[Ash]: 102.Jack Frost.01

The town was small and unnamed, but was in the beautiful valley below the snow. It was secluded and didn’t bring about that many people since the blizzards in the surrounding mountains were worse than any the world had ever seen. It was said a witch of tremendous power lived on the mountains, and she could only live as long as there was snow. She became know as the Witch of Winter and than faded into the town’s tale. It was also said she used to protect the town and than fell in love with a young man named Armethius. Armethius loved her and they had a child, but he left with the child and they moved to the village, away from the snow. The witch was heart broken, but always looked after the town and her son.

Jack sat across from Elizabeth thinking of how he would be so happy once they were wed. Elizabeth caught him staring and picked up some snow and compacted it into a little ball. “Jack, could you come here for a second?” She said moving the snowball behind her back.

“Yes Elizabeth?” He said eagerly, pushing his blonde hair back from his brow. She threw the snowball at him and giggled, “let us go home, were not supposed to be up here, Jack.”

“As you wish Elizabeth, but tell me. Are you afraid of the witch?”

“Afraid?” She scoffed slowly heading for the path, “that old witch is nothing, by now she’s all bones.”

“Really.” Jack said catching her around the waste and leaning his head on her shoulder, “they say she immortal, and can steal the warmth right out a person, and they become her slaves. It’s said she eats children alive.”

“Jack stop” Elizabeth she said trying to escape his arms. She finally gave up and his kissed her on the neck, “it is also said that she causes the blizzards and makes the snowfall. Tell me do you fear her?”

“I,” she said slowly, “believe you should let me go.” Jack released her and she started along the path quite quickly, her black hair and red coat standing out in the winter scene. She slowly halted and turned around to see Jack still standing their, staring at her with a strange sort of passion. Elizabeth walked back up to him and lifted her lips near his ear. “They also say that when you speak of her on the mountain she can here you. Yes, I do fear her wrath.” She whispered. Elizabeth started along the path again.

“Elizabeth.” She stopped and turned, “nothing.”

“Jack Frost, you best be in town later tonight, I won’t except otherwise.” The fair skinned maiden kept along her path till she was out of his view yet not out of his mind. “I love you, Elizabeth, I just can’t tell you.” He sat down on a near by log and looked over the area, the winter areas were peaceful, but what of the town, it was hell, people yelling, men drunk, women crying and small children causing all sorts of trouble.

The winter area though, the mountains, were beautiful; covered into a snow powder, undisturbed mostly, wild nature at its finest. There was a small knock on the log and Jack jumped up and saw a small black beady eyed squirrel standing there looking up at him.

“Hey there little fella, you look barely skin and bones, winter has gone hard on you, eh?” Jack walked over and picked the tiny creature up and it squirmed a bit, “hey I’m not going to hurt you.” The squirrel stopped instantly and looked up at him as if he understood, “want to come with me, my house is warm with lots of food.”

The squirrel squeaked and run up his arm and hid under his hat. “Very well than to my house it is.”

Jack and the squirrel made there way down the path and into town. Jack’s house was in the outskirts at the other side but made fairly well time, all the way he felt the squirrel move and checking things out from the safety of Jack’s hat. They walked a little ways past the last house and the squirrel got a look at Jack’s house, it was large, largest on the street, he and his daughter Marylin Rose lived there. The little brown haired girl came running out of the doors and Jack stopped her.

“Marylin, I have a very special guest today, meet Robet.” Jack said as the child looked around surveying the yard.

Marylin Rose stopped, “Papa, there’s no one here besides us.”

Jack pointed to his hat. “This is Robet.”

“You named your hat?” Marylin walked closer slowly and Jack bent down and Robet the squirrel crawled out on to his shoulder. Marylin Rose smiled and took the squirrel in her arms, “Robet needs some food, I’ll feed him.”

“Marylin Rose. You be careful with that squirrel.” Jack walked slowly to a shed off to the side of the house and opened the door. He removed his winter clothes and put on a plain shirt and pair of pants, the town was always warm, there was no more need for them.

Jack grabbed a basket from off the shelf and went outside to his fields. Jack was one of the richest farmers in the town, only second to Elizabeth’s father. Gathering up some onions, beans, and corn he walked inside his house through the side door which led to the kitchen. “Carry, Carry I have some vegetables for dinner.”

