Olivia wandered the snow-blanketed streets, one of her crochet scarves wrapped snugly around her neck. Her breath echoed against the frosted air in white puffs. Not a single soul was around but for the girl, they were likely indoors next to a warm fire looking out at the snow instead of venturing out into it.
But Olivia cared not, to her the frosty world meant something, and she knew her favorite park would be beautiful with all the snow around.
The snow crunched underneath her boots, her thick winter coat barely helping against the cold. She was numb to it. Living in an outskirt of Spokane, Washington, they found harsh climates in the winter months and rain the rest of the year. So she was used to it by now, having grown up in the town.
She took in another frosty breath, turning the last corner to the park, which greeted her with a warm familiarity. Each tree was ingrained in her memory- it was one of her favorite places to go, ever since she was a child. Nobody else really went there except for her, the rest of the kids said it was haunted because it was right across from a cemetery. But for her, it was the perfect place to walk and think.
Icicles spiked down some of the trees, others simply buried in the snow. Newly planted saplings were barely noticeable in the sea of white. The beauty of the world around her always astounded her. Especially the willow.
Each strand had been frozen over, making it look like an eerie wall of ice. She gave a small 'heh' to herself lifting gloved hands to her earmuffs to make sure they were secure before she opened the frozen tendrils of the willow tree to find her silent oasis underneath.
Light reflected in fractals around the underbelly of the tree like a beautiful light show.
She sighed, her breath still showing. It was easy to get caught up in the beauty of it all, but she had a reason she had come here. She had been waiting for a snowfall like this one for a week. Ever since-
Her thoughts were interrupted by the rustling of the frozen leaves. Turning on her heel, she found herself face to face with the boy she had grown up seeing.
Jack Frost.
"Did you miss me?" He said, playfully.
She didn't reply, but her face grew stone hard as she avoided looking him in the eye.
He walked over, looking at her. "Olivia?" A scared expression adorned his face, as if he was scared he wasn't seen.
"I can see you, Jack."
She pretended she didn't see the sigh of relief that came from the teenage boy with hair as white as the snow he brought.
"Olivia? What's wrong?"
She swallowed, a lump growing in her throat as the other kids' words reverberated in her head.
"Jack, I'm nearly 17 now…"
"I know, your birthday is next week."
She shut her eyes, trying to keep the tears away. "Jack, how come I can still see you?"
He seemed offended. "What do you mean? It's because you believe. Is… Am I a problem?"
Olivia bit her rosy lips. "I… Jack… My mom heard me talking to you. She… She thinks I'm crazy."
Jack seemed stunned. Angry, even.
"Via, you're the oldest believer I have… You aren't crazy, alright? I'm right here."
Olivia shrunk away from his hand as it reached for her shoulder.
"But how do I know that I didn't just make you up?"