The Cupidity of Frost

Prologue: Following

The night was quiet and dark. Snow covered every inch of the woods. My feet were falling inches into the snow as I walked. But, I couldn't care. Although my fingers were numb, I couldn't feel it. I couldn't feel anything. My hands tightly and numbly clutched my red scarf with Jack's name on it.

I  continued to walk and walk. I felt my legs became weak. I could tell my breath was no longer warm. My heart was a hollow piece of ice that was somehow still weakly beat. My eyes were dried from having cried.

My brown colonial dress was heavy from the snow's moisture pulling me to the ground. I sloppily took two more steps and fell forward into the snow. It buried me as more snow fell on me. My tears began to freeze, and I could feel my heart die as it did when I heard Jack fell. The moonlight beamed on me, and I didn't have the heart or strength to look at it.

Feeling it was the end, I closed my eyes. I smiled as I thought of the snow freezing me in my pain and letting me have the memory of Jack. It felt like the snow attempted to put me to sleep.

I waited.

At any moment, my soul would detach from my body, and Jack would come and embrace me. He would take the pain away as he always had. He'd touch my cheek and tell me something charming. Then, we'd play a game, and I wouldn't remember any of the pain. It would be like before. He and me.

I waited.

He'd be hiding and throw a snowball at me and I'd have to find him. Once I did, he'd nose kiss me, and he'd tell me about his dreams as a reward. I'd tell him his favorite story, and we'd sleep in the forest somewhere like before.

I waited.

"What an unfortunate child."

I opened my eyes and turned my head. There was nothing. Only snowflakes falling on my face and body. I was too weak to lift myself to look around.

"Oh. What a surprise. You're alive." A man laughed. "And even though you're out here in the snow-covered forest, in the dead of night, you're not afraid." He stepped in front of me, but all I could see was his black covered feet. It seemed he was made of darkness. He was wearing a long black cloak that seemed to be made of darkness too. "But you're not happy either. You don't feel anything. Or don't want to," he shook his head as he grinned.

The moonlight suddenly felt strong. The man gasped and stepped back as the light lifted me from the ground. I was floating, and my clothing was becoming dry. I felt a tingling sensation near my shoulder blades. My eyes felt like they were opening from a long sleep. The sensation released from my shoulder blades, and I slowly descended to the ground. I looked at the man and realized he had grey skin and looked strange with his golden eyes.

He was a towering figure. From his mouth gaping, I could see he had yellow teeth. He had no eyebrows, and I could see that he wasn't made of darkness and shadow. However, he did have some control over it.

His gaze pierced into mine. "Your hair is the same brown shade. But your eyes have changed from brown to red. How did you do that?"

I paused and looked at the moon. I turned back to the man. "I... don't know..."

His eyes narrowed at my feet. "What is that?"

My eyes slowly landed where his were. A tiny, gold bow laid at my feet. The bow was so small that the entire thing could fit in my hand. I picked it up and it extended into a full size bow. I jumped back, dropping it, and it shrunk back to its original size. Looking down and examining it, I noticed there was no string on it.

The grey-skinned man looked at me. "What is your name?"

Do not tell him the truth.

I paused at looked at the moon. "W-what?"