Frozen Chains

Chapter 12

Jack was hovering. He was in the blank place between sleep and awareness, the moment when you don't know who you are because you aren't awake. That was the best feeling ever, especially when reality was so horrible.

Because reality was horrible.

Quiet whimpers came from the other side of the room. 

Jack opened his eyes all the way, concern for his twin overcoming his wish to avoid reality. 

Jay was sleeping. He tugged on the Velcro holding him down, moaning, his expression fearful.

This had happened before. Jack knew what was happening to his brother.

Jay's cries became increasingly desperate.

Nightmares. His brother was having nightmares.

Why? Would they never  get away from Pitch? Would he always be able to torture them, no matter where they were?

Jay tried to yank away again, but to no avail. His brows knit together and the corners of his mouth turned down. What was happening in his dream? 

Please, wake up, Jay. Wake up. Jack though, Wake up.

And then Jay started screaming. Screaming. He thrashed against his bonds, his cries echoing throughout the room, filled with panic. Jack jumped at the sound of his brother screaming.

The Guardians burst into the room.

And Jay continued to scream.

***

Pitch smirked from the shadows of his lair. Sure, loosing the Frost brothers had been a minor setback, but it was only a matter of time before he captured them again.

And, anyways, why not make them suffer from afar? Making them feel as if there was no escaping, no matter how far apart they were, was definitely a good way to wear them down. 

The nightmare Jay was having right now was killing him inside. Though he wasn't near the Winter Spirit, Pitch could sense the fear coming off him. Watching his brother die at his own hands was a traumatizing thing indeed. The Guardians would certainly struggle with trying to help the boy.

Pitch's lip curled at the mention of the Guardians. He was so close to finishing his plan, too, when they had to show up and ruin everything...!

Inhaling deeply to calm himself, Pitch focused on the thought that the Guardians would pay. The Frost twins would pay, too. They all would. A death would make sure of that.

The only trouble would be deciding whose.

***

Jay screamed again.

"Wake him up!" Tooth shrieked.

The sounds of his brother were deafening. Jack covered his ears with his hands, shrinking down to make himself smaller, blocking out the screaming. He was scared.

"JAY!" Bunny shouted, shaking him by the shoulders.

Jay jolted awake, gasping with terror as he found himself face-to-face with the Guardian. He shrank back fearfully, eyes wide with terror.

"Are you okay?" Tooth asked hesitantly.

Jack felt himself getting angry. What kind of a question was that? His brother was screaming, terrified, and she had the nerve to-

"Jack?"

The upsetting thoughts were swiftly cut off as North's voice targeted him. Jack shouldn't have been angry. These people could hurt him, kill him if they wanted. He knew that they were at the Guardians mercy. 

Jack froze, flinching. He started to shiver a little.

"You look a little... " Tooth murmured, "Stressed."

Jack looked away from her. It was because he couldn't stand hearing Jay scream, but no way was he telling her that.

Jay was awake now, but he had his eyes squeezed shut, trembling, and was bleeding everywhere. A nervous wreck.

Bunny got more bandages and handed them to Tooth, who used them to stop most of the bleeding. Jay was whimpering and shaking the whole time, aftermath from the nightmare. Sandman looked sorrowful.

"Well," said the Tooth Fairy kindly, "We were going to wait to actually set your leg, but I think we should do it now."

Jay made a sound of fear in his throat.

Leave Jay alone, begged Jack silently, Just leave him be.

"I know it hurts, and I'm sorry we don't have anything to help with that, but do you want it to grow back wrong? If that happened, we would just have to break it again." Tooth added.

Jay shuddered.

Stop.

"Good. I'll be quick." Tooth promised.

Jack braced himself. He covered his ears with his hands and shut his eyes, waiting, waiting, waiting for it to be over an done with.

The muffled sound of a crack. A long, stifled, drawn-out scream.

Jack gasped into the pillow.

Jay screamed again. The Guardians were trying to calm him, but it wasn't happening. 

Another, final, terrible scream, and then it was over.

Pulling his fingers out of his ears, Jack heared Jay gasping in pain, groaning. His thin arms strained against the Velcro. His brother was in pain. His twin was suffering. His best friend was trying, trying to hold.

Jack could now see that Jay was starting to let go.

How much did he know about his brother, really? After Jay stopped talking, Jack had had to guess what he was trying to say, and the rest was a mystery. What if Jay was struggling something deeper than anyone thought? 

Maybe he didn't know that much about Jay, after all.

No! He thought desperately. Jay wouldn't shut me out like that. We're brothers. We agreed a long time ago we would always stay that way.

But did that old promise still apply? They hadn't imagined anything could happen to them that would drag them apart at the time, but given the current situation...

As Jack listened to blur of voices on the other end of the room, he couldn't help but wonder if Jay had completely slipped past his fingertips.

Or maybe Jay was chained. Maybe he had been chained in one place long ago, and Jack hadn't realized it, and accidentally kept moving?

Yeah, what if Jay had tried to tell him about things only to discover that Jack was dreaming of the outside? 

Jack shivered. Now that it crossed his mind, he couldn't help but wonder if all of this was his fault.