Footprints in the Snow, or,

there Should Have Been

Serena had just woken up abruptly from a deep sleep. She sprang to the window, looking out at the fresh-fallen snow. It is still snowing, continuing from the previous night. She decided to get dressed and head out to see if Jack was around.

Why wouldn't he be, it's snowing after all. His favorite thing in the whole world is a good-old-fashioned snow day.

Serena went downstairs and grabbed her jacket and boots, throwing them on quickly before heading outside.

She heard the crunch of the new snow under her boots, and took a deep breath of winter air. She got to the end of the walkway and looked back to see the footprints she made, but there were none. She felt her heart sink into her stomach.

She looked down and moved her foot, seeing there were in fact no tracks under her from where she had been moving.

"How- is that possible?" She questioned out loud to herself. "Maybe, Jack will know."

She decided to set out to find Jack. Heading to the one place she knows he would be, the pond.

"Jack- Jack?" She called, looking around for him.

"Serena~! Hey~!" He said, coming down from the large tree next to the pond.

"Oh thank goodness you're here-" She went over and threw her arms around him, or tried to. Her arms went right through him. "H-huh?"

"S-serena? What's going on, what happened?" He asked, staring at her now.

"I don't know! I- woke up, I got dressed and came outside, and I'm- not making any footprints in the snow… I thought you might know what's happening to me."

"That's- a negative… I don't know why that's happening to you… um, maybe- North would know?"

"You think so? I'm really starting to freak out, Jack. I- can't hang onto you… you'll have to go see North on your own."

"There's no way I'm leaving you here by yourself while you're like this-"

"I don't think you have much of a choice, Jack. Someone has to figure out what happened to me, and that person is you. I can't hang on to you, and I can't fly on my own."

"But-"

"Jack, please don't argue. I'll be okay. Please just go. I'm going to go home and try to call my mom- she's at work and had no idea I even left the house."

He sighs and looks at her.

"Alright, okay- alright, you win. We'll decide and conquer then. I'll be back as soon as I can."

He steps closer to her and leans in, trying to attempt a kiss.

"If- I can't touch you, I don't think that's going to work right now either." She blushes a little as she replies to him.

"Ah- y-yeah, you're probably right… It was worth a shot though."

"You're terrible, get going." She smiles a little, but there's definitely visible fear in her eyes. Not knowing what happened to her, freaked her out more than anything.