As all of you who follow my ROTG fanfics I have introduced an OC of Jack-O-Lantern as Halloween's boyfriend, another OC of mine.
BUT this one is about Jack-O-Lantern and his past life. Hope you enjoy, and reviews are always welcome.
"Oh Jack! Tell us, again, the story about the time you rescued your sister from the frozen pond!" Tooth Fairy smiled. Her army gathered around them with excited faces. They were all gathered in the training room benches where the guardians battled each other to become more skilled and stronger. Jack-O-Lantern sat 3 rows behind them drinking water from a plastic cup.
Jack Frost chuckled. "You mean the time I died?"
Jack-O-Lantern spat out his drink and coughed. He held his mouth with one hand as if saving the few drops on his chin.
"You ok there bud?" Jack Frost turned to him.
"Yah." Jack-O-Lantern wiped his chin and sniffed.
"Just gotta- uck. Oh gosh. uck." Jack-O-Lantern stood up hiccuping.
"You sure?" Tooth looked at him worried.
"Yah-uck. Just gotta-uck. Drink more water." Lantern replied and walked off. "You go on with-uck- Your story now of-uck- Mary."
Jack Frost frowned but shook his head. "That's weird. He new my sister's name."
"Well all of us know your sister. silly. She was a child too." Jack-O-Lantern heard Tooth reply.
Lantern sniffed and hiccuped as he took out a plastic cup. He sniffed some more when he pushed the water dispenser. He wondered why he felt a runny nose quickly cascading from his nostrils. Finally his question was answered when a drop of blood splashed onto his thumb. "Ah-uck." He hicced. He headed to North's office.
"You have the bloody nose again?" North put his hands on his hips.
"Yah." Lantern answered with his hiccups gone. The intimidating presence of the buff Christmas man must have scared them off.
"So strange. You're not suppose to have those. You are practically dead!" The holly man chuckled as he took out 2 Q-tips and stuck them both into Lantern's nose. "You know what the cause might be?"
"I could take a good guess." Lantern smirked innocently. "You know the time I died..."
...
Jack watched his friends walk down the streets. He glared at them. Why was he so unlucky? He had been forbidden to go out side his house since the day he was born, especially during winter. Maybe it was because of his seasonal bloody noses during winter. But if so, why couldn't he go out during the other seasons? He brushed aside his wavy ginger hair. Maybe it was because Irish were hated on the streets. But he was only half Irish. His dad came to America as soon as the man sensed a famine of potatoes.
Come to think of it, his dad had always been ok with him going out. But he was away all the time because of trying to find a job. Jack could try to help out as well. It was his mom that was blocking him from the outside world. At first he thought that she was just protecting her sweet little boy. But now that he was 17 going to 18, this reasoning was no longer valid.
He rested his chin on the opening of the window. A cooled gust of wind blew across his face and a small river of blood ran down his nose.
"Jack, don't do that!" His mom's voice ordered. He jerked his head up and looked back at her.
"Oh no, you're bleeding again." she grabbed a cloth and wiped his nose. He grabbed the it and pinched his nose.
"Good gosh mom. I'm 17. I'm eligible enough to marry. Don't you think I can wipe my nose myself?" He shunned away from her.
"I'm sorry, I'm just trying to take care of you." She combed his hair. He ducked and backed away.
"I'm not a little kid anymore. When am I gonna be able to get out?" He glared.
"Jack you know the doctor says your health isn't the best. You're getting paler every winter with your bloody noses."
"Well maybe I have a death wish."
"Don't say that." His mom's eyes watered.
"I just did." Jack walked away, leaving his mom crying beside his bedroom window.
Because of the fight, dinner was not the best. It was only Jack and his mom. His dad, most likely, found a job and stayed overtime. Jack forked his food. He looked at his mom and saw her blood shot eyes.
"I'm sorry." He looked down at his chicken.
"It's ok." His mother replied. "I can't blame you. You look just like him."
Jack frowned still eyeing the food. "Yes mom. I know. Dad's genes were dominant. Of course I would look like him. " He could see a tiny smile forming on his moms face.
"Jack, I have no idea what you said." she reached across and took his hand. "But, not your father. You look like your uncle."
"Your brother?" Jack clarified looking up at her.
His mom looked into his shining green eyes. "I bet if you only had brown hair brown eyes. You would look exactly like him."
