Dear Jack Frost
December 12, 2012
Dear Jack Frost,
My name is Emily Waters, and I am six years old.
I stay in a little room in the hospital of my town. I live in Greensbury, by the way.
I am very sick, something called lookemia. I'm not sure how it's spelled. My ma says I did a very good job sounding it out though.
I am writing to you to ask you something. I have never seen snow before, and I really want to see snow. Can you please bring some? I want to touch it and see just how cold it is. I want to see how white it is for myself. So can you please bring some?
Love, Emily.
...
December 14, 2012
Dear Jack Frost,
I am not feeling well today. I am hot and sweaty, and I puked up my breakfast. I'm hungry, but I don't feel like eating because I know I'll just get sick again. I don't like being sick.
I'm not allowed to go outside today. It's cold out, and my parents won't let me go anywhere.
And I'm still feeling really warm. I'm still wishing for snow, Jack. I bet it would feel good on my face. Can you please bring some? I really want snow.
Love, Emily.
...
December 15, 2012
Dear Jack Frost,
My parents think I'm silly writing to you, although they are still letting me do it. My roommate, an annoying boy named Sam is telling me that I should just give up because I'm going to die anyway.
I don't want to give up, Jack! I want to live long enough so I can see snow! Please, can you bring some?
Love, Emily.
...
December 18, 2012
Dear Jack Frost,
I'm sorry I could not write over the last few days. I have been feeling very, very sick. I'm tired, and it hurts to move. I figured that if I just kept wishing and writing, even though it hurts, you would bring snow. Please, please bring some. If not for no reason, then as a Christmas gift. Please bring me snow for Christmas? It does not have to be a lot. Just a little bit is fine. I just want to see snow.
Love, Emily.
...
Jack Frost set the four letters on the desk in front of him. His heart went out to the poor little girl. He'd only just found the letters, which had been sent up to North, also known as Santa. Written right on the envelope had been 'give to Jack Frost'. North had obviously opened the letters and read them before giving them to him, but Jack wasn't resentful.
After all, he was on probation.
About five years ago, Jack had pulled the ultimate stunt, bringing a blizzard down from the north and making it snow in the middle of July. While he'd been laughing at the greatness of it all, many people had been killed, caught off guard by the snowfall. The resulting slush puddles had caused cars to spin out and crash, as well as people getting caught in it and freezing to death.
As a result of this prank, North had taken Jack's staff, not allowing him to use his power until he learned the gravity of what he'd done. Since then, barely any snow had fallen past the Arctic Circle. The humans blamed global warming, but Jack blamed himself.
And now, this little girl might die without the gift of snow.
Jack gathered up the letters and marched through the workshop where North's elves worked tirelessly, preparing for the coming Christmas. Jack knew North hated being disturbed around this time of year, but Jack had to do something.
"North," Jack said, approaching the large, red clad man.
"What do you want, Jack?" North asked, his voice sharp.
"You read these letters didn't you?" Jack asked, holding them up.
"I skimmed them."
"Then you know that this girl is dying. I want to help her."
North didn't respond.
"Please. I need my staff back. It's the only way to make her happy."
"What do you know about happiness, Jack?" North asked, finally turning away from his project. "You stole happiness from people that July five years ago. You killed family, friends-"
"I know what I did was wrong!" Jack cried. "I just thought... I don't know what I thought..."
"Exactly." North turned back to his toy.
"North, please." Jack begged. "She wants snow for Christmas. The least you could do is let me give that to her..."
"I can't do anything, Jack!" North stated. "I'm sorry, but you cannot be trusted with that kind of power!"
"FINE!" Jack stamped his foot, a circle of frost expanding from the point of impact. "Let this girl suffer and die without fulfilling her dream!"
And he turned, storming out of the workshop, kicking a stuffed bear several feet into the air where it landed as a solid mass of ice.
...
December 19, 2012
Dear Jack Frost,
I hope these letters are getting to you. Maybe if you can't bring snow, maybe you can come visit me? I would very much like it if you did.
