Chapter 3
Flurries
After 15 minutes of freezing in the atmosphere Jack began to descend. I could feel the stiff weight of frost in my hair, and my hood was probably frozen in place. Ice clung to the fabric of my skeleton sweater. I barely managed to stay warm tucked down behind the pilot, using him to block the brunt of the frigid wind.
The strange warming chills, I got from contact with Jack, didn't falter the entire flight. If anything they gain in potency the more I focused on them. The heat from them seemed to travel though my heart, causing it to beat harder, on its way to redden my wind bitten cheeks more.
I felt Jack's feet touch the earth gently, trying not to throw me off. Though I'm pretty sure I was frozen in place, literally. My hands had gone numb tethering me to his back, and the wind's temperature had driven the blood from them. Moving my stiff legs I hung by my arms for a second before my icy hands lost their grip and I slid to the ground.
The snow wasn't as deep here in the woods he had taken me to, maybe 6 inches. The skeletal canopy casted erie shadows in the dreary light of the cloudy day. My back cracked, thankful for the movement. I shook my hands rigorously trying to awaken the sleeping nerves. Taking a couple steps back from the icy being I stuffed my fists into my jacket's pockets, as my iced hair poked my shoulders and neck. I could see the stiff spikes in my bangs, and I'm sure the rest couldn't be much better.
Jack turned around, taking in my frozen appearence. I glared at him half heartedly when I seen the smirk he tried to cover up. Seeing the look a gave him, his smirk came out full force before he spoke laughter lacing his words. "Hey you need to chill." his laughing filling the snow covered woods.
"Really?" I asked motioning to my frozen wardrobe with a smile.
He waved his hands up in surrender trying to contain his amusement. "Sorry, I couldn't resist." He finally gasped out. While he had his eyes closed I closed the distance between us, and with a swift movement kicked his legs out from under him. With a yelp he fell backwards, bewildered, into the snow.
My giggles echoed his now when I mimicked him playfully, "Sorry, I couldn't resist." smirking down at him. After I got my revenge, I offered him my hand as a sign of peace making for the moment. His cold hand wrapped around mine, sending the image I had come up with during the flight to bounce back to life, before I halled him to his feet.
I couldn't tear my silver eyes away from his iced sapphire ones. Being this close I could see the tiny flecks of green in them. In this brighter light, and with the contrast of his deep blue hoodie, his eyes looked aquamarine. His short bangs fell over them carelessly, and against his deathly pale complexion, his eyes seemed to glow. The blue hues under his skin seemed to shadow his features, making them stand out. The snowy hair that topped Jack's head looked darker at the roots, though his eyebrows were even darker in comparison, then faded into the pure white of freshly fallen snow.
My mind caught up with me and I looked away, pulling my hand out of his. With an awkward chuckle, I ran my hand through my thawing hair, ruffling it up the many layers slightly. "So wha.. What were you going to show me?" I asked looking up again careful not to make eye contact. I mentally cursed myself for stumbling over my words like a love struck teenager. I could feel the color rushing to my cheeks as I spoke.
My voice seemed to startle him out of a small trance. "Oh... um... this way." He answered shaking his head a little before walking to his right. His head tipped forward as he looked at his bare feet, and carry his icy staff. I followed after him keeping a couple of steps back, not wanting to get too close. I couldn't tell what emotion I had seen in the flash of his eyes before he turned around, but it wasn't his usual carefree, mischievous, and happy self. Though it wasn't his intented look that he gave when he was interested in something or listening to something either.
The unknown emotion made my head shrink down between my shrugged shoulders shyly. I could feel my shaking hands in my pockets, but I wasn't sure if the tremors came from the cold or nerves. I watched my feet and his heels as we walked in silence, that was only tainted by our crunching footsteps.
I didn't look up till Jack slowed up and stopped where the woods seemed to thin out drastically. He moved to the side to give me a view of what he was showing me. Taking a meek step forward, I let my eyes take in the scene before me.
We were in a hilly area, I could see the rocks and boulders jutting up at odd angles from the snow drifted ground. An iced over pond was surrounded by bushes and small trees. Across the ice from us, I could see a small dirt trail poking out of the snow the lead up a hill and through a tall cream fence. I could see the tops of houses peeking over the wooden barricade. Though the landscape was simple it was beautiful as well. The way the water cut into the slanted ground it was visually appealing and compelling. My artistic side wanted to find a sketch book and simply sit down for hours until I had a perfect copy of the alcove.