"Well…that's unexpected." He moved his hand away, feeling that atmosphere getting fluffy.
She went back and forked her food. "He liked to have fun."
"Everyone does."
"It was his best ability."
"Ah, so he never found a job."
"He wasn't given a chance to have one." Her voice razed a little. He sank in his seat.
"He died." She bit her lips. "He died saving me from a frozen pond…It was my fault." Tears weld up in her eyes. "I was supposed to be the one who fell in the pond."
Jack stood up. "Stop it mom. When you say that, it's just like saying you regretted ever having to grow up and marry dad and having me. Do you regret that mom? Do you regret having me?"
The weeping woman looked up at him.
"Uncle Jack sacrificed his life for yours. Of course he wasn't expecting to lose his life, but he was willing to risk it. Don't let that risk go to waste."
"I know." She wiped her tears away.
"Plus, if you're so bugged about it, why did you name me after him?"
"Your dad named you."
As if on cue, the man came in.
"Where's my favorite family members?" He said in his Irish accent.
"More like your only family members." Jack scoffed.
"Aw you." The Dad walked up to him and gave him a half nelson.
"Oh no! You're murdering my hair!" Jack tried to get out of his grip.
"Ah you and your hair." The dad let him go.
The mom wiped away her soggy face. "How was your day dear?"
"Great! I found a job and bought a turnip for tomorrow's Hallows day." He turned to her. "You and your Irish holidays." She smiled.
"Hey it's tradition." He replied. "I see your face is wet again. Mary, if you just let the boy out, he wouldn't be throwing his logic at you all the time."
Jack patted his shirt. "Dad…that's not the reason anymore."
"You know, I feel like you're getting too feminine each moment you spend in this house." The father shook his head at him. "I mean look at you! You're a toothpick!"
"A sexy tooth pick." Jack flicked his hair like a teen heart throb. His mom scoffed.
"Son, you look like a girl."
"Then I'm the sexiest girl you have ever laid your eyes on." Jack put his hand on his hip.
"You always have a way out, huh." His dad raised an eye brow.
"Jealous" Jack walked away.
His Dad chucked the turnip at the back of his head.
"Ow!"
"Gradol." His mom frowned.
"Happy day of the Hollows Jack." His dad smiled.
Jack's mom entered his room just in time to witness him carving the turnip. She looked at his shelf filled with carved candle lit turnips.
"I've been meaning to ask, what is the meaning behind those things?" She knelt beside him.
"There was a legend about this guy who was named Jack-O-Lantern that made a deal with the devil." Jack started carving out a triangle. "If he freed the devil from a sealed tree, the devil wouldn't send him to hell when he died. The devil agreed, so there for when the devil was released, evil was unleashed into the world. When Jack died, it was proper that he would go to hell. But the devil stayed true to his word. So Jack was ban from hell. He was also not aloud to be in heaven. So he was banned from there as well. Jack was made to roam the world of darkness. He made a lantern out of a candle and turnip to guild himself through it."
"Wow." His mom raised her eyebrows. "That's kind of dark don't you think?"
"But it has a good moral to it." He placed a candle in the vegetable.
He then went up to his shelf and placed it next to his last year's turnip which was now rotting.
"No matter how dark the world seems, there will always be a glint of hope."
His mom stood up with revelation. "Ah Jack. You're filled with so much wonder and hope."
"Eh." He turned to her and smiled. "Just a glint."
"Well little glint man. Me and your father discussed some business. And I have decided to let you out of the house tomorrow afternoon."
Jack's mouth dropped. "Really!"
A current of blood gushed out of his nose.
"I may have second thoughts." The mom grabbed a towel and ran up to him.
Jack tightened his scarf and kissed his mom good bye. He was finally going out! He opened the door and smelled the winter air. He took a deep breath.
"Oh don't be so over dramatic." His dad pushed him outside. Jack's shoes sank in the cold snow. He smiled widely.
"Now don't go too far away. Ok." His mom warned.
"Can't promise that." He turned to her.
"What." She frowned but he was already dashing away with a trail red.
"Oh stop worrying." Her husband smiled. "The boy is old enough to take care of himself."
She smiled back at him.
When Jack was sure he was a safe distance away from his house, he strode on the street and over heard children as they passed by.
"Look what the Tooth Fairy gave me mommy." A girl said holding a quarter. He smiled and shook his head.
"I'm going to ask for a gun from Santa Clause this year." Another announced.
