Hey, this is my first story since signing up. I hope you enjoy it. Please review.

Also, I haven't seen the movie yet (unfortunately) so I'm sorry if I screw up a few things. Enjoy.


Like any other day and time of year, the woods were filled with a peacefulness that was almost chilling. The trees stood tall with age, their multiple arms stretched out in all directions and bent all sorts of ways. They reached up, almost shielding both the gray sky from the wondering woman, and the ground from the falling snow. Though the ground was already blanketed with it.

The thick canvas of snow was clear and smooth and flawless, or would have been if not for the tracks that fallowed behind me.

It wasn't considered uncommon for me to go roaming through the woods on a whim. This place that had once caused me to cower under the covers at night. But since then, I have grown to admire the stillness that now calms my own mind and thoughts. It was peaceful. Detached almost from the rest of the world. The snow mad it even more so,

I love snow; perfect snowy scenes anyway that draw the breath from your lungs and cause your eyes to widen in awe, and your afraid to move or breath in fear of shattering that moment where all time has stopped. If I could, I would stay here for all time.

Snowflakes fell all around me, each one unique to itself, and the entire wood held an animus blue light -or fog perhaps- that masked the distant trees and light. A frosty chill followed beside it. I huddled deeper into my over-sized coat not quite made for winter.

I had walked for sometime with little excitement, yet the time past me by with the trees and snow fall in a dreamy bluer, and at some point, I had realized I had wondered deeper then I had ever gone. Alarm over took me at first as I thought of the time that had past and the faint possibility that I was lost. But it quickly passed as I looked over my shoulder, the tracks made by my old boots marked my return trip. The sky didn't seem to have darkened since I last noticed either. So I continued to walk on blindly, my mind wondering to more interesting things then paying attention to my surroundings.

My mistake.

In an instant, I found myself half buried in a mound of snow. I gasped as the cold powder fell in my boots and down between my shirt, causing my to stand quickly with a grace the queen would have flinched at. I leaned against a tree for support as I let myself adapt to the sudden cold, now slowly dying away.

With a sigh, I leaned heavily on the tree as a sudden wave of weariness overtook my body that I wasn't able to defend against. I stood there for a while, listening to the sounds of my own breathing, seemingly echoing through the endless silence of the slumbering trees. How peaceful, I thought, my eyelids becoming heavy. With the combination of my tiredness and the scene around me, I was inspired to sing. Something I don't do often.

Dancing bears, painted wings

Things I almost remember.

And a song, someone sings.

Once upon a December.

With the little tune concluding, a new sound-a soft thud- filled the silence and caught my attention, but I took a moment before lazily turning my head. The bark gently brushed my hair, though I hardly noticed as my sleepy eyes widened in shock.

A little distance away, laying under a bear tree on the flat ground-where a little layer of snow covered- was a person. They wore little cloths; a blue hoodie dusted with snow around the head and shoulders and ripped brown pants. There feet were bare, sowing how pale they were. A long staff lay close by.

Seeing this figure, far from any close house, ill clothed, pale and motionless, it was expected to feel fear and horror, And I did.

With little more grace then when I fell, I began the short trek thought the snow. "Hey!" I yelled in an attempt to get them to move. Even a simple twitch would have been welcomed. Thankfully, my outburst had done the trick. Turning to face me quickly, he looked as startled as I felt. It was a boy I knew for sure, but I could only glance his features as I stepped on the flatter surface, then felt the ground disappear beneath my, then reappear, slamming against my side and knocking the breath out of me.

Ice. It had to be ice, I thought to myself as I slowly and painfully sat up, trying to regain my pride in the process. I dared to look at him, and my returning breath caught in my throat.

He was quite handsome, and young. A part of my hoped my age, but I pushed the thought aside embarrassingly. His hair was short and tousled, and extremely pale blond, on the verge of white even. His sweater was dusted with a permanent frost that I previously thought to be snow. His skin was unnaturally pale, yet flawless in its way. His face held no history of any blemishes or scars. But most of all, his bright, clear blue eyes pierced through mine, emphasized by his other pale features.

I was immediately overwhelmed. Ice blue met warm hazel in a searching gaze, looking for anything that would make sense of the other. His eyes were cold naturally, but there was a warmth to them that seemed unexplainable. So was that other layer, hidden deeper, but I only managed to glimpse it. Perhaps it was my imagination. Time dragged on, long and slow before I had to break contact, but I was consciously aware of the real time that past, quick and brief.

Taking a breath, I meant to ask what he was doing, but it came out as a stuttered, choking whisper. Clearing my throat and taking another breath, I asked again; louder, but still with little force. I was careful to avoid his gaze.

He tilted his head to the side, his eyes wide with curiosity, wonder, and an innocents that reminded me of my brother when he wanted to get out of trouble. I bit my lip and clenched my hand to calm my acing chest.

