Melt for me

Chapter Ten

                                                                     ***Jack***

I doge Elsa's snow left and right. Man she is good. "IS THAT ALL YAH GOT?" I yell at her. She gives me a sneaky smile and conjures up a huge snowball, throwing it straight at my head. I doge it but barely. "It seems like you were really trying to hit me there," I say holding her by her wrists and leaning in close to her.  "How cute." 

To think I kissed Elsa's cheek,  her perfect doll like skin.  I don't know what came over me but her staring at me looking so cute and lost. How could I not? The touch of her skin was so warm and the smell of freshly baked  sugar cookies seemed to follow her very presence. The smell calls on a long forgotten memory, deep within my mind. But as quick as it came up it was gone. I don't feel embarrassed from kissing her. If anything I can't wait to do it again.  

   Elsa's face scrunches up as she tries and  squirms out of my grasp and like the graceful butterfly she is, she twirls away, making a little snow storm form around her. And that's how we play. With me catching her by the hand or wrists but always her fluttering away. All of her movements are so graceful and poised. Swirling and twirling like the snow and her are one living breathing thing and not separate.

I have always known snow to fun and games but seeing this side to it, the graceful, cold and beautiful makes me open up my eyes. How the snow can be deadly and yet so caring. Graceful yet cold as ice.  So many sides to snow, so many sides to Elsa. Will I ever truly  understand the clever vixen that is Elsa?  Or I am I doomed to forever seem like a awkward moron?  I wince just from the thought of stumbling all over Elsa for the rest of my immortal life.  

We both fall on the ground side by side, breathless from our game.  Elsa laughs and I laugh right along with her. Her laugh is so light and delicate like a wind chime just as infectious too. You just want to laugh right along with her.  Her bright starlight filled eyes stare up into the sky, searching for something.  I look at the moon, who twinkles at me, not saying anything, not that he ever did anyway.

"Jack.."  I shiver, I simply love the way she says my name. "What's it like... out there. In the modern world I mean." I am both surprised and a little saddened  at the question. Surprised that Elsa knows of the magic pocket that surrounds their island  and area, keeping it very 18th centaury.  Saddened because they do know about it and yet don't venture out.   

"Well its a lot different from here. There a lot more advanced in technology." I say trying to keep it simple. I don't want to freak her out with the topic of cars or computers. Being around 300 years and seeing the world expand has opened my eyes to how humans are really passionate about making things easier for themselves. But Elsa hasn't see the world like I have. So she might get a little freaked out from a little thing like a pizza pop.

 Elsa is quite but then says in a soft voice; "I've never been outside of Arendelle... Everyone always says its better to stay in here away from the chaos of the world but... now I'm not so sure."   She looks away from me for a second or two. "I have always wanted to go on a adventure," She admits.  "But being heir and then Queen... people always treated me more like  a glass plate then a real person."

I can picture it now. Elsa being young and reckless but instead forced to isolate herself in her room for all the years, only to be rewarded are Queen. More isolation.  I awkwardly hold her hand, not out of a romantic thing but more to comfort her.  "You know I think your one of the biggest adventures I have ever had." I say smiling at her.  She squeezes my hand back. "Thank you."

It most be awful knowing nothing about the outside world. To be so... isolated not only from her family and kingdom but the very world in which she lives. Truth be told I myself am isolated but that because no one sees me. What would I rather have? To be seen as a monster or to not be seen at all. Are those really our only two choices?

Elsa still stares at the sky, her eyes sad. I don't like seeing her sad. It makes my heart hurt so I say; "The world... the world is a very large place. Larger than any map you probably have."   Elsa looks at me, moving in closer to hear me better. I smile at her and then continue.  "The earth is mostly made up of sea and oceans. There are so many cultures and people in the world and there all so different."

Elsa bites her bottom lip. "Are there any people out there like us Jack?"  Like us. I try and contain my joy. "No.. not many, I mean there's the guardians but they don't have ice powers like we do if that's what you mean."  Elsa sighs. "So I'm a freak here and out there.."  I sit up fast and grab her hands in mine.

"Elsa your not a freak. Trust me I have seen freaks and your not one of them. Blessed or cursed with this gift it doesn't matter.  But I've learned everything happens for a reason and  me ...meeting you happened for a reason. " Elsa's eyes search mine. "And what reason is that Jack.."    Okay that question I was not prepared for. "Well... I... um.... just.. um.. well.."  Elsa laughs and then kisses my cheek to shut me up. "Its fine, thank you for cheering me up." 

She slowly lets go of my hand to take a look at something over by the treeline. I stop to feel where she kissed me. Its still warm. I never thought she would kiss me back. Was it a friend kiss or more than friend kiss. Ugh Jack your reading too much into it. Still...

I look over and to Elsa who is slowly picking some sort of flower up and looking at it smiling. I can't help but feel my heart tug every time I look at her. I get caught up in her movements and smiling. She pulls me in like a fast moving current in a river and I'm not fighting it.   I kissed her  but I never dreamed in my life I would get kissed back.  Huh, doing pretty good tonight Jack. Getting all the ladies.

Elsa gasps and it takes me a split second to get over to her. "What is it? What's wrong?"  I say quickly, looking her over to make sure she's not harmed. Elsa shakes her head and points towards the flower bed. All the other flowers are light purple but the one in the middle is black and shrivelled. "I don't know what happened I just touched it and.. it died.."  Elsa looks at her hands sadly, like its her fault that the plant died in the first place. I peer at the flower closely. The blackness on it looks grainy but oh so familiar. Where have I seen it before?  It looks like... Ugh if I could only remember.

"Lets go... Suddenly I don't feel so welcome here anymore." Elsa says doing up her black cloak. I nod getting up from where I was crouched.  Its true the once happy atmosphere is now replaced with a dark on, the trees rustle like someone is watching us. I guide Elsa towards the tree line protectively. Looking over my shoulder every now and again to make sure a monster isn't suddenly following us. "Jack.." Elsa says. "Yeah?" I say distractedly, because I am peering into the trees, looking for any signs of danger that might harm Elsa. "Do you think I killed the flower?" 

I glance at Elsa who is looking down at her hands. It never occurred to me that Elsa might blame herself for the flower thing. I try and laugh it off;" What? No you could never do that... Besides there just flowers anyway.." Elsa still stares at her hands. "Primroses... Legend has it that they sometimes bring luck. What does it mean when the flower you suddenly held goes death black and dies in your hand? Nothing good.."  Wow this is bothering her more than I thought it would. 

"Your not a monster Elsa," I say forcefully.  Because its the truth. I have battled monsters and seen what they do to people. Not one of them has ever picked a bundle of primroses or talked about going on adventures in far away lands.  No, Elsa is far from being a monster.   I say it again but I can tell she doesn't believe  me.

The village comes into view. With the moon casting a light over it. Elsa still keeps walking over it but I stop and look over my shoulder one last time. The treeline is dark and wind blows through the branches makes. It looks like something out of a scary movie. I need to be guarded tonight. For Elsa's sake.

"Hey wait up for me!" I say flying over to Elsa. She looks up at me, her eye brows raised. "You don't have to walk me home." She says. I  force a laugh, hoping she won't know that something is off. "Nah I want to see where you live. Its not every day I get to be invited to a castle."

But something is off. I can sense it in the air and ground. The earth shakes a little and the wind howls like someone is screaming. Something is prowling tonight and whatever the cost, I will protect Elsa.  She shrugs. "Suite yourself..."