Chapter One: I Nearly Die from Oversized Pillow Pets
March 16, 2010
Eight years ago.
The wide, vacant park in Salem was completely blanketed in snow, and a biting freeze caressed my face, making me shudder. Tiny white particles drifted from the murky sky and danced with the swaying wind, and the frozen street lamps were dimly lit that morning. Naked, bare trees staggered around the square area with a stone gazebo with frosted marble columns standing at the center.
The sun wasn't out, but there was still light; something I've haven't seen in along time. The nine-year-old me trudged through the crunchy layer of snow, hunched and shoving my numbing hands in my pockets. Though it was already March, it seemed like the season of winter wanted to extend its stay.
As time passed by, other kids started to flood the park, scooping up snowballs and throwing themselves on the ground to make snow angels.
I threw myself against a snow covered park bench, which was probably a bad idea because after, it would look like I had missed the bathroom. I studied the children playing. They were laughing. Smiling. Happy. They...were friends...
(Enter flashback)
"Do it."
"I...I don't want to!"
My clammy hands trembled around the cold rod of my scythe that I held close against my chest. His figure loomed over me, making me feel like an ant compared to a beetle.
"You are the son of the boogeyman. I expect you to act like one!"
His voice boomed, making my legs shudder. The two children in front of me stopped catching the glowing fireflies of the night, and stared quizzically in my direction. Are they staring at me...or him?
My father grabbed my hand and practically yanked it in front of me. "DO IT!" he boomed.
I reluctantly let the dark sand curl around my fingertips as it cumulated into an immense, dark figure. The creature approached the children on all four feet, its fur dark as night and its eyes glowed a bright yellow. Black dust circled around the sand bear, and the two children squeezed each other tight, their screams echoing throughout the neighborhood. Its roar shook the kids as tears slid down their cheeks. The children ran off, and the bear disintegrated, blending in with the darkness.
I fell to the ground when my father abruptly released my arm.
"I shouldn't have to have to scare them for you", he muttered.
"I...I don't want them to be scared of me!" I cried, my voice quavering. "I just wanted...them to...like..."
I stared at the ground just before he grabbed me by the collar of my sweater and hoisted me up to his gloomy face.
"Who on Earth would want a powerless coward like you?" he snarled.
I whimpered, trying to break free of his grip by prying off his fingers.
"You were meant to be the Grim Reaper", he growled. "People like us are supposed remain in the dark. Nobody wants us."
He released my collar and I dropped to the ground, panting with my heart ramming against my ribs. My father turned away from me.
"You're better off alone."
I heard his footsteps grow quieter and quieter as my tears seeped into the rugged concrete.
(End flashback)
I was brought back to reality when a snowball was thrown right at my face. As I dusted it off, I saw a group of older boys laughing and smirking in my direction. I need to pay more attention to my surroundings before zoning out like that.
The bulky, plump young men walked to me like lumpy marshmallows rolling in a bag. The one leading the obese wolf pack was a pale chunky boy with short bleach blond hair that basically exposed his mile long forehead. Shortly behind him was a scrawny, tan boy with floppy dark hair. The rest followed in that leader's footsteps, each imitating that malicious smile.
The blond boy loomed over me, and I could see his gaping abysses of nostrils. He grunted and snorted as the others gathered around me.
"Look at this wimp", he mocked, jabbing his finger into my collarbone. "He looks like one of them...uh...what're they called again Sam?"
"Uh dwarf?" The tan one replied, tilting his head.
"Nah, nah. Those short people."
"A smurf?"
"Does he look blue to you, ya dipshit?"
Well, internally I am.
"An oompa loompa, Jerry?"
"Yeah!" Jerry cackled. "An oompa loompa."
How many brain cells does this guy lack? I'm clearly as pale as the snow and don't look like an orange. I rolled my eyes, which could have been one of my greatest mistakes or the best choice I've ever made. That's because Jerry caught my actions, and glared.
"What a little punk", he muttered.
Well, if I died today, then I wouldn't have to return to my demon of a father. Then again, my tombstone would read: "Charles Black. Death by giant walking Pillow Pets."
Jerry grabbed me by the collar. "I don't see ya here often", he grumbled. "So let me tell ya a little something."
He pointed to a scraggly naked tree whose branches tried to reach the sunlight in different directions.
"That's my tree", he sputtered. "That means that from this tree to that fence o'er there is my territory. That's why no one else is 'ere."
