As the full moon hung low in the sky, bathing the world in its soft white glow, the sleepy town of Burgess lay in the final thralls of a cold winter. The rooftops were still coated in a thin layer of frost, ice Crystal's sparkling like precious diamonds as the moonlight streamed over them. The trees stretched their naked branches toward the night sky, as if desperately trying to grasp the pale light of the stars to provide them sustenance. A cold wind blew through the empty roads, carrying with it a chill; it danced over frosty wooden fences, cars covered in a thin layer of snow, mute green grass that was crunchy with the lingering ice, before shooting into the nearby woods that was nothing more than a collection of dark, leafless pine stalks. It whirled through the snow banks, jumping like a winter white rabbit, and swirled snowflakes about; they were little fairies prancing in the night, their little laughter barely audible over the shrieking of the wind, before dropping down to join their brethren collected on the ground. The wind glided into a clearing, where a beautiful lake was frozen over, and its icy surface was a mirror to the black sky above. Joyous laughter suddenly split the air, and Jack Frost skated over the wind he had conjured, sliding over the crystalline surface of the lake before springing up and landing expertly in the bough of a sturdy tree. He tapped the bark with his staff, admiring the intricate pattern the ice crystals that formed against the dry brown exterior. As he chuckled to himself, stretching out to lounge in the bough with one leg swinging slowly in the chilly air, he tucked his arms behind his head and looked up at the full moon with a satisfied smile. The only sounds were the singing of crickets and the occasional rattling of branches as the breeze shook them.
Suddenly, there was another sound, too. Jack sat up with narrowed eyes as he strained his ears to distinguish the new noise from the usual melody of the forest, and he gasped quietly when he realized the errant noise was a melody in itself. Someone is singing? Quiet as a mouse, he slipped off of the branch and drifted down into the snowy bank below, his footfalls silent as he walked across the pure white snow. The song grew louder as he followed the beautiful voice, and after an minute he could discern that it was a female. She was singing a song without words, her voice rising and falling in a clear melody. Jack had never heard it before, but it sounded eerily familiar to him. He could hear it clearly now, meaning the mystery woman was close, so he pressed himself against the back of a wide tree and carefully peered out into the night.
She looked like an angel descended from Heaven as she slowly walked across the snow, wearing a simple white dress with flowing fabric that fluttered behind her as the wind flowed through the sheer sheets. Blonde hair streamed behind her, glowing silver in the moonlight. Her skin was creamy white, but not ghostly like Jack's; it was warm, rosy, full of the breath of life. Jack had never seen such a divine creature in his long, long life, and as he exhaled in wonder his breath fogged up in the cold. Enraptured by the goddess, he crept as close as he dared, mere yards from her as he watched her with wide eyes. As she hummed, the sound drifted over the wind to him, and it was the purest music that had ever graced his ears. Why would a beautiful girl like that come wandering through the woods by herself? Concerned for her safety, he debated calling out to her, until he noticed what was happening around her.
Where she walked, the snow melted, turning to crystal clear water before being absorbed by the lush green grass that sprang up under her bare feet. Jack could feel the temperature warming around him; he could actually feel the water condensing on his skin. Suddenly, she whirled about, her dress flowing like water as she raised a hand in some kind of dance; Jack breathed in sharply as the tree he was clung to abruptly grew warm, and the bark grew darker as the thin layer of frost vanished. He glanced up, and on the naked branches little green shoots were beginning to sprout, the buds of new leaves rapidly forming in response to the woman's strange ritual. When he looked back down at the clearing, most of the snow was gone, replaced by a luscious carpet of green patterned with brilliantly colored wildflowers. Like a ghostly ballerina, she glided through the brown trees, bringing the spring wherever she moved. Jack leaned on his staff as he watched her, amazed. Is she the one who brings the spring? Who is she?
"Wow…" he murmured aloud, so enthralled that he didn't even realize that he had spoken. It was then like a switch was flipped, snapping the girl out of her performance for the trees; she dropped down onto the flats of her feet, and Jack gulped as emerald green eyes flashed in the moonlight, glaring right where he was hiding. Her chest heaving and face flushed as he stared intently where he was standing half-masked by the tree and a scraggly bush, he prayed that she could not see him. A tense minute passed, with the girl just staring, and Jack considered giving himself just to break that tension. However, before he could react, the girl whipped a hand to her mouth and a sharp whistle split the quiet night air. Jack covered his head, expected an attack, but instead there was a rush of winds and the flurry of feathers; when he lifted his head, the girl had vanished, leaving the lush forest scene behind. Jack walked out into the clearing, the grass that had just grown freezing beneath his feet, as he looked up at the night sky hoping to see a glimpse of the beautiful woman.
I wonder who she was…
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Guardians of Childhood, nor the character within, only my OC. These rights belong to William Joyce.