"It's beautiful, Jack." I said walking out of the woods to a rounded boulder. I wasn't sure where I was, but I knew I wanted to find this place again. I could only imagine the unearthly beauty that fell over this place with the fall of the sun. I sat down on the snow covered rock, as I heard the crunch of footsteps on the icy ground coming up behind me.
He stood next to me when I looked up, a calm smile gracing his blue lips as he gazed at the frozen pond. I could tell this place held some meaning to him. What it was I didn't know, but I recognized that look. Its the same one my face usually held when I was at the graveyard alone. Completely at peace, somewhere where you could be yourself, or be alone.
"Yeah." He said softly sounding like a sigh more then the agreement it was. I watched him gaze into space, lost in thought. I wanted to ask what this place meant to him, and what he was thinking about, but I didn't want to pry. After all he's only known me for a few hours. Whereas I had been the silent observer for most of my life. 'Wow that's creepy, congratulations Aura you're a stalker now!' my mental voice chripped cheerfully.
'I didn't ask you.' I thought back ruefully. 'Great now I'm arguing with myself. those years in isolation must be getting to me.' I shook my head moving that argument to the back of my mind.
I found myself staring at my damp shoes. I looked back at Jack as he stole a glance at me, causing me to drop my eyes to the snow again. "So," I said dragging out the word slightly. "Why did you you bring me here?" I asked softly, emphasizing did.
Jack started to shrug before he stopped himself. Looking at me, he spoke, "You... You showed me a part of you," He started his voice seemed to shake with another feeling I didn't recognize. "I wanted to show you a part of me."
My eyebrows frowned in confusions still looking at the ground. "Why?" My voice was very soft and I couldn't be sure he heard. Though I wasn't sure if that question was meant for him or me.
"Isn't that what friends do?" He asked his words gained some of his joy back. "Hang out, tell stories, and share secrets."
I thought about it for a second. It probably was true what he had said, but even when I was younger I never had that. The kids probably thought I was nuts for running around with the shadowy children they couldn't see. Actually I'm sure they thought I was nuts. They made a point of saying so. 'Wait, is Jack waiting for an answer?' Raising my gaze another to see his face I seen that he was. I shrugged my shoulders in response, not really having any other answer.
I heard him blow out a heavy breath. I wondered what he was thinking idly, unfortunately the thought opened the doorway to his mind. 'Is she really that alone?' his thought filled my head sounding sad. 'Well I'm going to...' the connection broke and I was left bewildered.
He walked over offering me a smile and a hand. I gave his palm a confused look, before looking up at him with the same look. "I think that's enough of the serious shit," he said with a light chuckle. "Time for some fun."
I felt my lips tilt upwards as I took his hand. Standing up, I brushed the snow off the back of my legs with my free hand. "What's on the agenda then?" I asked looking at his face.
"Hmm." he hummed thinking about it. "You could show me some more of those mad skills you've been showing off."
"Oh," I drug out the word comically, before I spoke innocently."You mean this?" With a swift kick I knocked his legs out from under him again. He fell to the earth as I turned on my heels. "Looks like I swept you off your feet again!" I called of my shoulders as I took off into the woods towards the mountain peak.
I could hear his laughter trailing behind me, I ducked under branches and lept over fallen trees with as much ease as I had when I was in a more urban environment, I felt the brush scrape at my arms an legs vainly, not being able to penetrate my jeans or jacket. Looking over my shoulder, I had just enough time to duck a snowball that flew towards me. I heard the thud of it splattering against a tree trunk. Bending and snagging a hand full of snow I threw it towards the flash of blue I seen coming up on my left.
Keeping a mental note of where I was, I veered to the right circling the pond where this had started. I came to a skidding halt when Jack appeared ahead of me with an arm load of snowball. My eyes widened as he smirked and began to throw them at me with alarming speed.
I felt the first nicked my arm, while I flinched out of the way of the second. I ran to the tree to my right with a thick trunk. My feet propelled my upwards away from the barrage of icy fire. My legs became level with my head before I kicked off and did a back flip being miss by a clump of snow by mere inches. A smirk found my lips as I looked at Jack's amazed expression. "Impressed?" I asked smugly from my kneeling position in the snow.
The snowball he had been preparing to throw at me fell from his palm comically, before I grabbed a handful and threw it at him. I watched as the snowball glanced off his left cheek awaking Jack from his small stupper.
