Jamie laughed as a snowball hit him in the shoulder. Bending down, he scooped up another handful of snow and sent it flying at one of his friends. They were having yet another snowball fight, courtesy of one Jack Frost. Said spirit launched another snowball, this time at Cupcake. She turned and got a face-full of snowy goodness. She had just started to form her own snowball when they heard the distant roll of thunder. They all groaned, knowing that their fun was over.
Jack sighed in disappointment. "Alright guys, let's get out of here."
"Do we have to?" Jamie whined.
"Yeah. It's getting dark anyway," Jack replied, glowering in the general direction of the storm.
They all sighed and started to walk home, heads low and feet dragging.
"Come on, Jamie. I'll give you a lift." Without waiting for a reply, he picked the boy up and flew off towards the boy's home. He did a few loop-de-loops, and the child let out a whoop of joy. The thunder rumbled again, more insistent this time, and much closer. Rain began to fall in small, cold drops that quickly grew in size.
When they reached the house, Jack pushed the window open and gently set the child on the bed. Jamie jumped up onto his feet, wet hair bouncing slightly. "What do we do now? Can you make frost animals again? Can you make it snow?"
"I think," Jack laughed, leaning on his staff. "That you should be getting ready for bed. It's getting pretty late."
"I don't think I can sleep!" Jamie exclaimed. "I'm too excited!"
Jack sighed. "Alright. Tell you what. You get in bed, and I'll sing to you until Sandy gets here. Sound good?" Jamie nodded, jumping up to brush his teeth and put on his pajamas. He ran back into bed as fast as he could, quickly slipping under the covers. "Sing to me, Jack."
The Spirit of Winter pulled up a chair next to the bed. He leaned forward slightly and began to sing.
Little child, be not afraid
Though rain pounds harshly against the glass
Like an unwanted stranger, there is no danger
I am here tonight
Rain beat against the window pane, weaving itself into the song. The wind howled outside, an accompanying voice to the melody.
Little child, be not afraid
Though thunder explodes and lightning flash
Illuminates your tear-stained face
I am here tonight
As if on cue, there was a flash of lightning, followed by a huge clap of thunder. The glass in the window panes shook with the force of the sound. Jamie whimpered and shrank further under the covers. Jack put a comforting hand on his head.
And someday you'll know
That nature is so
The same rain that draws you near me
Falls on rivers and land
On forests and sand
Makes the beautiful world that you'll see
In the morning
Jack was no longer seeing Jamie. He was seeing the sister he once knew and loved. She had come to him on nights like this, cold and dark. He sang to her the same song he was singing to Jamie.
Little child, be not afraid
Though storm clouds mask your beloved moon
And its candlelight beams, still keep pleasant dreams
I am here tonight
Jack thought he could see some of Sandy's dreamsand on the horizon. He hoped that Jamie would get an especially good dream that night.
Little child, be not afraid
Though wind makes creatures of our trees
And their branches to hands, they're not real, understand
And I am here tonight
Outside, the wind howled and screamed. It shook the branches of trees, causing them to dance and sway, occasionally scratching at the window like hands trying to break the delicate glass.
For you know, once even I was a
little child, and I was afraid
But a gentle someone always came
To dry all my tears, trade sweet sleep for fears
And to give a kiss goodnight
Now Jack was remembering his mother. She sang this song to him when he was young, so long ago. The thunder shook their entire cottage. He cried and whimpered, but she was always there, holding him, stroking his hair, whispering reassurances to him. He fell asleep in her arms every time.
Well now I am grown
And these years have shown
That rain's a part of how life goes
But it's dark and it's late
So I'll hold you and wait
'Til your frightened eyes do close
He was much older now, older than any human. He had suffered more than anyone should have to bear, and he had suffered alone. It hurt, but he didn't let anything slip through his mask. He knew that suffering was a part of life, and you had to learn to deal with it.
And I hope that you'll know...
Everything's fine in the morning
The rain'll be gone in the morning
But I'll still be here in the morning
Jamie was fast asleep now, with golden snowflakes dancing around his head. Jack smiled slightly and kissed him on the forehead. He settled down in the chair and prepared to go to sleep. There was no way he was flying through that thunderstorm outside. He would be here when Jamie woke up, and they would have the snowball fight of a lifetime the next day. Jack would make sure that all traces of this storm were wiped from the memories of the kids. He would replace the fear and darkness with fun and laughter. That was his mission, and he intended to complete it.