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It was so much easier when the children could see him. He could tell them to stop, and wait, so he could freeze the pond properly. Why didn't the adults just tell the children about him, so he could make sure they were safe? They knew who he was, but they just didn't believe.
Some children could see him, and they'd know to call him and make sure it was safe. They told their friends and soon, a whole town of children would see Jack and would have fun. But when the children couldn't see him, they'd fall through him and scream and fight and then they'd be still
And he'd watch as the others ran to get their parents, and then he'd freeze the rest of the pond. He never let the parents see them.
Part of him felt jealous that the children's parents cared enough to run out and try. He would watch with a stony stare as they fell to their knees and cried. Part of him wanted to make the parents pay, as if their child was Jack, and he would re-live that moment a hundred times.
Jack stood at Burgess Pond during a bitter winter, watching a group of teenagers throwing stones at the frozen surface. He didn't notice as the air around them became heavy and shadows crawled from the trees, seeping towards the group. Jack spun around as he felt a warm breath on his neck, and was almost crushed by the black horse that pushed him back into the tree.
He wasn't scared, simply intrigued by the mare that was sniffing him intently. He reached out and let his hand be sniffed, then slowly stroked its forehead. He smiled softly, the horse was made of soft sand and pushed into his touch. Jack moved his hand to its mane and nestled his fingers within it
Behind him, the group huddled together, a large figure towering over them. Black spikes broke through the ground and penned them in, trapping the teenagers. The figure held a similar long black spike, and raised it high, aiming towards one of the group. The forest was silent as he released the spear, piercing the girl's chest and impaling her to the ground. The other members of the group watched in horror as the figure grew larger still, and one by one, all met the same fate.
Jack wasn't aware of what had happened behind him; he was entranced by the visions the mare showed him. He was caught in a limbo between the forest and a time hundreds of years before; where people feared the unknown. They were ruled by a Dark King, who was both kind and cruel - he protected the children with fears and nightmares, but had no mercy for the adults who made the same mistakes.
The nightmare twitched and pulled away, Jack awoke and locked their eyes together. The figure moved towards Jack and the mare, leaving the gruesome scene behind him. The horse sensed his presence and led Jack towards, still dazed by the contact and the other world he now knew. He blinked and watched as the figure shrunk to a human size, still much taller, and squinted as he recognised the man's face.
Jack sighed softly as a wave of relief washed over him, and stepped forward into the man's waiting arms.
"My Dark King", he whispered softly, as he let himself be pulled tighter.
The King smiled and whispered back, as he took Jack and the mare away from the forest; and the pierced bodies surrounded by jagged black shards, with the words 'Jack Frost' etched into the ice.
"My Frost Prince."