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It was a cold late March day in the town of Burgess. Everyone was doing their usual activities, the children were playing, the baker was baking, and the women were talking to each other, each one updating what the latest gossip was. There was nothing different about this day compared to the others, it was the same peaceful just like all the others. That was until Pitch decided to visit this little innocent town.
He was tired of being ignored for so long that he made the decision to try to bring back his infamy and glory of fear that he had so very long ago and Burgess was the perfect place to start bringing fear to. The question was who was the first one he would bring fear to? Would it be the widow who just lost her husband or perhaps the young man who was planning on going to war. No not adults, the ones in this day and age are not as easy to scare as the ones in the dark ages. However, the children on the other hand are as easy as to frighten as they always will be.
There were surprisingly many children that lived in the small town of Burgess and quite often they would go out play in the woods for many hours, but today they all decided to stay in town. Pitch decided to move away from the town a bit and went into the woods to find some unfortunate child wandering by themselves in the middle of nowhere.
That’s when he came across a brother and sister.
The sister looked to be about 8 years old and she was very small but had huge brown eyes and long straight brown hair. She was walking very close to her older brother who looked like he was in his late teens and just like his sister he had bright brown eyes and short, ruffley brown hair. They both looked to be looking for something desperately but the sun was beginning to set and soon it would become nighttime. The sister clinged onto her brother and started to shake, oh how it would be to frighten these two Pitch was beginning to think.
“Jack we don’t have to keep looking! I just want to go home!” said the sister who was beginning to cry.
“What? No way, we came out this far to look for your hat and we’re going to get it and get home, trust me.”
How confident and brave the boy seemed to be. You hated it. You were disgusted at how he seemed to rise the spirits of his sister, you were going have to fix that.
Pitch continued to watch them walk around waiting for a perfect moment to strike, but then they both stopped and looked up at the tree. There was the girl’s hat, up high and stuck on one of the branches. It seemed almost impossible to climb up and get.
“So tell me again, how did your hat get all the way up there again Sarah.” asked Jack.
Sarah sniffed and rubbed her eyes, “Johnny stole it from me when I wasn’t looking and ran into here. When I followed him in he threw it up into the tree and the wind blew it up even higher.”
“Uh huh, remind me to teach Johnny a lesson later, but don’t worry I’ll go up and get it back for you.”
Oh no don’t tell me this boy is going to climb up this tree. This is going to be more simple than I thought thought Pitch smiling evilly towards Jack. Pitch was beginning to plan ways to bring terror into Jack that would make him lose that pathetic bravery he used to show off to his sister.
Jack started his climb up the rocking tree and Pitch was well ready for him. The sun was now officially gone and there was only the bright shining moon out there to shed some light on the dark and cold night. The clouds were coming in and began to block out the only source of light from the moon and the wind started to pick up. The trees were shaking furiously and Jack struggled to keep on for he was already so high up in the tree. Pitch came over closer to him and began to whisper in his ear, Oh my poor boy don’t you look so weak and pathetic from this tall magnificent tree. If I were you, I would be careful to not look down or else you’d see how your sister looked when you fell to your death. But Jack continued to ignore and replied to the cold voice, “Thanks for the advice but I plan on coming down alive.” How that sarcastic reply made Pitch’s blood boil.
Pitch went on ahead of Jack and kept talking, Look at you though, you’re barely grabbing on, why I bet if I even stepped on your fingernail you would surely let go and fall. Doesn’t the thought of your own sister watching you in great fear and you just walking on a rope between life and death just make your blood turn cold. This time Jack stopped climbing for and hanged on there for quite a while. His sister was down below screaming his name and wanting him to come down and Pitch began to smile because he could feel that any second he would see the fear in the boy’s eyes. Jack then raised his head and Pitch did not see one speck of fear in his eyes, but instead determination. “I will come down and see her.” and Jack began to climb once again.
Now Pitch was angry and frustrated. Was there nothing that could stop this boy at all? Could it be that he isn’t afraid of anything? No, NO! Pitch wasn’t going to give up this easily and he was ready to force fear into Jack now. FINE THEN! yelled Pitch. Continue this false bravery you have in the next life! Pitch kicked Jack on his head as hard as he could and sent Jack falling down to his own death. Jack reached up to grab a large branch, but it broke as soon as he grabbed his. Sarah was down below screaming and crying her eyes out as she watched her brother. Pitch just laughed in satisfaction as he watched both of their fears increase and he could feel already his once lost power slowly return.
But Jack was not ready to die, not yet. The branch that he broke off had a small hook at the end and with that hook he swung it over to another branch and managed to stopped himself from falling. His sister cheered from below and Jack just looked down and smiled. He dropped down and walked over towards his sister and she ran over hugged him.
“Jack! I was so scared that you were going to die!” she said sobbing.
“Me? Die? Hahaha Sarah you should know better than that! Hey, guess what I have a surprise for you.” And from behind his back Jack took out a Sarah’s hat.
“What?! But when did you....”
“It must’ve fell along with me!” said Jack laughing.
