"It will be ok, here let's have some fun….."
"But I'm scared, Jack…"
"See you did it, I told you very thing will be ok….."
CRACK!
"Jack!"
Jack snapped awake. 'It was that dream again….' He thought to himself as he fixed himself so he wouldn't fall from the tree he was setting in.
"It's that little girl again… What does it mean?" asking no one in particular.
It had been a year since the Man in the Moon pulled him from the lake and give him his name, and all his powers over ice and snow. He wasn't sure what he was here for, but something told him to follow the wind. To bring the winter and the frost, to have fun and play with the people as he went. Even if they couldn't see him, still be there. So he did. But something was pulling at him, like that dream and the girl in it.
Sighing the snow spirit stood and looks over the small town below. Maybe the dream was why he came back. To the place that he was born as Jack Frost.
The sun was coming up over the snowy hills as Jack walked around the lake, touching the trees and causing frost to grow on them. He stops and looked down at ice, the sun shining down on it. It was beautiful but cold at the same time.
"Had it already been a year since I last been to this place, back here to my home." He sighed. 'home… what is home…?'
"Jack!" a voice called just outside the woods.
Jack looked up surprised. "Did someone just call my name?" Jack looked to see where voice was coming from.
Out from the woods just on the other side of the lake a little girl came running out. "Jack!" she called.
Jack couldn't believe it. 'It's the little girl that was in my dreams.' There she was a plan as day.
Jack had to know who this kid is and why she kept show up night after night in his thoughts. Also how did she know his name and can see him.
Small brown hair girl stopped at the edge of the ice and looked over it at the side where Jack was standing. "Jack, it's been a long time."
Jack's heart skip a beat, she was talking to him. He was so happy that someone could see him, talk to him, and know that he was there.
He ran across the ice to stop in front of the little girl. "You can see me? I 'm so happy! How you know my name, and what is your-?" Jack went on talking a mile a minute while jumping for joy.
But the little girl didn't answer back; she just sat there staring at the lake through Jack.
"Jack, I miss you and wish you could be here with me, we all do. Mother, Father and all the kids in the town." She said as she touches the ice.
Jack's heart stopped. 'It wasn't me she was talking to, just someone else with the same name.' he sighed.
It hurt, he was hoping with all his heart that it was true, that someone would see him, talk to him. But no, he will all ways be alone.
Sighing Jack sat down next to the girl. Even if she didn't know he was there, it was still nice to hear someone else say his name again. So he sat and listening to her talk to this other Jack she use to know. She went on and on about how much fun they had together. 'This guy sound like he was fun to be around, I kind of wish I could have met him' He thought as she talk about Jack playing a tricks on the old framer that would yell at the kids whenever they got in his fields. This went on for hours, she talk to this Jack like he was right there listening to every word she had said, like he was doing now.
Soon the sun began to fall from the sky the little girl had stop talking reaching into the bag that she had to reveal a winter flower placed it upon the edge of the frozen lake. At that moment Jack was caught off guard at the once happy girl was now in tears. In-between her sobs all she could say was 'I'm sorry and it was all my fault' . For some unknown reason it hurt Jack to see this little girl cry blame herself for what had happen here. Unable to stand the tears, the white haired boy wanted to do something for her but what could he do for her?
He had no way to touch or hug her saying all will be well and it is not your fault or even cheer her up. So thinking to himself what could he do for her so show that she was not alone in the world like she thought she would be. Looking about the area trying to see what he could use to show the little girl this, his gaze wonder about falling on the winter flower she had set down an idea hitting him. Holding the staff tightly in his hand he summoned forth the North wind to blow around her in hopes it would catch her attention. Slowly making his way to the flower kneeling down to look at the little girl whispered "It will be okay." Then touched the flower to frost over before her eyes.
The little girls eyes widen to see such a thing happen the tears stopping, stared over the lake again to see who was around, "Jack you're here aren't you?" she smiled brightly, getting up from where she sat. "I am happy you are here to listen." As her gaze moved away from the lake to the now setting sun, still smiling, "I will see you with in a year's time to speak with you again bother." Turning away from the lake she made her way back to the small town. Jack smiled with a warm like feeling with in his cold body to see the small girl smiling again. That was then Jack deiced that he would return to the lake every year to listen to the girl talk to her Jack, and helping her believe that he was there listening to her even thought they were not the same Jack, it was to give her hope and something to believe in. To give him the small bit of company that he desperately needed.
