"D-don't give up on us, Jack" Kristoff said with exhaustion, trying to grip into idea that everything's gonna be okay.
They were holding him on both shoulders. The time they've fished him out from the water, he was unconscious seconds before they've finally reached him. Jack floated like a corpse thrown down into a creek—murdered and lifeless. As they drag him, all the weight burdened Hiccup and Kristoff, Jack's feet were crushing against the sand. His head bore down, with dripping water from his hair and face.
As they reached the shore, they placed his body in a supine position to facilitate his airway and promote ventilation.
"Get a towel, P-Please." Hiccup stuttered.
Eugene swiftly ran inside the beach house. For purpose sake's, he is the only who completely knows where are the facilities placed into. When he came back with folds of towel, Jack hadn't awaken yet.
"Hey, Buddy." Hiccup slapped his cheek softly, trying to put him into consciousness.
"Wake up."
Eugene placed the towels onto the ground and interrupted. He stepped into the space.
"Step aside. We have to supply oxygenation." He explained as Hiccup moved sideward. "The water must have gotten into his lungs."
He kneeled onto the sand—it crushed against his skin but Eugene endured the occurring pain. For he remembered, he learned the precautionary things to do when things like these happens. He needed to do CPR which he have to give chest compression and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. If it is effective and time hadn't gotten in the way, there's still a possibility.
Eugene started to pump Jack's chest, both of his hands were fisted into one. After twenty chest compression, he pursed his lips and tilted Jack's head to open the airway, Eugene released air to him. And the cycle goes on while waiting for Jack to woke up.
Elsa paced nervously as she watched them intensely.
Her lips trembled trying to say something urgent—
"B-but, as far as I know, Jack is a good swimmer."
Kristoff nodded, agreeing to what Elsa had said. Yes. As far as he know, Jack had been a swimmer ever since before and hes been an active varsity swimmer around the campus.
"Yeah, that is what I also know." Kristoff blinked in disbelief, his eyes unmoved as he watched the lifeless man. "I-I just don't know what happened back there."
Hiccup heard what they had just said. He quirked his head, trying to come up with other explanation. If that's what it is, it have must been an unexpected happening and Jack hadn't seen it coming.
Hiccup centered between them and place his hands on his waist, being driven to answer a critical inquiry.
His looks became sharp and serious.
"Maybe a cramp or something." He explained, gaining a look from everyone.
"He didn't took time to rest after eating."
Jack laid down idly onto the floor. Small amounts of water started to exit through his mouth, flowing and dripping down the edge of his lips. As Eugene continuously applied compression for the nth time, Jack's eyes shivered as the skin moved sharply as a response.
"Come on." Eugene whispered, talking to him silently.
His eyes calmed—and opened in a thundering snap.
As consciousness opened its gates at him, Jack automatically carried his head and coughed out the remaining beach water that entered the inside his pleural cavity. The shocking and sudden stretch of life within him made everyone at ease.
Jack choked. He breathed concisely, gasping intimately for air that he had lost.
"Frost, ya scared the hell out of us!" Merida opened, her face were filled with worry and outrage, her ocean blue eyes nearly teared in fear.
Jack sat silently, his lips were pale and trembling. A towel laid onto his shoulder to provide the warmth he needed at the moment. Finally, Eugene patted his shoulder and smiled. Obviously, he was also exhausted for the drill. His hands felt weak in his sense.
"Glad to have you back." His tone is smooth and appealing. "And please, don't you do that again. We were worried sick."
Jack nodded, unintentionally. He can still feel the pressure in his chest. The way the water drowned him—not the waves, but something familiar that he'd seen before. Dark and frightening... but they don't know. Nothing of them know. Jack decided to keep it to himself and stayed in silent.
He opened his mouth, still trembling.
"T-thank you."
Eugene brought back a concern and genuine smile.
"No problem, bro. At least your safe now."
Once in constant and good physical state, Jack moved into the beach house with Hiccup's assistance—guiding his right arm and shoulder. Hiccup tried to pry over, ask him questions one by one of what had pushed him, almost to drown himself and Jack answers simply—or lied to give alibi, like his feet numb and experienced cramps. Which Hiccup suspected either way.
Jack was sleeping in his chambers, the lights were all turned off and all of the curtains were dragged together. He was changed into new set of dry clothes, the blanket covered his upper limbs and his head out in the open.
All of them were grouped in the living room except for one.
The door creaked softly as it opened widely for the lights to peer in. Rapunzel closed the door behind her and turned on the lights soundlessly. Jack did not move. She watched him in silence.
She just wanted to make sure everything is... okay.
She wanted to see him...
Feel sorry for him.
Rapunzel nudged the grown compact of emotions inside her—it is eating her alive, making her feel guilt in her skin. Rapunzel knew some portion of what happened and half of it is her fault. The way she avoids Jack, the way she shuts the door for him.
Her lips trembled—
"I'm very sorry, Jack." She whispered and left the room.
