*** Trigger Warning: Not mentions of violence or suicide. Cyber-bullying warning. Anara is a victim of harsh online bullying through social media. Some of the comments are harsh and may trigger people. Please be cautious when reading. If anything like this could upset you, DO NOT read the beginning of this chapter!

"If you weigh over 120 pounds, you shouldn't wear fishnets." That simple little statement began what I would consider to be one of the worst days of my life. It had been a reasonably chilly afternoon, winter creeping in like the moon's shadow on the sun during an eclipse. School was typical, the teachers lecturing on their subjects to students who wanted nothing more than to get through midterms and begin their winter break. Only a few questions in regards to the identity of the mysterious man at Jade's party were brought to my attention, inquiries I answered with the reply that he was a friend from another country who was on holiday. Surprisingly, Priscilla had yet to return to school. No one had seen her since the party. Jason, who had not shown up at the party, was speaking animatedly to a group of his friends, and he smiled at me when I walked passed. Strange...I thought, shrugging and continuing on my way. I was ready to go home and open a good book to unwind. My head was already hurting, and I wondered if I was coming down with the flu. This was not to mention that I, who was generally a teacher's pet, had received a less than perfect score on my math test, putting me in a bitter mood. The day already wasn't going well for me and it just seemed to get worse as the minutes ticked by.

Following an excruciating final hour of class, I was released for the day. Walking outside and into the fresh air, I noticed the "Queen Bee" Priscilla and her gang of leeches leaning against the railing of the stairs leading to the sidewalk. Attempting to be cordial, I pretended not to see Priscilla and Jason as they watched me walk by them. What are they up to? I grimaced, knowing whatever they were planning could not be good.

I strode to my car, setting my bag in the back seat and my purse in the passenger side. Getting settled in the driver's seat, I noticed my phone going off. Leaning over, I retrieved the device and unlocked it, finding that I had over thirty text alerts. My heart began to hammer in my chest as I opened the first set of messages, all from Jade. "Holy crap! Did you see this?...Anara? Look at your phone!...What is this?" Jade had sent an image of Priscilla to me. Priscilla had posted a picture on one of her social media pages, her makeup dark and wearing a costume similar to the one I was wearing at the Halloween party. Her makeup was exaggerated and she posed like a damsel in distress with the back of her hand pressed to her forehead and her mouth open in a gasp.

Priscilla captioned the photo with the words, "Guess who I am everyone? I'm sulky and fat and my musical skills are almost as terrible as my luck in relationships! Shout out at Anara Rose for making the Halloween Party a truly horrific event!" I felt my blood run hot as I read her words, furious at Priscilla's attempt to goad me into a social media argument. Part of me expected some shenanigans like this to come from the popular girl, since she was robbed of her chance at Jade's Halloween party. Closing the picture, I read the rest of the messages from Jade."Anara?? Is everything okay?... Are you alright?...Don't read the comments!....They are all wrong and completely untrue. You are my best friend and you are so beautiful ...I've already left a message for Mr. Winborne. Priscilla deserves suspension for this at the very least." I quickly sent back a thank you response and agreement to Jade, before my phone buzzed again and my gaze landed on the other twelve messages.

Random numbers were sending me screenshots of the comments under Priscilla's picture. A few people had disliked her post and called her out for being a big mouth, but most seemed to be in agreement with her. I felt my throat constrict as I realized I was now the victim of cyber-bullying, as the comments I was reading were exceptionally harsh and mostly targeted toward me. I prided myself on having thick skin for so many years, used to scathing remarks and disapproval for my outspoken attitude, but never had I experienced so much hatred at one time. The comments were heartbreaking, some of them even coming from classmates I thought had respected and/or liked me. I couldn't read all of them, but I saw the ones that said; "You're so right, P. She's soooo fat." "Talentless" "Know-it-all." "If you weigh more than 120 pounds you shouldn't wear fishnets, or a corset, or leather." "Did you see that guy with her? They are perfect for each other. Both are ugly." "Actually, you're wrong, he seems really attractive and deserves better than her." "Anara is such a pretty, natural name, too bad she wears so much makeup." "I would never date a girl like her." I couldn't read any more, so I threw my phone back in my bag and put my key into the ignition.

I needed to get home. I needed to be alone. I felt so betrayed. So hurt. I didn't realize how much those words could affect me. I was comfortable in my body. I was not overweight, but I was curvy. I was smart and responsible, and I thought for myself. And I knew I was beautiful, maybe not super model beautiful, but still beautiful. My self confidence was not something easily damaged by negativity. But this was different. It was easy for me to understand how Pitch felt now. Now I had experienced everyone turning on me, some of them being people I cared about.

When I got home I fully broke down, the waterworks started and I was unable to stop them. I ran upstairs, Artemis and Aphrodite following close behind. I heard Artemis panting at my heels, and felt the brush of Aphrodite's sleek soft fur as she brushed passed me and led me into my bedroom. Momentarily forgetting about Pitch's existentance and his tendency to be waiting for me when I got home from school, I threw myself across my bed, my face buried in the thin aqua duvet. Tears soaked my face, black lines of mascara and eyeliner staining my cheeks. I sobbed heavily, the noise muffled by the fabric under my nose. My nails dug into the covers below me, little gasps of breath escaping my lips with each shudder of my body.

