Cold and alone ✔️

⚠️Nightmares - 3

Warning: this chapter contains death and major angst

Jack only knows his name but then again the moon told him that is his name so that might not even be true. As he felt the cold sand cover his body, he tried to imagine it as Sandy's sand instead but it felt too cold and slimy. Then he felt himself lose consciousness.

When he woke back up, his body shot up as he saw himself back on his lake but this time he was with a little girl about to fall through the ice. It was as if he was watching his body move on its own as it tried to save her from falling but he was too late! She fell in and he rushed to save her. Her whole body was submerged under and once he pulled her out her small form shook violently underneath him.

Even though he knew not who she was, he felt connected to her and sobbed as her breath becomes slower and voice slurred as he recognized this as a sign of hypothermia. As a winter spirit he was able to recognize many illnesses caused by his season and had seen them all many times before. He had seen many people die this way and it always hurt him knowing he could do nothing to help them. He learned this the hard with having tried before only to cause them to die quicker in his arms. All he could do was whisper comforting words as the little girl stopped breathing all together, way too young for her life to already be taken from her.

Suddenly he was hit with memories of all the people he had watched die as he helplessly stood to the side! They all harshly flashed before his eyes as he saw all the different ways he could have saved them. Some he would only watch once or twice as when he came upon them it was much too late for him to be able to make any difference. Others froze to death from storms he had lost control over because of his emotions running wild and then getting caught in them. His heart broke as he heard them cry out for help and whispers of many hateful spirit about him only bringing death.

   He hadn't meant to cause anyone pain or death but he couldn't take back his mistakes of the past. It was all his fault whether he meant to or not. He deserves this pain. It was all his fault. All his fault! He was only created to take the blame for so many deaths caused by him and his season. He was a bringer of death no matter where he goes. No wonder everyone hated him and his season. Maybe that's why his mysterious kidnapper had taken him. He needed to learn the truth as he had spent so long trying to deny it. He didn't deserve kindness and everyone else around him could already see that.

   Soon all the people dying disappeared and was just floating around in darkness. He was surrounded by harsh whispers confirming his thoughts and they flew at him. Yelling constant insults like "killer", "murderer", and the worst was "mistake". The moon had created him but what if he was the reason winter was so harsh. Had he just made everything worse? Did the wind help him fly just out of pity? Was he here to be punished for his mistakes?

    But just as soon as the voices came, they disappeared. Jack was left alone once again but this time in the dark. He was cold and from what he could tell he was still in his cage. He had no idea how long his nightmare had lasted but he was exhausted and wanted nothing more but to sleep. But the fear of another nightmare was more than enough to keep him awake. So he continued to fight the sleep until he had no more energy left to give and fell into another cycle of nightmares.

Edited October 13, 2022