Tags: Body horror, major character death, Implied/Referenced child abuse, original characters, pitch/sandy, Katherine/nightlight
summary:
Through hundreds of years of strange things happening all over the world, finally someone sees. The Bennett family is now at the forefront of every children's tale - except, now, they learn that these tales are not only real, but much, much darker than they first thought.
The small one didn’t cry. She held his hand, shying away from Katherine.
They made a pit stop, made a fire, and camped for the night. Nightlight looked up at the sun, judging that it was around noon.
“You’re still quiet,” Katherine said, sitting next to him.
He shrugged, smiling.
He wasn’t a stranger to sharing a body. He inhabited the Shadow but was freed. Then something happened. The battle cost him everything, down to his physical form.
The boy he found was a perfect host. Mischievous and fun. Caring about those around him.
This time it was different. This time, the boy was in control. He lived for fourteen years in the backseat, watching with annoyance as the boy had an unremarkable life. He wasn’t like the Shadow, who simply was just trapped by him.
When the boy drowned, Nightlight begged for Manny to save him. He didn’t want to die. He couldn’t find another host in time for his light to not fade.
Something went wrong. He would only come up, still in the backseat, once a year. He felt Death’s grasp, trying to pull him under like the pond took him under.
This new transformation cost something. A little soul traded for his own.
It had to be a child.
Katherine hummed, handing Sophie her breakfast.
“I want my mom,” she murmured.
“Aw, I know. You’ll see her soon, alright? We just have to do something first.”
There was a new presence. Nightlight looked around, seeing nothing but dead trees and snow.
“I’m going to get more firewood,” Katherine said. “I’ll be back.”
Nightlight smiled, turning his attention back to the small one. She was quiet, which made it easier for Nightlight to do this. If she screamed or cried or fought, he would lose his will, and she would get to live. He would die.
There was a scream. Nightlight jumped up, looking around. The scream echoed.
“Katherine?” He shouted.
The boy’s voice echoed back at him.
Then a snapping. Nightlight frowned.
So they did come for the girl.
He dragged Sophie to the noises, hiding as he watched Katherine fight against the wolf.
Trees whipped around them. Emily Jane had control, raising her fists and yelling. She had a wound on her stomach, blood dripping down into the snow. Another wolf jumped onto her, and she struggled.
A cold knife was held against his throat.
“Give me the girl,” Mary whispered. The boy’s impulses wanted to hug the witch. Nightlight snarled, watching as Katherine was dragged away.
“You don’t want to harm him,” Nightlight said.
“I will.”
He let go of Sophie, who ran away and tripped. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the girl’s mother hold her and cry.
“You can’t kill me,” Nightlight whispered. “You love me, Mary. I love you. You’re my sister.”
“Don’t try. I know Jack would never do this.”
Nightlight turned to face her.
“You don’t know what it’s like. I lived for three hundred years in a corpse’s body. I was shot and buried. Desperation would make you a murderer too.”
Mary was glaring at him. He heard Katherine’s voice. He smirked.
A branch hit Mary, sending her flying. Nightlight flew up, glancing around.
“Nightlight!” Katherine shouted. He flew down to her, grabbing her. She was limping.
“Where’s the wolves?” He asked.
“I threw them in a hole.”
“Hey!”
They looked up to see the girl’s mother. A human. Katherine grinned, her smile turning more like Emily’s than her own.
The woman screamed, light pulsing from her. Nightlight felt a sudden burst of grief. Sadness. Terror.
He fell on his knees, his eyes tearing up.
“Stop this!” Emily roared, wiping tears away from her face. She controlled a tree, slamming it into the woman. The woman screamed, being flung aside.
A different scream echoed from behind them, and Katherine ducked as an axe slammed into the tree next to them.
Vivian, Nightlight realized. The woman who buried him.
She swung the axe again, but Nightlight rolled aside and whacked her with his staff.
“Bad zombie!” Andy cried, tearing away the staff. Nightlight growled.
Katherine got up, forming water in her hands.
“You were the ones to kill him.”
Mary jumped down from a tree, latching onto Katherine, and held her in a chokehold. Katherine flailed.
“Emily!” She wheezed.
Nightlight dodged another swing from the axe, backing away as Vivian and Andy circled him. The wolves came back, the biggest one carrying the two children.
“Sleep,” The mother’s voice said, a hand on his shoulder.
“You feel tired.”
He did feel tired.
“Nightlight!” Katherine wheezed, fighting against Mary. “Don’t listen to her!”
