Ice As Dark As Life, Darkness As Bright As Black

Prologue

      Once upon a time, there was a little town called Burgess, where a small family lived. They were a family of three, and they had a little boy, who shared his love with everyone the moment he learned to talk. He was named Jackson Overland. 

      The other parents would always whine about how impolite and naughty their own children were, compared to Jack. Everyone loved how innocent and kind he was, especially to the other children in town. They wished that they had kids as well-mannered and adorable as the Overland child. The townspeople loved the little boy, and were happy to see him during his rare visits. They called him the "white angel" or "snowflake", because his parents had said he loved playing in the snow with others. All the folks considered him to be a living miracle, and hoped that he would always be the same carefree child as he grew older.

      Soon, another miracle came along. Jack was gifted with a baby sister, who had the same sparkling brown eyes he did. The other mothers immediately became envious, but still loved their fellow "sister" all the same. The fathers congratulated the family, and hoped that luck would be on their side. The love spread fast as the town slowly continued to expand, and a wealthy man was elected to be king of their little bundle of people. The small kingdom was content with everything, and couldn't have asked for anything in return. 

      Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

      One day, Jack's father went out to get some meat for dinner. It usually took an entire day to gather enough, so Jack knew that he had to be patient. But, that didn't stop the fact that he had an uneasy feeling in his stomach. He gazed out the window in worry, eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. His short fingers tapped nervously at the wood frame he sat on.

      I hope Father is alright. 

      Hours went by, and Jack played a bit with his little sister, in order to keep his worry away. Slowly, his sibling drifted off to sleep, and his mother tucked her into bed. Jack went back to his previous spot by the window, and gently bit his lower lip. The sun was about to set, and the sky was switching from a soft mix of crimson and orange to a pale shade of ultramarine blue. The brunette turned his head, and gazed at the ground. He jumped off the sill, and went downstairs to help his mother.

      Father...where did you go? Why aren't you back yet?

      His mother had made dinner with some potatoes, bread, leftover ham, and a bit of cheese. They ate in silence. The tension in the air was thick, but neither made an attempt to break it. When Jack finished the last of his sandwich, he glanced out the small window by the fire place. He stared at the wide expanse of trees, waiting to see a familiar figure lumber towards them with some animal in hand. There was nothing.

      "Jack? Sweetheart, look at me." The young boy turned to face his mother. See could see the worry and fear in his eyes. "It's alright. He'll be back soon, don't worry. He probably has a nice, big deer with him, one big enough to feed us for weeks! I can make that soup you like, as much as you want, when we see how much meat is stuck on the deer's body."

      With that, Jack smiled, revealing pearly, white teeth. He ate a few more bites of potato, before looking up at his mother, and opening his mouth. "You think you can make enough for the whole town? I think they would love to taste your cooking! I promise to help you! Please?"

      The grown women tilted her head to the side, thinking. "Really? You would want to share all that soup with others, when you can enjoy all of it with only us? I can make small amounts, but large ones...I'm not too sure about that, Jack. Plus, that would mean getting more supplies. I don't know if we have enough money for that..." The brown-haired boy wanted to pout, but quickly covered it with pleading eyes. 

      "Mother, please! I promise that we won't have to get all of the things ourselves! I can tell all the other townsfolk, and ask them to bring some the stuff by themselves! That way, we all put something in, and we all get something in return: the wonderful taste of your food!" The boy's mother thought for a bit, before letting out a sigh, and shrugging her shoulders. She had a small grin on her face, so that meant she wasn't entirely against the idea. She did not show her true emotions, but they brewed around her head like a cloud. She was surprised that her son was so considerate, especially to people he usually saw once a month, and hardly knew.

      Oh Jack, you are so kind. You are going to be a wonderful person when you grow up. One that is loved by everyone. I'm so proud of you.

      "Well, now that you say it like that...perhaps it isn't such a bad idea. But, I bet it was because you managed to change my mind. That's why I would agree to something so--"

      Boom!!!

      The both of them whipped their heads towards the door, and sat stiffly for a moment. Jack was the first one out of his seat, and by the window. His chocolate-brown eyes widened in shock, and he bolted to the door. He heard his mother shout for him, but his legs carried him towards the figure laying on the ground. Soon enough, he was just a few feet away from the fallen person, when he abruptly came to a stop. His eyes were wide open as he gazed at the person, who happened to be bleeding profusely. Jack's gaze dragged all over the other's body.

      The man had a pair of mangled arms, where the bones stuck out the remaining bits of flesh attached to one another. His shirt was ripped all over, and only rags seem to cling to his body. It revealed his chest, which was covered in blood and claw marks longer than a tree branch and deep enough that you could see parts of his ribs. His pants had claw marks on it as well, and his legs were almost as bloody as his upper body. The bottom of his feet were caked with dirt and grime, and his ankles were not as damaged (compared to rest of his body). Every little detail of this morbid picture horrified Jack, but the only feature that sent the little boy crumbling into tears, was the man's face.

      The person's face looked as if it suffered the worst. Three long claw marks ran from the male's hair line all the way down to his chin, and they were still gushing blood as he lay there. One eyeball was missing from its socket, leaving nothing other than a bloody hole. His nose was twisted in an impossible direction, and looked like it was smashed flat. The lower lip was ripped and torn, while the upper one was cracked and covered in blood. His ears were ripped, and one of them was missing.

      "....F-Father?" Jack kneeled by the fallen man, pants immediately soaking in the crimson liquid on the ground. The little boy watched as his guardian slowly looked over at him, and he felt strips of water streaking his cheeks as he gazed at the former shadow of his favorite protector. His fingers brushed the man's arm, and he flinched as the other wiggled a bit. 

       "...Son...l-listen to me..." Jack crept closer to his dying guardian, and looked him right in the eye. "You must stay with your mother...and...be c-careful of the w-world around y-you. But, more i-importantly, be t-true to your heart. You...will...find...l-love one...day..."

      A breath escaped his icy lips, and he lay still. Tears dripped from the brunette's face, and gently hit his father's. He sat there sobbing, trying not to let all the pain and horror spill itself from his eyes. A hand suddenly rested on his right shoulder, gently stroking it. Jack did not need to look back to see who it was. He already knew.

       "T-there, there...i-it'll be alright, honey. There, there..." His mother kneeled next to him, and drops of water fell from her face as well.

       But, life won't always go easy on you. And it was only getting started with Jack.