My ma asked me why I was writing to you, asking you to bring snow for Christmas. She thinks I should be writing to Santa. I think that since Santa is at the North Pole where it's cold, then you should be too. Am I right? I am hoping that if I send letters to Santa's home, he knows you and will give the letters to you.
Love, Emily
...
This time, the letter hadn't been opened. Santa had given Jack the benefit of the doubt and let him have the letter, unopened. But it didn't help him in any way.
Although, it gave him a little bit of hope.
"North?"
"What is it, Jack?" North growled.
"Can I go south for a bit?" Jack asked.
North looked up, his brow furrowed in irritation. "Excuse me?"
"The little girl, Emily, she said if I can't bring snow, I can come visit."
"Jack, you know we can't-"
"I don't care, North!" Jack cried. "You know me! I goofed off all winter, just so I could see children smiling. Now, one of them is writing to me, asking me to bring them snow, or come visit. Please, North, just let me go."
"You're asking for more slack than I can give." North stated. "And if you throw another temper tantrum in my workshop again, I won't be giving you the rest of the little girl's letters."
Jack wanted nothing more than to freeze everything in sight, but he held himself back. "Fine." He said through gritted teeth. Then he stamped out of the workshop.
...
December 22, 2012
Dear Jack Frost,
I am scared.
The other day, my doctor talked to my mom. They thought I was asleep so I heard them talking.
The doctor said I might not make it to Easter. Ma was crying. I was too scared to write.
Yesterday I felt really, really sick. I was puking and I had a really bad headache. I didn't want to move and I had to be fed through a tube because I didn't want to eat.
Today, I still feel awful. I am scared, Jack. I am afraid I won't get to see snow. Can you please hurry and bring some?
Love, Emily.
...
The door to the workshop slammed open.
"North, you have to let me go!" Jack cried, brandishing the letter, a trail of ice materializing on the ground at his feet.
"Jack, for the last time-"
"It's not about me, North! It's about the girl!"
"Jack-"
"Please North! Just give me back my staff for a few days! I'll make it snow for this girl, and I'll give it right back! Please!"
"JACK!"
Jack went silent. He could feel water on his face. It instantly froze on his skin. He brought his sleeve up and quickly wiped the frozen tears away.
"I can't give you that staff back." North said, his voice grim. "I'm sorry."
Jack's blue eyes went ice cold. "Oh don't apologize to me, North." He said, his voice low and angry. "Apologize to Emily. Apologize to her because she will never see snow."
Then Jack turned and left the workshop once more.
...
December 24th, 2012
Dear Jack Frost,
My name is Gwen Waters. I am Emily's mother. For the last few days, my daughter has been very, very sick. She's barely been able to move. Jack Frost, I am writing this letter to you merely to settle her mind. She has talked nothing of you. She truly believes that you will come and bring her snow, just as she always wanted.
It hasn't snowed in Greensbury for over five years now. I tried to tell her that, but she insists. Right now, all I wish is that if you truly are out there somewhere, you will bring my daughter snow for Christmas. I'll be honest, I don't think she's going to live much longer.
Every night, she has gazed out the window, hoping that every cloud she sees will bring snow. Jack Frost, my daughter believes in you. Bring snow, just for her. I'm sure the other children in the hospital want snow just as much as she does, although my daughter is my first priority. I hope that her wishes will bring snow back to Greensbury.
Sincerely, Gwen Waters.
...
The door to Jack Frost's room snapped open. Jack had just enough time to turn around before something long and dark flew towards him. He caught it just before he saw North standing in his door, holding Emily's latest letter.
"Go." He said sharply.
Jack snapped up the letter, feeling his heart sinking at the sight of the words covering the page. They were smudged in places due to large tear stains all over the paper. It was a letter from Emily's mother.
"North, you..." Jack looked up, for the first time, realizing he was holding his staff.
"Go, Jack Frost." North said. "Before I change my mind."
"You won't regret this, I swear." Jack said, tossing the letter onto his desk and running out the door.
And Jack Frost flew on a north wind as the sun began to set on Christmas Eve. As he flew, snow fell from the sky and landed on town after town.