He collapsed, falling onto the ground. It broke underneath him, icy cold water filling his lungs and shock invading his body. The water was angry. The ice was unforgiving.
funny as hell that you started having a gender moment before going to help vivisect your boyfriend. anyway. on that note, Mr Bennett—wait, do you prefer the title mr? would you prefer another one?
Oh, it did not start yesterday– In all honesty, this is a very old concern of mine.
As for the matter of titles, I do enjoy 'Mr'– I am a mister, and I am quite pleased with it. However, 'Ms Bennett' does have a rather pleasant ring to it, does it not?
Hm. This may prove a suitable distraction after all.
Tags: Body horror, major character death, Implied/Referenced child abuse, original characters, pitch/sandy, Katherine/nightlight
summary:
Through hundreds of years of strange things happening all over the world, finally someone sees. The Bennett family is now at the forefront of every children's tale - except, now, they learn that these tales are not only real, but much, much darker than they first thought.
Being stuck between the tick and the tock wasn’t ideal. One grew impatient. One grew hungry. He could see everything that Ombric, his old friend, could see. He knew Ombric was gone. He knew he was stuck.
He couldn’t affect anything here. He couldn’t feed.
He slithered across the world, seeing time branch into nothingness. Every decision that would ever be made wrapped around him.
He observed.
“Maybe we should try again,” North said.
“We hadn’t been needed,” Tooth replied. Bunny sat across from her, eyeing Sandy and Pitch. They were together, a perfect balance of fear and dreams. Their hands intertwined.
“Maybe,” Bunny said. “We haven’t tried being Guardians after the boy came back wrong. Now he’s human. Maybe that is a sign that we have to try again.”
Katherine sat away from the group, separated by choice.
“Nothing is going to happen or change if we do,” she muttered. North looked down at her.
“Nightlight is gone. You must accept that. What you did wasn’t good, but we haven’t been very nice lately.”
Pitch smiled at Katherine.
“I know. The pep talks are annoying, aren’t they?” He teased. “You can be good! Ha! I am Fear. You are Stories and Nature. None of us are good. We just are.”
He moved away from them, going forward into the present. He couldn’t sense any dreams here. He was hungry.
Jack and Mary stood next to the remains of their home. The snow blew down from the trees, making it look like it was snowing. Jack was shivering slightly.
“What happened to Mother?” Jack asked.
“She died of old age. She never wanted to be immortal. She wanted to see you and Father again.”
Jack hummed.
“You look like her. Just a bit.” Mary gave Jack a small smile.
“Life suits you, Jack. What do you want to do with it?”
Jack sighed, craning his neck up to stare at the stars. They sparkled. The moon was shining. The sky was navy.
“I’m not sure. I’ve spent so long being dead that I don’t know anything about living. I can only tell you what I wanted before this. I wanted to be a father. That’s all.”
Mary took Jack’s hands.
“That won’t be for another decade or so. What do you want now?”
Jack smirked mischievously.
“I want to live. To see everything the world has to offer.”
Mary grinned.
“You’re talking to the right witch for that. Come on! Ever want to see Transylvania?” Jack laughed as Mary pulled him away, almost like they were just two kids having an adventure near the pond.
Lermantoff slithered into town, finding the house of the humans who helped defeat them. His hunger was consuming him now, but he could not feed.
Joyce held her children close to her, cuddling on the couch as a movie played. Vivian sat on the arm of the couch. Andy splayed across the loveseat.
“That’s a bit unrealistic,” Jamie said. The movie displayed an inaccurate portrayal of the magical world.
“Yeah,” Andy said. “The zombies are always pretty sad.”
“This is really anticlimactic when you’ve faced the end of the world,” Joyce said.
“Great!” Jamie complained. “Movies are ruined for me.” Vivian chuckled.
“I think we’re just being a bit too judgy.”
Joyce turned the movie off just before the characters started to fight the zombies. She sent out a blue wolf around the room. It glittered, sending everyone a sense of calm and contentment. Her locket glowed softly.
Someone knocked on the back door.
Vivian held out her axe, before dropping it as she realized it was just Mary and Jack.
“Hey!” Andy opened the door, ushering them in.
“I fixed your car for you,” Mary said, nodding towards Joyce. “I also made the cops forget they found your car at all.” Joyce smiled.
“Thank you.”
“I’ve been dead for centuries. I want to see the world,” Jack said. “You don’t have to take me in. I’ll live with Mary and Shadowbent. I promise I will visit.”
“You kinda have to,” Vivian said. “Being our great-something uncle and great-something grandma you’re being forced to spend holidays with us.”
Jack grinned. Mary shook her head.
“If you all start calling me Grandma I will put a curse you.”
“I’m frightened,” Andy deadpanned. Jamie giggled.