His gang nodded along with his statement.
"And you," he jabbed his finger into my chest, "you're trespassing.
"I'll let ya off with er warning now", he mumbled. "Better not see yer sorry ass here again."
I squinted at him, awaiting his release. I can't believe turds like him actually roam these parks. On top of that, his crew are like brainless cattle following the dull bull. Besides...
"I think planting trees are for the smart boys, no?"
Oh my god. I said that out loud, didn't I?
Jerry's face tensed, his sharp crystal eyes were like diamonds that longed to drill into my soul. His grip tightened, as he marched over to the misshapen tree and pounded me against it. I winced, feeling my breath get knocked out of me. His comrades followed behind him with menacing looks as Jerry rose his meaty fist behind him.
"If ye not gonna listen dat way", he snarled, "maybe I'll just nail it in ya!"
This was it. This is the story of how I die. Or so, that's how I thought it would go.
Just seconds before Jerry's fist landed on my face, a snowball soared and smacked him in the face. The boy's face reddened like the burning sunset, and I could've sworn that snow melted rather quickly and dripped from his face.
His head snapped back at his group.
"Who da fuck did that?!" he bellowed. His friends trembled with widened eyes as the blood drained from their faces.
"It wasn't-I didn't-"
They stuttered, yet one of the boys slowly rose his quavering finger to a small figure squeaking in the distance. Jerry dropped me and a tree root smacked my tailbone. He squinted at the small, blue person waving their arms rather excitedly.
"HEY YOU FAT CHICKEN NUGGET!" They shouted. "YOU EVER HEARD OF BELTS?! YOUR PINK CHONIES ARE A NICE VIEW FROM WHERE I'M STANDING!"
Oh, so I'm not the only child that wants to die.
"AND WHATS UP WITH THAT HAIRLINE?! I THINK ID I WERE EVER UP CLOSE, I WOULD STILL NEED BINOCULARS TO SEE THEM!"
Jerry trudged slowly through the snow towards the child, his drooling friends right behind him. He pointed to Sam and another kid.
"Stay here with the runt", he hissed, as he and the rest of the group ran after the kid, who sprinted out of the park. Sam and the other kid, who wore ragged beanie and sunglasses, turned and looked down me. Sam's friend rolled his eyes.
"So, um, ye kid", Sam stammered. "Don't do anything until Jerry gets back."
Sam's friend slowly turned his head towards him in disbelief.
"What the fuck kind of sentence is that?"
"Well, I, um-"
"You're saying 'Hey kid. Just wait right here until it's your turn to get your ass kicked."
"What I was trying to say-"
"Y'know what?" His friend turned to me. "Let's just kick his ass right now."
Sam shook, his eyes doubling in size. "W-what?!"
"Maybe Jerry would give us gold star sticker," the boy smiled.
"Or he'd pound both our asses for not getting his share", Sam retorted.
"Y'know, to Jerry, we're just henchmen that will never get paid."
"Yeah, well-"
"I'm tired of him always giving orders."
"Yes, I agree. But-"
The two bickered nonstop, basically losing their attention on me. This was my chance.
I slowly crawled out of their sight, then got up and ran it of the park.
The cold wind brushed against my face as I dashed down the old Boston streets. Old brick buildings and iced poles seemed to pass me as my little legs began to tire and move like cooked pasta noodles.
It wasn't long before I heard two more sets of quick footsteps and crazed shouts pursue me. They seriously don't know when they should quit, do they?
"Get back here!"
I swerved left at a corner, accidentally kicking a few pigeons that rolled like bowling pins down sidewalk. The boys were still on my tail, Sam slamming into frozen pole at the corner and the other boy tripping over a recovering pigeon. I rushed and bumped into metal chairs and grunting customers at a bakery, curses and shrieks being thrown at me. I could see the end of the sidewalk, where a streetlight stands. The walk signal is still on. I use all the energy I have in me to the edge. It's just right there-
WHAM!
"OW!"
"AGH!"
I slam my head and roll against the coarse concrete. What the hell was that?
I push myself up, my head throbbing and my legs weak.
"Ow..." A soft voice croaks.
I try lifting my eyelids to see someone who looked so familiar, and looked about my age. They were scrambled on the concrete in a thin, dark blue sweater and jeans. They lifted themselves up and quickly turned to me in shock. They looked...rather feminine.
