4

AU 24 (1713 AD)

"Jack it's Easter! Come on wake up!" I woke up by a sudden jostle as my sister, Pippa, jumped on top of my body as she waddles her arms frantically up and down like some pure bundle of joy. Ah! Easter, I almost forgot it's Easter Sunday.

"Hurry. We have to do it now before we go to Sunday Church!" Yikes, Sunday Church is in 11:00 A.M. And it's like...(quickly looking for the clock hanging around my room)...ah!...8:21 A.M! We only have less than three hours to search for the eggs.

Before I even realized it, Pippa had already left my room to get her egg basket and scarf. I quickly bounced off my bed, scurrying through the room to find my egg basket. Breakfast is too slow so I'll just skip that for today.

"Hurry up, Jack," Pippa yelled from her room across the hallway.

"Calm your tits, Pippa, I'm trying to find my egg basket!" I yelled back smiling while scooting my focus to my messy room. I scurried my focus to the pile of broken toys from my youth hoping to find my egg basket somewhere.

I quickly scrambled my hands through the pile of toys, throwing each of them across the room like some maniac. Finding these forgotten toys brought back memories of childhood. A cup and ball toy thingy that my Dad gave to me when I was two, when I was in Britain living in Canterbury with my aunt. I remember this tops my Aunt Chester gave to me when I was three.I also have some old board games with dices such as 'Wood Dice' and 'Pewter Dice'. I found some marbles and clay marbles in the pile of toys as well as 'Solitaire' and 'Fox and Geese' role playing games and 'The Game of Graces'. I really had a lot of games when I was young, though I really never remember much back then since I was way too young. I digged deeper beneath the pile to finally find a twisted twig handle which surely could be my egg basket handle. I quickly grabbed it to find it was just a handbag from last Christmas. I sighed disappointed as I looked around the pile finding nothing at all resembling my egg basket. I searched even deeper finding nothing. Ugh! Where's my egg basket? I could've swore it was in this pile last year!

"Jack! I'm leaving, meet me outside, I'm tired of waiting for you!" Pippa yelled as she scurried down the hallway leaving me searching for the egg basket impatiently.

"Pippa, wait up!" I quickly slipped through the door panting while grabbing my cloak hanging on the hook.

Suddenly, I found myself locked in still motion. I felt the brizzle wind chiseled between the bangs of my hair. I felt it in my gut that something...ominous, dark, and mysterious is coming. I was suddenly interrupted by the sound of Pippa's desperate voice.

"Jack, James's here! Come on, we're at the door!"

"Is Grace there?!" I yelled back as I drizzle between the floorboards of the hallway, feeling uncomfortable as I felt something dark coming closer.

"No, James said she's coming though. Why, are you in love with her?" Pippa giggled and I just pouted, crossing my arms.

"No. I'm. Not. I like her as a friend, sheesh, Pippa, you-" I again heard a soft chilling whisper against my ears as if the wind wanted to tell me something. I stopped myself trying to decode the wind as I focus my attention to the brizzle of the air.

'Pitch is back'

Pitch? Who is Pitch? And since when did the wind talk?

"W-. Who are you?" I asked with a small curiosity tone in it, though I was more scared than curious having to just figure out this 'spiritual world' thing and that I was one of the spirit whom yonder along the 'mortal' world, or at least what the Bishop told me in church the other day. It was really confusing to follow along with this spirit witchy thing.

'The North W-'

"Bye, Jack, we're leaving," Pippa yelled in desperation and anger. I sighed and left those words hanging on the tip of my brain as I ponder. I quickly skipped my way through the rickety old floorboards of the living room and ran to the door. I'll just have to use my hands to carry the eggs, again.

"Jack, where were you, and where's your egg basket?" Pippa asked on the way down to the front door.

"I-I can't find it, I guess I'll have to carry the eggs myself," I answered shrugging my shoulders. I quickly left the door but hanging my consciousness on the wind. I stopped my pace and turned around to see one last glance at the living room, hoping to find something mysterious. I sighed and shrugged myself while walking out the front door and closing it leaving my mind elsewhere.

