Luke
The Bad in Each Other- Feist; Midnight City- M83
It'd be pointless to explain everything after that. Weeks after living with Jace, I still didn't get it. So I'll skip ahead to when I started to understand
It was almost a month exactly after I'd woken up- or, as Jace put it, been 'Reborn' as Jack. He tried to explain it at a scientific perspective- which he failed epically at. Since I didn't have religion, it should have been easier to explain anything, I guess, but he still failed. Basically, it was this.
At some point in the history of humanity, people started being born with untouched abilities. They were in the back of their mind making up a lot of the 90% of the brain we don't use. They were passed down with the rest of their genes when they had kids, and eventually different abilities would cross. Society lifted up the figures and called them Father Time. Mother Nature. The Sandman. Jack Frost.
Up until that point, they acted as negative charges. But when two different negative charges touched, bam. A positive right there. That was what activated the abilities in us, creating super people, if you wanna call it that.
Once you were elected a potential guardian and died, you'd be in a "waiting room." They'd wait there until the other Jacks had been either destroyed (long, confusing story for another time), or "fired." Fired meaning, their powers revoked by the other guardians as a whole. When that'd happen to a Jack, there'd be a long, painful process involving burial and amputation and spirits to get you so you wouldn't come back- ever. It sounded like a load of bull, but I didn't want that to happen to me.
For thousands of years, they were accepted. We were accepted. But there was a war.
What most historians don't tell you about the 2nd World War is the reason it'd happened. Japan had captured Jace, and were holding him captive in exchange for the Sand Man. They called him, "The ultimate weapon." Go into battle and have your enemies fall asleep at your feet? Perfect.
But as they held Jace, they started experimenting with him. They realized his power to stop time itself- which was way better than they could've done with the Sand Man. They stopped time and came to America. Jace fought back, giving us enough of himself to defeat Japan. He was free. But the world wasn't the same after that.
The Guardians went into hiding- creating the prison that we all lived in now: Invisibility. They'd somehow figured out how, and supposedly no one could undo it. I was stuck, making everything freeze, and watching people live a life I'd wanted.
And my last good deed? A test. The Guardians possessed two people, creating the perfect scene for me to prove myself in a way that would only lead to death, just to prove myself as a potential guardian. I must've passed.
But there you go. There's chivalry for you.
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I stood on the corner of Main, watching cars pass. Across the street from me was Brisbane's Books- a place I'd memorized when I'd worked there. It had gone downhill, from the looks of it. The yellowish lights were on inside and I could see Mrs. Brisbane's short figure moving slowly across the shop. While most of the other stores around were full in the October rush of the small town, hers was nearly empty. I wanted to go inside and talk to her, but she wouldn't hear anything. She wouldn't see me. She'd just get cold and turn up the heater.
I moved to the middle of the street, walking down the yellow lines that separated the cars. The people around me were so alive. So full of warmth. I didn't want to get too close: I didn't want to disturb that.
I watched them- desperately wanting to go back. There was nothing I'd ever wanted more than to have them see me- to be a part of them.
That would never happen. I'd lost my chance.
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"I'm in charge of the weather," Tura explained. Tura, being Natura, or Mother Nature. She was a woman in her thirties with long black hair, dark skin, and darker eyes. She wore a pair of jeans, boots, and a green sweater, making her look exactly nothing like what I'd pictured her to be. "You're in charge of excessive frosting."
"That's it?"
She nodded. "That's it."
So in a sense… I did nothing for anyone, except cause problems.
"Your job is vital, though," She continued, seeing I wasn't exactly happy. "You find ponds and lakes that aren't all the way frozen through and correct it. You even out crops. You- well, there's lots more. You can stay wherever unless someone calls you- be it one of us, or your ice men."
I squinted my eyes. "Ice men?"
"You're in charge of the ice men too. They have another name, but it's too long for me. I never bothered to learn it… Anyway, they're everywhere. You might see them, but Jacks usually don't. They tend to stay in the background."
Well. That was interesting. I turned back around.
"There's millions of them. They live off the land and communicate by thought," She was saying, trying to impress me. "The other Frost's usually send them out every morning to check lakes and to crack the ice off of roads when it gets back. Here, Jack, call one now."
"Call one?"
"With your mind."
I looked at Tura plainly. Her eyes were full of something; a little bit of crazy, and a little bit of hope. But mostly just curiosity. She watched me like the people back in Aperio watched me when I'd gotten back from LA. It drove me crazy.
I shook my head and left the Dome.
"I'm not Jack."
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There was a shack fifteen miles into the woods. I guessed it was an abandoned hunting shack or a weird man cave from the 80s, with the vintage wallpaper and leftover CD's to give me evidence.
Inside of the shack, there was a cot. I slept on it every night, looking up at a crack in the ceiling and staring at the star that was positioned above me until it moved and I couldn't see it.
Those were the only times I'd ever prayed. I prayed for a second chance. I prayed that it was all a dream. I prayed that Riley had forgiven me. I prayed I'd be able to see her again.
It was a few months after I'd… Woken up, when I shot up in bed and thought, "Why haven't I?"
I went the next day.
A/N
Hey guys (: Hope your holidays are going good! It's 11 days till Christmas! I'm so excited!
So listen, I don't usually talk about myself at all, but I was just wondering if you guys would take a minute to send some positive energy, or prayers (or whatever you believe) my way. I'm having a really tough time with some stuff now, and I really need some people to back me up (:
But you know what else would help? Reviews! Please? For me? Love you! (: (:
Yours truly,
-Icy