The power of Love

11. Jack's Memories

"Haha, come on Jack, you can't have fun all the time!"

A girl with slightly wavy and brown hair with her bangs being held back with a small braid stands on the ground with other children who laugh along with her, as they all watch a familiar boy hang upside down on a tree.

This girl's main dress color is light blue. It has sleeves that go halfway down her arm, with a light pink ribbon and white mesh. The bodice has crossed, baby pink ribbons down the middle and is blue on the outside. The skirt is blue with white and pink in the middle, with flowers on the white part.

"Jack, get down from there!" Shouts the boy's sister who had straight brown hair, reaching between her elbows and shoulders. Her eyes are of a similar brown and she is seen to wear a brown village dress.

~~~

The same two girls, with the other children, sit at a roaring fire as the same boy jokes around with antlers on his head.

"You're funny, Jack."

~~~

Later that night, the blue dressed girl sits at the fire pit, on a log, and the boy sits very close to her.

"I love you Addison." The boy tells the girl, moving in to kiss her. He stops however when he notices her eyes rolling. "What?"

"I hate that name." She crosses her leg over, and places her hand on her knee and rests her head on her hand.

"You say this all the time, and I'll say the same response...I adore you're name, it's one of the many things I love about you! Cupid blessed me with you." The boy jokes, taking her hand, causing her blue eyes to meet with his brown eyes.

"For the last time...this 'Cupid' character doesn't exist...you made it up." She smiles, noticing that he is still looking at her.

"Oh yeah, that's like me saying your stupid little 'Jack Frost' person doesn't exist." The boy jokes, making her laugh.

"Why don't you like your name?" He wonders.

"It just...doesn't suit me." She shrugs.

"Well, the nickname Addie suits you..." The boy smiles, before leaning in to kiss the girl.

"I love you Jackson."

"I adore you Addie."

~~~

"Do you have to leave Addie?" Asks the boy's sister, clinging onto her hand.

"Yes, Mary I have to. My father hasn't returned from the other village and with this winter weather, anything might have happened to him." She explains to the girl, as she walks towards the never ending forest.

"But what if you get lost? What if it gets dark and you can't see where you're going? What if something bad happens to you?" The girl panics.

"I'll be fine, Mary. Hey, why don't you go have fun with Jack? If you're lucky, maybe he'll take you ice skating on the lake?" The girl bribes her boyfriend's sister, as she watches her face light up.

Before Mary turns to leave, she turns to hug her brother's girlfriend.

"I love you." She whispers in her blue dress.

"I'll be back soon kid, I promise."
~~~
Two days later...

Jack walks toward the woods with his sister. His mother, face unseen, calls out to him.

"Be careful!" Jack shakes his head like he's heard it a million times but never pays it any mind, as he laughs.

"We will! Go put your skates on Mary!" Jack tells his excited little sister as she nods enthusiastically.

"Have you heard anything? From anyone, about Addie's whereabouts? She's been missing for two days, and the night that came just after she left was so cold that some of the sheep from our village didn't last the night!" Jack tells his mother, concern dripping in his voice.

"I'm sorry Jackson, I've heard nothing. If it makes you feel better, you can go with her mother and siblings to search for her after ice skating with Mary?" His mother suggests, putting a small smile on the young boys face.

~~~

"It's okay. It's okay. Don't look down, just look at me." Jack reaches slowly down and removes the second of two rudimentary ice-skates, leaving him barefoot on the surface of a familiar frozen pond.

And now, Mary stands in her skates, rooted to the spot. A spider's web of cracks emanates from where she stands.

"Jack, I'm scared..." The ice below her splinters more. She wobbles as it starts to separate.

"I know, I know...but you're gonna be alright. You're not gonna fall in. We're gonna have a little fun instead!"

"No we're not!"

"Would I trick you?"

"Yes! You always play tricks! You play tricks all the time with Addie!" Mary shouts at her brother, fighting back tears, causing Jack to softly chuckle at the memory of Addison.

"Well, alright. Well, not, not this time. I promise. I promise, you're gonna be...you're gonna be fine. You have to believe in me." Jack's sister pauses a moment, then smiles through her fear.

And just like that, Jack's demeanor changes. A light is switched on inside him and the last thing that could be happening is what is actually happening.

"You wanna play a game? We're going to play Hopscotch! Like we play every day!" Jack's sister looks more reassured, as he acts more causal and playful.

"It's as easy as...one..." CRACK! After Jack moves his foot, the ice begins to crack even more. He looks at his sister quickly, to see if she notice the crack. She did.

"Whoaaaa..." Jack jokes around and almost loses his balance then caught himself, making Mary laugh.

"Two..." He jumps. "Three!" He leaps as he turns toward her with his arms spread out. "Alright..." He reaches down to pick up a familiar-looking stick lying on the ice. He extends it towards her.

"Now it's your turn." Jack's sister looks down, trying to gather her courage. Jack never breaks his gaze with her, calls out softly to her;

"One..." She hops, CRACK! She wobbles, causing the ice to crack more. She instantly looks at Jack, terror in her eyes.

"That's it, that's it...two..." Jack comforts her to keep going. She's almost there, Jack's staff just beyond her reach.

"Three." She grabs hold of Jack's staff and in one massive effort he slings her with all his might to safety. But the movement propels him into the cracked ice. He looks up to see his sister safe - smiles - and then plunges into the dark cold water.

"Jack!"

Jack falls back into the icy water.

~~~
Years later...

Jack's body begins to glow, bathed in moonlight. And so does the girl's body in the forest. His face becomes brighter and brighter until his brown hair turns white and his eyes, that were once brown that are now blue, flash open.

The girls face becomes brighter and brighter until her brown hair turns dark pink and her eyes that were once blue are now purple flash open the same time as Jack's.