Practicing my new powers alone was the best thing happen to me. Not only I could master my powers such as how to make a snowball and make it snow as well as make frost and freeze water or other structures, I could also fly and able to control the wind with my command. I found myself surrounded with the spring breeze drizzling against the back of my shirt and cloak as well as the smell of the new sunshine taste dancing between my nose hairs. Sunlight stroke its sun rays and radiation at me like a new beggining of hope and wonder. I felt myself energize by this new sensation of springtime as I gazed into the morning spring dew on the blades of grass. The first step in the grass outside felt like rubbing my toes against the new dew of feathers and the sensation of spring against my skin was like a doe frolicking into the forest. I felt like some surge of a new breeze coming at me. I took a big breath of spring like taking the first steps as a baby, fresh, cut, and mist. So...full of hope.

"Come one Jack, ya look like ya saw me naked, which I hope you weren't thinking of," I looked down to find Pippa and little James staring at me like an idiot.

"I'm just taking in some spring, now, come on. Let's get Grace, my way," I smirked sending to little ones screaming with anticipation and eagerness. I sighed now having to catch up to the little kids whom are practically sliding down the hill. I soon realized we were going the wrong direction, which we were supposed to go north, not south.

"You guys, Grace's house is that way!" I yelled now losing the two little ones in the far distance. Shit! Dad's gonna kill me. I ran forward trying to catch up leaving the cool breeze swept across my face with blazing speeds. I quickly let go of myself as I commanded the wind to lift me high. I ran ahead like an airplane in a runway, driving myself higher and higher as the wind lifted me up a bit slowly per second.

I flew a few dozen feet off the ground which was high enough for me to spot them from here. Where are they? Ahh, there they are, in the distant near that mysterious looking trees. I quickly held my body forward leaning pointed to them as I flew towards them trying to catch up.

I suddenly felt a surge feeling of something's bad was going to happen. I just shook that one off, it's probably one of my imaginations.

"Pippa, wait for me," I yelled back to her as I flew closer to her. I suddenly felt the sheer power of the wind pushing me back as I grew close. What the hell was wrong with the wind? I straightened my thought and quickly gain control, setting myself down easily to the ground with gentle ease. I quickly gain focus on my surroundings as I settle near the two mysterious trees.

I quickly looked around finding myself alone again in the middle of the woods. Pippa and James was just here! How did they get away!

"Pippa! James!" I quickly went into my instinct mode as a brother as I glance from different directions, quickly realizing they were long gone.

I glanced back and forth, behind and in front of the two trees to find nothing, no footprints, no mud prints, no...anything. What the hell! I just freaking saw them just here a minute ago!

"Pippa! James!" I yelled in the distance near the morning sun. "If you're tricking me, I'll-I'll-"

I slowed my searching to a halt.

"Maybe, they've already been to Grace's house," I tried to reassure myself and thought the James and Pippa here was just a figure of my imagination, but it was really hard to coincide with my perspective of reality. I sighed and commanded the wind to take me to Grace's house, maybe they are already there.

I slowed my flight to a halt as I landed gracefully to the doorstep when I noticed a woman behind me screamed. I looked behind to find a young woman dressed as a priestess holding a cross in front of her like I'm dangerous. The entire village had already coincide with my new powers within a few months of 'living through' the new arrangements such as I cannot barge into someone's home, I cannot freeze people, I cannot make it snow unless it is currently winter which is not so I instantly broke that rule, and some other crappy rules I might've forgotten to recall. Most were okay with me doing all sorts of it and many have gotten through the five stages of grief and shock of seeing me alive once again so most have converge with me and society. Only a few, though, are against me, but can't do anything about it since whom adored me in the past, protected me even more, plus the haters have little supporters and influence whom want to terrorize me or put me on a bonfire and burn me alive like that bitchy so called 'witch', McAlley, who can see the dead, or we at least know she can. She was on trial for wrong doings and some people made an assertion of her demonic ways so she was set on fire right away. Good thing I was well liked before I died so I have a lot of people protecting me against the witch hunters or other folks that want to ban or kill me right now.

