Guardians Rising

4: Snow storm

The wind howled like a wolf, lending an eerie tone to the otherwise ordinary storm. White flakes billowed around the boy, standing as he was in the center of the flurries. The ground, already white from yesterday's light dusting, was now covered with nearly a foot of snow.

The boy flew out from the clouds and landed on a small hillock, just beyond the outermost reaches of the clawing gusts.

He laughed, and jumped excitedly. "Now that's a snow storm!" he exclaimed. He had done this a million times but it never got old. The grown-ups wondered at the unexpected weather, while the children waited eagerly to play outside.

"All done here," he said, satisfied with his handiwork. "Now Wind, TAKE ME HOME!" He felt the wind increase drastically, then let it carry him away. Far over mountains and lakes, hills, rivers, and cities he flew, covering in seconds a distance that would have taken ordinary people many hours.

He arrived at his destination and flew immediately to a house he knew well, one he had visited again and again so many times. Five years had passed since he first met the boy living in that house, five years since he had first been seen. Five years.

"Hey, Jamie!" he called. A face appeared in the upstairs window. But not Jamie's. A little blonde girl, about 10 years old. She was missing a couple teeth and she grinned as he landed on the windowsill. "Hey there, Sophie!" he said. "Ready for a snow day, kiddo?"

Sophie's face lit up with a smile and her eyes widened excitedly. "Ye-es! And look! I los' some teef, see!" She showed him the gaps in her teeth.

"Did the tooth fairy visit you?"

Sophie nodded. Then her face grew serious. "You were gone a long time, Jack."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Jack apologized. He felt kinda bad about neglecting his favorite place for so long. But he shook away the feeling and said, "So, wanna get your friends?" Sophie nodded vigorously and hurried away. Jack smiled happily. Then he took off to do what he did best. He flew all around the city, tapping random objects with his staff, creating icicles and frost all over the place. In just under an hour, the ground was coated with four inches of snow. "Yeah!" He swooped dangerously, and laughed again. "Say, where's Jamie?" he wondered aloud. Sophie had been in Jamie's room, so where was Jamie? Jack looked around, trying to spot the shaggy-haired boy. He alighted on a telephone pole and turned slowly about, scanning the houses below for his friend.

Wham! "Ow!" Jack exclaimed as a snowball slammed into his back, knocking him off the pole. He stopped his fall in midair and saw Jamie a few yards away, grinning, another snowball already in his hand. "Jamie Bennet!" Jack exclaimed, and scooped up a handful of powdery snow, crushed it together, and threw it back at Jamie just as another clump of snow hit him from the side. He looked over to see one of Jamie's friends dive behind a pile of snow to avoid a return shot. Then more kids showed themselves, all with snowballs in their hands, giggling happily. "What? All of you against me?!" he shouted, amused. The little rascals! He was a little surprised, but it would be fun all the same.

So he laughed and joined in, chucking little white missiles at everyone. It was the most fun he'd had since he caused the blizzard in New York three days ago.

The fight lasted for nearly an hour, ending only because the parents called the children in for dinner.

The sun was now low in the sky and darkness was creeping up the eastern horizon. Jack jumped into the air and glided on the wind, high above the roofs of the city below. He enjoyed just flying sometimes, floating on emptiness, free and alive.

Suddenly, a faint blue glow in the distance caught his eye, and he flew toward it. It seemed to call him, beckoning, willing him to come to it.

And he came.

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