This Chapter will explain a few things, probably. Ema gets worked up in this chapter, and her biggest fear is revealed. I hope you enjoy.
When I awoke, I was on the ground with a pounding headache.
"Ah my head," I said rubbing it. "That was embarrassing. I should be more careful next time," I said getting up, chuckling, and brushing the dust off myself. There was one thing I was wondering at the time: Where was Jack? I looked around; it was hard to see things through the fog. Wait a minute, when did the fog get there?
I searched for Jack through the fog, calling out his name, and then I found him.
"Jack," I exclaimed happily. "Did you see what I did up there? It was amazing; I didn't even know I had it in me." Jack didn't even acknowledge I was there; he just stood there looking at the ground. Why wasn't he saying anything?
"Weren't you worried about me? I mean I just fell from the sky. Why didn't you come looking for me?"
Jack then gave me a dark look, like I was the most despicable person on earth, then he walked away.
"Jack, where are you going? Don't leave, please!" I started to run after him, but then I felt the pain of being passed through as Kayla ran after him, and I found out I couldn't go any further because an invisible wall was blocking my path. I turned around, and I got rushed by a herd of nightmares. I screamed.
I fell down a dark hole, and as I landed I didn't get up just yet, I just trembled. I didn't get up until I heard a too familiar voice.
"You are an interesting character Ema Fay." It was Pitch. I jumped to my feet and went to pull out my bow and arrow, yet I couldn't for some reason.
"Where's my stuff," I asked angrily as I realized my quiver was gone.
"What's the good of a nightmare if you could defend yourself?"
"This isn't real," I realized.
"I don't know," he said coyly. "It's more real than what's happening outside."
"How so?"
"Outside, you are just tossing and turning. In here you know what's scaring you."
"I know all about illusions, they make you see and feel things even though nothing's there. This is just another one of them. It's not real. That irks you, doesn't it, when I say it's not real." I was smiling. If Pitch was irked, he wasn't showing it.
"It's real in a sense; this nightmare reveals something about you."
"Like what?"
"It shows that in your own head, you have no power. Makes sense, seeing that outside your head you have powers that you would only have in a dream. It's only fair. I guessing that's why you don't sleep, you're afraid of being powerless."
"I didn't even know that would happen, so therefore, I wasn't afraid!"
"Maybe, or maybe not; you probably knew it subconsciously."
"I don't sleep, because the Sandman never gives me any dreams, and if I slept it would just get in the way of what I could be doing."
"Yet you don't do anything at night, you close your eyes and think. I think it's because you want to sleep and have dreams, but you can't."
"What's wrong with wanting to be a little normal?"
"That's right, you always wanted a family. Never a forged one, a real one, with real feelings, where the feelings are mutual, in fact I think you wanted one with Jack, but it could never be because you knew he never felt the same for you; friends and nothing more."
"I didn't make one with Jack because it would be forged," I was starting to cry, but I wasn't turning blue. Maybe I really was powerless in here. "How am I even having a nightmare, if I don't sleep," I said frantically trying to change the subject.
"That was my doing. When you blew up my nightmares, the sand went all over the place and it seems a grain lodged itself in your eye. Now whenever you go to sleep, you'll have nightmares."
"I just won't go to sleep."
"It's not that easy now. The nightmare sand makes you want to fall asleep and yet not at the same time."
"So I'll be drowsy,"
"Yes, indeed," he said slyly. I tried to turn away from the scary topic.
"You probably just want me in here so you can talk to me without me kicking your butt. You're a coward, of course why wouldn't the embodiment of fear have fear. I mean Jack spreads fun and has fun doing it."
"Go ahead and call me a coward, and forget that you are one too."
"I am not a coward. I took on an army of nightmares by myself."
"That was rage, not bravery."
"Alright Pitch, why am I a coward?"
"All you do is lie."
"How is that cowardice?"
"You're afraid of people finding out the truth, so you lie. Everyone knows you lie all the time."
"You think everything is associated with fear?"
"I know so. For example, you went for a walk because you had the jitters; you didn't look at me because you were afraid of showing fear. You sleep in a tree because you're afraid of always being afraid, you ran because you were afraid of being destroyed, you tested yourself with the nightmare sand because you were afraid of being bad, you went to find Jack because you were afraid of constantly being on the run, you're looking for memories because you're afraid of never finding out the truth, and you lie because you're afraid of people finding out who you are."
"You've done nothing but prove that I've been a little scared this entire trip. Who wouldn't be if they were being chased by someone who wants them destroyed! I lie because I like it!"
"And it hides the truth; it's a win-win!" He was really getting on my nerves.
"You're not scary, you're just irritating."
"You know Ema; you don't have to be destroyed. Being deceitful is something I appreciate in a person, and I know you've been considering my offer."
"That's a lie! And I know lies!" I wish I could burst into flames to scare him, yet alas it wouldn't work. "I will never join you."
"Ah yes, because you're afraid of disappointing Jack. I'll tell you this Ema; he already has his doubts about you."
"I know what you're doing; you're trying to get in my head!"
"We are in your head."
"Besides that, you're trying to get to me by telling me my biggest fears. It's not going to work; everyone already knows my biggest fear." I said confidently, but still a little shaken.
"Oh, your claustrophobia, that's cute, you think it's your biggest fear. If it was your biggest fear you wouldn't tell everyone about it."
"Then what is it then?"
"Oh you shouldn't have asked that. You know all about illusions, and I know all about fears. Yours, well, you're afraid of being alone." That stopped my breath.
"You're afraid of everyone you care about leaving you, and that you'll have no one to turn to in times of trouble, not even your little friend, and not even Jack. Everyone will think you don't deserve happiness and will turn your back on you. With no one to believe in you and no one to care about you, you have no reason to exist and you will disappear."
"Shut up!" I screamed covering my ears, I wanted him to stop.
"It will make sense when everyone leaves you; you're not really honest to anyone but yourself. In fact, I think you even lie then. No one knows who you are, so who do they have to care for."
"You're lying; you're doing nothing but lying! You don't know anything about me!"
"I do too, Ema. You're like me. You're desperate to get what you want, even if it means putting others in danger." I was crying. My face was wet and hot.
"Leave me alone! Get out of my head!" I went to run away but I ran into an invisible wall. I felt the walls close in, and I screamed.
I woke up. I was panting in a cold sweat and my heart was racing. My eyes were wet. Pitch had said stuff I didn't even tell anyone, and the fact that he knew scared me.
DA DA, I didn't really leave off on a big note. I kind of liked writing this, and I hope no one gets the wrong idea about how she feels about Jack. She's not into romance. Tell me what you think of the chapter in your reviews.