Unfortunately, I have not seen this 'priestess' in my entire life, and my second life, so she must be one of the immigrants working here in Burgess. And based on her fear of me and her slowly walking away from me, I guess she had seen me fly here. Fuck me. I waved at her like I'm surrendering, hoping I would not let her get away, like I would do to other new immigrants.

"I came in peace?" I smiled trying to not look like a fool, or a demon, or someone dangerous, and hoped I would pass off as some innocent teen with incredible powers and able to fly. That's pretty ridiculous, but you get the picture, I hope. I slowly cooled down the temperature of the atmosphere, accidently, since I'm a little nervous trying to calm her down from her intense panting and glaring at me.

"Y-you, demon, get away from me," she glared at me intensely with her hazelnut eyes like I'm the one whose dangerous. She took a step back and slowly made her way to a corner of Grace's house and made a run for it, probably calling for help. This was the third person this month so most likely I would get off free, again.

"I guessed, I'll go get Grace and we could catch her before she could snitch on me and lie that I was trying to kill her or something or I had horns or a deformed retarded head with a red pointy trident on my hand," I sighed knocking on the door.

"Grace, is James and Pippa there, I need all of you to help me chase an old fat lady with a cross on her hand," I yelled through the door when no one was coming to the door. I sighed letting out a cool breeze slowly creating frost on the door.

I knocked again, this time harder and more demanding. Again, I waited there in front of the door for seconds and still no footsteps coming to the door. It's freakin nine by now I think and they're still not up yet.

"Grace," I knocked again trying not to let my anger freeze the entire house, not like last time. Ice began forming on the vertical surface of the wooden door, freezing the small water droplets between the cracks from last rainfall, and creating ice and frost everywhere. I hoped this message would ring their consciousness that I'm outside, waiting for them. I begged God that they're just outside finding Easter eggs and they're not dead.

"GRACE! OPEN UP!" I basically banged at the door with my fist, getting riled up right now if they won't open up the fucking door. It's already been minutes, why won't they answer. I looked around to noticed that the grass within a 40-70 foot range have frozen in ice, as rain droplets and new dew have froze the blades of grass, and the rooftop of Grace's residence had all to turned white from sleet and ice. Snow had already began to fall from the sky, now covering Burgess with a few centimeters of white fury. I howled down as I tried to calm myself down.

"Calm down, Jack, breathe in and out," I told myself as I breathe in a big breath and out, slowly getting my senses and slowly calming the snow to a minimum breeze. Hail began to fall within a few seconds, for some reason, but only the small kind of hail, about an inch of compacted snow and ice on average. Snow and hail precipitated down from the sky and to my face, slowly again fueling my anger and worry for Grace, Pippa, and James. I swear, if this is a prank, I'll kill them, for real this time.

"HA! HA! GRACE, IF THIS IS A PRANK, YOUR NOT GONNA GET ME!" I yelled in the distant snow and hail fall as the sun slowly is being covered up by clouds, leaving the entire horizon covered with a blanket of white and fluff. I hate it!

"GRACE! JAMES! PIPPA!" I yelled in the distance, banging my angry fist against the door, shattering it which is already iced completely. Shards of large pieces of wood slowly piled up to where the door used to be and now a pile of frozen wood shards stood in front of me. I looked up to find no one at home. Just an empty living room filled with already spreading frost and ice. Ice spread like wildfire, slowly aching behind the wooden walls, deep between the walls and the floorboards, creating a sort of shattering wood, as ice seep between the cracks and holes. All of the flowerpots froze and the flowers on top, died as water inside the living plant froze, which I guess is a plant's way of hypothermia. Normal temperatures in the living room quickly dropped below freezing point. I just froze under my tracks. Completely worried and paranoid, I just froze my feet on the doorstep. Just wondering...where could they all be?

