Frozen Heart: Chapt 2 Cold Darkness

The girl was going ice-skating at the lake. Grandma told her to be careful, which she promised. The girl said she was going to meet friends As soon as she left the house, her grandmother smiled and shook her head as she watched her granddaughter talking to thin air. Of course, she had an imaginary friend. Ever since her mother died, she formed one at eight-years-old.

The girl's father didn't think it was appropriate that someone her age should have an imaginary friend. It was embarrassing. But the chaplain said it was normal for a child to do so when a loss had occurred. Her mother...a beauty, the love of his life had died on Christmas Eve he lost on Christmas Eve. His daughter was only seven when it happened.

After her mother's death, her Daddy didn't bother to put up decorations for Christmas anymore. Still, her grandmother persuaded him to at least let her celebrate the wonders of Christmas while she still had her childhood. She would grow up eventually sooner or later.

The girl lied to her grandmother about meeting friends at the lake...sort of. She had her best friend with her. The boy who always brought fun. He called her 'Snow Angel' and she called him 'Frostbite'.

She always had to move. She didn't bother to make friends since she would never see them again. Plus they teased her sometimes. She didn't care since her best friend always brought fun. Her best friend was Jack Frost. He only went away when the warm weather came. At least he came back when winter was near...and he knew where to find her whenever she moved.

The girl and Jack went towards the frozen lake; she laced up her ice skates. Jack sniggered while he watched as the clumsy girl slipped on the ice, falling down. She would yell at him angrily that he was not being fair, throwing a snowball at him. He teased her for being a lousy shot. 

"Are you gonna help me or not, Frostbite?" the girl said with a pout.

He laughed lightly and held her hand and guided her, gracefully...taking it slow with her. Just like he did with his sister so long ago. She slowly got the hang of it. She took off to try it on her own...

...until there was a loud crack and the ice gave way. Jack quickly turned his head, dropping his wooden staff against the icy lake when he heard the dreadful sound followed by the splash of water. Oh no! The girl had disappeared into the black void of the frigid water.

He called out to the girl, racing to the hole she fell in. He had to save her. If anything happened to her, he would be it was his fault. Quickly diving into the water, he searched for her. Being in the water brought a feeling of something similar: a situation he was once in, but he couldn't tell what it was.

That didn't matter right now, he had to save his best friend. Once his hands grabbed her arms, he began to drag her back up to the surface, saving her from a frozen watery grave. The girl coughed up water, shivering so violently, her teeth chattered, her hair and clothes were frozen. She looked at her best friend who had saved her, tears in her eyes as the cold bit her body harshly. She was ice cold and near blue.

"J-J-Jack...get me home. P-please," she said in a quivering voice.

Jack Frost nodded at her request. He kept her close against his blue sweater, hoping it would keep her warm just a little bit. Though he was sure he was making it worse for her. He had carried her off as quick as he possibly could back to her house. He held her bridal style and floated with the wind. All that mattered was that he got her home safely.

The girl huddled against his sweater, feeling the softness. She felt his lithe chest; it was cold, but she didn't care. She was safe with her best friend, even if he was cold as winter. Her eyes were half-lidded when he got her home. Jack rang the doorbell with his staff, placing the girl on her feet. Her grandmother appeared, seeing in horror, her wet, freezing granddaughter.

"Jaysus, Mary and Joseph!" she exclaimed. "What happened?! Did ye fall in the ice?"

"It was an accident," the girl answered,

"Let's get inside and get ye warm," she said.

Off came her soaked winter clothes, then into the bathroom for a hot bath. Then the girl was dressed in clean clothes and wrapped in blankets with a mug of hot chocolate. She was still shivering as she held the mug, feeling the warmth spreading throughout her frozen body.

"Ye must have a guardian angel lookin' out fer ye," said her grandmother.

Jack Frost was terribly worried after he managed to get the girl home. He waited outside her house on a tree, sitting on one of the thicker branches that could hold his light weight.