Arming himself with another ball from his shrinking arm load, he threw it in my direction. I barely managed to roll out of the way. Jumping to my feet I jumped out of the way of another one. My smirk didn't falter as I bent out of the way of the third.
"Did I mention..." I ducked the white ball that whizzed past my head. "I am amazing at the dodge part of..." I dove into a roll popping back up to my feet."Dodge ball." My duck and dodge reflex was in full swing as I beat down the snow in a wide line. Being missed by flying snow by mere inches.
"Finally!" He exclaimed throwing more ammo at me. "A challenge." A cocky chuckle came from him.
I watched my opponent move, continuing his endless assault, each perfectly formed ice ball close the distance between us, and subsequently miss me as my lean body moved fluidly. The more snow he threw the more astonished he seemed to get at my ability out maneuver his arm.
I threw the lopsided handful of snow I had grabbed at some point. The clump hit him in his right shoulder, as he tried to duck it. "Give up Jack!" I called pridefully, "You can't touch this!" I motioned to myself before laughing. My hair was now completely damp with melting snow, and I could feel the water soak through my clothes and to my skin.
Despite my soaked condition, I was having the time of my life. Even if it wasn't for long, I had someone who was laughing with me. Someone who was having fun with me, and I felt normal. Like I had no power, like I wasn't labeled a freak or crazy person. Did people actually take this for granted? Did they really go behind their friend's back and betray them, surrendering this connection? I wondered why they called my crazy when they ruined such a beautiful thing over such trivial stuff.
"I guess you win this round." He conceded closing the distance between us. I could feel chills travel through my, though I wasn't sure if they were from the cold, or the way he walked with unearthly grace across the frozen plain. I had always admired his agility as he travelled through town, leaving an icy trail for people to slip on. He was actually part of the reason I started doing parkour, though most of it was to outrun my class mates who liked to corner me.
I wiped the remnant snow off my clothes that clung to the fibers, hoping that it would help keep me warmer. Though, I knew, I was soaked pretty much to the bone. I tried to pull my hood up, only to find it was still encrusted with ice and really wouldn't move. Wrapping my arms around my torso was my last vain attempt to warm up, as the adrenaline drained from my system.
Jack ran his finger up my arm to may shoulder, frowning when he seen an icy layer of swirls appear under his touch. "I'd better take you back." He said softly. I didn't know if this was good or not. Honestly the thought of flying again while being soaked didn't sound good, but the promise of warmth brought some of my vigor back.
I nodded hesitantly, before Jack turned around. Jumping up on his back I felt my clothes freeze to him, but the warm chills he gave me seemed to counter the ice.
I tucked my head back behind his shoulder as I felt the wind embrace us and pull us into the frigid sky. With the warmth traveling within me and the wind's chill surrounding me I wondered if Jack could feel this strange sensation too or if it was just me. I couldn't possibly be imagining such a strong feeling, could I? They felt too real.
I looked at the ground as we climbed upwards, I recognized the area vaguely. It was the north side of the town I lived in. Though I never travelled much farther this way then the cemetery, I knew I would have to go back to Jack's little hide away. If it was alright with him of course.
The wind caused my vision to burn with tears so I tucked my head back in Jack's hoodie, I could smell the faint sent of mint and what smelled like Axe. A strange combination, but strangely alluring. I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the shivers as my damp clothing froze in the wind sheer. Hiding behind the icy being's small frame, even though I was smaller, was proving unhelpful as I felt the prickling pain of freezing nerves.
I focused on the heat from within myself, that Jack's touch awakened, in a last ditch attempt to ignore the pain. This seemed to work, though it seemed to awaken my imagination as well. The pictures flashed through my head like a slide show, causing my wind bitten cheeks to darken, and my heart to thud against my chest.
'Great I have a crush on Jack Frost.' I thought angrily at myself as more pictures whizzed through my mind. 'I didn't realize I was in high school again.' I scolded myself internally.
Pushing that thought to the side I let my mind sift through the heap of images it had just come up with as we glide on the wind high in the atmosphere.
-Author's Note-
Hi everyone, I"m doing my best to update somewhat regularly. though I could still use any ideas you guys wanna throw at me. I've got the basic storyline. I'm just struggling with filler and set up chapters. I hope you enjoyed this instalment! keep the reviews coming, they make me write!