Sarah then started punching him and yelled at him, “It’s not funny Jack! That was dangerous and stupid of you to do! I told you we should’ve just went home!
“Ouch! Hey look, I’m sorry. We can go home now alright?” Sarah nodded happily and they both walked together, but Jack turned around and took one quick glance at where Pitch was and just kept on walking with his sister.
Pitch was now more angry than ever. He knew what that glance meant, it meant that once again someone just shoved him off as a bad thought and would never think twice again about himself and Jack wanted him to know that. He was surprised by that boy though, he never encountered a human before who talked back at him, and he had to admit that now he was a bit interested in Jack. Surely tomorrow night he will see him again.
~~~~~~~~~
Once again it was a same cold late March day, but today was different because spring was approaching and the climate was starting to raise. Even though there were many patches of snow around and the lake was frozen the air was beginning to warm up and everything was slowly melting. Pitch was once again walking around waiting for Jack, but he didn’t see him. He wasn’t in the forest, and he wasn’t in town. Pitch then came across the lake and again he saw Jack with his little sister.
Sarah was looked excited as she was holding a pair of skates and chanting, “Jack’s gonna teach me to skate! Jack’s gonna teach me to skate!” Jack was smiling and sat Sarah down on a log and tied her skates onto her feet and then carried her to the lake. Pitch was becoming bored of this gross sister and brother bonding time but he continued to watch as Sarah walked on her own on the lake with Jack following right next to her. He brought the stick along with her because he figured it may help Sarah with her skating.
Then there was a loud crack.
Jack looked to see Sarah standing in the middle of the lake and she was standing as still as she could. “Jack...” she said quietly, “I’m scared.”
Finally, some fun.
Jack didn’t know what to do, what COULD he do? The ice was slowly melting and the cracks were becoming bigger. Suddenly he had an idea.
“Hey, hey. I have an idea, why don’t we play a game?”
What is this little wrench thinking of doing.
“No!! I don’t want to do this! I want to go home!
“Come on now, would I trick you?”
“Yes you always do!
Jack couldn’t deny that, but instead he just nervously laughed. “Well not this time. I have an idea! Let’s play hopscotch, like what we do everyday! Ready?”
Jack hopped on the ice as carefully as he could and when the ice would crack under his feet, he would pretend to lose his balance to try to make his little sister laugh. Pitch was watching over from behind a tree and glared at the boy, why was he so persistent on making false hope? In reality there was no way for both of them to come out alive.
“Alright now, it;s your turn.” said Jack towards his sister. Sarah carefully took two small steps and Jack quickly grabbed the stick from earlier and pulled her away from the ice. She looked over to him in shock and then laughed while Jack laughed along with her. Pitch was impressed and had to acknowledge the boy saving his sister.
The ice gave in and Jack fell right through right with it.
~~~~~
That night Pitch decided to leave the town of Burgess, it became must more troublesome than he thought it would be. In the end however, he found much pleasure in watching Jack die. He knew that would happen. That’s what happens to everyone who tries to be a hero.
He decided to give his last regards to the annoying, young boy by going to the lake. When Pitch last left he watched as the fear in his sister grew and grew and how his power grew along with it. Seeing him drown was such great satisfaction.
The moon tonight was a bit bright, almost too bright, it seemed to be disappointed in Pitch’s behaviors but how was that different from any other day? Pitch was used to no one liking him at all and in fact he preferred it that way.
When he arrived at the lake he expected to see a large hole where he could look down and see the corpse of the rival that he got to known for such a short time, but all he saw was a completely frozen over lake. How odd.
And that’s when it happened
A single beam of light shot down where Jack had fallen through and the ice began to break. Pitch went to hide behind a tree and watched as someone came out of the lake. No...it couldn’t be.
It’s Jack.
Jack was being lifted up into the air with help from the moon and he was desperately gasping for air. There was something almost different about him. Oh no, no no no. Pitch began to laugh at the situation. The moon had chosen Jack to become an immortal. Oh what pure irony, this had been, he would now have to deal with the little brat for all of eternity. Why would the moon choose them though? Did he enjoy his bravery and how he sacrificed himself? pathetic. Pitch continued to watch as Jack discovered powers of his own. Making snow and ice how perfect for him, now he can spread disaster wherever he goes.
Suddenly Jack darted off into the distance and Pitch followed him, wanting to see where he going and what he was going to do this time. He figured that he was heading home to see his family, but...he wasn’t. Instead Jack was headed off towards Burgess. Could it be that...Oh no, this is too perfect.
Pitch smiled, he knew what was happening exactly and what the outcome was going to be. He watched as Jack tried to interact with the village people, but every single one ignored him and they didn’t even know he was there. Yes, now you know how it feels. Pitch could just feel Jack’s fear increase and Pitch laughed loudly as he left the town. He finally felt that the boy had gotten what he had deserved the moment he first saw him. As Pitch flew away he yelled one last thing into the cold night wind,
We will meet again, Jack Frost! You can bet on that!