I set my focus through the windows, ice completely froze them completely, a blizzard had already formed around me. Slowly but surely, I back down, standing in front of the door feeling beaten, or like being drag into hell.

I sat on the door shard pilings, just watching the slow movement of the hail and the strong force of the wind whizzed around my face and swirling the snow into divergent directions. I noticed a strong feeling...with the wind as I calm myself down.

'Pitch is here'

Okay, I'm definitely losing it. First was the fake Pippa and James besides the trees, then Grace and her family had disappeared off to who knows where, and I'm just here accidentally causing a hail storm right now! And now wind is actually talking to me. Who the hell is this Pitch guy anyway? Was he that dark man months ago? I slowly stood up divulging those words, trying to understand that name...Pitch. A dark man who gave nightmares...Hmm. Sandman, a guy who gave dreams. Two opposites, one purpose, to create an illusion or fantasy for people to live their new perspective landscape in their subconsciousness when they're asleep. But why use sand, golden and dark sand, why sand. And could this information lead to the disappearance of Pippa and James and Grace. And...and why me! Why do I have to be stuck in this situation between the surge of reality and fairy tales that seemed to pop out of books and come to reality...like being in a dreamscape. I...Ugh!

"First things first, find Grace and the others, then deal with this Sandman and Pitch thing," I reassured my priorities as I flew above a few feet finding one female teen and two kids with Easter egg baskets.

The steady mist of the hail storm had block my view of the horizon by just about a few dozen feet. I slowly lifted the curse of the blizzard and slowly in time, the blizzard and the hail storm died down leaving clouds covering one end of the horizon to the other end. I've got to find them first, then beat the crap for whoever is doing this to them.

I looked to the woods to find a voice, not the wind, but more feminine.

"Jack...Jack..." the voice was soft, and frightened. But the wind, thankfully, widened the frequency so I could hear it clearly. I slowly moved my position to towards the epicenter of that feminine voice which I'm sure is Pippa's.

For a good hour, I searched vigorously through the woods as the repeated words linger off to trails of whispers. I found Pippa and James with Grace holding them in fear. I quickly carried them to my house, freezing in the cold.

Grace was sitting in the chair, putting a warm snuggly blanket around her as I stood in front of her. Pippa and James were sound asleep and I didn't want to bother their sweet little dreams so I left them be. Now it's time to divulge her side of the story. I stood there in my living room, drinking hot tea to calm my senses while Grace tried to warm herself.

"Well, aren't you gonna tell me what the fuck happened,"

"Okay, fine, I'll tell ya."

"..." I looked down at her as we met eyes, but she quickly looked down and sighed.

"Okay, after Pippa and James came to me..."

"Wait a minute, they came to you, I saw them heading the other direction..." I trailed off, in mid-confusion.

"Well, they said they left without you so I don't know what you saw back then..."

"I-I..." I stood, head locked in my conscious. I just freaking saw them come outside with their egg baskets and left for the other direction, though they were way too jolly. Where-where they not James and Pippa? I just saw them with my naked eyes, but could they have been in Grace's house the entire time...

"Okay, umm...what happened after that..." I couldn't say my illusion to her, she'll think I'm crazy or something.

"Well, after that, I-we went to the woods to find you, but..." she sat there in fear as she started to perspire in shock. I just waited for the explanation to come out.

"What happened..."

"We heard voices and we followed them deep in the woods and as we went deeper, it got colder. Chills running through my back so I hugged the kids. Then..."

"Then what?" Grace looked up and stared at me. Her blue beady eyes stared at my blue eyes with intensity as she tried to take a breath.


"I saw a dark man with yellow eyes...and..." I just dropped my tea cup, shattering the china into shards. For a millionth time, our eyes met, but not with lust, but fear. Fear. Just Fear.