Wings

Chapter Twenty : Katheryn

"Princess," Sarah calls, "A little girl is here to see you."

"She brought her brother," Emily says.

"He's very handsome," she adds cheerfully.

Joy and I walk down to the Great Room and there stands Frosty and Jason.

Jason has his arms crossed while Frosty beams.

"Frosty! Hi, how are you?" I want to hug her, but...

"I'm fine," she answers. "Just wanted to spend some time with you this Saturday."

"I just came to drop her off. So bye." Jason turns and leaves.

"Katheryn, who is this," Joy asks.

"This is Jason's little sister, Lana," I answer.

"But you can call me Frosty," she informs Joy. "Everybody else does."

Joy coos over Frosty as if she's a newborn baby. "Aww! I didn't know Jason had a little sister."

Frosty is shocked. "My brother never told you about me?" She sort of chuckles. "I'm gonna kill him."

"Well, it's nice to meet you anyway." Joy holds out her hand for a handshake.

"You better take that hand away unless you want to die," is what Frosty instead of shaking Joy's hand.

Joy raises an eyebrow, but neither I nor Frosty feel like explaining. "Trust her," is all I say.

Frosty changes the subject. "So, where do you wanna go?"

"I don't know," I answer. "We could hang out here. There are plenty things to do in the Palace."

Joy scoffs, "Oh please! We are stuck in this Palace all day." Joy walks toward the doors of the Great Room and opens them. "I say, we go shopping. Girls do that, right?"

Frosty smiles broadly. "Ooh! I've never been shopping! Jason rarely ever lets me go out."

"But I don't really like shopping," I say.

"Well, too bad, Kat. Today, you're gonna see how a Wing shops." Joy grins before adding, "And the best part is that we'll get everything for free!"

***

The mall is huge, bigger than the Nordstrom back home. It was filled, wall to wall, with beautiful clothing and enchanting accessories.

As soon as Joy and I enter, many of the Wings bow their heads and then continue back to their business.

Frosty squeals and heads straight for the section holding all of the dresses. Her arms extend like octopus legs. I'm just glad that her "disease" doesn't affect clothing.

"What is this 'disease', Kat," Joy asks while Frosty is in the dressing room trying on 27 dresses. "Why can't she touch people?"

I tell Joy the everything Frosty told me that night. I remember it vividly. I remember many things from last year as if they happened a week ago. Maybe that's why the nightmares are still fresh in my mind.

"Wow, that sucks. Both the condition and your nightmares." Joy pats my back. "But other than that, Frosty seems like a good kid."

"I just can't see her being related to Jason. He's-"

Joy interrupts me, "In love you."

It takes me a while for my brain to process what Joy had just said. Jason, the guy that made very clear that he hated me, was in love with me? Me? The one that supposedly ruined his life? Even though I know Joy read my mind, the only thing I say aloud is,

"No way."

"Fine. Don't believe me. Just think about this, who can read his mind and who can't?" Joy's devilish smirk makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. Jason in love with me? Yeah right.

Eeeeee!

It was Frosty. Her scream made me jump with fear and protection. Was she hurt? Was it the two Creatures trying to kill her? If they hurt her, I'll-

"Oh my gosh! This dress looks great on me! Don't you think so, Kat?" Frosty twirls in the yellow gown she had slipped into and giggles.

Joy crosses her arms and stares at me. She gives me a look that I can read too well. Well, I can't help it if Creatures make me as paranoid as Vietnam War survivors. She shouldn't have screamed.

I clear my throat. "Yeah it looks great. You look great, Frosty."

After about an hour of trying on clothes, earrings, and make-up, us girls finally leave with more bags than our arms could handle. I should go shopping more often if all I'm gonna get is free stuff.

Joy offers taking all of the bags back to the Palace. "You can come by and get your stuff tomorrow, OK Frosty?"

"Yeah sure, I love to come back!"

"Frosty, I'll walk you home. I'll be back, Joy."

Walking with Frosty reminds me of when Jason would come with me to my training sessions with Erin. Even though, a ton a crap was happening back then, I kinda miss those days. When everything was new to me and I could still learn.

"Kat! Look out! Behind you!" Frosty's frightened scream broke me from my thoughts and forced me to turn around but I saw nothing. No Creature, nothing. What could Frosty have seen? When I turn back to Frosty, My body becomes stiff instantly.

A Creature, the wild one, had his claw dug deep into Frosty's chest. She screams horribly and the wild Creature twitches and shakes until he vanishes. Everything that comes in contact to Frosty, freezes to death. The wild Creature is dead.

That doesn't make the other Creature too happy. "No! You fool! Only the Princess! Now you're both dead!" It glares at me for forever before disappearing. I was expecting an all out battle. Guess not. Oh well, more time to focus on Frosty.

I kneel before her oozing body, contemplating whether to touch her or not. "Frosty," I whimper.

Frosty struggles to breathe, to keep her eyes open."No. You're gonna be OK."

"I knew I was going to die the day they came for... my mother." Frosty begins to cry. "I'm going to be with her now."

"No Frosty. Just. Eyes on me. You're gonna be OK." Now I'm crying.

"Tell Jason that..." And on her last breath she whispers, "I..." Her eyes stare at nothing and her body remains not moving.

Frosty is dead.

Frosty is dead.

***

After a while, Joy came looking for me; said I was gone for too long. When she found the position I was in, she rushed Frosty and I to the hospital. We had to lie and tell the doctors that she killed herself. Stabbed herself to death with her own dagger. It felt like being cut with a dagger telling them that lie.

Of course, we had to tell Jason the truth, but he didn't throw a fit until all three of us were alone with Frosty.

"What the hell happened!? What did you do to my sister!?" Joy and I both knew he was only screaming at me.

I couldn't lie to him, I wouldn't. Joy and I told him about her vision and the beach incident. He wasn't listening; only focusing on Frosty's body.

Jason pushes me into a wall and his pale face is extremely red. "This is all of your fault," he screams. You killed my sister!"

I wasn't going to sit there and let him treat me this way, so I muster up all the strength I had left and socked him in the eye. Not enough to knock him over, but enough to cause his eye to swell and bleed. Joy just watches the entire scene without doing anything.

"I cared about Frosty too, you know! Loved her like a sister!"

Jason turns away from and embraces Joy. He buries his face in her shoulder to contain his loud sobs.

"I'm so sorry, Jason. I really am." When I'm going to rest my hand on his shoulder to comfort him, but he pulls away.

"Don't touch me," he grumbles. "I hate you."