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A young boy skips into an open field, his little sister following after with a happy chuckle. Their mother watch form a distance, laughing at her sons antics.
"Be careful you too!" She calls out, laughing at her two children.
...
"Jack get down from there!" Mary Overland calls out to her brother, watching nervously as her friends all jump along as they watch her brother.
He hung upside down form a tree trunk, his arms stretched out as he looks down at them and sticks his tongue out teasingly.
He closes his eyes, laughing softly as the wind suddenly picks up, a sweet smell filling the air. The boy sighs happily, his ears peeking up when he hears another chuckle, not that of his sisters or her friends, from right next to him.
Looking up slightly, he bends his neck when his eyes catch sight of a young girl sitting right by his feet, laughing along as she watches him. Her hood was pulled across her face, making it hard for the boy to make out any sort of features.
Jack and the girl gasp as they lock eyes, causing him to loose his footing and tumble down to the ground.
He groans as he rolls onto his back, his sister and her friends all looking down at him as they surround him.
Jack shakes his head, his vision slowly returning as he looks up at the tree. The girl looks down at him sheepishly, apologizing quickly, she hops to another tree, and disappears.
The boy groans as he lets his head roll back, looking at his sister with a smile, he assures her that he's okay before getting up and finding another tree to climb.
...
"Jaaaack!!" Mary laughs loudly at her brother, the boy having two antler heads perched atop his head while he sways from side to side, sticking his tongue out and laughing along.
"Your funny, Jack!!" Several kids laugh as they clap along, enjoying the funny display.
...
Jackson Overland, now seventeen years old, walks out of his house, his little sisters skates in hand as she pulls him along by his hand, their mother watching from within their home.
Mary tugs on his hand impatiently, groaning and laughing as he dosent move fast enough.
"Be careful.."
Jack looks back at his mother, a slight grin on his face, "We will!" He assures, laughing along as his sister pulls him once more towards the frozen lake.
...
Jack watches with wide eyes as his sister shakes in her spot, the ice cracking ever so slightly beneath her feet.
"It's okay, it okay!" He soothes, looking at his sister and putting his hands up, "Don't look down just, look at me.."
"Jack..I'm scared.." Mary's voice shakes as she looks to her brother for help, the ice cracking more as she shifts.
"I-I know, I know." He assures, taking a step and halting as the ice begins to crack under his weight. He licks his lips in concentration before looking back at his sister.
"But, your gonna be alright.." he smiles, raising his arms to comfort his sister. "Your not gonna fall in." He thinks for a moment before smiling, "W-were gonna have a little fun instead!"
Mary shakes her head, tears in her eyes. "No, we're not!" She disagrees, Jack shaking his head, "Would I trick you?" He muses.
"Yes! You always play tricks!" Mary argues, looking to her brother and glaring.
"W-well n-not not this time!" He stammers, his smile never leaving. "I promise! Your gonna be fine!"
"You have to believe in me.." he tries, his sister nodding. He looks down before beaming. "You wanna play a game? We're gonna okay hopscotch!" His sister looks at him with a frown as he begins to hop.
"One.." he steps, his foot pressing against the ice and growing as it begins to crack even more.
He brings his foot up and flails dramatically, his sister relaxing and releasing a small chuckle at her brother.
"Two.." he tries, smiling as the ice dosnet budge. He takes a big step, "Three!" He says, grabbing a nearby stick and grasping it with both hands.
"Alright.." he says, reaching out and calming his sister. "Now it's your turn." He grips the staff, turning it over and aiming it at his sister.
"One.." Mary takes a small step, her skates gliding against the ice. She gasps as the ice continues to break.
"That's it, that's it.." Jack encourages, his face falling as he readies himself.
"Two.." the ice breaks even more, threatening to break as Mary looks to her brother with fear.
"Three!" Jack gasps, rushing forward, he wraps the stick around his sisters legs before tugging her twirls and throwing her aside, taking her place instead.
The sibling look up at eachother, smiling happily now that they were both okay. Jack stands up, reaching out to his sister, he goes to speak, but stops short as the ice finally gives way.
He plunged into the freezing water, his coat wrapping around him and enabling him from swimming out.
"Jack!!"
...
The moon shines brightly above the boy, watching as he continues to sink to his death. It recalls the boys action, smiling happily, the moon gifts the boy the only thing that could give his life meaning.
A chance, to have a purpose.
It lifts him out of the water, his hair white as snow and skin as pale as the moon itself. He was no longer 'Jackson Overland'.
