Inspired by 'Jack and the cuckoo-clock heart', 'Rise of the guardians', 'Frozen'
DISCLAIMER: Characters and original stories belong to their respective companies
Blizzard
They call me Jack Frost, the festive spirit that brings winter to the Earth. But I`ve never been the positive and mischievous Jack that you all have heard about.
This is my story. The story before I became Jack Frost.
I was just a baby at that time.
"Jackson, hang in there! Don`t die on me!" My father screamed as he bundled me up with a long cloth.
I was born with a frozen heart, and soon, I would cease to exist in this world.
My father hastily grabbed his cloak and his snow boots and whisked both himself and me out of the house.
I started wailing once we were out of the house, as the weather spared no mercy in helping me to keep warm. My father`s cloak swished along with the icy blizzard that threatened us as we approached the so-seemed abandoned hut.
My father knocked the door with a series of quick knocks before he paused.
Silence.
All we could hear was the howling of the winter wind and the sound of snow slipping off the roof of the grungy hut.
My dad tapped his foot with irritation before he decided to just enter the brutal way, by sheer force. In a matter of seconds, the door was left in pieces.
"HEY! Didn`t anyone teach you how to freakin` knock? Urgh, curses." A lady materialized from the shadows.
"Woah, what the f-" My father swore as he jerked backwards.
"What are you doing here? Why are you here?" The lady demanded as she set down a glass flask and strode over.
"Ar- Are you the midwife?" His teeth were chattering and his hands were shivering as he held me tightly against his chest.
"So what if I am? What do you want?" She replied threateningly.
"Please help…my son. His heart is…"
"Frozen?"
My dad nodded his head vigorously as the lady held out her arms to take me. He hesitated a short second before he handed me over.
The lady laid me onto an oak table as she begun scurrying around the house to take surgical equipment. The oak wood was infused with the smell of metallic utensils. The whole hut was scented with a stifling scent of herbs and the walls were falling apart.
"So will he die?" My dad asked curiously, with a hint of worriedness, or was it?
"No, he won`t. But instead, I will replace his heart with a cuckoo clock."
"A clock? Are you sure he will live?"
"Yes. As long as he remembers NEVER touch the clock and NEVER to fall in love. If he complies by these rules, he should live to a ripe old age."
The silence in the room was taken over by the sudden 'cuckoo' by my heart.
The lady hung a string attached to a winder onto my small and frail neck before she handed me gently over back to my dad, "He`ll be fine."
The howling winds from the outside knocked wildly against the glass windows.
"I think you should stay here for the night."
"I`m sorry to impose on you."
"If only I didn`t sentence that innocent man to jail, this wouldn`t have happened. This is retribution, karma. My son has paid for my own sins. I can`t face him. I can`t face my family, my wife."
After that day, I never saw my father again.
Two weeks later…
"Excuse me, is the midwife here?" A familiar voice questioned.
"I am the midwife, what business do you have here?"
"Two weeks ago, my husband left my child, Jackson here. And after that, he returned without him, I was wondering by any chance that he had left him here?" A brown haired woman asked.
"Jackson? Indeed, he did leave him here. I`ll get him for you."
"Oh thank heavens, I thought I lost him forever! Thank you so much!"
The midwife reappeared with me in her arms as she handed me over to my mother, "You look pretty worn out."
"Ah yes, I`m pregnant again."
"Take care of them properly, now."
"Yes, thank you so much!" My mother replied jovially as she returned home.
Upon reaching home, the telephone rang.
Ring ring…Ring ring…
"Hello?"
"Hello? Excuse me, is this Mrs Frost?"
"Yes, speaking. Is anything the matter?"
"Ah, yes. Your husband, his body was found hanging by the tree near the pond. I`m sorry to have to be the one to bring you this news, mam. You have our deepest condolences."
"My…Hus- band? Hi- His body?" My mother was shaking.
"Yes, mam. He committed suicide by hanging himself."
