Forever and Always

Broken Memories

My throat began to close up making it impossible to breath and my muscles locked up; it was an involuntary reaction to the sudden darkness-the darkness that had imprisoned me for so long.

I took a deep breath to calm myself and when I exhaled I sprung a small flame in the palm of my hand and quickly illuminated the torches that I had set around the dark tunnel when I used to live here. I slowly made my way to the main hall. It was just as I had remembered it; completely empty.

I crossed the room quickly and went to my room. He hadn’t changed anything there either. My bed was in the center and the only thing in the room. The flowers and plants I had grown as my only means of decoration had withered and died a long time ago.

I sat down on my bed and the memories came rushing back.

I had managed to take a quick look into the room Pitch never let me go into. All I was able to see was a large globe in the center with glowing lights all over. Suddenly Pitch appeared in front of me.

“Avani, you should not be here.”

“What does the globe represent? What are all those glowing lights?”

“Those are children that don’t believe in us, the ones that the Guardians made sure didn’t believe in us. That is why we are not seen, because we are not believed in. Soon all the lights will go out and we will be believed in again. The whole world will be Pitch Black.”

Something was nagging me but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

“Pitch…this...this is for the best of the children right?”

He lifted my chin so that I was looking at him in the eyes. I quickly lost myself in their golden-silver depths.

“We will rule the world together and you will be my Queen. It is for the best.”

“It is for the best.” I repeated in a monotone voice. Pitch was right; we would rule the world and be believed in. That was all that mattered.

__________________________

The night was cold, but it didn’t bother me; it was made by me after all. I looked up at the moon with the ever present question…why was I here and why was I invisible to most.

I felt more than heard someone approach from behind me. I tensed ready to attack if they got any closer. The person apparently saw what I was planning and let out a low chuckle.

“I doubt you could hurt me even if you tried.” I felt my muscles relaxing.

“You shouldn’t do that Pitch, one of these days I might actually attack from raw instinct.”

He laughed and moved to stand beside me then looked up at the moon. “I doubt you will get any answers from him. I have wondered the same thing but I get nothing. Ever since I became the Nightmare King I have wanted to know why I was always alone, unseen. I never knew what it was like to have anyone understand me, to know me.”

He looked down at me and a faint smile touched his lips. “Well, that is until you came along.” He looked back at the moon. I touched his shoulder softly and he relaxed.

“I understand, you have no idea how much I understand what you feel.”

He shook his head softly. “You understand being alone but you will never understand how it feels to have everyone hate you. Even if children do believe in me they don’t appreciate the Nightmare King. I will always be feared by everyone. I didn’t ask to be the boogey man.” He hung his head down in defeat then looked at me with what I could only define as hope.