So every year the little girl would return to the lake to speak with her Jack while Frost himself would be there to listen to her stories and frost over the flower she would leave to bring a smile to her face. As years past the little girl grew up into a young woman, then to an adult finally into a old grandmother.
Another year had passed as Jack sat by the lake waiting for the little girl he once saw to return for her annual visit. Something was amiss as she was running late, Jack began to worry if she would come or not. Getting ready to head into the town he heard something in the woods coming close to where he was. Through the threes he could see it was familiar face of the now old brown haired little girl he had spent many years with. She slowly hobbled down to the edge of the frozen water smiled looked over the lake as she had always done before.
"Jack. . . " she spoke smiling bright but with a tint of sadness behind it, the winter spirit flew over to the old women taking his place of where he would stand like before. Still staring at the lake, she began to speak, "Jack I have came and spoke with you for years shared my hopes and dreams with you, but sadly I must tell you that this is the last time I will not be able to make the journey for I have grown old, am not able to travel here to see you or speak with you." At the sound of all this Jack's heart sank for him to lose the one kind of company he had only known over these many years.
"But I will miss you, I will always remember you, as my dear loving brother." As she bent down to place the winter flower upon the ice, after so many of visiting she began to cry like the time she had done then. Jack stared at her, sadden by her tears that would land on the flower below. He had grown to love her and felt connected to this girl in ways he couldn't explain. Moving Jack knelt down before the women whispered again "It will be okay." At that moment women looked up stared for the first time into the white haired youth's blue eyes.
Seeing him for the first time. "Jack. . " The winter spirit stood quickly taking a step back in disbelief that she was seeing him and not past him. Smiling as she stood, tears held in her eyes that where now full of joy reflecting Jack's image in them. "It was always you, wasn't it? So you where always here. .Jack"
All Jack could do was smile back at her unsure of what to say at that moment in time. "I am so happy I was able to see you one last time." Jack was about to ask what she had meant by that till a voice stop him. "Mother, mothers are you here?" came a voice from the woods. A older man walked out as three small children accompanied him. The women looked away from Jack started to speak to the man. "Yes I am here my dear son."
"Mother didn't I tell you to not return here to the lake you are far too old to make out here on your own." He said to her. "Oh my dear Jack, you worry so but I will not be coming back here after this."
"Grandmother Emma, we were worried about you, please don't go off like that again." While the small child reached up and took Emma's hand pulled her away from the lake. "It will be okay my dears,"
"Grandmother why do you come here every year?" asked the smallest child as they eyed the lake.
"I come here to speak with my bother and to leave him a small gift." She said to them. The smallest child walked over to look at the ice saying, "Grandmother you are silly." A cold wind passes the child causing him to feel the bitteing cold across his nose. His eyes widen as he saw the flower start to frost over, "Grandmother did you see that? The flower is now covered in snow and ice." As he pointed to it.
"Oh dear didn't you know? Jack Frost was here."
"Who?" the little boy asked, never hearing such a name before.
"Every time the wind blows, every time frost appears in the trees, every time the snow falls or you feel a nip at your nose. Jack Frost was there, to watch over us and keep use safe when we are afraid. To bring fun a joy to all on the winter days." She smiled.
The little boy looked up at his grandmother, "Grandmother you made that up didn't you?"
"No, no as you can see with the frost on this flower, Jack is as real and you and I. For I have known him for many years and he has always kept me safe chased away my fears." She explained.
"Come mother it is getting dark, when we return home you can tell the children the stories by the fire."
"I'll be right there," as she called back, looking over to Jack who stood on the frozen lake. "Thank you, for saving me, my dear Jack." She gave him one last smiled before returning to her family. Walked down the path disappearing into the woods. Jack could feel a cold tear run down his cheek, didn't understand why but he was so happy to see her with her family. To know she grew up to have a wonder life who ever this Jack was she knew, cared a lot for her as did he.