Chapter Five - And Away They Go.
Neil walked down the warm streets from Nat's house to Norman's on his own. He had managed to get most of his homework done with Nat and had mostly eaten dinner as well as the remaining chocolate cake at the house. He loved going to Nat and Katy's house. Nat and Katy had a younger brother named Isaac who would always run around the house and constantly wanted Neil to play with him. He loved the atmosphere of love and family in the house even though it was just Nat, Katy, Isaac and their Mom Lucy or Ms Oliver.
Neil felt a lot more at home in their house than he did in his own ever since his brother had found a job in Florida after he had finished college. He was living with his boyfriend Parker and planned on getting married in the winter. Neil missed his brother a lot.
Neil had felt a lot better after talking with both Nat and Katy about Norman's letter. He was being stupid thinking that Norman didn't want to be friends with him. It was probably something got to do with Nat. He hadn't said to the twins about Norman maybe liking Nat. He had decided that it wasn't his place or the time to discuss something like that. Norman liking Nat and Nat not feeling the same could ruin their friendships. Neil hated the idea of loosing his friends.
Neil went to the back door of Norman's house and walked in.
"Hey Mrs Babcock" Neil said as he strolled past her in the kitchen.
"Hi Neil, are you going to have dinner with us?" She asked.
"No no, I just came from the Oliver's, thanks anyway Mrs Babcock, you know I would never pass up one your fine meals"
Mrs Babcock laughed while Norman looked up at Neil from the kitchen table where he had just finished his dinner.
"Stay away from my Mom Neil" Norman said frowning at his friend.
Neil raised his hands in the air as a sign of peace as he smiled at his best friend. Norman picked up his dishes and put them in the sink. He thanked his mother before rushing out of the kitchen with Neil. When they were in Norman's room with the door shut Neil began too feel slightly uneasy. It was time to find out what the cause of all this trouble was.
Norman sat on his desk chair while Neil sat on his bed. Neil watched Norman, who looked lost for words.
"Is this about Nat?" Neil asked, deciding he would break the ice.
"Nat?" Norman asked surprised that he would bring her up. "No. What about Nat?"
"Nothing" Neil said. "I just thought you wanted to talk to me about Nat and what you should do"
Norman raised his eyebrows up in surprise. "You think I asked you over to talk about Nat and how to pick up chicks?"
"Well" Neil said. "I am more experienced than you. Not to sound harsh or anything"
"Neil, it's not about picking up chicks, why would you bring up Nat and picking up chicks anyway?"
"You like Nat" Neil said. "Duhh"
Norman felt a hot flush in his cheeks. He liked Nat, he knew he did. He'd never said it out loud before and had never heard it out loud before.
"It's obvious" Neil continued on. "I think she likes you too, but if this isn't about Nat then what is it about Norm? You alright?"
Norman had to shake his head of the thoughts of Nat, Neil knowing about his crush and other things before settling back on Neil's question.
"Is it getting bad again? Like before?" Neil asked concerned again.
Norman shook his head. He knew right away what Neil had been talking about. They hadn't talked about what had happened to them when they were 11 and saving the town. After Norman had saved the town he had been plagued by evil ghosts wanting to get revenge and use him to do their worst acts on man kind. Norman had managed to get some help on the other side to protect him.
"No. It isn't that" Norman sighed.
He wasn't sure how he was going to ask Neil to come with him on the adventure. He had been so excited about it last night but now he felt nervous. What would he say? Would he really say yes? Would he laugh it off?
"Do you believe in Jack Frost or Halloween?" Norman asked Neil.
Neil raised an eyebrow at him. "I guess I did when I was younger. Why?"
"Last night" Norman said. "The Jack Frost and the spirit of Halloween came to my window and asked me to help then on a journey to get ingredients to reverse a spell to stop this evil dude named Pitch from putting the world in eternal darkness for a year"
It all spilled out from Norman. Everything. From how he met Trish to how he had asked the two holiday spirits if he could bring Neil along. Neil sat in silence, listening to his friend blurt out his strange night. At the end Norman felt better but also slightly afraid. He didn't know what Neil was going to say.
"Norman" Neil said. "Although this whole adventure thing sounds super awesome, are you sure you weren't dreaming?"
"Positive" Norman said with a nod of his head.
Neil was really surprised at his friend's story. He couldn't really not believe it. They had faced Zombies and a witch when they were 11. Norman saw ghosts, still to this day. The thought of Norman going on a dangerous quest made Neil worry slightly. He knew Norman. Norman hated camping and journeys. But he liked adventures and ghosts and strange things that nobody really knew about.
"You don't believe me" Norman said as he looked down to his scuffed up shoes.
"I do believe you" Neil said. "I'm just thinking, how am I going to carry around a bag full of pancakes and a bag full of supplies?"
