This was a different darkness then the kind that plagued Jack's dreams. It was foreign and more evil somehow. It left him breathless and chilled him to the bone, him, the winter spirit, was shivering, teeth chattering, goose-bumps up and down his arms.
He was lying on something cold but soft, and it seemed to cradle him in its embrace. Hesitantly, Jack opened his eyes, wary of what could be waiting for him. Waiting for his eyes to adjust to the sudden sunlight, Jack was surprised to find he was still at his pond, right where he had faced Pitch.
Pitch.
He jumped up, fervently searching the snow for his staff and keeping another eye out for where Pitch could be, possibly preparing for another attack. Eventually he discovered his staff buried beneath a fallen snow drift, unharmed from the night before even though he could still remember the pain he felt when Pitch snapped it in two.
Come to think of it, he didn't seem to be suffering from any of the other injuries Pitch had inflicted on him the night before. Or was it the night before? Jack realized that he had no idea how long he had been knocked out either, there was no way to tell.
His injuries healed, his staff in one piece, but his head still a little fuzzy of all the other details, Jack was left in the dark as to what had really happened. Had it all been another nightmare? It couldn't have been, it was so real, the memory of pain still vivid in his mind. But how else could he explain everything else?
He glanced around the valley where his pond was situated between the cloud capped mountains that stretched on in both directions. The snow glistened underneath the sun's warm embrace; the steady sound of dripping icicles hanging from the trees steadied his breathing, calming his mind. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes-
And in the darkness he could still make out Pitch's smile, his yellow eyes piercing through the darkness, his laugh sending chills down his spine.
It certainly was not a dream. He had to tell the others. Warn them of Pitch's return and the threat of his new found strength will bring.
With a mission and a goal, Jack set off, willing the winds to carry him away to alert the others. The air was crisp, but felt good against his fevered brow that was plastered with sweat. He extended his arms, gliding peacefully along the wind. It was all like the calm before the storm, the feeling of unrest, knowing something was coming, maybe already there.
To steady his nerves he decided to have a little fun with it. Performing graceful backflips and perfect spirals and corkscrews in the air, he enjoyed his last few moments of steadiness. He gave out whoops of laughter, a broad smile on his face for the last time in a long while.
And he could've sworn the wind laughed back at him, or maybe it wasn't the wind.
yeah i know, these chapters are really short, but i don't have time to do much else, sorry! you can expect updates mostly on the weekends, i'm really busy with school right now.
also, i am thinking about combining this story with another i started writing, Summer's End, let me know what you think about that.
i'm loving all these reviews, thank you so much!