"What." He stated this so simply that I drew back. "What?" I repeated in disbelief. A list of things grew in my head to say to him; how his attire was unfit for any whether, how he looked like he spent a week in a block of ice and so on. Yet, at the same time, I was at a loss for words. Damn his eyes.

"You can see me?" his voice was barely above a whisper, which made me wonder if it was meant to be answered. At this, more ideas crammed my mind about this strange boy. I even entertained the thought of him being a man of special talents or abilities. To happily I must admit, though I pushed it aside and replaced it with a more realistic one. Perhaps it was the cold that was causing him such delusions. I frowned at the idea and at myself for thinking such a thing of a boy I had just met.

"Yes. Of course I can." I tried to stand, but found myself at the mercy of the ice. I settled on sliding towards him, my gaze lowering a little more. "And I mean what are you doing here, outside in the cold?" His head lowered, his hair shielding his eyes, though I glimpsed a far off sadness in his cold orbs. Perhaps I hadn't imagined it after all. I bit my tongue, regretting his feelings, but not having the will to apologize. I didn't know him after all. But I couldn't push away the feeling of wanting to get him to smile.

Giving him once over, I took off my scarf and gloves, placing them on him instead; the cold bit at my bare hands and neck, but I ignored it. He didn't flinch or push me away, as I had expected. His cold hands pierced my own-but I ignored it- yet they were soft and as flawless as the rest of him.

"Well," I began, looking up at him to place the white scarf around his neck. He lifted his head to look at me, his eyes filled with the humor of an inside joke that will never die. I was curious about how my actions led to what he thought was funny, but I didn't bother bringing it up. "Why ever you out here, you can't just go out dressed like this."

"Why not?" he asked defensively, though I got the impression he knew something I didn't. My brow furrowed. "Because you could freeze to death."

"The cold never bothered my."

"Your complexion says otherwise." I gestured to both this exposed skin and lack of body heat. There was a moment where he considered my words, then smiled. I was warm and welcoming, but also mischievous, and I was glad to have it directed at me. I was equally glad the cold had already colored my face. "What's your name?"

I hadn't noticed his voice before, how smooth and clear he sounded, making him feel much older then he was. I didn't really want to answer, beginning to feel a little uncomfortable, but his eyes and voice had trapped my. "Emily." His smile widened, if only slightly. "Emily." I liked how he said my name. "That's nice. And how old are you, Emily?"

Don't answer, don't answer, I repeated urgently in my head. "Seventeen." Again, his smile widened. "And you? A name for a name. That sounded fair.

"My names Jack. And my age-" he paused, his smile faltering. "-is debatable." My eyebrow rose, but I chose not to comment. A cold wind blew through the trees then, tousling both our hair, though mine became more wild. Pushing a long lock of brown hair behind my ear, I rubbed my hands together. Jack had obviously token notice of this and motioned to take off the gloves when I stopped him, putting his hands in his. "No. I'm fine. You need them more then I."

"And I really don't need them." Jack said, but made no motion to move from my grip. "I'll be the judge of that."

Once again, we fell into silence. I could see myself beginning to feel that of a love-hate relationship for these moments. Though it was only a second, it felt like a long, agonizing minute. I had to break the silence or risk going mad.

"You have beautiful eyes." It was a second before I realized the words that slipped out. My eyes widened in horror as I withdrew my hands from his, sliding a little away from him. He looked as startled as I was, but his expression soon changed. I glimpsed a growing smile before I lowered my head. "I mean-" God, I really didn't know what I meant. I felt so horrified and ashamed, yet, also satisfied with myself, but it's reasoning's eluded me.

"I mean…I, uh-" I trailed off, feeling shameful heat rise to my face. Unable to stand this boys presence any longer, I shot to feet. It was a miracle that I stood without any more accidents. " You should be heading home know. You wouldn't want to catch hypothermia." I could feel his cold blue gaze on me, making me feel all the more nervous. My chest pulled and tugged at me in both a pleasant and painful way, if it was possible, that is. I tried to push it down. From the corner of my eye, Jack nodded, his smile a slight curve on his smooth pale lips. "It was nice meeting you Emily. "

I took in a steady breath to calm myself.

"You to." I had meant to sound clear and proud, but it came out just above a whisper. We stared at each other a long moment, our eyes exchanging words of a language I didn't understand. Jack seemed likewise.

Breaking the connection with a blink, I turned my back to him and began walking towards the path I had created. "Emily." She turned at the tree she had been leaning against ages ago to see Jack, now standing. I waited patiently for an answer, watching him gap like a fish. The silence dragged on. "Can I see you again."

I reeled back, if not my body, then my spirit. I wasn't expecting such a question, and now I found myself, mouth a gap. Unable to speak, I nodded. He smiled and nodded as well. Once again, I turned from him and began my long walk home. I tried to push him out of my mind as I could feel his unbearable gaze at my back.