Fear

                                    

                                          

The next few days after Easter jack followed the cold up north, never letting his staff go. He was afraid that someone else would take it, that someone else would break it.
                          
It had taken some time, but soon jack finally found a secluded pond. He pulls his shoes off, leaving them leaned against a tree as he pulls his hood down to properly see. 
                          
The pond had a thin layer of ice on it that was starting to freeze over a bit more. 
                          
For the most part of his day, jack watched the pond. He watched as different animals came and went, from the smallest of mice to deers and foxes to wolves. It was calm for once, even as jack continued to worry over his staff, fear for it. 
                          
The sun was starting to set when jack noticed the unnaturally long shadows the trees seemed to cast. He pulls his hood back over his face, watching as the shadows creeped in his direction. 
                          
A twig snapped and jack shot up into the air, boots clutched in one hand and staff in the other. he stared down at where he had just been, the shadows looked normal. Not the stretched out pools of black that had been heading in his direction.
                          
He turns and heads north, away from the pond and growing shadows. He follows the cold to Greenland, easily settling against a pile of snow. It doesn't soak through his cloak like it normally would if he was alive, so he was at least somewhat comfortable. He shoved his boots on his feet, ignoring the twinge of pain that came from being shoved into the too small shoe.
                          
He closed his eyes and tried to rest but soon the feeling of being watched was back, opening his eyes he once again saw the shadows stretch out and reach towards him. His fear surged and he jumped up into the air with a strong kick.
                          
"Who's there?!" He shouted, trying to be intimidating but his voice wobbled and cracked on the last syllable.
                          
"My, my, my, what an interesting sight." A voice purred and jack spun around in a circle where he floated, held aloft by Wind. He held his staff protectively in front of him, trying to find the source of the voice. A shadow darted forward and he shot a burst of ice at it, leaving clear blue spikes in its wake.
                          
"Trigger happy are we?" The voice purred again and jack let out another blast of ice where he thought it had come from. 
                          
"Who's there!" Jack yelled out again, voice high with fear. The person chuckled and it caused the shadows to riddle.
                          
"How impolite of me," a grey man in all black seemed to materialize out of one of the shadows, "my name is pitch black."
                          
Jack watched the new man with untrusting eyes hidden by his hood, "don't I get an introduction from you?" Pitch questioned, smirking and showing shark like teeth. 
                          
"Why are you following me?" Jack snaps and pitches eyes narrow. 
                          
"I can't just set up a friendly meeting?" 
                          
"Not after stalking me for a couple days before hand." Jack all but snarls, hands down right on his staff he could feel the wood through his gloves. 
                          
"Now answer my question!" Jack yells, flinching as darkness seems to swallow up the area when a cloud moves in front of the moon. The shadows grew even more, causing his anxiety and fear to spike. He was starting to feel lightheaded, weak, the longer he stayed. Pitch hummed happily, stepping closer to the winter teen. Jack holds his staff towards pitch, not allowing the man to move any closer.
                          
"Do you not know who I am?" He questions, raising an eyebrow.
                          
"No, I don't and I don't think I care." Jack replies. 
                          
"I'm the boogie man you ignorant winter sprite! I bring nightmares and consume fear of all those around me, getting stronger with each day!" Pitch snarls and Jack tenses, ready time flea.
                          
"Your fear, your anxiety and loneliness, it's intoxicating," Pitch growls, eyes narrowed and focused solely on jack, "it would keep me fed and happy and powerful for the next few centuries!"
                          
"Your insane!" Jack states, throwing his staff out to send a blast of ice at the man. Pitch is quick to side step it, looking up only to see just fly away.
                          
"You won't get away that easy boy! I'll just follow your fear right back to you!" Pitch shouts, unable to properly keep up as the sprite zooms over the ocean.
                          
~
                          
Jack only stops when he reaches the Arctic, exhausted he is quick to drop down into a snow bank. His heart was pounding and his fear was palpable.  He needed to get his emotions under control or that psycho would find him.
                          
He buried himself in the snow, trying to calm down and think of anything besides pitch, staff clutches tightly in his hands as he curls his body around it.
                          
He couldn't let this man control him through his fear, he wouldn't allow it!  So he came up with a plan, follow the sun and stay in open spaces. If it's sunny there is no darkness for pitch to appear in. Open spaces would prevent any shadow from forming, or at least prevent the larger ones. 
                          
He growled in the dark of his hole, shoving his boots off as well as his gloves to curl around them as well.
                          
He doubted he could get any help to get away from pitch, the Easter bunny was out of the picture as well as most of the other sprites and spirits. Maybe he could go to Santa's workshop, he protected kids right? And technically teenagers too! So maybe he would help Jack? 
                          
The small glimmer of hope helped to calm jacks nerves and fears, allowing him to finally relax. He closes his eyes, sniffling and curling into a tighter ball around his staff. The comfort of the cold and his clothes helps to easily fall asleep.