A girl?
We froze for a second just observing each other as I could hear Jerry's voice from the other side of the sidewalk.
"You!" The girl shouted.
"I-"The words couldn't escape my mouth. She was the one that saved me?
Without any hesitation, she grabbed my hand and practically pulled me into the street full of driving cars. "C'mon!"
Tires screeched and the cursing started again as we nearly got ran over before we made it to the other side. My throat was raw from panting so much and I have no clue where we're going. My hands felt clammy, but the girl's seemed to be the opposite. Her hand was delicate yet frigid, like ice. The group's grunts were surprisingly still behind us. The end of the sidewalk met a tangled frosted forest, one that the girl wasn't hesitant on entering. I yanked on her hand at that edge, peering down at the snowy slope with branches and logs planted in it.
"Trust me." I turned my head from the pounding herd behind us to large blue orbs. Her eyebrows furrowed under her...white bangs? Her lips pursed as she nodded slightly. I sighed and shut my eyes tight as we both tumbled down the snowy hill.
I swear I came into contact with fifty twigs and branches, and by the end I was covered in snow like a walking snowman. I tried dusting myself off until I saw how clean the girl was. Suddenly, we began to hear growls and scratches as we turned to see the crowd still coming.
ARE YOU SERIOUS?
"Let's go!"
Scraggly trees tried to reach and scraped our clothes as we brushed through the woods. The snow grew steeper every now and then, slowing our pace. Our limbs felt like they were about to fall off, and we finally paused, holding our knees.
"They...they won't stop", she panted. It was true. These guys were seriously persistent on pounding us. I don't mind getting hurt that much; it isn't a pleasant feeling though. Yet, I don't want to see the one I dragged into this situation get hurt either.
"What do we do?" I managed to say. She fixated her blue eyes on me, turning back to the hurdling beasts, and then back at me. All of a sudden, she lunged at me, wrapping her arms around me and pulling me close to her chest (Oh great. She's slightly taller than me.) She raised her arm in the air, and snow curled around her slender fingers. My eyes widened as the white flakes around us began to pick up and swirl around us. I flicked my head back towards her, feeling our warm breaths on each other's face. I became lost in her eyes as the snow began to build around us. They were like blue sapphires with an etched white design around her pupil. A design of...a snowflake. She was controlling the snow. She was the one with snowflakes in her eyes. She was the one with the white hair. She...
I ceased to feel my heart leap, nor did I remember how to breathe at that moment. My hands began to shudder and beads of sweat slid down my face.
I know who she is.
No. No, no, no! It can't be her. It just...
We were completely encased in a snowy, hollow shell in utter silence as we heard snow crunching around us.
"What the hell..." I heard one say. "Who the hell makes a snowman in the middle of the forest?"
We're in a snowman?
"What the hell you're doing?!" I heard Jerry roar. "They're already way ahead of us, let's go!"
I could hear the sounds of their trudges diminishing, and a few minutes later, the snowman's form began to break down. I quickly released myself from her embrace as she sighed in relief in the bullies' direction.
"Whew", she gasped. "Thank goodness they're gone."
Her silky, silver hair drifted like a curtain with the cool wind as she stretched her arms to the sky. I slowly backed from her as she turned towards me.
"Are you okay?"
This can't be happening. Out of everyone in the world, she had to be the one to step up for me. We're not supposed to meet each other this way. We're not supposed to be working together. We're not supposed to be talking to each other. I don't remember this being our destiny, our fable in the storybook.
I'm not supposed to be here with Winter Frost.
FINALLY! I DID IT! YES! I FINISHED THE FIRST CHAPTER! Honestly, it is currently 11 o'clock at night on a Sunday, yet I wanted to get this up for you guys as soon as possible. I'm sorry that this may seemed rushed and sorta all over the place; I wanted to finish it right away so I could keep moving on with the story. I promised that this would be up on Friday but here we are...on a Sunday (almost Monday). I just finished my AP US History test on Friday and just went straight to bed. Summer is slowly approaching so I'm hoping to update more often then. Hopeful I don't encounter any writer's block AM I RIGHT AHAHAHAHAHH...
Also, it may not seem like it on y'all phones, but the italicize and bold parts aren't showing up on the computer/desktop version so I'm sorry bout that and i had to add details to make that happen.
Anyways, thank you for those who waited, and thank you for taking the time to read this. LOVE YOU ALL!