A Cure for Hiccups

Chapter 3: Old Friend

"Don't look at me like that, old friend. you must have known this day would come." (Rise of the Guardians)

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Sandman quickly turned around to see his manta ray disappear into the air. His golden eyebrows rose in surprise. He had never seen anything that made his dreamsand disappear or not work. The sound of footsteps echoing surrounded him. The ominous sound coming from the footwear. Sandman looked around inside of the cage until his eyes landed on the Nightmare King himself. The black-clad man was standing on a cliff nearby. It was under the cage, but at a good angle so they could see each other. Sandman subconsciously glared at the villain-like character.

"Don't give me that look," Pitch said. "It's not my fault you entered my lair." Pitch stopped near the end of the cliff, his arms seemed to be crossed behind his back. "Say," he paused, looking at Sandman. "Why did you come anyway, Sandy? I don't think you would be that stupid to enter here without a reason unless, of course, you wanted to make sure that little Pitch Black couldn't spread his Nightmares to the innocent children." Pitch was toying with him and doing it unapologetically.

Sandman was going to communicate to the man that he had hiccups, but his hiccups seemed to answer him. "Hicc!" Sandman covered his mouth, embarrassed that he couldn't control the involuntary noise.

"Oh," Pitch said in surprise. "It seems that you are full of surprises, or should I say hiccups. What an unusual ailment you have." Pitch paused as if he was thinking of something. "Is that why you came to me? Has the great Sanderson Mansnoozie come to me to help him?" He asked mockingly. This angered Sandman and he got out a few of his dreamland whips to try and hit him with, but when they slipped through the holes of the cell, they disappeared into nothing like dust to the wind. Sandman's eyebrows furrowed.

Pitch's lips sneered. "Your dreamsand is useless, I told you I've been tinkering with it. I know how to incinerate it now. You and that butterfly will stay there until I let you out." Pitch turned around and started to walk away. Sandman didn't notice, but the butterfly was still there with him. It fluttered its wings over his face. He gently waved it away. The cage was small and he was already feeling the smallness. A sense of dread showered upon him. If Pitch was going to keep him in here for a night or so then the guardians would definitely notice his absence, but the damage would be done and only the Man in the Moon would know what Pitch would do. Probably what he did last time and plagued the children's sleep with his Nightmares. He frowned because he knew what he had to do, but he didn't like it.

    "Wait," he whispered. The tone was soft, but for someone who has Selective-Mutism, it was volumes more than he normally did.

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Shalom, Seedlings!

Today's question is: have you ever heard of Selective-Mutism/do you know what it is? If so, what do you know?