I actually got photoshop to work long enough for me to slap some color on a canvas to make a cover. I couldn't manage much in half an hour, but it'll have to do for now, I was tired of using some generic official artwork. I'll keep this one until I start to hate it. Which is likely going to be by the end of the week-end.

This is a prequel to Kids Need To Grow Up


Spring had been here for a while now and Jack spent spending most of his time in the northern parts of the world, where he could still enjoy a good snowball fight now and then. But he decided to make one last trip to Burgess before leaving the area entirely until the next cold season. There was a couple of teenagers he wanted to see one last time before he disappeared for a few months.

He let the wind carry him along the familiar path to the town, deep in thought. He would visit Cupcake first, he decided. Last time he had seen the girl, she had looked sad and withdrawn, barely smiling when he tried to cheer her up. Cupcake may have hung on to her childhood memories, but it was hardly filling her with innocent laughter and happy dreams. Already having a hard time because of how different she was from the other girls, this only served to isolate her more. Jack knew what it was like to be alone. He made a point of visiting as often as he could. It helped appease the guilt he felt over the situation.

It was getting late when he reached her house, but a light still shone in Cupcake's room. Large snowflakes started to fall as he hovered by her window, peering inside. She was talking on the phone, he saw, with a small smile on her face. His own lips stretched into a wide grin. She was actually having a conversation. And smiling. Two things she had done very little of last time he saw her. Maybe that therapy thing was actually doing some good. He had been doubtful, wondering how she was supposed to explain to her therapist that she couldn't get close to the other teens because she still believed in Santa Claus at her age.

Not wanting to interrupted her conversation, he waited by the window for her to finish. He noticed while he did that she had changed her bedcover. This one was still pink, but a more muted one. A more adult one. His grin faded a little as he looked at it, a certain sadness filling him. He pushed it away. Cupcake was placing the phone down on her bedside table and looked at the window, her own smile widening slightly. He waved at her.

He flew back a bit when she opened the window, trying to stay eye-level with her, but she was not looking at him. She stared at the snowflakes falling slowly between them. Jack ignored the cold dread rising in his chest.

"Hi Cupcake! I thought I'd visit one last time this spring, before I leave. I hope you don't mind a little late snowfall. You usually don't. I'll be visiting Jamie, too. I hope he's not sleeping already."

He knew he was babbling, but her lack of answer made him want to fill the silence with something. Otherwise he would have to actually think.

Cupcake reached out, letting a snowflake land on her fingers. She smiled a little wider, then shook her head as if fondly remembering something a little silly. She closed the window again without ever looking at Jack.

He stayed there for some time, watching her get in bed and turn off the light. He knew it was for the best. She would be happier for it. A part of him had always known that, but a bigger, more selfish part, the one that was sick and tired of being invisible, had refused to acknowledge it. Had refused to see that he would only hurt the kids by trying to keep them from growing up.

Maybe that's what parents felt like, when they had to let their children leave to live their own life. It was hard, but it was time to let go, now. For their own good. Jack took a deep breath.

There was someone else he needed to visit tonight.


I very nearly did not write a chapter today because, while I have a list of stuff I want to write about, none of it interested me right now. Mostly because I can't find a good way to write any of it. It appears I am suffering from writer's block. And it sucks.

If any of you want to leave suggestions, I would like that. I'm not making any promises that I will write what you want, but maybe something will spark my inspiration and you'll actually get a chapter tomorrow. I haven't missed a day yet and I'd be sad to.