To Long For

Ch. 1 That Unknown Feeling

Eleven years passed, and Jack Frost became a Guardian three years prior. Jaime was the second kid, since then, to truly see him before the rest of Jaime's five friends.

Jack was happy that he had more kids that believed in him and that he was no longer someone who was just thought of as an expression, even though many adults still voiced it that way.

He did still wonder where Irma was, though, from time to time. He also had to wonder if she stopped believing in him after she left. She was his first real friend, even if they were in different age groups. But Jack was immortal, so he didn't care how old his friends were.

Jack was doing his usual rounds of bringing winter to many winter bearing continents.

He flew through New York City; he uses his wooden staff to create frost on everything he passed, freezing-cold wind followed behind him.

Jack flew by a couple that was leaning in closer to each other to kiss. He stopped suddenly and watched as the boyfriend and girlfriend shared their love for each other. The two even seemed not to notice the sudden chill in the air.

After less than a minute, Jack felt an unfamiliar emotion creep up inside of him into his chest. It was like when he felt unnoticed by the humans: No attention, no friendships. But at the same time, it was a different sensation a different reaction. His heart suddenly seemed to want something, something that he couldn't quite explain because it wasn't what he had ever felt before.

Jack glanced one more time at the kissing couple, then flew off to a rooftop.

His heart beat uncomfortably in his chest.

What was going on?

What was this strange feeling?

His heart was sore.

Jack wanted to finish giving snow days and some blizzards to everyone first before he was to go to the North pole and see if North could help him explain this unusual sensation.

Jack waited for two minutes for his heart to calm itself down. But it wasn't letting up.

He was starting to feel scared that, whatever this was, wasn't going to go away.

Jack decided that he needed to see North now. If he can help him, he would return to bringing the snow and blizzards.

He jumped up into the air only to be met by gravity. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Jack stumbled backward and fell.

He sat up in confusion at what happened. The only time that has ever happened to him was on the first day he became the Sprite of Winter. That was over 300 years ago.

Jack jumped into the air again and almost fell back onto the rooftop, but before gravity got the best of him once more, the wind finally took hold, and he flew to the North pole.

As he flew, though, he was having trouble staying stabilized and kept almost falling to the ground below.

"What is going on," Jack asked the Man in the Moon? He, as usual, never got an answer to any of his questions.

Jack's strange emotion, sensation, whatever it was, still was hard to handle. He wondered if that was the cause that he couldn't concentrate on keeping himself in the air.

*****

"We have a month until Christmas, everybody!" North said as everyone that worked in his toy shop gathered around. "You all know the drill. We need to start preparations now. So, get to it!"

As everyone went to do their jobs, North walked back toward his office. As he got near the Globe Room, he heard a loud thump and an "oof."

North goes to investigate and finds Jack struggling to pick himself off the floor.