I watched from the top of some steps, a fire escape at the back of a building, a boy my age with an oddly shaped stick as a seeming weapon carefully surveying the area below. The sound of my laugh echoed in the enclosed space, a smile etching its way on my face as I watched frost follow his steps.
"You must be the new one..." I laughed a little, watching him whip around to the sound of my voice with a little jump. "Well aren't you jumpy~" He seemed quite on edge as I slowly began to descend the steps. "White hair, frosted steps..." A soft smile crossed my lips. "You must be Jackson Frost..." He made no move to reply to me, only standing ready to defend himself and fight if he needed to. "The newest guardian..." When I reached the bottom on the stairs, finally leaving the shadows, Jack seemed to relax a bit, as I made no move to attack him.
"Who are you?" His tone was on edge as I smiled, linking my hands behind my back.
"(Y/n) (L/n), but I'm better known as Salem." I smiled sweetly. I'd been named as such by the people who believed in me, given the same as an honour to where I was born, grew, and died. I was unfortunate enough to have died in Salem during the witch hunts...it wasn't until after I had died that medicine was proven and the herbal extracts I was using were outed as being medicinal...and I had been cleared. In the end, I was to be honoured in the town due to the mistaken death...
"The autumn spirit..." I nodded at his words, taking a couple steps forward, however he took one back and I stopped immediately. "You're with Pitch." I stood dumbfounded for a second and just stared at him.
"Who told you that?" My face contorted into one of confusion as I finally, fully stepped out of the shadows, and Jack relaxed fully. "I haven't seen pitch in like 200 years, so I wouldn't say I'm with him, but we're civil-" I fell quiet when I noticed Jack just staring at me. "What? Did I say something-"
"Your hair...it's orange?" I shrugged with a small laugh.
"Yours is white." Jack shrugged with a nod. "Both are natural colours. It's another reason I died." The comment was off-handed but it seemed to catch him off guard.
"What do you mean?" As he spoke, I took a few steps toward him and when he didn't move, I circled him, looking at him since I'd never actually seen him before.
"300 years and this is the first I've come across you...?" The words just fell out of my mouth as I spoke to myself. Genuinely confused.
"How do you know it's been 300-"
"I watched you die, simple as that." I tilted my head, chewing the inside of my cheek.
"How long have you-"
"Salem witch trials, hence the name." I continued to think, replying to his questions out of instinct. "Solid 20 years before you died, just before you were born actually, now that I think about it..." His eyes bore into mine when I finally snapped out of my trance, and I offered him a smile. He was dressed simply. Hoodie and brown trousers, that seemed fairly worn. And then here I was in a black dress and some heels, because that's how I was taught to dress back when I was alive, like a lady. "I'm not a bad person...really...otherwise I wouldn't have been made a spirit, right?" Jack slowly nodded as I moved to plop myself to sit on the steps, rocking my feet on the heel of my shoes, my hands linked in my lap as I stared at them. The teenager hesitantly came over and sat beside me. For a little while, we sat in silence as I became more and more vulnerable.
"I've seen you before..." I glanced to him out of the corner of my eye. "I'm usually not very far behind you, honestly. Winter does follow the Fall..." I nodded, looking back down to my hands. "A lot of people love Autumn or Fall, all the colours, the weather..." I smiled softly as he told me all this. "The events, the holidays, everything...you're lucky, you've got two holidays."
"So do you, Christmas and New years...and if you count February, there's Valentine's Day too..." Jack chuckled and leaned back on the steps behind him, letting his staff rest against the banister.
"Christmas is more North's thing...You've got Halloween and Thanksgiving, pretty big here." I nodded again, pulling my knees into my chest.
"Aren't you supposed to be finding someone if you're out this late in the night?" He shrugged, tipping his head to look at me from looking at the sky, a small smile on his lips.
"Yeah, but oh well." He laughed. "I'm known for not listening and causing mischief, so I think it's fine if I sit here for a bit." I rest my head on my arms around my knees and just stared at him for a moment.
"Why sit with me though? You don't know me, I really could be with Pitch like you said." He continued to smile, our eyes meeting. His eyes were piercing, such a vibrant shade of blue. They matched his hair perfectly.
"You're the first spirit I've met my age, and from the same sort of time." I relaxed at his words.
"You won't try to kill me?" His smile grew as he laughed, shaking his head before looking back up to the sky.
"No...only if you try to kill me." I like his humour, given it is humour. I slowly nodded again. We fell into a comfortable silence. "I should go..."
"Yeah?" He nodded and pushed himself to sit up properly before standing and grabbing his staff.
"You know, Fall mornings usually come with a bit of frost..." I sat up as he tapped my shin with the base of his staff. "Give me a shout if you need me." A gentle smile cross both our lips and I nodded.
"See you round, Jack."