They walked outside to where Shadowbent and Sorina were waiting.
“Ready to go?” Mary asked. Jack nodded.
“We’re not taking your broom?”
“The wolves are faster. Trust me.”
Sophie and Jamie hugged Jack.
“Come back, okay?” Jamie asked. Jack smiled.
“I promise.”
Goodbyes were said, and they were off.
Lermantoff slithered back to the sea. It was quiet, as the winter season was in full swing. Hunger was in full force. He bit his tail, feasting on his self.
The hunger never stopped.
It would repeat over and over again. Life eternal and death everlasting. There was no fighting it. Change could not be stopped. It was just how it was.
Tags: Body horror, major character death, Implied/Referenced child abuse, original characters, pitch/sandy
summary:
Through hundreds of years of strange things happening all over the world, finally someone sees. The Bennett family is now at the forefront of every children's tale - except, now, they learn that these tales are not only real, but much, much darker than they first thought.
Joyce walked through her house, gathering ingredients for pancakes. Sophie got up, but Jamie hadn’t. They didn’t like eating before presents, but Joyce insisted. It was good for them.
Sophie stared at the pile of presents on the floor. Her little hands flexed. Her eyes were longing.
“Soph, go get your brother.” Sophie grinned.
“Jamie!” She shouted, running up the stairs. “Santa came! It’s Christmas! Christmas!Wakey wakey!”
Joyce stared at the presents.
It was strange. That wasn’t her wrapping paper. She set the pancakes on the table.
Sophie ran down the stairs, her tiny footsteps echoing throughout the house. Jamie followed, less excited. He seemed tired, yawning and grumpy. He slumped down in his chair, staring at Sophie getting into hers.
“How’d you sleep?” Joyce asked, ruffling Jamie’s hair. “Stay up late waiting for Santa?”
“Something like that,” Jamie grumbled.
He looked over to the presents, but instead of the smile she expected, he looked uneasy.
Jamie absentmindedly wiggled his loose tooth. It was ready to fall out. Joyce hoped he wouldn’t lose it on the car ride over to the cabin, but those kinds of things were unpredictable.
Wrapping paper flew through the air, Sophie and Jamie excitedly examining their presents.
Joyce hadn’t bought some of the toys they got. She couldn’t afford them.
So why did they appear under the tree? They got presents from Andy and Vivian, yes, but they opened those last week. Did they put surprise presents under the tree? Joyce didn’t have any other explanation.
The way to the cabin was snowy and long. Joyce shuffled her kids into the car, watching as Sophie played with her new toys and Jamie inserted a DVD into his portable player.
He was asleep an hour in. Sophie didn’t sleep in cars, so she just played in her seat, apologizing when Joyce told her to be mindful of her bother.
They still had a while to go.
Her parents’ cabin was nestled into the side of a mountain, isolated and surrounded by trees. Her legs were cramping and her tailbone ached, but at least they arrived safely. Sophie hopped out of the car, running to her grandparents. They enveloped her in a hug. Jamie was slower, blinking sleep away and grabbing his bag before saying hi to everyone.
Vivian was the first to arrive, before Joyce, but she seemed to avoid her and Jamie. Joyce wanted to know what exactly went down in the woods.
She wasn’t exactly planning on being an accessory to murder.
“Andy called,” Grandma said. Joyce mentally wondered when she stopped addressing her mother as such. “He’s going to be late. Big crash, loads of traffic.”
Grandma’s tree was bigger than Joyce’s. Her decorations were nicer, although she wouldn’t choose the color that Grandma did. A pit of anger and resentment dropped in her stomach.
Some of her presents had the same wrapping of the presents that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It looked odd next to her normal presents, the wrapping paper tacky and bright.
Lunch was simple, some rolls and pasta. Grandpa was hunched over in the kitchen, watching the dinner that he wouldn’t let anyone else help prepare. Grandma sat in her chair, absent from conversation and clicking on her phone.
“Viv,” Joyce started. Vivian looked startled, her lips pressing into a line.
“How was traffic?” She seemed relieved, shrugging.
“Fine. Finally got my car to stop smelling bad.”
She froze, realizing she mentioned the thing she was avoiding.
“Why did your car smell?” Jamie asked.
“I took it into my car,” she muttered. “We drove it to the colonist cemetery.”
What she meant by “it,” Joyce didn’t know. Jamie seemed alarmed, tensing up and looking down, picking at his food with his fork. Sophie was oblivious to the tension. Jamie opened his mouth, probably to ask the question that he cried into Joyce’s shirt when his dreams got bad, but Vivian stood up, her plate half full.
