Chapter 8

I was dreaming for the first time in many years. I can't remember what it felt like. The only kind of dreaming I did was just staring off into space and thinking. I never slept.

I could hardly make out the shapes and black masses of shadows in my mind. There were echoes of familiar voices and conversations. I felt cold. Colder than I ever had been before, even back when I was Jack Frost, a spirit. But it was the same cold that haunted the back of my mind, a long-lost memory that I kept in my head untouched.

Then, before I knew it, my lungs were blocked. Flashes of images and colours filled every corner of my blank vision. Seconds, minutes, hours; I didn't know how much time has passed as I felt the breath knock out from my lungs as a strange sensation replaced it. I struggled to breathe, but I couldn't. I couldn't even cry out for help.

I tried opening my eyes, but all I could see were dark, murky shadows, as if I was underwater.

"Ja..."

I struggled to listen to the voice.

"J..."

I couldn't breathe. What...? What was filling up my lungs, other than air? The voice kept on calling out. Then, I heard it loud and clear.

"Jack."

It was the voice of a young girl, but in all of time and space, I couldn't remember who she was. I tried calling back, but I was already out of breath and already falling.

"Jack! Jack!" the voice kept on calling.

I couldn't answer her. But for a moment, I almost remembered who she was-

"Jack, wake up."

I opened my eyes.

Tears and sunlight smarted my vision as I struggled to focus on the person bending over me.

"Jack, are you alright?" I felt a hand on my face. "Yeah, bad dream," I huffed without thinking. I tried sitting up, pretending that I was totally fine and that my head wasn't killing me.

"You looked like you were-"

"Like I was what?" I asked. I looked up and never in my whole life have I seen the most uplifting and beautiful face of a woman. I never felt so glad.

"Nothing..." was all she said and looked away. I wasn't paying attention. I kept thinking about the dream I just had, and I couldn't get the image of the girl out of my head. My head was spinning and I was confused.

"Anyway, Pascal and I are ready to go, so the only thing we need to do..." I couldn't focus on what she was saying. My head was spinning.

"Jack... Are you alright?"

"I..." I was going to tell her that I was fine, but I didn't complete my sentence. Or maybe I did. I didn't know. I tried again.

"I'm fine. We should get going soon," I said, and slowly rose to my feet.

"Jack, I don't think Prancer wants to fly..."

"Ridiculous! What made you say that?"

"Uhm... He's not moving..."

"Prancer! C'mon, boy!"

"Jack, I really don't like this... I feel a little queasy right now up here."

"What? Rapunzel, you've been up that tower for nearly all your life. How could you feel queasy at this height?"

"I really don't want to do this!"

I turned around to look at her. This was the first time she had ever raised her voice at me. Well, the first time since she knew me better. I turned back and stared at Prancer's horns. "Fine..." I muttered. I took a good look at the treeline to spot for any nearby villages or homes. I almost couldn't believe my eyes. "Is that a castle?" I asked, squinting and pointing towards its direction. After a moment Rapunzel said, "So it is. Is that what a castle is supposed to look like?"

I ignored her question. "Prancer, get down will you?"

We flew down and I could feel Rapunzel's tight grip around my waist loosen a little. I jumped down and stretched out my arms to help her get down as well. "What do you suggest? We walk?"

She gripped my shoulders as I lifted her to the ground. "Well, I thought that was what we intended to do."

"Fine then, we walk."

Then, she started grinning to herself as she bent down to reach out to touch the grass. "Wha-" I started to ask. Then I realized that she had never been out of the tower at all, and she bent down to feel the grass and started running about to feel and touch and smell everything around her, so I just stood there grinning at the sight of her. The happiness she radiated was too infectious. I felt like celebrating as well.

After she calmed down, we walked out of the vine-covered cave where I saw Rapunzel's mother went out from.

We walked for long moment without speaking to one another. Not a word was said between us, but I made up an excuse in my mind that I was too busy remembering to walk in the direction where the castle is. Castles were always a good sign. I thought I saw a few houses nearby, to complete the look of a village.

"You sure you want to do this?" I asked her.

She looked up, startled by the sudden sound of my voice. "Yes, I am sure."

I caught Pascal's eye and he flicked his tongue at me.