The telephone slipped from my mother`s grip and it bungeed close to the wooden floor.
"No… He was so guilty-driven until… What am I supposed to do now? How… Can I raise both of them on my own?" My mother mused as tears welled up in her eyes.
Seventeen years later…
"Jack, be careful on the ice! Take care of your sister okay?" My mother cautioned.
"Of course I will, when have I ever let you down?" I replied gleefully as I grabbed my sister`s wrist, "Let`s go!"
For the first time in a long time, I finally came out of the house. The past seventeen years hasn`t been an easy one for both my mother and I. While my mother had to go out to the village to work, I had to stay at home to take care of my little sister. After all, my father left us. He left me.
The icy coldness was a relief as my breath came out in puffs of steam. The cold had never bothered me anyway. I never felt cold despite the freezing weather.
She was having so much fun, ice skating on the ice, but it too me too long to realize that the ice was way too thin. She stopped suddenly, "Jack? The ice…"
I dashed over, "Relax, don`t be scared-"
"Jack, the ice- It`s cracking!"
"Hey, hey! Look at me! Relax, let`s play a game shall we? Hopscotch! Like we always do! Look! One…Two…Three!" I took three steps in succession to the coaxing.
I was close enough to grab my staff from the slippery ice and I quickly held it out towards her.
"Come on! One, yes that's it!" I motioned for her to take the steps, and she did.
In a quick swish, I tugged her away from the thin ice. She grinned happily at me, "Jack, we`re safe-"
The ice below me started joining their arms and the cracks slowly grew larger.
Within the next second I was in the water and the last words I heard were
"JACK!"
"So this is it? This is how I`m going to die? In the cold icy water? At least, I`m free here."
Is that the moon? Why is it coming closer?
My body became lighter as it begun floating upwards to the moon. I was suspended in mid-air before my feet landed on the ice.
I looked at my reflection in the ice. White hair? Blue eyes?
I stared at my fingertips and my skin was as pale as paper. I bent over to pick up my staff before I felt my body
"I`m alive! And I have supernatural powers!" I exclaimed excitedly as I skied around the frozen pond with my staff, causing the tree branches and roots to freeze with snowflakes. My cuckoo-clock heart was 'cuckoo-ing' non-stop as I was too overly emotional.
My eyes flashed around and I wondered where all the people were. Ah! The village!
I danced around happily, knowing that I wasn`t dead. And made no effort in trying to control my clock heart. I greeted the fair ladies that strode pass and attempted to hi-five with a passing kid. But, the child walked right into me, and I flinched as I stared down at my body.
"Hey! Could you tell me-" I started, before another lady walked right into and pass me.
They can`t see me. I`m not alive. I`m dead. I don`t exist anymore.
The pain in my chest became evident as my legs gave way. If I`m no longer human, why is the cuckoo-clock heart still working?
I looked up to the moon, demanding answers, even though I knew that I would never get any.
My boy, you`re immortal now. You are Jack Frost.
What am I? Who am I? Am I still Jackson Overland Frost?
I glimpsed up at the moon, still hanging onto that little thread of faith I had in it. Nothing.
I let out a deep sigh as I hardened my grip against my staff.
Nobody can even see me, what`s the point of being alive? I need to find out why I`m not dead.
I tucked a cloak from a nearby clothes hanger into my arms before draping it around myself as I made my way towards the icy mountains.
Meanwhile…
The moment Anna slipped off my teal coloured gloves, I knew I was in grave danger.
"Please Elsa, don`t do this! I can`t live like this anymore! I don`t want to be cooped up in this castle forever!"
"Then leave, Anna"
There was a long pause as time stood at a standstill.
"Why?" Anna demanded.
"Enough Anna, this party is over."
I turned my back as my burgundy cloak swished sophisticatedly, "The party`s over, close the gates."
"What did I ever do to you, Elsa? What did I ever do, so that you had to shut me out, not only me, you had to shut the whole world out? What, what are you so afraid of?"