“Thanks for the lunch, Mom,” she said, heading for the kitchen. Grandma didn’t bother to look up.
Jamie deflated.
“Ask Uncle Andy,” Joyce said.
“But he’s not even here yet!” Jamie slid down his chair, pouting.
The presents under the tree had the same wrapping paper as the unknown presents. Joyce stared at them, watching as they were handed to her children.
Grandma always got them two presents: one that her kids never played with, and one they loved. She recognized Grandma’s wrapping paper that held the presents the kids politely pretended to like. The good presents were with the wrapping paper that the unknown presents were in.
Vivian got a present this year. Grandma told them all when they were about 11 that they would stop getting presents from her. And so, they stopped. The last present she got was the only one from them that she truly appreciated. It was a family heirloom, a silver locket with a cameo that was passed down for centuries. She touched it lightly. Joyce never took it off.
There was a new present for Andy too. They had the weird wrapping paper.
There was a look on her face like she was forgetting something. She hummed, getting up and walking out of the room.
“That was weird, right?” Vivian asked, looking back. Grandpa didn’t bother looking up from his phone.
“Yeah,” Joyce said. Her kids were distracted with their toys.
“I’m sorry you didn’t get one. I didn’t know she would get us presents this year.” Joyce shrugged.
“She wouldn’t get me anything I’d like.”
Vivian held up her present. It was a nice book set, but Joyce didn’t recognize the publisher. It seemed to be in a language she couldn’t understand, but seemed familiar, like she saw it in a dream.
“I like this. It reminds me of the great presents we got as kids.” Joyce smiled, warm memories of laughter bubbling up inside her.
“Then they stopped until they didn’t want to bother anymore.” Vivian nodded, looking at the decorations.
“Dad promised me some decorations, but then they just got rid of it all and brought these. They had nutcrackers and trains and all of our homemade ornaments…”
The new decorations were nice, yes, but dull. Joyce didn’t understand why Christmas decorations had to be beige. She was crushed when she found out that her parents had thrown away her homemade Christmas spider. The beadwork she worked so hard on… The years of finger-painted gingerbread men and nutcrackers gifted from Vivian’s ballet studio. Andy’s favorite nerdy ornaments. Gone for the dullest color Joyce could imagine.
“Where’s the kids?”
Joyce snapped her attention to Vivian, before turning to where they should’ve been.
The back door was open. Their snow gear was gone. They weren’t in the backyard. Joyce rushed outside.
“Jamie!” Vivian called, her voice echoing.
“Sophie!” Joyce cried.
A rubble in the Earth shook them, the trees swaying and snow falling.
“Joyce-“
“I’m not leaving until I find my kids.“
Vivian stayed with Joyce, following as they waded through the snow.
There was a voice from above. Vivian looked up and covered her mouth. Her eyes were wide and she froze in place.
Joyce looked up.
Standing taller than the trees, maybe taller than the mountain itself, was a man. At least, that is what it looked like.
The looming figure was dressed in red, with black fur around the coat. It held up a cupped hand, obscuring Joyce’s view of his face.
The figure laughed, a booming noise that shook the trees. The language that the man spoke wasn’t one that Joyce knew, but one she remembered from a dream. Or a dream of a dream.
Then she heard a faint voice. It sounded like Jamie.
It came from the cupped hand.
The man looked down at Joyce and Vivian. His piercing blue eyes stared into Joyce’s very being. She felt him pick through her soul, her actions and judgments being pulled apart and examined.
The feeling of being a speck of dust in a Patri dish wasn’t one she enjoyed.
The man’s eyes turned to Vivian, and the feeling evaporated. Instead of the icy blue, his eyes turned into space. She saw stars and galaxies and planets that were unfamiliar and vast.
The man laughed.
He lowered his hands, setting them just in front of Joyce. Her children held each other, staring at her.
“Mom!” Jamie yelled, hopping off of the hands the size of a semi-truck and carrying Sophie. He ran to her and hugged her with Sophie. His hand was closed around something and his smile was missing one of his front teeth. He’d lost the tooth and kept it safe. Of course, he did.
She breathed, her arms enveloping her children. They were okay.
She looked up, seeing clouds and sky.
“Where’d he go?” Vivian asked.
“The North Pole,” Jamie said, pulling away from her.
Tags: Body horror, major character death, Implied/Referenced child abuse, original characters, pitch/sandy, Katherine/nightlight
summary:
Through hundreds of years of strange things happening all over the world, finally someone sees. The Bennett family is now at the forefront of every children's tale - except, now, they learn that these tales are not only real, but much, much darker than they first thought.
Joyce held Sophie close to her. Colors flashed around her, lights flickering as she begged for her children’s safety.
