Chapter 1 - The Guessing Game
It was on a chilly northerly in the dead of an October night when the air sprite blew in, feeling apathetic and disinterested in everything and everyone. It was still a month until his annual orders to bring the first autumn frost and he had nothing to do until then. He descended on a gust of wind into the northern town of Arendelle tucked between the mountains and the fjord and landed in front of the castle. Landing with his trusty stick in hand, the wind tousled his frosty whitened hair. He looked up the street at the castle where he sometimes frosted the windows and then down the alley toward the harbor where he often blew wind into the sails of the boats. But his eye caught on a paper flyer stuck on a street pole that said the upcoming harvest festival was tomorrow. It was to be hosted by the queen and attended by the princess.
"Wow, I wish I could go to the festival," he lamented to himself though he thought no one could hear him.
"Well, that might actually be fun for once," said a familiar dark voice from behind him.
The boy whipped around and faced behind him, twirling the stick with him. A tall, black-cloaked, spiky-black-haired figure loomed over the otherwise empty street, his shadow stretching down the stone paving until it hit the light post and caused the oil lamp to flicker and die. The sprite could still see by the light of the moon though, and the intruder's golden eyes and gleeming grin gave him away.
"Jack," said his old nemesis over steepled fingers. "Why not go, just this once? It's just once a year after all." He glanced sideways at the printed sign as if he could still read it in the dark. "Walk the cake walk, run around the May Pole, light off a sparkler maybe. Oh except, whoops, you're invisible. And invisible people can't participate. Right? Wrong! I participate every year." He grinned. "In the judging, that is. Maybe that's why you never win."
"Please," said Jack. "I go to these things every year. They're the same every time. Now go on your merry way." He spun around and started to walk off on his own.
"But here's a game you could win," Pitch Black continued. "It's a guessing game."
"Well I always love a game," Jack admitted, freezing in his tracks.
"Here's the deal," the phantom man said lightly, hands thrown out. "I'll turn you visible for the day, tomorrow. But, I steal your name. You can't tell anyone who you are. You can't even remember who you are. And at midnight you turn back invisible. Unless, someone says your name before then. Then, the deal is broken, and you get to stay visible as long as you want."
"What?" Jack said. "What do you mean?"
"What do you think?" Pitch persisted. "A friend could recognize you and call out your name. Or, someone could guess your name." He held out his hands.
"And what's the catch?" Jack asked.
"If no one says your name all day, then at midnight you're invisible again, but after that you have to work for me." He gave a toothy smile. "Indefinitely. Until we strike another bargain. Do we have a deal?" He held out a hand to shake.
Jack had an indifferent look on his face but inside he really wanted to go to the festival. He could make friends there, after all.
"Deal." He grabbed Pitch's hand and shook it.
"Wonderful," Pitch replied. "At dawn you'll turn visible." He backed up down the street, not breaking his gaze. "Have fun at the festival. It's good-bye for now . . . Jack." He disappeared.
In the meanwhile someone was watching from a window in the castle. It was a girl with dirty blonde hair unbraiding her two plaits for the night, except she was paused and looking downward at the town under the moonlight.
"What is it, Anna?" another girl with white-blonde hair walked up and asked beside her.
"Elsa, I thought I saw someone down there in front of the castle. But he's gone now."
"That's odd for the dead of night," came the other girl's voice behind her, "but oh well. Go to sleep and get some rest before the festival tomorrow."
Anna smiled to herself at the thought. "Shouldn't we let him into the castle though?"
"That's a good idea. On second thought tell the guards to find him and bring him in."
The guards checked around the castle but found no one. The princess and the queen, who was hosting the festival tomorrow, retired to get some rest before the big day. Elsa dreamed the rest of the night away but Anna could hardly sleep at all for excitement.