Katherine wrote out the list late into the night. The moon shone brightly in the indigo sky, silver moonbeams leaving untraceable trails in the air. On cloudless nights they were most the active. She had long since fallen asleep, arms stretched over her notebook and sketchbook. A silver moonbeam made a trail to her room, buzzing like a lost fly in her apartment. Kailash was silent, making loud honking snores as it scooted around her head.
Finally, the beam settled on Katherine temple, the pulsing glow like a heartbeat.
She fidgeted for a moment before settling into a calming dream, or more commonly, a memory.
***
This one was of her younger self, dancing in the sky with Nightlight the day after their first battle with Pitch. It had been a small victory in the hand of a more significant war. The children were safe, the world at peace; if only for a short time.
Nightlight spun her around in the air, her wavy hair tangling in the breeze. He glowed so brightly that Katherine had to squint. She laughed a little, and he stopped and looked at her as if noticing her for the first time. All at once the dream changed. His eyes became the color of copper, and his hair began to darken. "Nightlight?"
His eyes glazed over, her hand slipping from his.
Down,
Down,
Down,
She fell through an endless dark tunnel.
She reached out for Nightlight, him looking down dumbly at her as she fell. She tensed, preparing for the inevitable impact of the ground. "BANG!"
Katherine woke up on the floor by her desk. Looking up she saw a buzzing silver light spin around the room and then zoom out the window chasing some black sand.
She ran a hand over her face as she let out a frustrated breath. Looking out the window she saw the moon, it's crescent tipped so that it looked like a Cheshire cat. "Honestly, you would think you can give me a night of rest."
The moon didn't respond when she noticed her alarm: Six o'clock in the morning. It was time to get up anyway, the class couldn't start without her after all. Kailash yawned trying to stretch her wings. The tips of her feathers whacked Katherine in the face as she stood up. She rubbed her face in frustration but didn't say anything as she got ready for the day. If this was going to be a precursor to how the rest of the day would go, she was not excited about it.
***
He had thought all night about what Jamie had said. Or rather...what he hadn't said. The boy's accusations seemed unnecessary. There was nothing Jack wanted more than to understand why this Miss. Guse could see him. So as he leaned from the tree watching the kids leave the school for the day he reminded himself what his focus was. And not to get his hopes up.
The idea that someone other than children could believe in him gave more questions than answers. What was belief? Did it matter for children or adults? What made a child an adult? The questions were so loud in his mind that it took him a full ten minutes before he realized all the children were gone. He jumped from the tree, landing by the front doors of the school.
He hardly made a sound. Not that anyone would hear him anyway. A strong wind pulled some red leaves from the tree as he stood in front of the school. There were very few establishments he ever entered. Most were by accident. It took him a moment to gain the courage to push through the glass doors. His hands lay flat as he drove it in the quietly lit hall.
The walls were lined with child's art. Paintings, handprints spread out and even framed. He couldn't help but look at each one as he walked down the hall. It was warm in the school. "Amazing." He mumbled.
There was a clang from down the hall making him jump. He saw it was the janitor who was sweeping the hard floors. All at once Jack remembered why he was there. He walked down the hall again, this time quicker as he searched for Jamie's classroom. "One hundred seventeen. Where is it?" He had to stop and backtrack once. His eyes finally falling on the widely open door of the fifth grader's room.
Jack peeked into the empty classroom. His eyes scanned the quiet space watching as the woman from before collected the papers on the desk. She didn't acknowledge him in any way, so he walked in, standing in front of the door. She was intent on her work, cleaning the desks, smiling softly and putting away books the kids had forgotten about. He was quiet for a long time, leaning forward on his crook with a sigh. Jack cocked his head thoughtfully. "I thought for sure—"
"Excuse me?" Mrs. Guse looked up her eyes penetrating his like pure light.
Jack jumped back slamming into the classroom wall, and a picture hanging on the wall hit him square in the head. Stumbling away he rubbed his head only to trip over a small car and land square into the bookshelf. The shelf wasn't prepared for his weight, and it collapsed with books among other objects falling on top of him."Ow..." He mumbled from the under the pile.
He heard hurried footsteps then a giant stuffed bear was removed from his face revealing the concerned face of the teacher. "Are you okay?"
He stared for a moment, mouth agape as she stared down. "Ummm...I-I'm fine." She looked unconvinced, and he gave her a big toothy grin. Which he was sure didn't help the matter. Finally swallowing back his smile he attempted to push the stuff off of himself. "You just startled me that's all."
"Are you sure? You hit your head pretty hard." She reached out, and at her touch, he hissed in pain. He could already feel a large lump forming where he had been hit by the picture.
"I better get you some ice."
"Oh, that won't be necessary!" Jack waved his hand then winced again grabbing it. He grimaced at the pain in his arm and the cuts on his palm.
The teacher had already gone behind her desk, pulling out ice packs and bandages as she did. "It isn't a problem, really. I always keep a first aid just in case a kid gets hurt." She looked up at him then looked down, "I hope you don't mind a Deadly Nadder on the band-aids. I am afraid I am used to more children than adults having accidents like this."
Jacks felt his ears warm, "I don't mind, and I didn't mean to... um, bother you."
She didn't respond, but walked over, forcing him to sit with a gentle push of her hand. Katherine pressed the ice to his head, telling him to hold it while she took care of his scraped hands. He listened, but only because she seemed intent on it. When she was done, she sat back and smiled. But it quickly dropped as she mumbled, "Haven't I seen you before?"
Jack rubbed his hand, remembering the day before with stark clarity, "I don't think so."
She narrowed her eyes at him and said, "I have! I ran into you in front of the school."