“That’s not Sophie.”
The voice echoed in her head.
“No,” she begged. “Don’t.”
Sophie wasn’t breathing. Her eyes were empty and dead. Like she didn’t have a soul.
“That’s not your daughter.”
The woman next to her bent down and grabbed her. Joyce struggled against her, pleading that her daughter had to be safe.
Sophie fell from her grip. The world sharpened, the colors and lights staying in one place.
Joyce looked down, staring at Sophie. The thing was wood, carved to perfection.
“Why?” She asked. Mary held her.
“We’ll get her back,” she whispered. “Don’t worry. Everything will be alright.”
Joyce looked at the woman. She was the spitting image of Jamie. She hadn’t noticed that before.
Something in her trusted her. Deep down, past the grief and the pain. Everything would be alright.
Andy approached them carefully.
“Uh, you okay?” Joyce nodded.
“She unlocked her power,” Mary said. “It was an unfortunate way to do so, but there is no stopping it now. The storm she conjured will pass, as well as this fake will return to normal wood.”
Joyce hesitated. She didn’t remember a storm. She only remembered seeing those two monsters taking Sophie. She remembered running to them, yelling and screaming. She failed to save her child.
“Joyce?” Andy asked, nudging her. “You looked dazed.”
“What happened?” She asked.
“A big wave of… some kind of…blue shit released out of you. Then it started thundering and you were holding something that looked like Sophie.”
“That ‘blue shit’ was her power,” Mary explained. “Your energy. You unlocked your power of being a witch. The urge to protect your children made your energy grow stronger until it did this.” She motioned around the room.
Any furniture was knocked over. The windows were shattered. The door leading into the hallway was ajar.
Vivian held Jamie, who looked scared. The two wolves stood next to them. Joyce ran her hand down her face.
“Long day, huh?” Shadowbent said, his bones cracking as he transformed back into his more human-like form. He was still a wolf-man, but she could make out human features. She tiredly nodded.
Jamie pushed past Vivian and hugged Joyce. She held her son close to her.
“We’ll save Sophie, right? Nothing bad will happen to her?”
“Of course.”
She looked up to Mary, who nodded.
“How do we do this?” Joyce said. She was sitting on the couch, with Jamie leaning against her. He’d fallen asleep quickly. Vivian looked tired as well, opting to lean against the couch’s arm. Andy stood, looking out the window into the night.
Shadowbent sat across from her, watching as Jamie stirred and murmured something in his sleep.
“Knowing the Storyteller,” Mary started, “she’ll bring Sophie to the Moon.”
“The Moon?” Andy asked, turning to the conversation.
“Yes.” Mary nodded. “He is their benefactor. The spirit who is inhabiting my brother’s body was close to the Moon. So, she is as well.”
Joyce mulled this over.
“We have to get her back. Let’s go.”
Mary shook her head.
“Not tonight. I’m sorry, I know how important it is to get her back. But you all are tired. It would be a waste to go now.”
Joyce frowned.
“She’s my daughter. She’s two! You can’t-“
“Joyce,” Mary interrupted. “Look at you. Look at your siblings. Look at your son. It is time to rest. In the morning, we will go after them. I will teach you to hone your talents. Until then, you have to sleep.”
“Sorina and I will keep watch,” Shadowbent said. “They surprised us before, but we will not let it happen again. Rest now, and we will make sure nothing happens tonight.”
Joyce nodded. It made logical sense. Something in her broke as she thought about how she was abandoning her daughter. She was so little, so trusting…
She looked down at Jamie, running her fingers through his hair. His eyes fluttered open, staring up at her.
“Let’s get you to bed, yeah?”
She stared up at the ceiling, noting the holes which let light in. This place was a biohazard. She sighed, looking across the room at the sleeping forms of her family.
Blue light seeped through her arms, glowing at her fingertips. She stared at it, wiggling her fingers experimentally.
If Mary was to be believed, then she was a witch.
Sure. This is her life now. Everything else was crazy, so why not?
Shadowbent walked over to her, sitting down on the floor next to her.
“It feels strange, doesn’t it?” He whispered.
“Yeah. I feel it pulsing through me like my heartbeat.” The wolfman nodded.
“I remember when I first transformed. I hope you have a better transition than I did.” Joyce nodded, looking down at her hands. The light dimmed, almost disappearing entirely.
“I need her to be safe,” she murmured. “I failed.”
Shadowbent shook his head.
“No. You didn’t. You try your best. You had every odd stacked against you.”
Joyce glanced over to Jamie.
“You killed…”
“I know. I apologize for that. He wanted to kill you.”
Joyce nodded. Shadowbent smiled and got up.
