Frozen Heart

Cold Darkness

The girl was going ice skating at the lake. Grandma told her to be careful, which she promised. The girl said she was going to meet friends there. As soon as she left the house, her grandmother smiled and shook her head as she watched her granddaughter talked to thin air. Of course, she had an imaginary friend. Ever since her mother died, she had imagined one.

The girl's father didn't think it was appropriate that someone her age should have an imaginary friend. It was embarrassing. But the chaplain said it was normal for a child to do so when a loss had occurred. Her mother, the love of his life had died on Christmas Eve, the little girl was only seven-years-old.

After her mother's death, her Daddy didn't bother to put up decorations for Christmas anymore. Still, her grandmother persuaded him to at least let his daughter celebrate the wonders of Christmas while she still had her childhood. She would grow up eventually sooner or later.

The girl lied about meeting friends at the lake, sort of. She had her best friend with her. The boy who always brought fun. He called her 'Snow Angel' and she called him 'Frostbite'.

She didn't bother to make friends since she would never see them again. Plus they teased her sometimes. She didn't care since Jack Frost always brought fun. He only went away when the warm weather came. At least he came back when winter was near; and he always knew where to find her wherever she moved.

The girl and Jack went towards the frozen lake. Once she laced up her ice skates, she got on the ice. Jack sniggered while he watched as the clumsy girl slip and fall. She would yell at him angrily that he was not being fair, throwing a snowball at him. He teased her for being a lousy shot.

"Are you gonna help me or not, Frostbite?" the girl said with a pout.

Of course, he helped her up and her hand, guiding her gracefully, taking it slow with her across the smooth, sheer ice. Just like he did with his sister so long ago. She was soon able to go off on her own to try it...

...until there was a loud crack and the ice gave way. Jack quickly turned his head, dropping his wooden staff against the icy lake when he heard the dreadful sound followed by the splash of water. Oh no! The girl had disappeared into the black void of the frigid water.

He called out to the girl, racing to the hole she fell in. He had to save her. If anything happened to her, he would be it was his fault. Quickly diving into the water, he searched for her. Being in the water brought a feeling of something similar: a situation he was once in, but he couldn't tell what it was.

That didn't matter right now, he had to save his best friend. Once his hands grabbed her arms, he began to drag her back up to the surface, saving her from a frozen watery grave. The girl coughed up water, shivering so violently, her teeth chattered, her hair and clothes were frozen. She looked at her best friend who had saved her, tears in her eyes as the cold bit her body harshly. She was ice cold and near blue.

"J-J-Jack...get me home. P-please," she said in a quivering voice.

Jack Frost nodded at her request. He kept her close against his blue sweater, hoping it would keep her warm just a little bit. Though he was sure he was making it worse for her. He had carried her off as quick as he possibly could back to her house. He held her bridal style and floated with the wind. All that mattered was that he got her home safely.

The girl huddled against his sweater, feeling the softness. She felt his lithe chest; it was cold, but she didn't care. She was safe with her best friend, even if he was cold as winter. Her eyes were half-lidded when he got her home. Jack rang the doorbell with his staff, placing the girl on her feet. Her grandmother appeared, seeing in horror, her wet, freezing granddaughter.