frigid {jack frost}

p r o l o g u e

F r i g i d ❅ [STORY UNEDITED]

December 25, 2012

"ELSIE!"

"JAMIE!"

Their high pitched screams echoed throughout the small house, surprising no one since the two cousins always reacted this way. But who could blame them? Separated best friends who only get to see each other a few times a year? Not cool, as Jamie would say.

He had so much to tell her (even though he basically told her everything on the phone calls they had throughout the summer) and so much to show her. Elsie was older than the 10-year old, being 17 and all, but age honestly didn't matter to the two. They had much more in common than any friend either of them had. When they were younger, Elsie would tell tales of the infamous legends that her parents always told her as bedtime stories. She liked to pass it on to Jamie and Sophie who, truthfully, don't get enough attention from their single working mother. It's not her aunt's fault though; it would be hard to be single, working to support the family, and having two growing kids on her hands. So Elsie fills in for her whenever the blooming teenage girl can.

"Is that for me? Gimme gimme gimme!" Jamie gasped, reaching to grab the nicely wrapped present in his cousin's hands, but she put it over her head with a smirk. "That's not fair, Elsie!"

"You don't call opening your present when everyone else does fair?" Now she gasps, cocking her head to the side to see him huff.

"I guess you're right," Jamie mumbled, sighing again before snatching onto her hand tightly, "Just let me open mine before Sophie's?"

"Would that be fair?"

"..."

"You and your sister can open them at the same time, kiddo," Elsie grins, ruffling his hair to earn a "Hey!" and a hand trying to frantically fix it in response.

Unlike Jamie's unkempt brown hair, Elsie's was long and always in a neat bun on top of her head, the color of a dark red apple, shining and matching perfectly with her olive skin. She was undoubtfully beautiful, but she would never admit it. Didn't like the word; she thinks it's too strong. She accepts pretty, attractive, and sometimes lovely, but never beautiful. Her eyes matched Jamie's perfectly, though: hazel and sparkling with every word that escapes their lips, wonder-filled and trust-worthy. Their parents would say Elsie was a girl version of the adventurous and imaginative Jamie Bennett, and the twinning cousins agreed. The same round and youthful face was on both, even though the major age difference is there.

"Where's Aunt Kelly and Uncle Joey?" Jamie peers up at his tall and not very intimidating cousin as they walk the short distance to the sofa, curious why she walked in by herself.

Elsie plopped down onto the plush couch, leaning back so it'd encompass her as she sunk deeper into the material. It eased her aching back from driving for an hour. Her parents and her had this system on long road trips; when the driver (usually her father) got tired, her mom was up next, and when she got tired, Elsie was placed in front of the steering wheel. Her family wasn't keen on planes or trains, so driving was always the last option.

"Well," she sighs, sitting back up to see the short boy leaning forward in front of her, his eyes wide with curiosity and his pink lips pressed into a thin line. "They dropped me off here and went to go pick up the ham for dinner tonight," Elsie explained, poking his nose with a smile spreading among her lips, "But don't worry, they'll be back before you know it."

She didn't know it then, but she was wrong. So, so wrong.

It had been total of 3 hours when the red-headed teenager got suspicious of their where-abouts. She tried to make up all these excuses to ease her, like how they might be shopping for more presents or having a difficult time finding a right-priced ham. They're not cheap, but they'll try to get the best deal whenever they can. El tried to calm her pounding thoughts by saying that they were two grown adults- they could take care of themselves. But she finally mustered up enough courage after hours of playing with Sophie and Jamie to ask her aunt if she knew anything.

She knew only what Elsie knew. Nothing more.

So the 17-year old waited all night, the family having dinner without them, even opening the gifts without the two who had the most Christmas spirit in the house. Jamie ripped open the gift El got him with haste, and when he saw the remote controlled helicopter lying in the box, he drew in a sharp breath. Even with his mom working they don't have much money, so he often can't afford all the toys that he wants. Elsie knew this, so she did the honor of buying him a real toy. He immediately tackled his cousin after that and made her promise they'd go to the backyard and try it out tomorrow. She promised, but very uneasily. Sophie's present was merely a new, purple fairy-dress up set to add onto her pink one she always wore. The 2-year old was in fact wearing the pink outfit when she opened the gift, but quickly went to change into the purple one.

Elsie only got one gift she really cared for. The adults all got her things she would need for college, extra clothes, or even just money. The one Jamie and Sophie made together was, of course, her absolute favorite. It was a homemade picture frame with glued macaroni and sparkles, plenty of sparkles. There were color scribbles and even clay add-ons, and she knew who put what. The picture in the frame was what she loved the most, though. It was last year, last Christmas, and the last time the three ever got to hang out for more than a day. They were all wearing big jackets and snuggly scarves, in front of Jamie's house. Soph was on Elsie's shoulder while Jamie was clinging onto the teenager's back. Over all, it was a silly photo, but she loved that day and she loved that moment.

But her mind swirled with thoughts of her parents. More excuses and more ideas filtered in and out of her conscious, but they were never spoken. She kept herself busy by watching old Christmas movies with her younger cousins, but soon those two were knocked out cold on the couch. Elsie was left with the background music dancing in the air and her over-worried brain. When she finally seemed to calm down, the catchy and short jingle of the Bennett's doorbell rung through her ears, and knowing her aunt had retired to her bed, El hopped up to get it.

She was anxious and excited to see her parents standing there with sorry smiles and bags of presents hung around their arms, but instead she saw a man. A man in a police officer suit, to be specific. And when he glanced up and met the young girl's terrified and disappointed eyes, he felt even worse to have to deliver the news. It's not like he wanted to do it in the first place, but seeing a teenage girl who's looks resemble the victims', he feels guilt and sympathy overflow his senses.

"Do you know a Kelly and Joey Abernathy, ma'am?"

Elsie simply nodded. She was too afraid to speak. She already connected the dots.

"I'm Officer Horsley, apart of the Burgess Police. I'm sorry to inform you ma'am, but there has been a car accident and Kelly and Joey Abernathy were found severely injured because of it."

At this point, an ounce of hope that he was just going to tell her that they were in the hospital in critical condition (which would still be horrible, but they'd be alive, and that's all the fidgety red-head would need) was dropped into Elsie's heart, but it quickly vanished at the next horrifying words that left his mouth.

"They didn't make it, ma'am. I'm truly sorry."