“Try and get some sleep, Joyce. You have a long day tomorrow.”
Tags: Body horror, major character death, Implied/Referenced child abuse, original characters, pitch/sandy, Katherine/nightlight
summary:
Through hundreds of years of strange things happening all over the world, finally someone sees. The Bennett family is now at the forefront of every children's tale - except, now, they learn that these tales are not only real, but much, much darker than they first thought.
The Bennett’s house was unlike anything Jack had seen. They had spices and multiple rooms. Mary had said they weren’t affluent, but to Jack they were. He wore new clothes too. They were, in Mary’s words, not the best quality as they only got them from a grocery store, but Jack had more than one outfit. It was more than anything they had before.
Breathing wasn’t hard anymore. He had all his limbs and everything worked as it should. He leaned back on their couch. Everything felt okay, for once.
“We opened a door while reviving Jack,” Mary said. “We have to close it.”
“We?” Andy asked. “We? I didn’t open any doors to spooky wooky places, no thank you.”
“That’s not the smartest choice.”
“Why not? It’ll affect all the monsters. That’s good for us.” Mary rolled her eyes. Jack had missed her. She’d grown up, all without him. She looked older, her hair greying and her eyes heavy with life. Jack was supposed to be the older one.
“Because it will affect you too. It will destroy the planet you live on. Reconsider your view.”
“What are we supposed to do?” Joyce asked. “How do we close this door?” Mary shrugged. Andy groaned, flopping next to him on the couch.
“I remember seeing something,” Jack said, sipping on the hot chocolate Joyce made him. “It was a big serpent eating his own tail.”
They all stared at him.
“I mean,” Jack stuttered. “A huge one. A man stood next to it and he was like an ant.”
Mary looked up at the ceiling, almost like she was cursing God.
“Lermantoff,” she spat. “We let him out.”
“Who’s Lermantoff?” Vivian asked. Mary nodded to Shadowbent. He sighed, stepping forward.
“The Lermantoff Serpent,” he began. “Was once a man. He guarded the valley of dreams. One day, he was corrupted. Flesh became scales and a cheery disposition became a hungry one. He would torment cities and kingdoms looking for those who dreamed and ate them. We had to seal him off long ago, as he almost ate the entire world. What you saw back at the cabin to revive Jack was child’s play to what we had to do to keep him away from the world.”
Joyce looked towards the stairs, a pensive look on her face. Those two children were caught up in all of this, and Jack was sure that she wanted nothing more than for them to be safe. He wanted nothing more for Mary.
“Then how are we supposed to do anything?” Andy argued. “It’s not my fault that you let the giant snake out!”
“Technically it is,” Jack pointed out. “You killed me.”
Andy looked at him incredulously. Jack shrugged.
“Thanks?” He offered. Andy turned back to Mary.
“Should we just kill him again and would make it stop?”
“Hey!” Jack gasped dramatically. “I’m sorry that you’re trigger-happy.”
Andy turned back to him, fixing a glare at him. Jack grinned.
It was good to be back.
“Jack,” Mary chided. She turned to Andy. “It doesn’t work like that. We need to close it. Everyone involved will have to be there.” She turned to Joyce, an apologetic look on her face. Joyce looked down.
“I know someone who could help us,” Shadowbent said. “He’s a creature of time. Maybe his power will be beneficial to us.”
Jack sat behind Mary on her broom. The wind blew across his face as they followed the wolves. Jack looked down. He had a little impulsive thought to jump and fall down, down, down. Mary would kill him if he did that.
“I missed you,” Jack murmured. Mary glanced back.
“I did too.”
They landed on a shore. Jack looked up at the lighthouse, watching the light beam across the sea. Joyce held her kids’ hands, grimacing when she looked up.
“He should be up there.” Shadowbent pointed towards the light.
Sophie’s legs got tired a third of the way in. Jack offered to help her, and Joyce smiled at him gratefully. Mary grinned at him, watching as he playfully took Sophie up the stairs.
The man at the top seemed tired. He was old and weary, not even looking back as they all shuffled around the top. He sat there, staring out into the darkness.
“Ombric?” Shadowbent asked gently.
“He’s out,” Ombric rasped.
“Yes.” Shadowbent knelt in front of Ombric. “We need your help.”
Ombric turned to Jack. His eyes were ancient, staring into Jack like he could see his whole life: past, present, and future. Sophie’s hand was still in his, which he only realized when he slightly tightened his grip.
“Alright,” Ombric stood up. “One last adventure.”
Jack looked up, jumping a little when he heard ticking. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
In the blink of an eye, they weren’t in the lighthouse anymore. The wind blew, and the sea crashed into the sand.