A cool hand suddenly came to rest on the middle of my back, startling me out of my depressed thoughts. I flinched away from the touch, though I knew who it probably was. I didn't want him to see me like this. Not when my face was red, inflamed, and covered in streaks of makeup. "Please leave me alone, Pitch." I whimpered, staying still, facing away from the shadow man. The velvet soft voice that followed my command soothed my nerves. "I will not leave you, my pretty nightflower...tell me...whatever is the matter?" Genuine concern laced the familiar sound of my spiritual friend speaking to me in hushed tones. I refused to answer, not trusting myself to resist falling further apart.

A heavy weight pushed on my mattress right behind me, signifying the fact that Pitch had sat down. He intended to stay, despite my protesting. I continued to be silent, making no noise except the occasional shiver of sadness that swept through me, thinking he might just go away if I ignored him. But then I remembered that the man beside me was centuries old and used to being ignored. He would wait as long as he deemed it necessary.

Moments passed by, but obviously he wasn't going to relent. Finally, I sat up and sighed, trying to catch my breath and even out my heartbeat. Pitch surprised me then, one of his hands tentatively reaching toward me and grasping my waist, while the other wrapped around my shoulder and pulled me closer to him, encasing my small frame within his arms. My eyes, still dotted with tears, widened in surprise, and I found myself melting into him, my body instantly relaxing against his. He was hugging me. Comforting me.

I curled into his embrace then, my nose buried into the hollow of his neck, allowing me to breathe in the scent of his charcoal skin once more. He smelled of sandalwood and pine this time, warm and inviting despite his cold and generally unfriendly appearance. I wondered where he had gone off to in order to alter his scent as it had. "Go on my dear, spill." He encouraged gently, carding his lithe fingers through the dark waterfall of hair attached to my head. "I can't do this anymore." I managed to croak, my voice hoarse from crying. "The nightmares? I thought they stopped. I haven't given you the sand in months..."

The Nightmare King sounded concerned that something had transpired without his knowledge. "Perhaps my powers are too strong in your presence now..." He pondered, causing me to shake my head more adamently than I meant to. "No. It's like I said before. The worst nightmare is reality. I can't deal with Priscilla and everyone at school. It's an endless Hell I'm always fighting. I can't win. I can't do anything right. I'm worthless and stupid and everyone would be so much happier if I just wasn't around." These words were not my own, but I couldn't seem to stop them, no matter how much I wanted to. Was it my subconscious talking instead? I wasn't sure. "Hush now, none of that is true. And I for one, would be utterly devastated if I lost you." His chin rested on the top of my head, his body wrapped around mine like a shield. I swallowed, feeling a warmth grow within my chest, my admiration and care for this man increasing. "Why?" The question slipped between my lips.

Pitch did not seem to be bothered by the short inquiry or the tears that fell upon his cloak, sinking through the thin fabric and undoubtedly wetting his skin. "Because, Anara Rose, you are the one light that shined for me. You are full of love for those around you, and you attempt to see the best in even the worst beings. You are the very young woman who helped me regain my powers, and gave me back a strength I thought I lost. You are my friend, a friend I treasure more than anything I have in a very long time. Do not think I am unfeeling simply because I am the Guardian of Fear." He crooned. His words quelled the storms inside of my head and my heart. I wrapped my arms around his neck even tighter, taking deep breaths to calm myself down. "You really mean that." It was not a question, but a statement of fact. I could feel how genuine Pitch's words were, and they made me feel something I hadn't in a long time. Something that stirred in my belly and made my heart flutter excitedly. But more than anything, his confession made me feel better, like I was worth something, that Priscilla was wrong. These were things I already knew, but Pitch simply helped me remember that. "I mean it." He confirmed, allowing me to hug him tighter. "I am sorry you are forced to deal with those terrible children. You do not deserve it." He told me. "Thank you, Pitch. For everything." I whispered, squeezing him one last time before drawing away from him.

The Nightmare King allowed me to pull away from him, and when his eyes met mine, there was sympathy in the two-toned metallic orbs. He reached up, wiping the tear stains from my cheeks with his thumb. "There...much better.." He hummed. "Do you wish for me to visit that dreadful girl tonight? I could scare her silly, if you wished for me to." I placed my hands over his, grateful for his presence and his offer. "I appreciate that Pitch, but I believe it is time for me to slay my own demons. Priscilla always gets away with what she does because everyone is too scared to report her to the teachers or our Principal, Mr. Winborne. Jade and I are going to go see him early Monday morning. Priscilla's reign is over. What she did is cyberbullying. And if she did it to me, she's clearly doing it to other people. I won't let her hurt anyone else." I spoke with a passion I didn't realize I had.

Pitch began to smirk, nodding at me. "There is so much hate in the world. There needs to be more love and acceptance. Love for ourselves and for each other, and people like Priscilla are not allowed to break that anymore. Not after today." I gritted my teeth and I wondered how to approach the situation. Pitch's eyes flashed. "Ah...there's the resilient young woman I know! Ready to take on the world, one villain at a time." He teased, patting my hand. I chuckled, shaking my head in affirmative. I sat with Pitch, slowly regaining the energy I had lost in the midst of my distress; but while we conversed as the hours drew by, I came to a realization. Pitch had called me a new nickname today. My pretty nightflower. His words echoed in my mind, causing me to blush. He had been so sweet to me today, so kind and full of care. Things all around me were changing, I noted, for better or worse. Nevertheless, I was a strong woman, with love and compassion in my heart. I could handle whatever Priscilla, or fate, or even the Man in the Moon, was going to throw my way.