Dear Jack Frost,
My name is Rachel Faire and last week I turned eight years old. It's only November here in North Carolina, and we don't usually start seeing snow storms for a while longer, but... I was hoping you could stop by my town, Cooleemee, and give us a just little bit of snow before deep winter starts.
See, last summer, my family and me went on a road trip, and one place we went to was a town in Ohio where I met a new friend named Sophie, and her big brother Jamie. They're the ones who told me about you, and now I'm really really really hoping they weren't messing with me.
I don't know if you have an address of your own, so I'm gonna send this letter to the North Pole, and hopefully Santa can pass it along for me.
Sincerely,
Rachel Faire
(P.S. I got my mommy to help me write this, because she says my first draft had the penmanship of a monkey. But monkey's don't write, so how would she know?)
Chuckling as he read the postscript, Jack turned his grateful eyes up to a broadly grinning Nicholas St. North. "Thanks for getting this to me, North. It... It really means a lot."
"But of course!" The Russian boomed, clapping his fellow Guardian on the shoulder, and nearly sending the younger spirit tumbling. "And any time children are sending you letters, I will have yetis put them in your room, for safe-keeping."
"Thank you. Now, I've got a snow day to give Cooleemee, North Carolina!"
Dear Jack Frost,
I don't know if you remember me from last year, but this is Rachel Faire again (quick question - do you get many letters? And do you have someplace of your own I should send them? Oops, that's two questions). I just turned nine, and for my birthday my best friend Devin got me this really cute beanie cap with pom-poms! It's just, the weatherman on TV said we aren't going to have snowfall any time soon. Do you think you can do something about that?
Actually, I don't really know if this works or not, but last year I wrote you a letter and then had THE best snow day ever (my sled went down the steep part of the hill we use, and I went across the road, under a barb wire fence and straight through Farmer Cordray's horse pasture! But it was okay, I ended up going into the snowdrift next to his barn). So, I really hope this works again, and that last time wasn't just a co-in-ce-dence.
Sincerely,
Rachel Faire
P.S. This time, I'm writing my letter myself - I've gotten a lot better at making the words clear to read!
Walking home from school, Rachel shivered as a cool breeze ruffled her black hair. Letting go of her backpack strap, the kid grasped the dangling pom-poms of her new hat and tugged it down a little lower on her head. And just in time, too - not a second later, she was struck by something small that exploded on impact.
"Hey!" Frowning, Rachel turned to glare at whoever had hit her, only to see an empty field. "Uh..."
A tiny, white shape drifted down in front of her eyes. Gasping, the girl held up her cupped hands, gently catching the delicate snowflake. Then, another. And another. Eyes widening, Rachel looked skyward, and grinned in delight at the sight of numerous snowflakes coming down from sudden grey clouds.
She glanced back down at her small handful, and then spotted more white on the grass in front of her. Crouching, Rachel gaped at the words, written in frost:
Hi Rachel,
Good thing you told me about the beanie hat, or it might have taken me a while longer to find you. Y'know, you're the first person to write me letters, so your two are the only ones I've ever gotten, and sending 'em to the Pole is fine - Santa and I are on good terms.
Of course your letter worked last year, who do you think guided your sled down the hill and into the horse pasture? Oh, and get ready for a snow day to be even better than the one last year.
Your friend,
Jack Frost
Rachel felt a sudden shift inside her, a mixture of glowing faith and indescribable joy. Then... She felt a tap on her shoulder.
Dear Jack,
Well, it's that time of year again. Do you want to wish me a Happy Tenth Birthday?
I got a set of watercolor pencils this year from my dad, and I'm drawing/painting any and everything I can think of - including you! (I keeping the first one for myself, but the second picture I made is enclosed with this letter - I really hope you like it!)
My cousin Amelia is visiting us this weekend, and I want to finally convince her you're real. Do you think we can put on a really big show for her? Say, the back acre of my mom's farm on Saturday Night? Thanks!
Your friend,
Rachel Faire
The letters kept coming for another three years - always one around Rachel's birthday, but more and more during the rest of the winter months. Sometimes they were requests for nice snow days, a few times to ask Jack to lessen a harsh, incoming storm, and surprisingly, a fair amount were just notes telling him about what she'd been up to lately. They always went to the North Pole, and were always left in the guest bedroom officially reserved for Jack.
And Rachel wasn't the only one, now. Her cousin had been the first, but gradually, other kids started writing him letters, too. Spreading outward from established believers in Cooleemee, North Carolina and Burgess, Ohio, more and more people started to write to Jack Frost. And with every request he responded to, another believer added to his strength.
Even with the growing pile of papers and envelopes that resided in his room, though, North made a point of placing letters from Rachel on the bedside table, where Jack could always read them first - and where he kept the stack that the girl had sent him over the years.
As is often said, though, all good things must come to an end.