“Where did you take us?” Shadowbent said. Any reply that might have been uttered was drowned out by a shriek. They turned around, watching as the waves stood up, sliding towards them.
The serpent. It was coming closer to them, shrieking as it moved against the waves.
“We need to control it. Trap it again between the tick and the tock.” Ombric twirled a staff, drawing on the sand. He drew a symbol that looked like a clock, watching it as it glowed a soft white. The glowing
Mary reached down, adding her magic to the symbol. The white earned red. Joyce followed Mary, reaching out and adding the blue. The clock became purple.
“Jack, watch the kids,” Joyce commanded.
Jack nodded, moving in front of the kids and making sure that they were safe. Jamie looked towards the serpent. They didn’t seem scared. Jack didn’t know how they did it. He was scared.
Vivian had her axe at the ready and Andy held a lighter and some hairspray. Vivian crept closer to Jack, preparing for a melee fight against the serpent. Andy waited in front of the sigil, ready for them to release it onto the serpent.
“Alright. The incantation we all need to say is ‘I believe.‘ Simple yet effective.”
The same words they chanted when they brought Jack back.
The spell floated in the air for a moment. It glittered, waving with the wind. Andy lit it on fire, and then it slammed into the air, speeding its way to the Lermantoff Serpent.
They still chanted, watching as the Serpent flailed. He fought the spell, shrieking as the spell held him back.
Jack felt something hurt inside of him. His hands shook, almost like he was straining to lift something heavy.
Lermantoff shook off the spell. Jack felt it break, the effort lifting from his shoulders. Sophie tightened her grip on his hand, her lips trembling.
“Hey,” Jack said, kneeling in front of the kids. Jamie was breathing rapidly, looking towards his mother who was helping form another spell.
“Do you want to play a game?” Jack asked, bringing the kids’ attention back to him. He sat down, holding out his hands. “It’s a clapping game. There are three syllables in ‘I believe,’ right?” The kids followed his example, joining in the chant with their hands clapping together and then moving to slap Jack’s hands. The adults followed the rhythm that Jack made. Joyce nodded gratefully towards Jack.
The serpent was coming closer. He felt his hands grow weaker.
Ombric stood, watching as the serpent wailed. He walked forward.
“Don’t stop,” he told them.
He disappeared into the waves, moving towards Lermantoff.
Ombric launched into the air, shouting as he held his staff towards the serpent. Soft white slammed into the serpent. It fell, shrieking as it fought against both the spell and Ombirc.
Jack was tired. He watched as the children grew fatigued, slowing and wincing as the pain continued.
It was like a shock. A wave of pain that washed over all of them. Jack pushed forward.
He survived Death. He survived being brought back. He could do this.
He looked back at Ombric, watching as the serpent started his attack. Fangs shined. The tail slammed into the old man. Ombric shouted, holding the staff up and casting another spell.
Jack felt the spell slow. It waned.
The sea opened up, the wind wrapping around them. The waves circled the serpent, drawing him back into the depths of the sea.
Ombric was screaming. It seemed like they were in space, orbiting around stars and planets. Falling into the abyss.
Jack was glad the kids couldn’t see.
Everyone else knew what Jack knew. Ombric was dying. The serpent’s captivity needed a sacrifice. Ombric had filled it.
The screaming and shrieking stopped. The wind stilled. The sky cleared.
The Lermantoff serpent was gone. So was Ombric.
The kids lay in the sand, exhausted as they exerted most of their energy. Jack himself felt like he could sleep for hundreds of years. Mary walked up to him, holding him in a hug. Joyce scooped up her kids, apologizing and thanking them.
“Thanks for killing me,” Jack said to Andy and Vivian. “I mean it.” Andy laughed.
Tags: Body horror, major character death, Implied/Referenced child abuse, original characters, pitch/sandy
summary:
Through hundreds of years of strange things happening all over the world, finally someone sees. The Bennett family is now at the forefront of every children's tale - except, now, they learn that these tales are not only real, but much, much darker than they first thought.
“What do you mean fae can be dangerous?” Joyce asked, her voice tense. Andy shrugged.
“It’s folklore from the old times. Fairy circles and iron. Stuff like that. Giving a fae your name or any part of you gives them full control. I’m guessing that the tooth fairy has something like that, but with teeth controlling memory.”
Joyce looked at Jamie, frowning. He seemed fine, not worried, and only couldn’t remember his father. The fairy hadn’t touched anything else.
She was getting iron and horseshoes the second they got back home.
