Sophie ran off to a part of Burgess which was unfamiliar to most of the people from school, but one she had been to before. She slowed down as she turned into a residential area, walking past houses with their gates thrown open, lit candles everywhere and somewhere within, a coffin or just a memorial. Hands in her pockets, she surveyed the funerals going on, trying to take her mind off her current situation.
"All alone, eh?"
Sophie halted in her tracks, slightly stunned as that familiar voice reached her ears. She turned to face the front and beamed when she saw Bunny standing just a few feet away.
"Bunny!" she exclaimed, before realising that exclaiming was not exactly a good idea. She glanced around at the houses, hoping no one had heard her. She resumed walking and the Guardian walked along. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see ya, ankle-biter. What are ya doing all alone here?" the rabbit responded. Sophie sighed.
"I just needed some time alone," she said, keeping her voice low and trying not to move her lips too much. She suddenly wished she had taken up ventriloquism, like Jamie did. But there wasn't really anyone around, anyway, save for several citizens emerging from a house after having paid their respects to whoever the departed was, or others arriving to do the same.
"Is there something troubling ya?" That tone. That 'you-can-tell-me-anything' tone. Sophie looked away. Sometimes she wished the Guardians had taken some sort of crash course in watching over teenagers.
"It's nothing," she replied. "Nothing I can't handle. Don't worry about me, Bunny, I'm fine. I'm not that two-year old who accidentally ended up in your Warren all those years ago." In spite of herself, she smiled at the memory. She realised Bunny was fixing her with a concerned look. She gestured at the houses. "Are any of them here children?" she asked, referring to the deceased ones and abruptly changing the subject.
#
"What did she do? Why are they on to her?" wondered Mrs. Bennett aloud, her face tight with anxiety as Jamie scrolled through more of the emails. He checked the 'Trash' section and happened across many more. He noticed one thing about all of them; they were all read. Sophie actually opened every one of them. He selected one at the top and opened it.
"'No one wants you here anymore'," Jamie read, almost to himself. He selected another one. "'So sorry you didn't die in the blizzard'." He shook his head before turning back to his mother. "They're not all from the same person," he informed her.
Mrs. Bennett was less interested in the hateful mail Sophie had been receiving than where her daughter had gone to. Stories with similar beginnings and events with their terrible endings flashed in her mind and she hurried out of the room. "We have to find her. What if she does something rash?"
"She won't," Jamie replied, causing Mrs. Bennett to stop in her tracks and turn to face him, confused. Jamie put the computer on sleep mode and got to his feet. "You know Sophie, mom, she's the last person to do anything stupid." There was a short pause before he continued, "But let's go find her anyway."
"Where would she go?" Mrs. Bennett asked, as they exited Sophie's room and hurried downstairs where they pulled on their coats and headed out.
Jamie paused to ruminate. "Someplace where her chances of bumping into someone she knows are pretty slim," he finally responded.
#
Bunny knew there was something wrong with Sophie. She seemed troubled, somehow. But there was no way she was answering of his questions. All she did was abruptly change the subject. He could never understand a teenage mind. North once mentioned that teenagers were still children, the only difference being that many weren't believers anymore. He was starting to disagree.
"Not long till Easter, so yeah, the preparations are almost complete," he said, in reply to one of her questions. "You will be egg-hunting, no?"
Sophie didn't give an immediate response, which worried the Pooka. Usually she would be all thrilled, her eyes lighting up at the thought of Easter. But now she just seemed sad and sorrowful. For a moment, he couldn't help but wonder if this was some new trick of the Boogeyman's. But hadn't the guardians defeated Pitch all those years ago? And Sophie was one of the kids involved in the battle of Burgess and she believed in the Guardians, so she was probably one of the last teenagers on the planet to succumb to Pitch.
"Is there a problem?"
Sophie shook her head. A little too quickly, Bunny thought. She shot him a smile. "Of course I'll be egg-hunting! You know I wouldn't miss Easter! It's so much better than Christmas! And don't tell North I said that." She sounded a little too bright and her smile didn't reach her eyes. Bunny took her human hand in his paw and looked her in the eyes. "You know you can tell me anything, Sophie."
She pulled her hand away. "It's not something you'll understand," she responded, a little snappily. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to..." She trailed off, interrupted by the sounds of a car driving up behind them on the previously deserted road. Sophie hurried to the side, and hoped the driver had not seen her talking to the air, before she recognised the car. Without a second thought, she took off.
I apologise for such a short chapter! The next one will be longer, I promise! :-P Thanks for reading, and please review!