It was too easy to find the house. Easier still to find the mother. He knew she didn't know what he had done. He would make sure she never knew. Not until it was too late. Not until he had done in her boy, made it look like an accident. he rang the doorbell, making sure his smile reached his eyes.
Carrie blinks at the door bell and walks over to the front door opening it and staring in surprise at the man on her doorstep. "Lars what are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd drop by, seeing how it's that time of year. How are you, Carrie?"
His voice was cheerful and honest. Jamie was on the stairs listening, his mouth forming into a grin. It was always a treat when their Uncle Lars came to visit
Carrie smiles politely she'd always feel a bit wary around her brother-in-law. "I'm good Lars how are you?"
":Freezing! Folks could get sick in this weather. Burgess is having a nippy winter don't you think? Perfect for skating though."
Jamie giggled "Oh I don't know. Jack has been lax with the snow. Haven't had a snow day in days!"
"Even so, Jack Frost was definitely nipping at my nose. I sneezed twice! May I come in?"
Carrie nods. "Sure." She says stepping aside so that Lars can enter.
"Thank you dear." he said, as he came in. "My, this is a treat! Say, do I smell your famous cookies?" his eyes brightened. Jamie giggled.
Carrie nods. "Yup!" She heads to the kitchen and pulls the cookies from the oven.
"Say I was thinking that it might be fun." Lars said sometime later "For me to take Jamie out and have him learn to ice skate."
Jamie was about to say 'Jack already taught me.' but thought better of it. He did want to spend time with his uncle after all.
Carrie frowns slightly. "It's getting late though..."
"Yes, perhaps tomorrow then.": he smiled
Carrie nods feeling relieved for some reason. Perhaps Jack can meet Lars tomorrow.
The ice was thin for three days, but Uncle Lars insuisted that by day five, the Lake would be ready. During those days, the family had grown quite close. Not, however, so close that Jack hung around the house very often. Thee new adult couldn't see him, and he didn't want to cause any rifts by showing up.
Carrie watches Lars take her kids ice skating and wished that Jack was going along with them instead of at a Guardian meeting before going to bake. Baking always made her feel better.
"Mommy! I wanna lick the bowl!" Sophie said eagerly, having been told to stay put by the two males.
"Ok, but wash up first."
ROTGROTGROTG
The man smiled wickedly as the boy babbled on about the lake. How even in Summer, it was kept frozen. He waited until the boy was sitting at the edge, prepairing his skates, before saying casually.
"You do know the legend of this lake right? How, back in colonial times, a boy at the age of 14 drowned saving his sister from the icy waters."
Jamie snorted "Of course I know that story."
"I wonder what it must have felt like to die that way." Lars whispered, positioning him self.
"I don't."
"Well, you won';t have to wonder, Jamie Bennett." his voice had grown deadly, his grip tightened, "because you're going to LIVE it!"
Grabbing the startled child, the man forced him into the freezing ice, creating a hole as he shoved the top half of the boy through, holding him under the chilling waters, despite how he struggled. The Wind whistled, then howled, then left.
High above, an owl made of snow flew to the Bennett house, hooting franticly.
Carrie looks up at the frantic tapping on the sliding glass door and pales at the sight of the frantic snow owl. She quickly slides on her boots and opens the door. "Where's Jamie!" She demands.
Hooter flew her to the Lake. On the way, the Wind howled. UIn the howl she heard Jack wailing. The lake was surrounded by a massive blizzard, and in the center was Jack Frost, on his knees, holding a limp, lifeless Jamie in his arms, his head thrown back, mouth open as he continued to wail, to scream, to curse at the moon. On a tree, Lars was impailed, every bone in his body broken by blunt force.
Setting Jamie down gently, the winter spirit grabbed the man, his fury built t a point where it was beyond placating, and was about to literaly freeze the guy to death. Something cought his eyes, and he smiled ferally.
He dropped the beaten man at the feet of Pitch Black.
"Drain. Him. DRY!"
"My pleasure." The Boogeyman snarled, disapearing with the wailing murderer.
Jack's rage was stilled by sorrow as he once again dropped to his knees, cradling Jamie in his arms.
Carrie stumbled over to her sons dropping onto her knees beside them. "Jack?" She asks her voice breaking as tears fill her eyes.
"I was here too late." he wept "I was too damn LATE to save him!"
'Oh Jack Frost.'
That voice...That voice was the Moon!
'Look again to the boy.'
Jack looked, and felt his heart panic as he couldn't actually find Jamie.
Suddenly, his eyes opened wide as he looked to the center of his Lake.
There stood Jamie Bennet, his hair white as fresh snow, his clothes a crisp, clear blue and white, and in his hand, a miniature staff, like Jack's. On his head was a cristal crown.
'His name...is Jokul Frosti, the Prince of Winter.'
and the Moon fell silent yet again.
Carrie blinks as she hears the Moon's voice and looks where her eldest son is looking sobbing in relief at the sight of her once more living son.
Jack was overjoyed, and rushed forward, gathering Jamie in his arms sobbing happily "Jamie Jokul Frosti...I like it! And look...you even have a staff! You know what this means don't you?"
Jamie grins "Snowday?"
He reached towards his Mom, but Jack pulled him away.
"You have ice powers now. You might freeze her." he explained.
Carrie smiles. "Oh sweetie you look so handsome..." She takes a breath. "We're going to have to change your room and how are we going to explain your disappearance to everyone?"
"Bury me."
the forboding look in Jamie's eyes was enough to make anyone take him seriously.
"Like Jack. Say I fell in, and they couldn't recover my body. Bury an empty casket"
Carrie nods. "Okay, I'm gonna have go back to the house and call the police." She gives Jack and Jamie a quick hug. "Take care of your little brother Jack."
"Mom..." Jamie said, running into her arms "I'll be home again soon. I promise."
Carrie nods. "You'd both better come home as often possible."
"In winter, we will. Like always." Jack said. "This isn't goodbye."
Carrie nods. "I know." She said turning and walking back to the house to call the police.
"Mommy?" asked Sophie ":Where is Jamie?"
Carrie wraps her daughter in a hug. "I'll explain later sweetheart." She said picking up the phone and calling 911.
"Jamie isn't cming back is he." The child said, her voice broken. "Jack took him away."
Carrie shakes her head. "No Jack saved Jamie." She takes a shuddering breath blinking back tears. "We'll talk about it later ok?"
"Ok Mommy..." The youngest Bennet sobbed. "Poor Jamie."
The police turned up at her door
"We're...we're sorry ma'am. There was no trace of your boy or Brother in law in the lake. It...it swallowed them whole."
"How did the ice break? It was supposed to be safe?" She asks crying.
"It was thin."
"Again...we are sorry for your loss."
They left, and Sophie screamed "I WANT MY BRUVA!"
On the hill that overlooked the house, Jamie Bennett smiled, "You'll always have me, Soph." then he turned and rode the Wind alongside his king.
I FINALLY DID IT! ITS DONE! THE HORRIBLE DEED IS OVER! Now I can get on with the good stuff! Hiatus is done too, since the main reason for it was this dang event!