Protector of Lost Children

| CHAPTER V |

Hello, Readers! Sorry about last week! I hope you enjoy the chapter this week. It is a bit filler, but from the original version, I squeezed out enough action and detail to make it longer, but not boring. It's just to give you guys a bit more information.

~CSP2708~

| Chapter 5 || Nightmares |

Despite the soft bed, the silence, and the fact that she was completely and utterly exhausted, Lupa couldn't stop the nightmares from plaguing her mind. Dark visions, hallucinations, and memories resurfacing in the worst light imaginable. Every shadow seemed to stretch into the far reaches of her brain and activate her survival instincts. All she could think about was running as far as she could and never stop.

It was rather suspicious, as spirits didn't usually have nightmares, but spirits didn't usually sleep either. Sandy, the Sandman, was responsible for all the good dreams in the world, while Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, was responsible for all the bad. They only did this for children, though. Adults still had dreams, as did spirits. They weren't inherently good or bad, they just were.

Whenever Lupa slept, she was haunted by terrible visions. Most of the time she'd block them out, but after everything that happened that day, paired with the fact that she wasn't yet suited to her new surroundings, she couldn't leave her dreams behind.

She tossed and turned in bed. Beads of sweat rolled off her brow, dripping into the fluffy red pillows. Her head snapped to the right for the fifth time within the hour and her eyes shot open, wide with terror. A single word died on her lips, not making it past her frightened tongue.

She was immediately out of bed, shoving off the heavy duvet and untangling her limbs from the sheets. Her body was met with a rush of cold air, both refreshing and terrifying her. She had the urge to shiver and dive back under the sheets, but at the same time, she felt her heart calling her towards the door.

It was the dead of the night but the workshop was still bustling with the same activity as it had been when she'd first arrived. As her feet slid across the floor, she smiled.

'Joy never sleeps,' she thought. Of course, Santa Claus would never sleep. His whole spiel was going around the entire world in one night to bring toys to the children of the world. His workshop would never be closed because his work was never done.

She plopped herself lightly on the couch in the main operating room. She was in just the right position to give her the perfect view of the large spinning Globe: the machine that carried the lights of all the children in the world. She'd never thought of it that way. She'd never really stopped to think about how many children there were out there in the world. At the same time, though, she found it heartening that there were so many because she absolutely loved children. The more there were, the more different personalities she could meet and get to know.

She was pleasantly lost in her thoughts as a carefully made interruption pulled her back to reality.

"Couldn't sleep?"

The phrase was conversational enough. It was light and cautious, but also said in such a way that the speaker proved that he didn't care if he was interrupting anything.

"Why are you here?" Lupa asked, her body remaining calm. Initially, she'd jumped at the sudden voice, obviously directed at her, but after realizing that it as only Jack Frost, she brought herself back to the relaxed façade she tried to put on in front of people. She didn't know if it was just her secluded personality or the instinct of her wolf, but she needed to remain in control at all times, even in the most chaotic of situations.

"Well, like you, I'm a guest in this workshop," Jack replied. He had a smug smirk on his face, probably because he knew how much his answer had annoyed her.

Lupa's left eyebrow twitched but other than that there were no outward signs of a reaction. "I understand that, but why are you here? Why aren't you with the others, wherever they are?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I thought you were sleeping."

"I asked you first," Lupa said. She stood from the couch and made her way over to where Jack was hovering. He had both feet balanced on his staff, which stood on the floor at an angle. Lupa nearly marvelled as she saw him constantly shifting his weight, so subtle that it was hardly noticeable. He was keeping his balance so effortlessly. 'But,' Lupa thought, 'He's probably had plenty years of practice.'

"I asked you second," Jack countered smugly. He gave her a half-grin that made the hair on the back of her neck prickle. Something about the grin gave her a feeling that nothing good ever happened whenever it appeared.

Lupa sighed, knowing that the argument would get either of them anywhere unless she forfeited. Jack wouldn't give her an answer until she gave him hers. "I had a nightmare. That's all."

The frost spirit tensed suddenly, his face turning serious.

"What?" Lupa asked, concerned, "What is it?" She'd never seen Jack so serious. As the Guardian of Fun, he'd always find something playful in any situation.

"You had a nightmare?" he asked.

Lupa shrugged. "Yes, of course. What of it?"

"I bet it was Pitch," Jack accused. "He's the one who gives nightmares."

A burst of laughter suddenly caught Jack's attention. He turned, shocked to see that Lupa had practically sunk to the floor, laughing hysterically. It was a belly laugh so loud and boisterous that Jack had no idea what to do, and if Lupa wanted to stop anytime, she wasn't... or she couldn't. Jack briefly wondered if she'd somehow been doused in laughing gas in the past five seconds of their conversation, but quickly pushed the thought aside as she stood up again, barely making it to the couch before she collapsed again. She was trying - and failing - to calm down her breathing.

"Yeah, he does," she huffed, "To children! Spirits get nightmares all on their own, just like they get dreams all on their own." She stood. "Don't worry about me, Jack. It was just some bad memories resurfacing. Nothing I can't handle."

Jack still didn't look convinced. "Okay," he said.

Lupa suddenly yawned again. She brought both hands up to cover her mouth, then rubbed her eyes as if trying to rub out the sleepiness. Another yawn came out, followed closely by a third before Jack decided to pick her up and carry her back to her room. In his arms, she relaxed, her eyes drooping shut.

He set her down on the soft bed and if, by some sleepy instinct, she slid herself under the covers and wrapped herself tightly in the sheets, pulling the duvet up to her chin. Her eyes looked up at Jack, slightly dazed and filled with sleep, but she managed a smile before drifting off completely.

Word Count: 1141

Posted: Saturday, February 11th, 2017

~CSP2708~