"I really hope she's okay," he said to himself as he laid down on the branch.

Eventually, he wanted to check up on her. He watched through the window as she was taken care of by her grandmother; his cold breath frosted the glass. Once her grandmother was gone, she opened the window and let him in.

"Are you OK, snow angel?" he asked worried.

"I'm OK, Jack," she said, sniffling.

The girl saw how disturbed the winter spirit was. There was a lot on his mind too. The feeling of being in the water after ice breaking, the feeling he once felt before. But he couldn't figure out from where or when. Shaking his head, he figured it might have been nothing.

"It wasn't your fault," she assured. "I wasn't scared. Besides, I know I'm always safe when you're around and the cold will never bother me as long as you're here."

To hear these words from the girl, it lifted his spirits. He laughed a little at the shivering girl, she was brave indeed. His hand touched hers; it was cold as his, but starting to warm up.

Colleen was dead. She was sure of it. She remembered a time she fell through thin ice one winter. How cold and dark the water was, how she looked up from the hole where she had fallen through...seeing the blue sky...a muffled voice yelling from the surface...

She heard a heavenly voice somewhere in the dark...it asked her if there was anything she wanted before leaving the earth.

She thought about it. Was there anything she regretted? The first thing that came to mind was an old friend, one she had forgotten...those ice blue eyes...the tousled silvery hair that reminded her of freshly fallen snow. The painful memory of what happened, the crippling regret. If she could see him one last time...

"To see Jack Frost again," she said. "I need to tell him..." Tears were forming in her eyes as the painful memory of what happened, the crippling regret. "That...I'm sorry."

After a beat, she felt something punch her in the chest very hard! She screamed.

"OW!" she yelled. "That hurts!"

Another punch in the chest followed...

Colleen's jacket and her shirt were ripped open, one of the soldiers compressed her breastbone, performing CPR. Another used a face mask to pump oxygen into her and another got the AED.They dried her off quickly before placing the leads on her chest, pressing buttons to charge it. Her heart had stopped completely. Once it was charged, a high-pitched whine and a light flashed, indicating it was ready. 

"CLEAR!" yelled one of the soldiers, pressing the charge button.

There was a loud pop and Colleen's body jerked...no response. 

"CLEAR!"

"C'mon, Sarge!" said one of the soldiers.

"Wake up, Colleen!" Jack Frost shouted, his azure eyes near-tears. 

Jack looked at Colleen, exposed and wet at the brink of death, racked with worry and near-grief. He looked up in the sky at the full moon, glaring angrily. He would speak to Manny sometimes, even before he became a Guardian. Often Manny would leave Jack frustrated because he didn't answer his questions. But to allow his best friend to die like this was unacceptable.

"Don't you dare!" he spat.

He tried to calm himself down, his body shaking and tears streamed down his cheeks, freezing. His heart began to ache. The moon continued to shine in the blue sky. 

"Please...save her. Bring her back," he pleaded, gripping his staff. 

Upon hearing nothing from Manny, Jack sat in silence, seeing his friend was now gone. He lowered his head.

Another charge and shock delivered..."CLEAR!"

Then, something amazing happened...

Colleen spat up water and coughed harshly. There were huge sighs of relief when she came back. The platoon watched as their sargeant regained consciousness. Colleen stared at blurred faces with half-lidded eyes, her vision was blurred. She saw something kneeling next to her...a blue sweater, white hair.

"Give her some air," said the instructor. Then looked down at Colleen. "Sarge? Sarge, can you hear me?"

"J...Jack..." she barely managed to whisper.

Everyone looked confused at what she said. But no matter, she was probably delirious from being revived. Colleen was turned on her side in a recovery position. She was freezing cold; not sure if it was from the water or from those few moments she died. An instructor took off his coat and put it on her to keep her warm until the medic arrived.

One of the soldiers took off his coat and put it on her to keep her warm until the med van arrived.