“Master I thought you were never coming back, you spend to much time swooning women and to little time with your child and farming.” Said a thickly woman with grey hair and glasses.

“I have never heard of a servant telling their master what to do.”

“Don’t back sas me young man, I helped raise you.” The old woman said hitting him upside the head with a spoon. Jack walked away rubbing his head and found Marylin and Robet sitting in the living room feeding him some figs.

“Daddy, I don’t think this squirrels ever been properly fed.” Marylin said than she started to cough uncontrollably.

“Carry, bring water quickly,” Jack yelled over his shoulder to Carry as he rushed beside his daughter. “Breath, breath Rose, breath.” He said picking up the child and holding her. Carry rushed in with a glass of water and Jack helped Marylin drink it. She stopped coughing but fainted, “Carry run into town and fetch Dr. Gibson please.”

Carry nodded furiously and headed to town. Jack knelt his head on Marylin Rose’s chest and felt it lift slowly than lower again, lift, lower, lift, lower, lift. She began to cough again and all Jack could think of is to have her drink more water but that wouldn’t work. He lifted her body up and patted her on the back it stopped her coughing but Marylin Rose was still sleeping.

With child in arms Jack rose and made his way slowly to her bedroom. He step her down and heard footsteps in the hall. Carry entered and was followed by Dr. Gibson. “Her coughing again?”

“Worse than before. After she fainted... she, she started coughing again but more ruggedly.”

The Dr. Walked to the child’s bedside and felt her wrist for pulse. “Carry, could you leave us?” Dr. Gibson closed the door after the servant left but remained on the other side of the door.

“What’s wrong with her David? I thought you said she wouldn’t get this.” Jack sat down on the bed next to Marylin’s sleeping form and rested his hand on her’s.

“You know the complications Jack. People can’t get to the other towns because Shyna won’t let us. She believes it would corrupt us. Anyway, they may not even have the medicines, Shyna says they haven’t changed any.”

“David you should stop listening to that witch, she’ll do you no good. She lies.” Jack kissed Marylin on the forehead and stood up. “You promised me that this would not happen.”

Dr. Gibson shook his head, “you know that even Shyna cannot predict illness. Go talk to her, she is you great great grandmother after all.” Dr. Gibson pulled out a small bottle and set it on the table. “This will help the pain and the coughing. I’m sorry Jack, she’s dying like Rose did.” Dr. David Gibson left the room and told Carry not to go in, if she would listen.

Carry stepped in the room and put her hand on Jack’s shoulder, “I know it hurts dearie, you had to see your wife go as well, but if you want to be good, give her her medicine, let her go in peace not pain. You don’t want to see her go as Rose did.”

Jack ran out of the room and headed out to the fields and went to go to the shed to get his winter coat but Robet was there calmly eating figs on the door handle. He stopped and peered up at the human, Jack stopped and fell to his knees. “Robet, go to your home, mine is in ruins.” With that the squirrel was off to the winter mountains.

Robet hobbled over fallen trees and holes until he reached snow, the squirrel stopped a minute and than started off in a dead sprint to a near by mountain. Robet reached the opening of a cave and headed in casually until he reached a door where he than stood on his back legs and knocked ever so lightly.

“Come in,” called a woman’s voice in a rush. Robet opened the door and walked inside. “Hello Robet, you look so skinny, haven’t you been eating?” Said a pale woman with light brown hair, she looked maybe twenty and had beautiful blue eyes.

“I have been Shyna, we have problems with Jack Frost.” Robet said taking a seat in front of the fire place to warm up. “His daughter is dying of the sickness, the same one that struck down his wife. It’s starting up again.”

“Drats, I can’t heal her, because that foolish grandson of mine told him that I was evil.” Shyna picked up a book off her table and began to skin through it. After a minute she grunted and set it down on the table. “Book, I need a cure for the sickness.”

The book opened it’s cover and flipped a couple of pages revealing a title of ‘How to Heal the Unseen Death’. Shyna smiled and began to read it to herself than moaned. “I can’t help, I need things from beyond the valley.”

Robet stopped, “I have an idea. Don’t cure it, transfer it, you know, like when I was going bald, you sent that dieases to another squirrel that was going to die the next day anyway.”

“Yes but, I would need to go down to the village, and you know that my father trapped me up here.”

Robet shook his fury little head, “Frost will come to you, I guarantee it.”