Author's Note: You guys ready? This is chapter two of something I probably will end up taking forever to get done with! Savor the words! Savor them! Anyway, go say hello to Jack!
Night seemed to tackle the world in one easy swoop. It all happened so fast it seemed to happen in a blink.
I sat on the patio with my legs tucked under me and a blanket encompassing me. The pages of the story book made the smallest of sounds that seemed to echo in the otherwise silent night. The lamp I toted out there allowed me to see the pages, although their contents were practically memorized.
Even though the pages held no mention of them, I began to think of some of the most influential characters in my life.
The tooth fairy. I page after page of my sketchbooks were coated in drawings of what she might have looked like. A slim, kindly woman. A motherly, rotund broad. They ranged. I had spent about twenty seven nights in total waiting for her. Never caught her though.
Jack Frost. The thought instantly made me sick and I wanted to go run and hide. That myth always was the worst in my mind.
A soft breeze tousled my hair, making me jump. It felt like ice. I covered my nose, a reflex from my youth that still remained even with no basis for it. Maybe it was time for me to head off to bed before I lost my sleep sanity, when everything was much more influential and dreamy than it really was.
Quickly, I gathered my things and headed in. The fire was still out, and it was just the same temperature it was outside. That did me a fat load of good. All I needed to do was light the fire and wait. It was going to take a few minutes for it to have the heat I needed.
While I waited, I paced. More like roamed, but pacing seems much more intelligent and dignified. I was in the cabin, out the door, around the building, on the patio, back inside, around the room, by the book case, by the door, out the cabin and back on the porch again within a few minutes. Good thing nobody was around to judge me.
I went back inside before I could make another lap and began to go around the cabin. There was never much amusement wise in there, but there was a ton of pillows. That gave me the idea I was looking for.
Five minutes after this revelation, I had quite a nice fort. It was more of a pile of pillows with a few blankets here and there, but I decided to call it a fort. No wonder I did not do well in my architecture classes. That thought made me upset again, so I proceeded on with my paces.
Back outside again. The fire cracks on the inside, finally getting into the rhythm it will hold through the night. It casts a glow that sneaks through the door, beaconing me in. I stand just outside of its grasp, in the darkness of the night.
Mostly, it is silent. The night is a cold one, but not cold enough for snow. I wish that it was, though. Seeing the white sheet across everything would bring me the flicker of joy that has seemed to have eluded me. That single spark that makes you feel like moving it worth while.
The fire cracks again. The glow is reaching out further now, and I can tell from the slightest movement of the air that inside is warm. Or, it will be once I bother to close the door. Home and warmth are just behind me, but I feel as if I have something to say first before I head in.
How does one do this? I folded my hands and brought them under my chin. Something like that. Or were they supposed to be flat, like my clapping had come to a pause? Being informal wouldn't kill me in this situation, so I decided to let it slide. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath of the chilly air.
"Dear... God, or whatever deity is there to hear me. I suppose this would be for Jack Frost. Or, if you aren't him, just let him know that somebody wanted to tell him this." I swallowed, suddenly self conscious. Nobody would ever know about this, but it still was horribly embarrassing.
"Please let it snow. Blankets of it. I want the lake to still be open, though. Mostly because I just want to touch the water. But you can freeze it if you like. And I will even find a way to repay you for it. I don't have much, but I can sing. Maybe if it snows I will find a nice place and sing my heart out. Every christmas carol or vaguely wintery song, I will just let them all out." I chewed on the inside of my cheek, trying to think of what to say next.
"I just want a chance to see the magic one last time."
I opened my eyes, to see if anybody was there. Nobody was. My hands slowly fell down to my sides, and I turned around and headed in. I felt like such an idiot. Like my wish would ever be granted.
When I woke up, I was curled around a pillow. The mass made the perfect bed, even though I fully intended to have gotten up and gotten in an actual bed. My body simply refused me that.
I got up, for once feeling good about my rest. There was nothing impending and absolutely nothing for me to do. It was all going to be me roaming around trying to figure out how to not get killed or something. Amusing myself was another problem.
I went into the bathroom and got ready to face a day full of nothing. Rehearsal for the rest of my life. At least I got my hair into a pretty state. The bags seemed to be fading from under my eyes. Proof of a good sleep.
As I was running a brush through my hair again, I went out to the kitchen. And that is when I saw it.
Frost.
There was so much of it, the window was near impossible to see through. Only weak, cloudy images made their way through. As my finger brushed the window, I am sure the biggest grin the world has ever seen blossomed on my face.
I did not even bother with my shoes at that point. There was snow to look at.
Snow.
Snow.
Snow.
Snow.
Snow was everywhere! It covered everything in its thick, chilling embrace. Thick flakes dropped from the sky and added on to it. Layers upon layers kept coming down. It felt sinful to even think about touching the surface. The perfection of the smoothness was to breathtakingly beautiful to consider it.
I bit my lip, gazing at the perfection before me. Certainly there were snowmen to be formed, snow angles to make in fits of giggles, snow forts to plan then finally assemble. Today actually had quite a busy agenda.
Squealing seemed top priority. It stopped short of where I stood, being silenced in the downfall.
I went back inside, a new life breathed into me. Warm clothing, priority number one! One coat, one pair of gloves, one scarf, one hat and one pair of boots later, I was ready for a day full of winter. It was amazing how it had come on so quickly. This was the best wish to ever be granted.
I stopped short of the door, my hand lingering just over the knob. My gaze had fallen upon the book. It reminded me of a promise I had made the night before.
No matter. I just needed to add that to my schedule.
I opened the back door and stepped on to the patio. My feet crunched on the snow, interrupting it. This was the tricky part. I had to make the smallest trail possible out to the forest. Once in there, to hell with being delicate.
I rushed across the snow, my arms holding out for balance. I made the trail neat and clean across the yard, hardly bothering it outside of my footprints. A thing of pride, is what that trail was.
I trudged through the under brush, knowing the marks well enough to find my way there. A line of bright red on one tree to the next was the path I always followed, even as a young child. They were still visible now.
I smiled when I saw the lake. It still had its life to it, bouncing ever so slightly. It was going to freeze over soon, but not quite yet. Another part of my wish. If today could get better, I really wanted to know.
I glanced around, making sure that there was nobody to see or hear what was about to follow. Almost nobody was around this part at this time of year, but it still was a comfort to check.
"Okay... How do I go about this?" I muttered.
Nobody answered.
"Thank you." I winced, hoping I didn't sound stark mad. "Thank you for the snow. I suppose I owe you songs now. So, here we go."
Author's Note: Guess who will get introduced next chapter! You thought it was going to be this chapter, didn't you. Just wait! I am hoping to really get into this fan fiction writing business. I think once I get to the good stopping point, where Jack finally comes in and everything, I will start doing the weekly system. Every Friday night, new chapters! Hopefully.