2017
The snow was beautiful, covering the forest, but the one who saw it now had a sad smile on his face as red spread across the snow from him. His lip torn and sore, but the cold felt good against his skin. He sighed, not moving as he watched the red mingle with white; it should have disgusted him to see his blood staining the snow. Instead the 13 year old brunette only felt comforted and the bruises along his body didn't ache quite so much. He turned to press his lips into the cold snow, too numb for it to sting as his brown eyes glistened, watching in strange fascination as the red liquid dyed new snow. The snow always sent his mind back four years... but now it only held his attention in the now. He slowly picked himself up, he'd just turned 13 today, but his birthday was like it had always been the last two years. Snowy and with him beaten to a pulp because he alone still believed. The children who'd once been happy to play with him four years ago shunned him, even bullied him. Even Monty, who'd been such a timid child, now sneered at him when Jamie walked by; ever a nerd, Monty had new friends an there was no place for Jamie. How had things gone so wrong so fast?
No one seemed to remember or believe in the Guardians anymore but Jamie hadn't forgot and he sighed as he longed to see a certain white-haired spirit but... no, not even he could help Jamie now. Brushing himself off, he swore the ghosts of the past swirled around him; of course they did, he was at his pond after all. He wiped the last traces of blood from his mouth, satisfied he hadn't bloodied his clothes. His mom would have a fit again if he did. Jamie trudged home in the silence, years before he'd called out to Jack; hoping the Guardian would come, but even when he'd suffered his first beating and had cried out for anyone to help... no one had come. No one ever would again. Jamie shook his head at his own thoughts. The look on his face was one curiously of relief for someone who'd just suffered a beating...
