Chapter 3: Everything will be okay
Set before the movie*
He often had days like this. The lonely, depressing days where all he could do was wallow in his own self-pity and wonder what he had ever done to deserve this god-awful fate in which he was ignored, abused and, quite literally, invisible. Had he done something wrong, disrespected the one in charge? He often heard the other spirits referring to him as 'Man in Moon', the one that rose him from the lake that night. He constantly found himself asking the same questions, though there was one which he yearned to know the answer to above all others.
What was his purpose?
Surely he had been put on this earth to do something, contribute something. But it seemed like no matter what he did or how hard he tried, all he did was bring misery. The other spirits had never failed to remind him of this. He'd given up trying to befriend them; it was obvious that they all loathed him. This, he couldn't fathom. He had done nothing to them to make them hate him and yet they did. If the emotional abuse from them wasn't enough, 30 years of physical beatings was sure to make him aware of their hostility.
And yet, despite seeming like all the odds were against him, he still had hope. Admittedly, he knew this was a dangerous thing to have, it could crush him in an instant and still he clung to this hope like a lifeline. Always hoping, always believing that someday his wishes would finally be answered and he wouldn't be alone anymore. That was the best and worst thing he could possibly hope for – a family. To cure his loneliness, his years of servitude to the bitter cold. Not the soothing, familiar cold of his winter, but the chilling cold of his fears.
Having a family, he thought, would cure him and he knew he would wait as long as he had to to even have a glimpse into what it was like to be wanted. He was trying so, so hard to make people see him. Playing with the kids, especially those of Burgess, the town which he called home brought him joy until he was reminded that they couldn't see him. No, not just couldn't see him, they didn't believe in him.
And so, here he was, yet again, drowning in his thoughts. Suffocating in the dark corners of his own mind. Snow fell gently around him, slowly turning his surrounding landscape a lush, pearly white. The cool rays of the winter sun echoed around the forest, glistening off of the icy sheen on the bare trees.
It was a beautiful sight to behold, mesmerising to all but the white-haired boy perched in the tree, too distracted by his own demons to notice the paradise he had created around him.
Suddenly, a delighted squeal sounded from somewhere behind him, followed by a group of young kids all decked up to their chins with stuffy winter clothing. Cheerful faces filled the clearing as the children took in the sight around them, marvelling in the winter wonderland that surrounded them. The crisp white snow crunched under their feet as the once deadly silent area in the woods was instantaneously filled with delighted shouts and laughing faces.
Though it took him a second, staring at the kids with profound curiosity, he realized something. His life was hard and his job was stressful but now, looking at the joy on these kids faces, the joy that he had brought, he understood that he had the ability to make others happy. Him, not Santa Claus, not the Easter Bunny, not even the Sandman had done this. He himself had made given these kids a gift.
As the realisation that he actually mattered hit him, he vowed to give every child he could the blessing of a joyful childhood. He would sacrifice one hundred lifetimes and more if he could make all the little kids this merry. It would take him a while to fully discover his purpose but for now, this was enough, granting these precious children the joviality he had been so ruthlessly denied. He would make this his life's goal and maybe, eventually, he could be this happy too. Presently though, it brought him a sense of being to know that he could make a contribution that was considered worthwhile, even if just to a small few.
Pushing his negative thoughts aside for the time being, he jumped down to join the excitement. In this moment, he was going to forget his demons. Sure, they would always be there, but now was no time for melancholy thoughts, he had plenty of time for that later. Running around the children and supplying them with the ammo for their snowball fight, he only had one thought.
In the back of his mind, past all the dark corners and hollow thoughts, he knew.
Everything was going to be okay.