And for the first time in five years, snow fell below the Arctic Circle.
...
Jack arrived in Greensbury. He wasn't quite sure how he knew where he was going, or how he even knew that the hospital he was standing in front of was Emily's, or even how he knew which hospital window was hers. Either way, he flew to the window and gently tapped on it, a few ice crystals forming on the glass.
A woman stepped over to the window, her eyes wide. She pushed it open.
"Hello." Jack said, hovering in mid air.
The woman looked at him, then straight down at the ground several stories below. Her mouth was open the whole time.
"Are you Gwen Waters?" Jack asked.
The woman nodded very slowly, her eyes widening in realization.
"I'm Jack Frost. Your daughter sent me letters."
"And you didn't come until now?" Gwen asked, her voice choked.
"Is Emily all right?"
Gwen turned to the side, allowing Jack to see into the hospital room.
Emily was pale, thin and very frail. She had a tube attached to her nose to help her breathe, and she had several IV's hooked up to her wrist. Jack wasn't dumb. This girl was very, very sick.
"I'll bring snow." Jack told Gwen. "I promise, when she wakes up tomorrow, there will be snow on the ground."
...
Jack worked long and hard into the night, spinning snow clouds over the town of Greensbury. One by one, snowflakes fell all over the world that night. And yet, Jack still worked. He wanted to see Emily smile. He wanted Emily's dream to come true.
As the sun rose the next morning, Jack could hear the thrilled cries of people, realizing that they'd been blessed with a white Christmas. People blasted Christmas carols from their houses, and sang and laughed. But Jack Frost stood in the center of the hospital courtyard, staring up at Emily's window.
Hospital doors opened and one by one, children in wheelchairs and nurses from the hospital slowly came outside. The children laughed and held their hands up to touch the snow.
But then, out came Emily. Her face was lit up with joy as her mother pushed her into the courtyard. She held her hand up to catch the flakes, and she stuck out her tongue to taste them. They approached Jack, probably being the only ones who noticed him there.
"Are you Jack Frost?" The girl asked, her voice weak, but her eyes full of life.
Jack knelt down to her level. "Yes, I am. And you are Emily Waters, right?"
The girl grinned. "So you did get my letters!"
"I did. Santa handed them off to me."
"You know Santa?"
Jack nodded. "It's because of him that I'm here right now, giving you what you've always wanted." Jack reached to the ground at his feet and picked up a pure white snowball. He enchanted it just enough so that it wouldn't melt in her hands, even if she brought it inside. "Here."
Emily reached out for it and took it in her tiny hands. "It's cold." She said. Then she pressed it to her face, a smile forming on her lips. "I like it!"
"I'm glad you like it." Jack said. "And that snowball won't melt, so long as you hold it. Even when it's inside, it won't melt."
"Really?" Emily whispered. "Wow... So I can have snow wherever I go!"
Jack nodded. "That's right."
For a moment, Emily was a happy, awestruck girl.
And the next, her hand went to her stomach.
"Oh no, sorry Jack, I'm afraid we must go." Gwen said.
Emily smiled weakly up at him, saying thank you for everything without saying a word.
"Goodbye, Jack Frost. Perhaps we'll see you another time."
"Count on it." Jack said with a smile.
And the mother and daughter went back inside the hospital.
"Good luck, Emily." Jack Frost whispered. "Get well..."
...
December 29th, 2012
Dear Jack Frost,
I can't begin to express my thanks for bringing Emily's dream to life. All her life, she's wanted snow, and she finally got it. Exactly what she wanted. Although my Christmas wish was nothing more than to see her get better.
Unfortunately, Jack Frost, I didn't get my wish.
Emily passed away last night. She went peacefully, still holding that snowball you gave her. I cannot thank you enough for it. Because for a short time, I saw my daughter happy, as a child, for the first time since she got sick. When she is laid to rest, I will leave the snowball with her, so even now, she can be with the snow she's always loved.
Once again, I thank you Jack Frost. I hope that you will always bring snow back to Greensbury.
Farewell,
Gwen.