"Kids." He scoffed. "Next they'll be told is that a supernatural being makes the snowflakes."
He stopped as he saw a wooded area.
"Lets not have any part unexplored." He smiled and walked on.
He rotated as he walked forward. He wanted to get a view of everything. Who knows when he will be let out again? Suddenly he slid as he noticed the floor had different texture. He had walked into a frozen pond. He flailed his arms around trying to balance. He stopped gliding when he reached the center.
"Oh no." He uttered as he heard the ice crack.
A black cat passed him. The ice gave in and he fell.
But the water was only waist deep. He looked at the cat, which apparently, stopped and stared at him.
"You gave me a heart attack." He climbed out of the water.
It meowed.
He looked at the hole, walked away, and came back with a long stick that was most likely 7 feet long. He jabbed the stick in waiting for it to hit the ground but he almost fell in again, when the stick sank. How was that possible? He was a foot shorter than the stick. He looked back at the cat. But it was gone.
"Creepy." He uttered and dashed back to his village.
"Mom Mom!" He called out as he ran "There was this lake, and I fell! And now I look like I wet myself! But that's not the point!-" He stopped on his tracks. The scene before him was shocking and confusing.
A man had a gun to his dad's head and his mom was standing in the crowd, afraid.
"Please." His dad pleaded. "I can pay you back. I found a job. Just give me time."
"That's what you said the last time you got a job." The man shook his head. "I want my money now.
"I know you have money. You even bought this turnip." The man smashed the carved turnip on the ground.
Jacks mouth dropped and he darted toward the man. "Turnip!" He pushed the man's hand and the gun slid on the ground. His dad dashed for the gun.
"What the hell kid!" The man yelled and punched Jack knocking him down. The man looked up and saw Jack's dad pointing the gun at him.
"This will teach you to be patient." His father glared.
"No!" Jack stood up with arms out and a bleeding nose. But the dad had pulled the trigger. A small breath of air escaped the mouths of everyone.
The man Jack had blocked ran away not even bothering to catch his savior who landed on the floor. His dad dropped the gun and ran up to him.
"Son! Why did you do that!" He held Jack in his arms.
"You…were… about to …shoot him." Jack said with small breaths.
"Oh no Jack no no." His mom rushed to him. "Don't die. Not you too."
"But that would have meant the end of our debts from that evil man!" His dad continued.
"If…I would…have let you do that… you would have also… turned… evil." Jack clutched his dad. His dad broke into tears.
"WELL DON'T JUST STAND THERE! GET HELP!" His mom yelled at the crowd. She turned to him. "It's ok Jack. I won't let you die."
"Mom…" Jack hugged her. "I had an awesome day outside."
"And you'll have more! I promise." She clutched him. But he didn't respond.
"Jack? Jack! JACK!" She cried.
He opened his eyes. He was staring right at the moon. The sky was dark. It must have been night. Jack widened his eyes and sat up. He found himself on a small fishing boat. He found the black cat at his feet, staring out onto the lake horizon. He smiled. "Oh my gosh it was just a dream." He felt his chest.
"Oh no dude you died." The cat shook its head.
"Huh!" he leaned back.
The cat turned into a human with night colored hair and a skull centered bow tie.
"That was pretty impressive, what you did back there" The being continued.
"Ah! You were a cat!"
"Your parents sailed you off here because they couldn't afford a casket."
"I'm still dreaming." Jack looked away. The being appeared in front of him, he scooted away.
"You were chosen Jack" The being grinned.
"By who?" He leaned away.
"By the man on the moon." It replied.
"Right…You are?"
"Hallows." It answered with a hint of femininity to its voice.
"Right, and I'm the tooth fairy." He smirked.
Instantly, humming birds carrying coins and teeth flew passed them.
"What the!" Jack held a paddle.
Then the lake's water turned to ice and a man with white hair flew along the lake, pointing his staff at the unfrozen water solidifying it. The man also left a trail of snow flakes. Jacks mouth dropped and his nose bled.
"Oh my gosh, we gotta go find a cure for that." Hallows took his hand.
"What?" He asked still dumb found.
"Come on. I think Santa has something for that."
"What?"
Hallows giggled and they both evaporated.
"You weren't a believer when you were alive were you."
...
"Good theory." North pointed out. "But I don't think that's the problem."
"What?" Lantern frowned.
Fin.