"I SAID ENOUGH!" And with a wave of my hand, the floor that stood before me was trapped with spiky icicles that threatened anyone that intended to come close to me.
Cries rang out from around the ballroom.
I bit back a curse as I sprinted out of everyone`s sight, only to be greeted by even more guests as it was my coronation.
No no no, anything but this.
I raced through the crowd as the civilians darted out of the way.
Upon reaching the river, the water beneath me froze, and it was able to sustain my weight.
I glanced back, "Elsa, wait!" And without any further hesitation, I ran across the river, freezing and creating my path with every step. My purple cape fluttered in the wind as I raced to the other side of the river, anything to get away from there.
Once I laid my foot on the mountain, I knew then, that it was truly home.
"Now they know, let it go" I mused as I finally mustered the courage to toss the other pair of my glove into the ink stained sky.
I can throw away my gloves; they were like a mask that concealed the real me from the world. Now I can freely use my powers.
"The cold never bothered me anyway." Was the only sentence I could think off as I let my cape flutter into the wind, releasing all my burdens and my fears.
And on this mountain now, I was finally free! I didn`t have to please any snobbish royalties, I could live however I wanted to. But first, I would need my own kingdom!
I looked up ahead, and there, stood a perfectly empty spot, enough for me to build my icy kingdom and I got to work straight away. I lifted my gown and with a strong stomp, the floor underneath me formed into a gigantic snowflake before I mustered all my strength into building the castle from scratch. I commanded the ice to rise up, and morph into my desired castle.
Pillars rose up before the magic whisked away into dust, with another whoosh of my hands, engravings were cast onto the walls and the roof of my castle begun to take shape.
"I`m never going back, the past is in the past."
I took the crown out of my silky hair and took a last glimpse at it before I tossed it away like a shuriken. And with that, I loosened my bun into a scorpion plait and from the bottom up, I changed my dress into a sky blue gown with ice sequins. The hem of my gown twirled below me as I danced around my ice castle, I was finally free.
Meanwhile…
I stared at the snow-covered ground, I was a few hundred feet above the ground, solely relying on my newly acquired powers to keep me suspended.
So what am I actually looking for? A home? A place where I belong?
I pushed aside all thoughts of negativity as I soared across the vast sky. The wind blew wildly against my clothes and the tendrils of my hair whipped across my face.
And then, I spotted something. An ice castle? And is that singing? Who the hell is singing in the middle of a snowstorm?
Like an answer to my question, a girl walked out from the majestic door and she looked so free. She looked like she didn`t have a worry in the world, and I guess it attracted me. I yearned to be like that too.
I lowered myself in an attempt to get closer to her. My eyes met hers and immediately, I knew that I wanted to get to know her better.
The cold never bothered me anyway, why were these words stuck in my head?
When I landed on the edge of the baluster, the girl exchanged a glance at me before she spun around and exited with a slam.
Did she just see me? Impossible? Nobody can see me, I think? If she just saw me, she just ignored me? Urgh, that woman.
I leaped off the ledge and scouted around the castle to find the main entrance. Might as well enter properly to leave a good impression when she actually sees me.
Upon touching the surface of the floor of the entrance, I materialised and prayed that it worked.
Knock knock
"Who is it? Wait, it doesn`t matter, go away!"
Jeez, someone`s in a bad mood.
I sighed as I hesitated before knocking again.
"I asked you to leave."
I knocked again, "Please open up."
"I already told you to leave, Anna-" Her eyes widened with surprise, "I`m sorry, I thought you were my sister."
"Do you believe in love at first sight? Or do we need to redo this scene all over again?" I questioned.
Her face was priceless and she looked like she was about to shut the door. I burst out in laughter as she raised her eyebrow, "Is this entertaining to you?"
"Urgh… I`ve been observing you for a while, and I was hoping to get to know you better." I admitted finally.