"Oh yeah."
"Aren't you a little old for elementary school?"
Jack tried to keep the embarrassing redness from his cheeks. "Um, I'm younger than I look."
"What are you doing here?"She pressed, walking to her desk.
Jack stood and followed her, "I was here to see Jamie Bennett."
"Well I am afraid you missed him, he went home a little while ago."
"Right." He murmured, stopping when she looked up.
She stared at him, her piercing gaze making him look away. "How do you know Jamie?"
"We're cousins," Jack said, his mouth moving of its own accord. "I've been away for a while, and I wanted to surprise him."
"Very odd way to do it—"
"Jack...Um...Jack Bennett." His mouth felt like cotton as he spoke the apparent lie. But why lie?
"Hmmm..." She eyed him suspiciously. This woman's gaze seemed to look through to his soul rather than his surface. She grabbed her satchel and threw it over her shoulder, turning her iron eyes from his. "I suggest you go, I lock this room when I leave."
It took Jack a moment to realize he had been holding his breath. He let it out with a small huff. Turning around he headed for the door of the room, being careful to avoid the pictures on the wall. She walked behind him, wrapping her scarf around and locking the door behind her. She turned, and he stepped back from her, letting her pass to the school's exit. The both of them walked down the empty hall in scrutinizing silence, her hand on her satchel and her eyes avoiding his. At the door, she quickly walked down the steps, apparently not comfortable with Jack's presence.
At the sidewalk, she stopped and turned to him, "I am heading home now."
His eyes widened at what this implied, and he stepped back. "I'm sorry I didn't know I was...I didn't mean to...I just..."
"It's fine Mr. Bennet." She stated coolly, "But I would rather not be followed. So if you will please leave me alone."
"Right." Jack turned around to walk down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, "Maybe I'll see you again." Jack said. She nodded walking away vigorously. "Wait!" He abruptly shouted, making her halt in her steps, "You didn't give me your name."
She turned to him, smiling sincerely, but her eyes spoke of mistrust, "Katherine Guse. Have a good day Mr. Bennet." With that final statement, she swirled away and disappeared around the corner.
He didn't follow her, but his eyes never left her until she had rounded the corner. Still, he didn't move, his hand gripping the staff that seemed to whisper to him. Baby Tooth finally popped out again, looking at Jack and back in the direction that the woman had walked. "Katherine." He sighed.
***
Jack walked on the roof of a newer house, one right next to Jamie's, waiting for him to open the window and let him in. It had been weeks he felt since he actually got a chance to talk to the young man, and the school had been making things more difficult than it should.
But just as he was about to think he wouldn't, he saw the curtained window of his friend swing open and wave at him. He jumped from the roof and flew through so that he landed on Jamie's desk chair. The childlike guardian swirled in the chair then crossed his legs and sat down, the chair still spinning.
Jamie shook his head laughing, "Okay flake head, what's the plan?"
"What do you mean?" Jack said continuing to spin and struggling to look at his friend as he turned.
"With this substitute of course!" He laughed and jumped on the bed.
Jack stopped the chair, "I didn't think I would need a plan."
Jamie raised an eyebrow, "Seriously, you meet a woman that can see you and you didn't think you would need to get any farther?"
"She's an adult," Jack spun the chair again, "An adult who happens to believe."
The boy stopped Jack's chair, "Uh, no, she's an adult teacher who happens to believe, and you happen to recognize. Coincidence? I think not!"
"Jamie..."
"Don't you Jamie me mister!" The boy laughed again. "You have to find out more."
The Guardian gave Jamie a sideways glance. "I don't know how you expect me to go any further. What more could there be?"
"There's a whole truckload of possibilities."
"Right, no. Seriously, Jamie, she is just a woman--"
"Jack Frost Jack Frost!" Sophie appeared at Jamie's door before either of them could protest she had already jumped onto the bed nearly throwing Jamie off the side. Her unruly hair stuck up like a cat's, making her look crazier than usual. "What about a girl? Is Jack in love?"
The spirit's ears turned bright red.
"Sophie!" Jamie pushed her from the bed along with his old blanket. The girl glared at him through choppy bangs. "Get out of my room squirt."
"No fair, I want to hear about girly too."
"There's nothing to --."
Jamie leaned over his bed. "It's none of your beeswax!"
Jack ran a hand through his hair, "Seriously stop."
Sophie peeked over the bed at him, while her brother turned to him. "But I thought--"
"She can see me, that was all I wanted to know," Jack confirmed, nodding to the two of them.
Jamie and Sophie shared a glance, "So...did you find out why?" The boy asked sitting up.
"Well...she must believe in me." He rubbed his neck.
"I think there is more than that going on." Jamie started again lifting his sister off the bed only for her to climb back up again. "You should see her again!"
"No!" Jack waved his hands wildly, "I already freaked her out, and made a complete idiot of myself. I am not going to see her again."
"Jamie Jamie lookie!" Sophie shouts hanging upside down at the edge of the bed. Both Jack and Jamie turned to her.
"What is it, Soph?" Her brother asked.
"I'm a bat!" She fell off the bed, and the boy sighed.
The boy wasn't giving this up yet. "You should still see her again."
Jack dropped his head, looking down at the staff in his lap. Even if he did see her what was the point. Sure she was familiar, but that could mean anything. Yet, he still couldn't shake the feeling, even if he fought it, that there was something more to her then just seeing him. He took a deep, shaky breath then looked up. "I'll think about it. But even if I do don't make it anymore then what it is."
Jamie whooped jumping on the bed resulting in knocking Sophie off the bed. She began to cry and both the boys turned to her.
***
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