Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Windy Season

Windy Season

Jack was rudely awoken from his sleep by a strong gust of wind shoving him off the tree branch he'd been reclining on and into a snow bank below. Springing up into a sitting position, he frantically scanned the surrounding area for signs of potential danger. When nothing presented itself, he slumped his shoulders, groaning as he ran a tired hand down his face.

"That time of year already, huh?" he asked rhetorically. Another gust, stronger this time, threw him up into the air and he cried out in shock.

Jack hated this time of year.

"Wind, please? It's not even sunrise yet. Can't you let me sleep for a few more hours?" he whined.

The only response he got was a sudden lack of air current beneath him and he plummeted, only to be caught again mere inches from the ground and thrown into the side of a tree. A small breeze gently ruffled his hair.

"It's alright," Jack told it. "I know it's not completely your fault. But man, didn't even get any warning this year."

Normally when windy season (as he called it) started, Jack would quickly do as much of his duties as a winter spirit as he could so that when the season got in full swing he wouldn't have to do nearly as much travelling on it. He may have been the Guardian of Fun, but that didn't mean he liked being tossed through the air like a rag doll. He wondered if Lleu had to deal with crazy wind, too.

"Looks like we'll be staying in Burgess for a while," he shrugged, placing his staff on the ground next to him so he could enjoy what was left of the night without getting blown away. He'd never seen any wolves or anything in the woods, so he was pretty sure it was safe to sleep on the ground. If a day turned up where the wind wasn't quite so rowdy he would move on to some of the places he hadn't visited much that season. But until then, he would have to put up with being grounded.

...

...

Half the class, Jamie included, jumped when something banged loudly into the window. Their gazes shot towards the pane in question but there was nothing to show for the sudden interruption of their math lesson.

"I'm sure it was just a bird," their teacher assured them, returning his gaze to the board where he was writing up an equation that, to Jamie, may as well have been another language.

But Jamie knew it was too loud to have been a bird. It would've had to have been something bigger. And there was only one thing he could think of. But when Jack turned up at his school, it was usually during the breaks. And on the few rare occasions that he joined him in class, the winter spirit was always careful when sneaking in. He'd never slammed into the window like that.

Jamie shared a look with his friends, their faces confirming that they were on the same line of thinking as him. He just hoped Jack would still be around when they were finally allowed to go outside.

...

...

Jack didn't bother raising his head when the sound of several pairs of feet began getting closer to him. In fact, he hadn't moved at all since he'd fallen into the pile of snow beneath the classroom window. His staff was mere centimetres from his outstretched fingers – within easy reach if he needed it – but not touching them so as not to get violently assaulted by buildings again.