Oh shit, did that sound stalker-ish? Or was it a successful flirt attempt?
"I don`t talk to strangers." The door creaked as it slowly closed.
I grabbed the door with my fingers, "No, wait, I`m serious. I really want to get to know you better. Give me a chance, I just need one."
"How do I know whether I can trust you or not?"
I took my necklace off my neck and placed it on her instead.
"You have to take the risk and find out. That is the winder that is most vital to me."
She let out a sigh, and locks of her fringe swept her forehead, she looked even more stunning up-close, "Alright, come in."
"Can I ask you another question?"
"What?" The reply was so skeptical that it shocked me.
"Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?" I asked whilst trying to hide a grin that threatened to appear.
"That is a very cliché way to flirt with a girl, but anyway, I`m not interested in romance. And one more pick-up line from you and out you go." She threatened elegantly. Her dress sparkled like her sapphire eyes, I`ve never seen anything so beautiful.
I raised up my arms in a surrendering position, "Anyway, I just realized that we haven`t introduced ourselves, I`m Jack."
"Elsa, Queen of Arendelle."
Holy shit, she was a Queen?
I lowered myself into a bow, " Your highness"
"I ran away from my kingdom, I`m in no position to gain respect from a stranger."
I guess there`s only one-way left to capture her heart, then.
I shortened the distance between us and leaned into her, "May I ask, why?" My breath tickled the edge of her ear and she flinched back with surprise, "No- reason at all. I just had enough."
I knocked the head of my staff against the edge of the pillar and more engravings appeared on the wall, "You… Have this power too?"
The edges of my lips curled into a smile as I nodded.
"Impossible. Who are you?" Elsa demanded.
"I`m Jack Frost. And I`m supposed to be dead."
"Wait, are you a fugitive? Are you some criminal whom was sentenced to jail for trying too much to hit on girls?"
"What are you even talking about?"
"You explain yourself."
"As I said, the Moon told me that my name is Jack Frost. I can`t remember anything else before that. I woke up with these powers, and to be honest, I don`t want them." I admitted as I hung my head.
Elsa placed her hand on my shoulder, "I understand. For I, too, was given a power that I have no desire for."
I rested my own hand against hers before I clasped it tightly and held it, " At least we have something in common." I added with a smile.
She flushed red as she threw aside my hand, "Let`s just sit down first." Elsa strode sophisticatedly towards the sofa made of ice.
"Are you sure our butts won`t get frostbite?"
"The cold never bothered me anyway." Both of us suddenly replied in union. We exchanged eye contact as my heart accelerated. Elsa broke the contact as she jerked her head away.
I shrugged my shoulders as I took a seat beside her, "Where do I start?"
"Your past? Why can`t you remember anything?"
"The only thing I can recall is, my heart."
"Your heart?"
"My heart was frozen when I was born, and so, my heart was replaced by a cuckoo-clock."
"A cuckoo-clock? How interesting, may I request to look at it?"
"You do realize that you just asked me to strip, right?" I reminded as I stood up whilst smiling gleefully, enjoying the fact that I could tease her so much.
My cuckoo-clock heart chimed, as the palpitations of my heart were getting too vigorous. I ignored the chimes as I gripped the edges of my shirt.
"I- didn`t say strip! Don`t malign me! Ah! Forget that I asked that!"
I let out a chuckle, I didn`t know I enjoyed teasing her that much. I removed my shirt and the silence in the room was dispersed by the ticking sound of my heart.
Elsa stood up and took two steps towards me. In a flash, our faces were less than a few inches away, and I so desperately wanted to pull her in and kiss her lips. My heart forbade me to do anything else as the pain increased. The spring popped out of the clock and Elsa twitched as she raised her hand to touch the clock. My heart lurched as my adrenaline increased and I staggered.
"What`s wrong?" Elsa asked as she touched the clock and she gently traced the edges where the clock met my skin.
