propping her head up with one arm, she continued, "You said you heard something calling you. How? I didn't say anything."

"You didn't call me. Your fears did. I know what everyone fears. I always know. I can hear it. And when someone is afraid of me, I can tell no matter how far away. So when you sat there afraid that I wished to eat you because someone named Ben told you so, I heard those fears. I heard those fears in your heart and curiosity compelled me to investigate."

"I'm scared a lot," she said in a very matter-of-fact manner. "You must hear lots of stuff."

"Many fears indeed. There are many different types buried in your heart. Almost all the common childhood fears are accounted for. And so powerful and clear. The dark especially affected you last night."

She nodded and said, "My brother says I'm a coward. He's not scared of anything."

"I doubt it," said Pitch dryly. "If I've learned anything in my time on this world, it's that everyone is afraid of something."

"Even Ben?"

"Even the Ben that makes up stories about my dining preferences. He has fears just like anyone else."

Her fear was giving way to curiosity, which was a shame. Pitch knew he should either leave in search of other frightened children or scare the girl more. With so many fears, it would be laughable easy. A few carefully chosen words were all it would take.

A question briefly crossed his mind. Why was he talking to the girl this much? Some of it was taunting her with the monsters that lurked out in the world, the types that would eat her like she feared. But some of it was become pure conversation. What purpose did it serve to tell her his name or to explain what drew him to her home? It did not make her more afraid or believe in him more. In fact, the unknown was often more frightening than when someone knew all the facts. He should force her back into fear like he was meant to.

Then she smiled briefly at the creature lurking beneath her bed and she again looked painfully similar to another little girl from so long ago.

…His daughter laughed as he spun her around in his arms. She was so small, barely able to speak yet. But she was so cheerful and wonderful even as a toddler. He loved her dearly. His girl was such a precious thing…

… The smile that spread across her face as it sank in that they were serious made the whole thing worth it. He and his wife watched the girl practically jump in excitement. She could scarcely believe the little schooner was meant for her…

… Kneeling down to face her, he said gently, "I'll be back soon."

He smiled at his daughter encouragingly and brushed the black hair out of her face. He saw a slight softening of her expression. She couldn't stay mad for long. She was too much of a joyful child to hold a grudge over this for long. A joyful, wild, and fearless child that anyone father would be proud to claim. By tomorrow she would forgive him and sneak out for adventures on her schooner. Hopefully she would stay close and not worry her mother too much. And he would make everything up to her when he returned.

"Promise?" she asked, letting a little hope for his quick return slide into her expression.

Meeting her eyes firmly, he answered, "On my soul."

She briefly hugged his neck. Then he stood and turned to his waiting ship, hearing his wife call their child back to the house. He resisted the urge to turn and look back at them. Leaving was always hard. But it shouldn't take long to handle a few raiding pirates. He would see them again in almost no time…

Not her. It wasn't her. The girl smiling into the darkness only vaguely looked like her. Lucy wasn't that long-gone child. There was no reason why she should spark off those ancient memories and the ghosts of old emotions.

He shook his head sharply as Pitch melted back into the darkness. There was no reason to remain while the girl's fears faded. He would be better off spending his time evoking fear in others rather than wasting it on the girl. He didn't need the distraction that her appearance kept causing.

Pitch aimed for Asia, searching for a child to frighten. There were plenty of children on that continent. For now, he put the girl out of his mind.

Lucy blinked in surprise. He was gone. Even though she could barely see under her bed beyond the occasional glint of gold from his eyes, she could tell the moment he disappeared. The room just seemed emptier.

Pitch Black the Boogeyman. Lucy turned it over in her mind a few times. His name was Pitch Black. The Boogeyman had a name. She never really thought that monsters and scary creatures might have names. Maybe being the Boogeyman was a job or something, like the President or the King and Queen in all the fairies tales. He was the Boogeyman, but his name could also still be Pitch Black. She thought the name suited the scary figure.

Lucy pushed herself up and said, "So he's not going to eat me, Kitty. Ben was wrong. But he's still scary. And he knows lots of scary stuff."

She'd heard about trolls and ogres. They were in fairy tales and were always mean and scary monsters. And they were also supposed to be make-believe, but Mommy and Daddy said the same thing about the Boogeyman. So Lucy thought the other things, the Redcaps and other stuff, were probably mean and scary monsters too. Pitch said they like to eat people. But he also said they didn't live close and wouldn't come eat her in her home.

"What do you think, Kitty?" she asked. "What do you think about the Boogeyman?"

Because Kitty was a pretend friend, she didn't actually answer Lucy out-loud. But that didn't stop the girl from asking and from imagining what Kitty might say. And Lucy knew exactly what her friend would want to say about the scary Boogeyman that snuck into her room.

"Yeah, me too," she said. "Do you think he'll be back?"

She stared at the orange stuffed animal for a moment before hugging Kitty tight. They both knew the Boogeyman would be back. He said fear called him. And Lucy was afraid all the time.

She was scared of Pitch Black, just like she was scared of everything else. But he didn't act mean so far. He didn't call her a coward or make fun of her even when he found out how many things she was afraid of. He was just scary. That's not too bad, right? If Pitch came back, he would scare her a little. But Lucy believed she wouldn't mind too much.

And so we get to see a little more of Lucy and her family. Ben isn't the nicest big brother, but not everyone is nice when they're about seven or eight. But I hope that you enjoyed the chapter.

Remember, writers love hearing from their readers. Feel free to leave reviews and such. They are always appreciated.