Chapter 2: Recovery

The impact was brutal. It felt like his bones would shatter and - perhaps - fate would finally build up enough sympathy to let him go. But fate was merciless. He didn´t even black out. Instead, he lay there in the snow, every single bit of him hurting while his body frantically tried to repair the damage the fall had caused.

But Jack was sure that one thing was broken beyond repair: His heart.

He could feel its faint, steady beat, telling him he was still alive, but it still felt as if all warmth that had once been inside him was bleeding out, unstoppably spilling onto the snow.

Then the cold came. Slowly, it seeped into his legs, his arms and then into his whole body. Not fast enough to let his body spasm and shiver. Not slow enough to let numbness gild over the pain. He lost all feeling for time. There was only cold.

A single tear began to form in his right eye. It welled up on his eyeball and made the world blur before beginning to roll down his cheek, passing his ear and finally falling into the snow silently. Then another. And another. But there was no sound. Jack had cried in the snow so often he had stopped bothering to weep and sob and scream. He had accepted that nobody would ever hear him, nobody would ever offer his hand to help him stand up. And nobody would ever hold his limp body in his arms, patting his back and telling him that everything would be ok.

After centuries of vain screams for help, Jack had given up all hope it would ever arrive.

And so he restrained himself to simply laying on the ground and letting his warm tears melt the snow around his head until everything was out, until there was no power left to cry or scream or move anymore.

As he lay there motionless, his body temperature sinking closer and closer towards the freezing point, his limbs becoming stiff and his blood flowing slower and slower, he heard a song. The wind carried it over from somewhere far in the distance. It was cheerful. Happy. Jack´s mind began to thaw slowly. Happy. Happiness. There was something about that word. He couldn´t recall what exactly it was, though. Was happiness something likeable? Something good? Or something worth despising? That made him angry? Jack wasn´t sure. His mind was completely blank. Maybe he should go where the music was coming from. Perhaps it would help his memories and give him new strength. And if it turned out to be a bad thing, well, he didn´t think it could make him feel any worse than he already felt. So he began to slowly move his limbs, letting fresh blood flow through them.

After a few minutes, he was able to stand up. He was still quite clumsy, but he managed to begin walking slowly. His first priority was retrieving his staff from the tree he had hid it on. That proved to be quite difficult because he couldn´t fly without his staff. After a few rather humiliating attempts, he gave up on flying and climbed the tree. That worked. Holding his staff in his hands instantly made him feel stronger. But since he didn´t want to be overconfident, he decided to still climb down and walk.

Wandering through the forest let his mind come to rest. He felt the desperation numb. He knew it wouldn´t be permanent, and he knew it wouldn´t take much for the shell he encased all his pain in to break open again, but he still enjoyed it.

Pretending to be alright was still better than always being eaten up by unbearable pain.

After he had followed the music for quite some time, he left the forest. He saw a church and guessed that it must´ve been the origin of the music. When he flew in through the wide, open gate, he was flooded with emotion. The church was completely filled, there wasn´t a single free seat. In front, a choir consisting of children of all ages was singing. He was deeply touched by the sight. However, it wasn´t perfection that abashed him, it was emotion. All these children were giving their best to impress their parents, grand-parents and all the other people inside the church. Most were singing with their eyes closed. Of course, every now and then, a child would miss a note, but did that matter? No. A wide smile crept across Jack´s face. This was what Christmas did to people. He wished that he would be able to do the same, but right now, he was content with just floating silently under the church´s roof, watching these happy children. And even though he knew his voice was way too deep to match the children´s high ones, he sang along quietly:

Now the ground is white, Go it while you`re young

Take the girls tonight - And sing this sleighing song!

Just Get a bob-tailed bay - Two-forty as his speed

Hitch him to an open sleigh and crack! - You´ll take the lead.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!

After they were finished, the children stormed off the stage enthusiastically. The crowd had stood up and was giving standing ovations. The parents welcomed their children with hugs and kisses. Though he yearned to be embraced as well, Jack left the church with a smile. This had been exactly what he had needed to help him get over the disappointment. And perhaps he just needed to change perspective. Rationally thinking, Rapunzel had had no reason to believe in him up until now. So maybe he could give her a reason.

Lost in deep thought, Jack returned to Rapunzel´s valley.


[To be continued in Chapter 3: 'Annoyance']