My skin burned with her touch, and I felt like I was on fire. I lost my balance as the pain seared throughout my whole body and I collapsed onto the sofa. "What`s wrong? Did I do something wrong?" Her eyes grew wide and she begun panicking.
"The necklace, the winder…" I started. My vision was getting hazy, my breath coming out in rasps.
She ripped the necklace off her neck leaving a red line, before she quickly tucked the spring into the clock and quickly winded up my heart.
I slowly regained my breath as I thanked her slowly.
"What happened?"
"Apparently, nobody can touch the clock. And I can`t- No, nothing."
"Why didn`t you tell me? I almost got you killed! And how could you give such an important thing to a complete stranger?"
"I told you, right? We have to take risks. And now I am certain that you`re a good person" I answered gently as I added a smile.
Elsa stuffed the key into my palm, "Keep it, and don`t give it to other people! What if something like this happens again?"
I pushed the key back into her hand, "I have no intention of leaving your side."
Elsa gazed into my eyes, and the world just melted. Her eyes glittered brighter than the stars in the galaxy, her skin was tempting me to touch it and her lips, looked so soft and I wanted so badly to know how they tasted like.
Was I in love?
I leaned in, she didn`t pull away, and I took that as a go-sign to proceed. I could feel her breath against my lips before she gently pushed me away, "Jack, we can`t. We barely know each other. And I was just telling my sister that she can`t marry a man she just met."
I blinked while trying to take in the fact that I was rejected. I let out a scoff as I looked at her hands, " I really care about her, don`t you?"
Elsa nodded as she kept rubbing her face, trying to erase her embarrassment, "She`s the only family I have left."
I paused momentarily as suddenly, I remembered a brown haired girl.
"Jack, I`m scared!"
"JACK!"
"Jack? What`s wrong?" Elsa questioned as I snapped back to reality.
I smiled as I reminisced the past, "I had a little sister, and I died while trying to save her."
Silence resounded the room, and for a second, I thought that she could hear my heartbeat.
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"I`m sorry, I didn`t know…"
"Why are you saying sorry? She didn`t die, I did." He responded as he laughed. His muscular body shifted slightly as he leaned into the sofa and he brushed away strands of hair that fell to his face.
We were so close just now, and he smelled so good.
Oh my God, Elsa! What are you thinking?!
Pink blush stretched across my cheeks as I remembered the kiss Jack attempted just now.
"She must have been dear to you."
"Of course! Hey, could I ask you something?"
"Anything as long as it`s not another pick-up line."
I had enough of his weird tactics, but I could tell that he wasn`t a bad person. The impression I had of Hans was totally different though, he just felt so untrustworthy.
"Why did you run away?"
It`s a pretty uncomfortable question, but I guess I need to get it out too.
"Well, let me start from the start. When I was younger, I enjoyed playing with my sister, Anna. And she enjoyed playing in the snow that I created. But there was once when I accidently shot her, and she almost died. After that I swore to myself that I would never use my powers and never hurt her again. My parents died while departing to a cousin`s wedding and Anna is the only family I have left." I glanced up at Jack, and was surprised that he was looking straight at me, listening attentively.
"Go on." He urged.
"Then it was my coronation, and I had to hold the ceremonial items without my gloves in front of the whole town, and I couldn`t. I didn`t want the whole town to think that I was a monster and that I wasn`t fit to rule the kingdom. I didn`t want the townsfolk to be afraid of me, I didn`t want to rule the town if the people had to live in fear everyday."
"You wanted to rule out of respect, right?"
He gets it, I thought as I nodded.
"And after that, Anna approached me with Prince Hans, and she told me she wanted my blessings for her marriage. But I didn`t have a positive feelings about Hans, and she wanted to marry a man she just met, it`s just so unreasonable!" I exclaimed, but quickly realized that I wasn`t acting proper.
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"Is your sister crazy?! What if he just wanted to marry her for the inheritance?" I responded earnestly.
