Gale of Memories

Chapter 5: Death

Chapter 5: Death

The scene changed again, showing the seasons cycling through another Easter, Pippa's fifth birthday in the early spring, Jackson holding up antlers to his head on summer nights, making the children of the village laugh, and back to autumn.

"Whoo! That's a doozie!" Bunny shook his head, feeling a migraine starting up.

"Ma? Why isn't Pa home yet?" Jackson asked, a worried tone to his voice. He kept an eye on Pippa, who was busy playing with her doll in the living room.

The question brought the attention of the guardians to the memory, and North hoped the bad feeling in his belly was wrong.

Jackson's mother shifted nervously. "I'm not sure, Jackson, but I'm sure he's fine. You know how rowdy the sheep get this time of year. He likely just had to go chase down another runaway." She busied herself with dinner again, but Jackson didn't seem convinced.

A howling wind blew against the windows, and the boy looked up sharply, alarm on his features. "Relax, Jackson. It's just the wind." His mother told him. But he wasn't listening to her. He was listening to whatever the Wind had to say.

Without a second thought, he grabbed his cloak and ran for the door, not even bothering to put on shoes. "Pip! Stay with Ma! I'll be back!" He grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows from beside the door—presumably his own—and ran out.

"Jackson!" His mother called after him, but he didn't stop. Something was wrong, and the Wind had told him so.

"Where is he, Wind?" He asked as he ran. The Wind howled again, gently pushing him in the right direction. The boy obeyed instantly, changing course accordingly.

The Guardians, on the other hand, were pulled along with memory-Jack, gliding along the ground without the need to move. Several guardians nearly lost their balance when they looked down, and Sandy and Tooth decided that hovering was their best option. "Mate, this is almost worse than the sleigh." Bunny muttered under his breath.

Before they knew it, they were in a dark clearing with Jackson's father. "Pa!" Jackson cried out in relief, seeing his dad alive and well. "Pa, we need to go! Now! Something's here, and we need to get home before—!"

"Hey, hey! Calm down, Jackson! What're you doing here? I thought you were at home with your mother and sister?" His father seemed very calm, and was holding a small sheep in his arms.

"Well you were taking so long, and I was worried, and..."

"I'm fine. This little one wondered off, so I had to go and find him." His father smiled fondly at the little sheep. "Late birth." He said when he saw Jackson's questioning gaze.

"W-we don't have time to talk! Something's out here! We need to get back home, now!" Jackson tried pulling his father's arm in the direction of the house, where the wind was urging them to go, but his father shook his head.

"Jack, we need to get this little guy back to the flock. Come on, you can join me. Then we'll walk home together." He smiled, picking up his shepherd's staff—which the Guardians noted looked identical to Jack's own—and guided them back to the herd. Jackson was eyeing their surroundings suspiciously, watching for anything that may be lurking in the shadows.

They'd just returned the sheep to the flock and started to make their way back through the forest to the house when Jackson heard an eerie laugh echo throughout the trees. His father didn't seem to hear anything, though. But the Guardians stiffened.

"Smart boy. Too bad he won't listen to you." Pitch materialized out of the shadows in front of the two, but only Jackson reacted.

"Pitch!" North drew his swords in anger, before Bunny's paw on his shoulder reminded him that they could do nothing. This had already happened. Jack, who still had his hood pulled up, turned away. He didn't want to see this again. Twice was enough.