A part of her was relieved that he couldn’t remember. His father was a bad, bad man. She hated the idea of the abuse happening right under her nose. She nearly had killed that man when she found out. It took everything in her to only divorce him and show the courts proof of the abuse. Luckily, they took her more seriously than he ever did. She hoped he enjoyed justice.
Jamie seemed lighter, somehow. Happier. But the protective part of her, the one that wanted to throw iron at the fairy, hated it. Who was she to take memories from Jamie? Who was she to make that choice for him? How did she have that much power? What if she made Jamie forget more?
Joyce shuffled her kids back into the car.
“Bye!” Vivian hugged Joyce. “Be safe.”
“After the past few days, I think I’ll just ring up the leprechauns if anything goes wrong.” Vivian laughed.
“Right, and then he’ll send the sandman to bring you to fairyland.”
Joyce smiled.
“Children’s stories. Who knew that they were right?”
She now had an eight-hour drive home. Nine counting the bathroom breaks. Jamie stared out the window, watching trees past the car. Sophie watched a movie on the DVD player, her headphones in.
“Mom,” Jamie said. “Was Dad nice?”
“No.”
It killed her when Jamie told her. She wanted to cry for a thousand years and never stop. He was scared. The bruise on his back was exactly the size of his hand. She kissed the crown of Jamie’s head, promising that he would never hurt him again. When he got back from work, they fought. He was angry that Jamie ‘tattled’ and threw a vase at her. She kicked him out.
The next morning she went to report it. When she got back, the door was open. He’d gotten in. Jamie was lying, dazed, on the floor. Sophie was crying.
He’d given her son, her baby, a concussion. He hadn’t hurt Sophie, thank god, but he scared her. The divorce went quicker than his sentencing, but she wanted to be free of him.
And now Jamie couldn’t remember.
She stared at the road, her eyes tired from focusing. She had seven hours to go.
“What was he like?” Jamie asked, cutting through the silence like a hot knife. Joyce didn’t know what to say. He was cruel. Nice at first. So nice and kind… She fell in love with him. And he hurt her children. So, she went with the answer that Jamie would understand.
“He hurt you. He was a bad man.” She wanted to tell him more, but what was the point? Traumatize Jamie again? Put her frustrations and anger on her kid?
“Okay.” Jamie looked out of the window.
“Is that truck weird?” He asked. Joyce looked behind in the rearview mirror, seeing a semi-truck behind them. It was serving into the other line and then back.
They were hours away from any town. It was just trees and mountains here. No service. Joyce needed to get out of the truck’s way.
She looked forward, slamming the gas. The truck blared its horn.
She turned sharply around the next turn, wincing as her car struggled. The semi-truck slammed into the side of the mountain. The driver stumbled out of the wreck, despite the wreckage being severe.
She looked back, her mouth agape.
“Mom!” Jamie screamed. She looked forward.
There was a man on the road.
Joyce screamed, slamming on the brakes. Her stomach lurched. Sophie startled, scared and crying.
The car stopped only an inch away from the man.
Joyce breathed, looking up into the man’s eyes. They were golden. He was short, with an unnatural glow to him.
He smiled warmly.
“What?” She muttered.
“Sandman,” Jamie said. Sophie stopped crying.
The Sandman waved, smiling.
She shouldn’t have joked about it. This ghost, this creature, was in front of her car, smiling so warmly you’d think he intimately knew each of them.
Maybe he did.
“Hello,” a voice said, echoing in her mind. “I’ve heard about your family.”
Joyce debated running over the Sandman.
“You dream of peace,” the Sandman said. “Soft hands taking yours. There is no need for anger there. No need to protect.”
The Sandman glanced over to Jamie and Sophie. Joyce looked over to her kids, seeing their little faces light up.
“What are you?” She asked. “Why do we see you?”
The Sandman’s golden eyes snapped to her. “Answers come to the patient, Joyce.”
A shadow snaked below her car, and a man formed out of it. He stood, tall and thin, next to the Sandman. One was sun, one was shadow. Jamie gasped, and the Sandman smiled at him. Their hands interlinked.
“You can find your answers through stories. Beware of the nature.”
Then the two men disappeared.
The trucker knocked on Joyce’s window. She rolled it down, numbly looking over to him.
“What was that?” He asked. “Those men?” Joyce shook her head.
“I’m not sure.”’
Stories. The answer was in stories. The trucker used his phone to call someone, and Joyce waved goodbye to him. He was going to say something, but Joyce drove away.
Her kids were quiet.
“What did he tell you?” She asked, glancing at her rearview mirror to see them.
“Dreams,” Sophie said. “Sweet dreams. And a warning.”
“Don’t trust her,” Jamie added. “Beware of the nature.”