"Exactly!"
I didn`t know we had so much in common.
"I didn`t know we had so much in common." Elsa gasped as I stared at her, "That was what I was just thinking." I added.
"I don`t believing in love at first sight."
"I can tell." I grinned as she smoothened her skirt.
I took the silence to ponder about why my clock didn`t go haywire. I thought I couldn`t fall in love, but everything about her was making me fall in love, I think. The way her arm moves, so elegantly and full of poise, the way she looked when she was retelling her story, it was out of this world.
"Jack, I`m sorry I started off as cold, I just, can`t bring myself to trust anyone easily. I hope I didn`t leave a bad impression on you." She raised her arm as she touched my cheek.
Urgh, her touch was intoxicating and I felt breathless again. How could she even think that she left a bad impression on me? My mind was blank and I was so flushed that I didn`t know how to respond.
The tips of her ears turned red as she realized the situation, she begun moving her hand away.
Without thinking twice, I grabbed her hand in mine and squeezed it, "You didn`t leave a bad impression on me. The impression you left was the strongest."
And then, she smiled. And Holy Christ, she looked like an angel. The world consisted of only the both of us, it felt that time stood still as she gazed at me. I think this is it.
I pulled her into me and our lips met.
If heaven had a taste, it would taste like Elsa`s lips. My hands cupped her cheeks as she hooked her arms around my neck. Elsa pulled away as she caught her breath, "Jack, wait-"
I tugged her down as I kissed her again. Shivers echoed on my skin as her slender body touched my bare skin, the fabric of her dress scrapping off all the evidence of her previous rejection towards me.
She hoisted herself up with her hands before she blushed, "You`re still shirtless."
"Who cares." I responded gleefully as I hugged her to my chest.
"I can hear your heart, I mean your clock."
"I wasn`t supposed to fall in love."
"With me?"
"At all. It was a condition that was made when my heart was replaced. I wonder why my heart didn`t go crazy. And I had no idea what love was, until I met you, I guess."
"Then I guess, I`m glad that I ran away from Arendelle." Elsa added as she snuggled closer to me.
Knock knock
"Who`s that?" I questioned curiously as Elsa stood up, smoothened the creases in her dress and walked over to the door.
She opened the door, and there stood Anna.
"Anna? How did you find me? What are you doing here?"
"Elsa, listen, I know you were angry about the sudden proclamation of my marriage, but-"
"Anna, it`s okay. If you want to marry Hans, you have my blessings!"
The blond haired muscular guy stared me down as he put an arm protectively around Anna. "Elsa, who`s this?"
"I`m Jack Frost, Elsa`s boyfriend."
"Who made you my boyfriend?"
"Erm, Hi. I`m Christoph, reindeer whisperer. Nice to meet you!"
I nodded my head in acknowledgement as Anna raised her eyebrow, "Elsa, I want you to return with me to Arendelle."
"I can`t." Elsa twirled around and stood close to me.
"Why?"
"I`ll hurt you, I`ll hurt people with this power. Especially since I can`t control it. Anna, just leave."
"Elsa, we`ll do it together! Let`s go back and we`ll fix this together!"
"Anna, you don`t understand. Nobody can fix this, I can`t fix this, because I`m part of the problem. Just go back Anna."
"Elsa, I understand, let`s get through this together! Both you and me!"
"Anna, leave."
"I won`t until you promise to return with me."
"Then you leave me no choice." With a wave of her hand, an ice golem came to life and literally threw Anna and Christoph out of the castle.
"That was brutal." I answered as I glimpsed over at the ice golem, causing Anna and Christoph to run into the woods.
Elsa hugged me, "I`m not ready to face anything yet."
"I`ll be here as long as you need me to."
Elsa heightened herself and stole a kiss from my lips, "Thank you."
And with that, it so happened that I could fall in love, or maybe it had to be true love, I never got the answer. But at least I`m happier now, and so is she.