"Jack..." she said again weakly.

Then she passed out...

Jack saw she woke up. Only for a second or two, but at least she was alive. And she said his name? He looked at her, hopeful but suspicious. Was she dreaming, or did she actually see him? Either way, he made sure to follow the ambulance as it drove off with her.

***

Her eyes fluttered occasionally. Seeing flashes of white, hearing distorted sounds and seeing blurred faces. Who knew how much time had passed...or where she was.

Then, she began to dream. Strange. She hardly had any dreams. Good ones anyway. This time, it was different...

Sandy floated near the sleeping girl. He smiled, pleased for once that her dreams were slowly coming back. She was dreaming about a boy. And not just any boy. Sandy silently giggled as he beheld Colleen's dream.

Colleen looked around in the dark. She heard crunching beneath her feet, she shivered from the cold. She felt something soft and cold fall on her...she touched one, it felt wet as it melted. Snowflakes. There was a single lamp post that stood a few feet away, covered in snow. The light glowed yellow, splitting the night and made the flakes glitter like diamonds. Leaning against the post, there was a hooded figure holding a staff that looked like a shepherd's crook. Colleen squinted. Was it...him? As she got closer, she recognized him. Her long forgotten best friend in that blue sweater. The winter spirit. The snow fairy. The ice prince. Frostbite.

"Jack Frost?" she whispered.

The snow sprite turned his head towards Colleen, pulling his hood off and looked at Colleen. A smile broke out on his face. He was happy to see her.

"I've missed you, snow angel," he said, his hands shoved in the pockets of his blue sweater. "It's been so long."

Colleen wasn't sure if it was real or not. It was real enough to her. She shivered as she felt the cold. The snowflakes fell on them, which made her smile. Winter was always her favorite season.

"Are you really here?" Colleen asked.

"I've always have been, watching you like the Guardian I am" he said with a smile. "I never forgot about you."

Colleen smiled painfully, unable to look at her best friend as she recalled that terrible day. The day she could no longer see him. But to see him again brought joy. She felt like that little girl again who wanted to have fun all the time. All the snowball fights, ice skating, snow days...even at Easter! 

Jack Frost also looked sad. His blue eyes filled with hurt as he remembered that day as well. He had to know though since the last time they met was heartbreaking.

"Do you still believe in me, snow angel?" he asked.

"I..." Colleen said hesitant.

She didn't know how to answer. How long had it been since she last saw her best friend? It seemed so long...growing up made time fly. There was only one way to be sure if he was there. She remembered what she said as a child. 

He doesn't nip the nose, he kisses it. If I can see it or touch it, then I believe it's real.

"If you are really here," Colleen said. "Then kiss my nose and I'll believe." 

He smiled as he recalled the first day they met how the saying went: Jack Frost nipping at your nose. But Colleen always said he kissed it. He leaned forward and touched his lips to her nose. It felt so cold! It was so real! It truly was! Strange, she could actually feel it...it felt too real...

***

Jack had been waiting patiently, hoping for his friend to wake up. He wasn't sure if she could see him or not, but he wanted to know the truth.

He was lost in his own thoughts, light snow began to fall in the hospital room. He looked at the young woman asleep...until she spoke his name, grabbing his attention. He turned to face her, watching the dreamsand. She was dreaming about him.

"Jack..." she spoke. "If you're really here, kiss my nose and I'll believe."

Smiling, he did so...frost formed, the flesh turned pink. He moved away, sitting on his knees. He stood still, watching as she stirred...her eyelashes fluttered as she awakened.

Colleen blinked her eyes as her dream began to dissipate. She shivered; the room was cold. Something fell on her face that was soft and cold. Was it...snowing? Her vision blurred, but she saw something sitting on her bed...a small pale hand reached towards her.

"C-Colleen..?" Jack asked hesitantly, reaching out a hand; his wide eyes boring into hers.

She found herself face-to-face with none other than...

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