Cold. That's all I can remember. It was cold and my body ached with pain. My dreams are filled with this. It's dark, it's cold, and I'm alone. When I dream, there's also a face, a face of a little boy. He's sad, and scared. He looks like he's screaming but I never hear what he says, I always wake. My past life is a mystery, and I'm no longer a human or mortal, or whatever; I became a spirit and a protector of Mother Nature. I'd give anything to remember my past life.
"Ashy, my darling, wake up!" my mother's voice breaks my dream (again) and I wake up.
"Geese, I forget how cold you keep it in here." She laughs and pretends to shiver. She walked to my bed and sat down, I sat up.
"Having that dream again, love?" she put her on my arm, "I know it must be frustrating, but one day you'll forget completely and it won't bother you anymore." She smiled, weakly.
"Thank you, mom." I said, getting out of bed, "I'll get dressed, and be down in the globe room in a minute, I know winter is approaching." I grinned at that. At least the work will keep me from sleeping for a while.
As I walked out of my room, I spotted Autumn sitting down, reading.
Autumn is the solstice spirit of, well, fall. She was made a spirit about 10 years before me. I'm the baby in family, you could say. I have two other sisters, both older than me and Autumn. Rosalee, or Rose as we call her, is the spring solstice spirit, and June, the eldest, is summer.
"Morning, Autumn!" I called over to her. She smiled and put her book down, and waved me over.
"Are you ready for winter? I finished yesterday, so mother is going to be working towards winter." She hugged me.
"Yeah, I'm on my way to the globe room right now. June will be there too, but for the other side of the world." I laughed. June and I never got along. She didn't like me as much as I didn't like her. Winter and summer don't mix well I suppose.
"Well, better get going, have fun." She smiled and picked up her book.
I got off the bench and headed toward the big golden doors. I knocked and heard a faint "enter" and walked through the door into a huge room with thousands of small globes on walls, of every country and some of major cities.
"Hello, ice." June says, not even looking my way. She never called me by my actual name.
"Hi, bitch." I snapped back at her. At that, she spun around, and stared at me, and if looks could kill, I'd be b=dead. I laughed at her anger.
"Can't take a joke?" I walked to the other side of my mother and she looked at me. "Watch your mouth young lady." She turned back to the window, "we will be having guests later, as always around this time."
Great, the guardians were coming again. They always came around the time of the solstice switch. They put their input on the weather and most of time end up arguing with my mother, especially North, or Santa as he's better known.
"The Guardians have a new member, so be nice girls. We don't want to scare him away." She walked to a globe and stared at it, puzzled. "Ash, you might actually get along with him, Jack Frost? Have you heard of him?"
Jack fucking Frost. He is 'fun', so says every child who believes, but I find him as an annoyance when I try to work. I've never met him, but I know his 'work' when I see it. Extra snow days, and icy roads for sleigh rides, it's unbalanced.
"Yes, mother, I have." I smiled weakly, trying to seem happy.
Just then, we heard a loud crashing sound, and North's laughter, probably toward Bunnymund's scared reaction.
"Lighten up, it was great!" an unfamiliar voice said.
June and I followed as Mother walked towards the door, and outside to greet our guests. We said our hellos and North hugged me and my sisters as normal. Tooth and Sandy waved at us, and Bunnymund just sat there, flustered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a young man, with white skin and even whiter hair.
"Ahh, this must be Jack. Hello." My mother smiled and he stepped forward.
"Hi, yes I am Jack Frost, how do you do, Mother Nature." His voice made my breath catch, and butterflies appear in my stomach. No. No, he's not that great. Remember Ash, he is annoying and immature.
"Jack, meet my daughters: June, Rosalee, Autumn, and Ash." He smiled and waved. My sisters all swooned, but I kept my icy posture.
"You and Ash have a lot in common." My Mother said. Oh my god. Is she trying to set me up!?
"I'm sure we do." He winked at me and I rolled my eyes. I couldn't do this, I couldn't date a guardian, or anyone for that matter, so why was my other trying to set me up with him?
"Come, let us talk." North nodded as my mother lead them into the sitting area we had.
I watched everyone walk into the house, but stayed behind, I needed air.