Author's note: Alrightie, this is my first horror story here on this website. It may have some errors, so bare with me, please. I'm also very sorry that the second chapter of Howl at The Moon isn't uploaded yet. I'm still trying to find ideas for chapter two of that story. Anyway, this fanfic is based on a dream I had and in that dream, I had to study the original story of Jack Frost…only….in my dream, Jack Frost was originally a ghost seeking vengeance. The story is told from Jamie's point of view when he is an adult. And the rest is for the story I'm about to show you! So, enjoy!
The cover image belongs to MaliceFrost from Tumblr!
Jamie's P.O.V
If there's one tale I remember most as a child…..it's that one tale of the dead spirit, Jack Frost, my nana told me. I remember it was December 7, 2012. It was dark, cold, and it was raining outside pretty hard. My friends and I gathered up in the living room and sat around the fireplace with pillows beneath us. My nana was sitting on the sofa, taking time to tell us the story. Her breath seemed to come and go, like the wind.
There's an old tale of a vengeful spirit that walks across the lake of Burgess….it is forbidden to say his name three times, without stopping. The area this being lives in is foggy and dark. In the summer, it is humid and hot. In the winter(the worst time to visit the lake), it is still foggy, but surrounded by dark blankets of snow and blood of victims scattered on certain spots. As you step into his territory, you'll find a dark blue hooded figure dancing across the lake. He only appears after sundown, making the experience much more terrifying. The figure will show no signs of a face, limbs, or body….all it will show is its brown cloak with blue sweater under it. Now, if you come forth to its lake, you must be careful. Say his name three times and he will come towards you in the blink of an eye. He stab you through the heart with his shard of glass and leave your body for dead, next to the lake. You're now wondering, "How do you escape this miserable fate?". Here's one trick to get him to stay away from you, but STILL be able to watch him dance across the cold, dark lake. If there's one thing the spirit can't take, it's anything that emits light. Yeah, that's right. Light. Which means he hates the sight of lamps, lanterns, flashlights, etc. Before taking a quick trip to the lake of Burgess, you must bring a flashlight or anything else that emits light. Doesn't matter if it's a small match that's been lit up….as long as it emits light, you're fine. Be extra careful as you walk towards the lake. Legend says that when you go visit the lake after sunset, you begin to hear voices and see hallucinations. If you're able to go past the trail that leads to the lake, then it means the spirits are already afraid of the light you are carrying. Keep the flashlight or lantern as close to you as you can. The closer it is, the better you're protected from the spirit of the lake. Once you reach within ten feet of the lake, you'll feel a cool kiss of air nip at your nose. That's a sign that the spirit feels your presence and is ready to attack. He sends dendrites of frost to surround your feet as you step closer to the lake. He finally knows you're here and he already sees you as not prey…no…but, a predator. Here's the part where you MUST be extremely cautious. Once you're at the shore of the lake, to be extra safe and make sure the spirit doesn't get you, you must make the sign of the Cross across your forehead. This will hurt the spirit in a way that not many people know. As you make the sign of the Cross, you will hear a deep moan come from the lakebed. That's the spirit groaning in pain. He knows you've visited his territory and he's not pleased. Now, go pull out your flashlight as slowly as you can. If you pull it too fast enough, the spirit feels an extreme amount of pressure upon himself and catches you. He comes flying towards you and stabs you with his shard of glass. Now that you have your flashlight out, turn it on and hold it in front of your heart or face. Make sure it is at least two to three feet away from you. After three minutes, you'll see the spirit dance gracefully across the frozen lake. The spirit will seem as if he's "ice skating" when, really….he's trying to distract you so you won't realize that he'll attack you. Now, take a deep breath, because if this trick doesn't work, it may be the last breath you'll ever take. Carefully say the spirit's name three times.
"Jack Frost, Jack Frost, Jack Frost."
You will feel a sudden sharp pain in your stomach but, try your best to ignore it. Jack will stop his "ice skating" and come flying towards you with broken glass in his bloody palms. Be quick, because he'll come to you FAST. Hold your flashlight or lantern up to his face right before he reaches you and he'll cry out in bitter pain. Jack will begin to claw at his own face and fly right back to the lake. He'll disappear and you won't see him again, unless you wish to do the same the next night.
So, now you know the tale of the being, "Jack Frost", as people would like to call him. Now, let me tell you how I had my first encounter with the lamenting spirit. It was three in the morning and in the middle of December. I grabbed my lantern, put on over five layers of warm clothes, and got outside. I was sixteen years old when I encountered Jack Frost. I headed towards the lake, cautiously, as I kept ahold of my lantern. It was shining brightly in the midst of all the fog and darkness surrounding me. As I grew closer to the lake, I felt Jack Frost nip at my nose.
"He's ready," I thought to myself as I held on tighter to my lantern. I made the sign of the Cross on my forehead and prayed a little. Minutes later, I began to feel a sharp, jabbing pain in my abdomen. I clenched onto my stomach and tried my best to keep ahold of the lantern. I saw Jack dancing across the lake. With every move, I felt almost…hypnotized. But, then I quickly snapped out of it. I heard a loud screech and there he was, heading towards me. I forcefully brought my lantern next to my face and once he reached me, he screamed in pain. I saw his face….when no one in the history of Burgess has ever seen Jack Frost's face. His eyes were hollow and dark and they were bleeding…but…the blood looked inhuman. His pupils were glowing blue, but they were tiny. Jack's blood was black and his mouth was hanging open in an "O" shape. There were no signs of teeth or a tongue. I tried my best not to scream or that would only intimidate him more. Finally, I said,
"I'M SORRY, JACK!", as I fell to my knees and curled into a ball. He stayed quiet for a couple minutes, but then kneeled down and I felt his breath stain the skin of my hands. I forgot to wear gloves that night. I looked up and saw his face. His eyes showed pain and guilt. His skin was grey and he rubbed his arm with a sigh.
"Jack?...Why are you doing this?...", I asked with tears in my eyes. He beckoned me to his real home….an underground basement-like home. Just because he was a ghost didn't mean he didn't want to feel comfortable.
He began to tell me how a man from a certain family once hated Jack, because he was part of a rival family. The murderer who killed Jack had sworn to kill him since the age of thirteen. Once Jack turned seventeen, the murderer of Jack's rival family tricked Jack into coming with him to the lake of Burgess. It was in the dead of winter and the lake had frozen up. There, the murderer grabbed a glass shard from his pocket and stabbed Jack through the chest. There was a small hole in the frozen lake and the murderer, also known as Anthony, had pushed Jack into the hole. Jack had not only been stabbed…but drowned. He died a slow and painful death and now he seeks vengeance on the one who killed him. I asked Jack why killed EVERYBODY that visited that lake after sunset, and he told me this…
"Each night, the moon tells me to do it. Not me. I'm not willing to kill anyone…but the moon always tells me to or he'll kill me a second time."
I quietly sob into his shoulder and answer him, "That sounds so….painful…you poor thing,".
After four hours of talking, I go tell him that I need to go back home and he waves his hand, saying,
"Thank you….for being there for me when no one else would.."
I wave back and walk back home. I open the door and realize everyone is still asleep.
"Good," I mutter. I don't want anyone wondering where I was for the last couple hours. I silently make a warm cup of hot chocolate for myself and sit down on the dining table. I will never forget the time I met the dead…lonely spirit of Jack Frost. Up to this day….I still remember his face so well….I remember how after that meeting….we still saw each other from time to time….and he promised that he wouldn't kill anymore..
"You've done good, Jamie. You've done good..", I remind myself.