Frostbite❄ [h.s short story]

4.

"There's a pattern on my window
When the night's been very cold
The artist who created it
Is Jack Frost, I am told."

A giggling small girl was running after a tall boy, the quick patter of their feet and the melody of their laughter spreading around the forest. The girl stumbled a few times, the uneven forest ground making her task harder. She was panting, but was adamant to catch her brother who was teasing her playfully, making funny faces when he turned to look at her.

His dark locks were a tangled mess, tendrils sticking in various directions. Bright green eyes sparkled from the sun rays peeking through the thick branches, making their colour more vibrant and beautiful. Dimples were settled on his rosy cheeks as he grinned widely, revealing a set of straight pearly white teeth. He wasn't a day older than twenty, his youth and playfulness radiating off him. This boy was the personification of fun.

"Hey, wait for me!" His sister shouted in a small voice.

He finally decided to stop and let her small body rest a bit, catching her in his hands and lifting her above his head, spinning her in a circle. She shrieked happily and her laughter rang through the air, her arms spreading wide as if she was flying. In one moment they were hugging and in the other chasing each other again, their shouts and quick breaths echoing all around.

Trying to escape her brother who was about to tickle her, the girl laughed and focused on him rather than watching what was in front of her. She had soon found herself standing on the top of a frozen lake when she fell down and slid a few feet away, hearing a crack beneath her feet. Her brother widened his eyes in fear when he realised what was happening, standing at the edge of the lake.

"Harry..." she whispered shakily, her green eyes filling with tears.

"It's going to be alright, Anna, just don't move. I'll help you, alright? Trust me," he told her as he extended a hand towards her, glancing around to find a way to help her. It all happened so quickly.

"I found a branch and pulled her forward and both of us fell in the process. But she was safe, she... she was safe and she smiled," Jack said, his eyes glazed as he was reliving his final day as a human being again. "And then I fell through the ice and drowned..."

"Harry!" He could still hear his little sister's scream as the freezing temperature of the water took his life away.

Ivy had her arm wrapped around Jack's waist as they sat on the couch in her living room, his posture slumped and fingers fidgeting with his rings. Sadness was evident in his voice, but he also seemed happy.

"I had a family, Ivy. I wasn't always lonely." He smiled sadly as he looked at her.

"Yes, you were a hero, you saved your sister." She gave his cold cheek a kiss. "And now you have me. You don't need to feel lonely anymore, Jack."