Chapter 6

Glad to be able to post stories again. I hope to do this more now. I have a little more written that I need to type and edit. Hopefully before too long I will have a story of my own out for purchase but for now I will update you on my little Tragedy and her frost bitten brother.

Jack couldn't see anything that could have made the noise but he felt unusual warmth. The ice started to melt around Tragedy's feet showing her little foot prints in the snow. Jack saw this and jumped back on a low branch and watched with his staff in front of him.

"Jack," Tragedy said softly.

"Jeannie?" Jack said stepping down cautiously. He started imagining the little girl from his memory, "Why can't I see you?"

"When I became a spirit, the cloak I was wearing turned invisible so I could do my work while hiding from spirits and believers," she grimaced, "I am pretty gruesome looking.

"Being born in darkness must have darkened your appearance," Jack scowled remembering that she was evil.

"I died saving a slave girl from these horrible men. They stabbed me, cut my hair, and threw me on a fire pit. A thin layer of frost kept me alive long enough to die in my bed," Tragedy sighed.

"I thought in order for Pitch to turn you into a spirit you had to die in a horrible way?" Jack said confused.

"Pitch couldn't create spirits. I ran away from my husband and stumbled upon the girl. When I was dying I saw you and the moon glowed brighter. The moon created me burning his mark into my back," She grabbed her hood revealing her blood splattered skin, burnt hair, and branded ankle. Jack's eyes fell on the brand, "My husband, your best friend in life had to brand me in order to marry me because I didn't have a dowry. I fainted after they did it," she pulled the cloak off completely to show Jack the burned moon and stars dotting her spine. "Funny how I had to be marked to be claimed," she turned to see Jack deep in thought.

"The frost that saved you long enough to make it home was mine?" Jack asked not waiting for an answer, "You were created by Moon because you died a hero? Then why did you work for Pitch?" Now he looked at her pleading for her to say he was wrong.

"I stayed with Pitch because he was kind to me," she sighed. She couldn't reassure him. "He treated me with respect and didn't make me do anything. I could leave at any time. I could have chose not to go through with my death. I didn't work for him, he made the Nightmares from me, but I felt like the pain I relived was deserved. My life may have happened with Pitch but I became an angel of mercy, tragedy, and death on my own. A sad job I took on because I felt that my life was meant to follow that course."

Jack thought for a moment. He watched his little sister in a bright red dress, dusted in what looked like red glitter with an ankle tattoo and short brown hair with black tips. She didn't look like a look scary to him at all, although, she was now older than him, she would forever be his baby sister. He thought about the night she died, so much was going on!

"Jack?" Tragedy spoke softly but Jack still jumped. "I am your sister, I have changed, a lot happened when you died. I was so scared, so alone. Pitch was the only one who stayed. You were gone. You left when you thought no one could see you. I could see you but I didn't see you again until the day I died. I couldn't speak then, I couldn't call out to you," Tears ran down her face

Jack remembered the terror in her face when he fell through the ice, she looked the same. "Jeannie, I am so sorry that I thought you were evil. I am sorry I wasn't there for you. I didn't remember anything from my life, I still don't remember it all. I didn't mean to leave you alone. You have become a beautiful woman with good friends, except Pitch, and you have shown such kindness," Jack looked at her with sadness for the years lost.

She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him, "I wish I had searched you out, I thought you had left me because you died because of me skating on thin ice. I didn't know you couldn't remember me. I am so glad to have you back though!"

Jack hugged her back, he had expected to find her in Pitch's layer, long haired, white faced, crawling on the walls and just evil. He thought they would fight and she would have to be killed. A shutter washed over him, he was glad for the silent hug and the beautiful red cupid like girl. They stood there freezing and melting the ice on the ground for a long time just holding each other to make up for the 300 years of separation and crying for the loss of their mother and Colin both long dead but new memories made the wounds fresh.

So, I have a few lose ends to tie up but as of right now we are about 2 chapters from the end of our little story. It has been a good 4 years of traveling with Jeannie and her friends. Thank you for the support and the time you have spent waiting for me to finish the story.