Author's Note: Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Winter Child!" I hope you all have been having a wonderful weekend so far. =D I don't have much to say today (sadly), so I hope you all enjoyed this chapter (it's another shortie ='3).


~ LXIII ~

Drowning in Darkness, Part Four

The terror didn't stop behind his eyes

For nightmares still plagued his unconscious mind

And what once was thought that things would be fine

It is soon discovered

Jack's life may be on the line

...

He didn't know what he was doing. It wasn't him, it wasn't him.

A blizzard raged around him. Children and adults were screaming, the air was frigid. His moves were sharp and quick. Ice blasted in every direction. Tooth, Sandy, and Aster tried to stop him, but he easily overpowered them.

His staff crackled like lightning as he used his energy to its max. Santoff Claussen was smothered in snow, and ice shards poked out of homes and shops. Big Root was frosted over with snow, about to break in two as the Wind violently made it sway.

Sharp frost trails curled at his feet as he advanced. He was out of control. No one could stop him.

All except one.

North stood before him, his twin sabers in hand. Jack stood before him, winds wailing and eyes flashing. He clutched his staff in his grip, and whatever remained of his normal self inside of him screamed for North to get away.

North dropped his swords at his sides, his expression filled with sorrow. "I do not want to hurt you, Jack," he said. He reached out to Jack, pleading. "This isn't you. Please…where is moy mal'chik?"

Jack wanted to cry out to him. To say that he was still there and he didn't know what his body was doing. But when he opened his mouth, a voice that wasn't his came out. One that dripped with malice.

"Your boy is dead," he seethed. Then, Jack shot an icicle straight at North's heart.

North was startled awake by the sound of Jack screaming, and faster than the Wind did he rush over to the boy's room. He found Jack thrashing in bed, his face twisted in pain as tears slipped out of his squeezed eyes. North quickly sat next to Jack, hugging him close and running his hand through his hair to comfort him. Jack clung tightly, though he wasn't awake. North whispered soothing words into his ear until the boy softened, and fell back into a peaceful slumber.

Jack let out a small sigh, snuggling closer to North's comfort. The ex-Cossack was relieved that he had calmed down, but he felt something other. Something…odd that he couldn't quite place.

North looked up and examined the room. His eyes narrowed when he felt the slightest feeling that another presence was in the room. His focus turned back to Jack, who shifted in his arms. The boy frowned in discomfort, and North rubbed his back. Jack's features softened once again.

Though he believed he was acting paranoid, North stayed with Jack the rest of the night.

Just in case anything went wrong.

Katherine and Jamie came to North's the next day. Both had been beyond worried for Jack, and they were both saddened to learn that he was still unconscious. It had been three days since the accident, and things hadn't been the same in the village without Jack's usual cheer. Everyone was wondering when he'd awake. And if he'd be alright when he did.

"May we see him?" asked Katherine. North nodded, and he stepped aside to let the two in. Katherine and Jamie climbed up the stairs and into Jack's room. The window was opened, and Katherine assumed that North had opened it. Jack lay on the bed, white as a sheet. His cheeks and ears were flushed a deep red, and he shivered despite being under the covers.

Katherine walked up to Jack and placed a hand against his forehead. She pursed her lips; he was still burning. Katherine gently rubbed the snow sprite's hand, hoping that the action would bring some comfort.

Jamie stood behind Katherine, fiddling with his fingers. He felt uncomfortable standing so close to the unmoving snow sprite. Jack was as still as ice, and even though Jamie knew he was alive and breathing, the snow sprite looked almost…dead.

Jamie's eyes dropped to the ground, his vision blurry. "This is all my fault," he croaked. Katherine turned around. Jamie sniffed. "I never should've wandered off. Now he's paying the price I should've paid because I didn't listen…"

"It's not your fault, Jamie," said Katherine. She laid a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "Blaming yourself won't change anything. Besides, you would've done the same thing if you were in Jack's position."

From the bed, Jack groaned, catching Jamie and Katherine's attention. Katherine resoaked the dry cloth and placed it back on Jack's head.

Jamie grasped Jack's hand. "Wake up soon, Jack," he whispered.

He didn't expect him to wake right then.

Jack opened his eyes, surprising Katherine and Jamie. But the two soon broke into grins at the sight of Jack awake.

"Jack! You're okay!" Jamie cried.

"We were so worried," Katherine said.

But Jack didn't respond. Now that they studied him closer, Katherine and Jamie noticed something wrong with Jack. His eyes were distant and glazed over. AS he sat up, his movement was rigid and sharp, as if he didn't have control over his own body.

The two watched, trepidation creeping into their chests. The silence grew frightening. "Jack…?" Katherine said tentatively.

Slowly, Jack turned toward them.

An ice shard shot would've impaled Jamie and Katherine if they had not jumped out of the way.


Author's Note: ...Oof. ='D

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all in the next one!

Until the next chapter!

~BeyondTheMoon1203