Just Let Me Die

Chapter 2: The Darkness Of Lies

"What happened to your eye?" Tooth asked, flitting around him in anxious circles. Jack still had a black eye, but he had found a new hoodie and tightened the drawstring so no one would see that burn on his neck or chest.

"I was stupid," Jack shrugged, "Fell asleep on a tree branch and rolled off. Kinda busted my nose, too, but it'll heal."

Though he longed to tell her, Jack couldn't bring himself to do it. He was ashamed of the fact that he couldn't protect himself from the four violent spirits on his own.

Bunny looked up at the Globe of Belief. "Don't expect us to believe that, Frostbite."

"It's true!"

"If you fell in snow, you wouldn't have hit a rock or stick. The powder too thick." North added.

"I must have hit a thin spot." Jack said stubbornly.

Sandman smiled at him and nodded, his own silent way of saying, "I believe you."

Of course, Jack thought, Sandy believes me. 

That was the sort of thing that made him feel guilty. He worked so hard to make that Guardians believe a lie, but when they did, it hurt. Sandman trusted him. He trusted that Jack wasn't telling a lie. 

A horrible decision, really. That was all Jack did, nowadays. 

Lie, lie, lie.

"Jingle, fetch cookies!" North shouted, then looked up at the Globe of belief. "You have any more believers, Jack, my friend?"

"Maybe one or two. They're kind of scattered around." Jack shrugged, glad that the topic was off his black eye.

"We're working on it. Just you wait," Tooth smiled, laying a hand on Jack's arm, "You'll have plenty of believers."

Jack grinned at her. "I can't wait."

***

The meeting was quick, as usual. Most of the time it was a fifteen minute talk, and then they would all goof off. 

Meeting: Check.

Goofing off: Check.

They were tired. Exhausted, even, seeing as how it was five in the morning before North called it quits. 

"It is very late," North said, "You should all stay the night at factory."

Jack had tried to get out of it. He really did try. Unfortunately, there was no escaping when you knew people like the Guardians. Tooth said he had to do it because they were a family. Bunny said he had to do it because he didn't want to either.

North had just said he wasn't allowed to leave, Sandman nodding beside him.

"Fine," Jack sighed.

He didn't want to stay the night because of the chance that the Guardians would hear him in the night when the nightmares (for would always be at least one) came for him in the night.

But he also didn't want them to get suspicious at his refusal.

Jack's hands were tied. 

"Well," yawned Tooth, "I, for one, am tired. I'm going to bed."

"Same," Bunny said. 

"Good night, my friends!" North said, disappearing into his room. The other Guardians did likewise, Sandman stopping to give Jack a wave before flying out the window to deliver dreams.

Okay, thought Jack, Just sleep. It's all going to be fine. 

Hopefully.

Jack opened the bedroom door. All the guest rooms at the Pole were the same, big, with octagonal walls and huge windows, large beds, a wardrobe, and a red, violet, yellow, and green ornate rug.