Part six of the Fun Times Are Over arc.


"You promised him what?"

"I said I promised him not to tell. Come on, Soph, calm down."

"Calm down? He needs help, Jamie. For his own sake–"

"I'll help him."

"You can't–"

"He told me to believe in him, Soph! Before he... changed. That's the last thing he told me. Maybe he knew what would happen. We can help him."

Sophie sighed. She shouldn't be surprised. Jamie would still do anything for his friend and Jack, the way he was now, wasn't above taking advantage of that. Or maybe he had been sincere, maybe he really thought he could get out of this alone, but that didn't make Jamie's promise a good idea.

"We can believe in him and still let the Guardians know."

"Just give me a chance! Please–"

The front door opened. They stopped arguing, stopped breathing, staring at the door with wide eyes. Ashley sighed and shook her head when she stepped in and saw them.

"You two are scaring me."

"Oh. Ash. It's you."

Sophie took a deep breath in. She stood and squeezed her brother's shoulder as if to answer his request, then turned to return to the guest room.

"I'm tired. I'm going to go take a nap."

"You should do that too," Ashley told Jamie.

"I'm not tired."

"Of course you are."

"I don't want to sleep."

Sophie closed the door behind her. She sat at the desk rather than going for the bed. She found a notepad in a drawer and tore out a page. Jamie, overly loyal man that he was, may have promised Jack not to tell, but Sophie hadn't promised any such thing.

North,

I'm sorry I never write with good news. But you need to know about the situation here. I don't suppose you know, but Jack is back. He said he went to see you, so we didn't write before, but now he admitted he didn't. He changed. He's not the cheerful, friendly Guardian we knew. I wouldn't even call him a Guardian anymore. There isn't any fun when he's there anymore. His smile never reaches his eyes. He seem to have lost his power over winter. But I think he can do new things.

We've been having nightmare every night since he came back. We think the arrow may have corrupted him. That he now has powers similar to Pitch's. I think he enjoys scaring us. Jamie spoke to him earlier and Jack got him to promise not to tell you anything. He still think he can help Jack by believing in him, but I'm afraid he's going to get hurt. We need your help. Jack needs your help.

Please come; I'm scared.

Sophie

She folded the letter in three, taped it and wrote the address at the back. She changed back into her own clothes, tied her tangled hair, slipped the letter into her pocket and left the room. She didn't see her brother, but Ashley raised her eyes from her book to give her a stern look, like a mother catching her child sneaking out of bed.

"Where's Jamie?"

"I sent him to bed. I thought you were sleeping too."

"Couldn't sleep. I'm gonna go take a walk."

"Good. You could use some fresh air."

"Thanks, Ash. For letting me stay here. For tolerating us. I know we're not making it easy for you."

"If you really want to thank me, get professional help. And convince your brother to come with you."

She smiled blandly at Ashley. This was not a problem they could possibly explain to a human therapist. "Doctor, our spirit friend died and came back wrong and we don't know what to do." This almost brought a real smile to her face.

"Alright. I'll get us help."

She walked out of the house, her hand over the pocket holding her letter. She kept her pace brisk, all but running to the mailbox. She needed North to get this and fast. The letter almost burned her. She did start running when it came in sight, taking the letter out. She skidded to a stop when a figure landed on top of the blue box. She swallowed. Crouching there, Jack smiled. Sophie shuddered and looked away, holding the letter to her chest.

"Writing to someone, Sophie?"

"J-just to my mom."

"Your mom? Doesn't she live close by?"

"I-I like sending her letters."

"That's not your mother's name on that letter."

Jack snatched the letter from her hands. Sophie tensed as he scanned the address and tore it open. She wanted to run, but she was frozen in place. Her breathing came in short burst. Jack's face was blank, but when he raised his eyes on her, there was hatred in his eyes.

"You lied to me. And you tried to betray me."

"N-no! I mean, yes, I lied, but I'm not trying to betray you! I just wanted to help you. You need it. Jack, please–"

"Don't you believe in me, Sophie?"

"I... Jack, we want to help you, but you have to let us. Please, let me send that letter. Let me tell North. For your own good. Please–"

Jack ripped the letter in half, his eyes not leaving Sophie's. He ripped it again and again and let the small pieces of papers fly away on the wind. Sophie watched them go, her hope dying away. The Jack she knew was gone and didn't want to come back. She couldn't even help him.

"You won't try to do that again."

She turned away from him and left, numb. She didn't return to her brother's house. She wandered aimlessly around her old neighborhood, walking in front of her mother's house, where she grew up with her brother, listening to his stories about the Guardians and cutting paper snowflakes with him when winter wasn't early enough for their taste. Her steps took her to the lake. Wildflowers grew around the edges, the snow fully melted, but the water was still frozen. She didn't venture on the ice. She didn't trust the ice.

"I can't do this anymore, Jack." She addressed the lake rather than the spirit, because she couldn't face the spirit again. But the lake held good memories of the boy he used to be. The one with the sparkle in his eyes who would throw snowballs at them if he thought they weren't having enough fun. The one who brought them to visit his magical kingdom in a land of snow and ice. This was the Jack she wanted to speak to.

"I really wished I could help you. But I can't. And I give up. I'm tired. I want to sleep. I'm so sorry, Jack. I'm done. I hope someone can save you. But it won't be me. Thank you for everything. And Goodbye."

She turned away from the lake she had so often come to play with the Spirit of Winter. She held the memories close to her heart, but they had only been childhood games and it was time to stop being a child. There was no such thing as Jack Frost.


I'm sorry, please don't kill me.