~Jack's POV~

My fingers curled around the strings and pulled, closing the hood over my face as I watched the frost slowly spread across the window. A little red-headed girl sat on the other side of the window, watching the frost spread with a look of amazement and wonder in her eyes. But I know that she can't see me. I'm not sure if anyone can see me anymore. Maybe Jamie and his friends can, but there's always the chance they stopped believing in me. That huge, gaping possibility.

"Wind, take me home..." I requested with a dull tone. The Wind sped up considerable and began to carry me back to Burgess, whistling in my ears and nudging me playfully... but I just wouldn't have any of it, and kept my gaze fixed ahead. It was harder to go back to my life alone, now that I knew what it was like to... not be alone, it was painful... but sooner or later, it would go away. The cold would numb it. Things would go back to the way it used to be.

The wind gently placed me on my lake in Burgess; surrounded by snow drifts on all sides, the ice of the lake shining in the moonlight, clear skies with the occasional cirrus cloud drifting by lazily. If I'm correct... Sandy should be passing by with his rounds in about in hour. Until then, I'll just stay awake. Probably in a snow drift. I haven't spoken or interacted with the other Guardians ever since we defeated Pitch.

My numbed digits moved to spin the crooked staff, occasionally hitting - and thickening - the ice. The Wind began to whistle in my ears again, running through the trees and branches, causing snow to shake off and fall onto the ground when the weaker branches and thinner trees would shudder. Stray snowflakes were pulled along for the ride.

"No, I don't want to talk to Sandy." I said firmly, though I felt like my voice might cave and show. Wind, however, only became stronger and tried to pull me across the surface of the ice.

"I said, no..." My voice quieted to whisper, as a lump formed in my throat and became sore. The Wind, knowing that it was winning me over, began to pull more and more and more, until finally, I jammed my staff into the ground. The ice cracked, only to strengthen significantly along those faults, while the Wind, being surprised by more response, suddenly quieted to a standstill, only to come back as a questioning breeze.

"No, I... I didn't mean to react like that..." I shook my head as I cross the ice and sat against a tree. The snow felt like it was leaning into me, making me sleepy; making me drowsy. Wind apparently understood, as it became a bit of a stronger breeze and circled me, just the tiniest bit.

My world began to spin into darkness as my eyelids became heavier and heavier. Every few seconds, my senses would fuzz, in almost a vibration. The Wind was whistling louder in my ears, but did not pick up speed in a noticeable manner. I could see golden sand slowly crossing the terrain, though Sandy himself was still quite a distance away. I watched him as he gleefully watched his dreams run through the streets, only to enter the windows of children and give them dreams. A herd of giraffes ran down Jamie's street. A large, made-up bird took to the skies and joined multiples of its own kind, doing a kind of dance, it seemed. Penguins waddled around at random. A herd of alicorns were running across the rooftops. Hot air balloons slowly floated upwards, all within the boundaries of the golden sand strips.

One of said strips was snaking up to me. The closer it got, the more exhausted I felt. My first instinct was to begin to move away, which I did, while the Wind tried to slow it down. It blew as hard as it could; sending some of the sand to who-knows-where. But there was always more, and it was like a competition to see who would stop first. Sandy was getting closer. I had to run. Hide. Something. Just not fall asleep.

A look of confusion etched itself onto Sandy's face, as though he could feel some of his dream sand being rejected. He couldn't see clearly through all the thick trees, but I was sure he could see the strip of gold against the white, brown, and blue colors. And I'm sure it didn't take him long to see towards whom the gold was reaching towards. I glanced up for a moment. We both caught each others' gaze for a moment.

I grabbed my staff and ran, but I began to see double and it was hard to not trip and fall. My steps were careless and miscalculated, and my limbs begged me to stop. My lungs were aching. My heart pounded against my rib cage. My legs were falling asleep, and I began to trip. That moment I tripped over a root, everything seemed to suddenly slow down. The impact was long in its coming, but I still ended up with a face full of snow and a burning feeling through my body. My legs refused to get up, but I was able to begin dragging myself in some sort of attempt to get away. My feet used whatever footholds I found and my hands used anything my fingers could grip. Roots, low branches, a funny-shaped piece of bark, rocks, until my arms and legs were numb and my vision could hardly focus.

I felt something hit me lightly in the back of the head, and I began to lose consciousness.

In those last few moments of consciousness before the dream sand pulled me into unconsciousness, I remembered the day.

I was supposed to become a Guardian to help the other Guardians defeat Pitch. But we defeated Pitch without me becoming a Guardian. The initial purpose was removed. And... therefore... I technically do not have the right to assume the position. So I left. And I hadn't talked to anyone since... Though, I guess I secretly wanted to, seeing how I could've made a circle around Sandy and trail behind him to prevent him from finding me.

But you get the picture, right?

Was reading one-shots and the idea popped into my head. Probably will be posting this a few days after I actually typed it, but its like... 10:45 and I wanna get in bed soo...

Das vedania!