Norman looked up at his friend with a wide smile. "Your coming"
"Of course I am" Neil said. "You're my best friend dude, I'd be pissed if you went on this rad adventure without me"
Norman felt so much better after Neil smiled at him. His friend believed him and didn't think he was nuts. That's what friends where for. Norman filled Neil in on what Hally had said about packing and what time they would meet up at in the park. Neil left the Babcock house to get his stuff ready while Norman began to sort through his own things. He hadn't a clue what to bring. A toothbrush and toothpaste. Clothes. A jumper. A torch. Should he bring his phone? Should he bring pots and pans? What food should he bring? Ugh he hated camping.
*.*.*.*.*
When the time on his phone showed midnight he was ready to go. Norman had to unlock the back door of his house and lock it again before he could go. Although he was sneaking out he didn't want anyone breaking into his house while he was gone. Taking a deep breath he walked towards the park in silence, hoping to not get caught by someone. Someone would think he was running away from home, with the big ass bag on his back.
When he arrived at the park he found Neil already there, laying on the dry grass looking up at the full moon shining down on him.
"It's a beautiful night" Norman commented as he approached his best friend.
Neil murmured something under his breath that Norman couldn't hear. Before he could ask Neil about it he heard Hally's voice above him.
"It's about time you showed up, your friend has been here a good half an hour before you" She teased as she jumped down from the tree and landed beside him.
"Where's Jack?" Norman asked her as Neil stood up and gave him a confused look.
"What did you say?" Neil asked as he looked to the empty space that Norman was looking at.
"He's on his way, he tried to make it snow earlier and Grace the summer spirit came at him. They've been fighting ever since. They went to the North Pole to try and calm things down" Hally explained.
Grace the summer spirit? Snow? North Pole? Norman didn't want to ask.
"You're friend can't see me" Hally said as she looked towards Neil. "I can see why you brought him, he's looks to be quite the body guard"
"Oh no, he's not my body guard. He's here for adventure" Norman explained. "It wouldn't be any fun without him, plus I figured more people looking for these ingredients the quicker we are at finding them"
Hally stared at Norman for a minute, deciding on what to say to him.
"You're either really smart or really dumb" She said. "I haven't figured out which but when I do I'll let you know"
"I think I heard that before" Norman said.
"Hello?" Neil said as he neared Norman. "Are the spirits here yet? Are you talking to them?"
"Hally's here Neil, Jack isn't. We're waiting on him" Norman said.
"Tell him all he has to do is believe in us to see us" Hally said.
"Hally says you need to believe in her to see her" Norman told Neil who nodded and clenched his teeth and fists together.
"He looks like he's trying to hatch an egg" Hally said as she laughed slightly to herself.
She wished Jack would hurry up to see it. The pure concentration on the boy's face was pretty funny.
Neil opened his eyes and let out a huge breathe he had been holding.
"That was pointless" He said. "Maybe I should try something else"
"That would be wise" Hally muttered, hoping it would be something funnier than the last time.
"Just say you believe, think back to all your old memories of Halloween or Snow days" Jack said as he floated down beside Hally.
Hally reached up and gave him a hug. She smiled up at him as he smiled down at her and kissed her forehead.
"How did you get on with Grace?" Hally asked him as Norman explained to Neil what Jack had said.
"We can to an agreement" he said smirking at the thoughts of the meeting with North and Grace.
"I can't wait to hear about it" Hally said sarcastically. "Quoba will be telling me all about it when I see her at Halloween"
"Who's Quoba?" Neil asked as both the holiday spirits looked to Neil, who stared at them in shock and surprise but also with curiosity.
"She's the spirit of Autumn. We work on and off together sometimes" Hally said giving Neil a smile. "Hi Neil. I'm Hally, the spirit of Halloween and this is my boyfriend Jack Frost, who needs no further introduction or his ego will expand to a greater size than it is now"
"Hey" Jack said teasingly as he put an arm around Hally's waist.
"Boyfriend" Neil said disappointedly.
Jack gave Neil a glare and held on to his staff tighter.
"Okay are we all ready to go?" Hally said as she tried to stop Jack from breaking away from her and possibly attacking Neil.
"Yep" Norman said seeing where Hally was going and picked up Neil's bag from the grass and handed it to him.
"Give us the map Frosty" Hally said as she held out her hand for it.
Jack rolled his eyes at her and pulled out a slightly crumpled scroll from his pocket.
"North said that the map will automatically take us to the next locations but it needs a recharge of 12 hours" He said. "Does everyone know the plan?"
"Yeah" Neil said. "Follow the map, get the goods, stop the bad guy"
"You do realise this is going to get dangerous" Hally said to him, the smile and laughter gone from her face.
"My middle name is danger baby" Neil said smiling at Hally and Norman.
"Her name is Hally to you" Jack said coldly before unfolding the scroll. "Everyone be quick and hold on to a piece, don't let go until we land on solid ground"
Quickly everyone reached out for a piece of the map and held on tight. There was a flash of blue and purple light and a cold wind whipped against their bodies. Everyone held tight as the feeling of the earth beneath them left them. Norman tried to not scream.