Jack can hear the small faint audible whispers outside the door. Without the intention of waking up, his eyes slowly opened and adjusted to the gloominess of his room. Without any assumptions, he could hear Rapunzel's voice in the background... it sounded like her. Really.
He shook of the idea.
The doorknob twisted and slid open. Jack cannot fully distinguished who it might be but the whispers of voice, he might possibly know who. Jack gritted his teeth—his jaw tightened.
He should try to open softly to her. Try to bring back their friendship.
Yes. Jack knows.
"Rapunzel." He called faintly but audibly.
"Rapunzel listen, I-I am ver—"
A footstep clawed. The lights brightly gleamed. Jack was left still like a statue on a park. His expressions sloughed off and calmed, rather, slightly disappointed.
"Elsa."
The platinum blonde stood calmly meters from where his bed is. Jack sat in a sitting position and watched her neared him.
"Rapunzel went out for a walk." She explained. "She asked permission for everyone to know." She plastered a small smile.
Elsa pulled a chair beside the bed and sat silently while facing Jack, the other bed were left empty because Hiccup decided to stay a little for the night. Her hair was braided and laid at her right shoulder. Elsa intertwined her fingers, rubbing her thumb against her skin.
Neither of them tried to open conversations for a minute. Jack was gazing directly at the blank wall across—he wanted to be alone and be silenced to whoever he is with. He just wanted... to think. Clear up his mind and make things right.
Jack slowly looked at her but Elsa did not gazed back. Her head bowed down with strands of hair lining up her precious face.
Jack can see her clearly... closer.
"I'm sorry for making you worry." He whispered and pursed his lips.
The fluttering of his heartbeat did not faze him, did not knock on his door. Jack did not felt it like he did before—tugging through his chest like an itch. Now... it was different.
Elsa chuckled softly and lowly. Their stares connected as she gaped her head, looking at him under her light blue orbs.
"To be honest," She said. Jack never took of his eyes over her.
"You worried me the most."
Hearing her voice, his lips slowly curved as a smile hovered on his face. Jack nodded after a few moments of realizing what she just said. He's happy to hear it, delighted to... as a friend.
"Jack, I am really glad your safe." Elsa continued as the worried look on her face faded—and changed into a calm and soft mask.
A sudden tug of string clicks in him. The tone of her voice, the way her brows moved in delusion. Jack gritted his teeth as he looks at her directly. Her blue eyes. He was confused and he don't know why.
Fuck this feeling.
He blinks his eyes as he was pulled by something—his emotion. And tear his gaze away from Elsa, looking blankly at the wall again.
Jack was almost caught off guard as she grabbed his right hand—the one that is covered with bandage, the one that is wounded but she held it in a harmless way. Her fingers brushed like feather's.
Elsa closed his hands as she slipped a bracelet inside Jack's palm. She smiled plainly.
"You left it back at the shore," She said. "When you're still unconscious."
He definitely forgotten it and to say, it is the main reason he was left in the water. Jack cracked his hand open and saw the object clinging into his fingers. Swept clean.
Once Jack were held up to his feet after gaining energy, the bracelet slipped away from his grasps and fell onto the ground. Elsa saw it. The only one who saw it, she believes. She had kept it for a while, dust off the sand and cleaned it with water.
Elsa had seen it before. Worn by someone.
The platinum blonde stared at him, with no pressure, just pure delight and sadness.
"Jack." She called.
The man gazed back. His nose and jaw were sharp on the shadows.
"I've known you for a long time to the extent that I've seen every little details of who you really are." Elsa smiled genuinely.
"Whatever happened, give it back to her. Talk over it." She said. "Fix everything. Not for me, Jack... for you and Rapunzel."
Elsa clasped his hand as a gesture of thankfulness and greatness. Jack felt it. He never expected it from her—to say something worthy, at the tone of her voice, Jack can almost feel the plead and urgency.
Elsa smiled for the last time and stormed out of the room.
And Jack... Jack was left alone and the bracelet he's been holding felt warm in his skin.
****
The lights from the beach house simpered away, fading as Rapunzel took a step forward—through a visible track of path heading towards the inside of the forest.
She wanted to roam and wander around during daytime, not when darkness gleamed over the corners. But Rapunzel wanted to be alone, just this time... right now. Her mind raced, is she going or not? But... never mind.
"Just a few steps and I'll go back. That wouldn't hurt so much." Rapunzel convinced herself as she whispers, pushing her body through the sight of woods in front of her.
"Yes. Yes. Uh-huh. That will be it."
Rapunzel went through in, the only light she got are the rays coming from the moon. The towering lampposts that stood after meters gave a good source of gleam. She stopped—as the wind howled sharply and edgy, like someone is whispering into her ears.
Astonished, Rapunzel turned her feet around, gazed over her shoulders to see the familiar trail she'd passed through...
It was gone.
"Wha—W-What?" Rapunzel began to pant, her chest moved into every heartbeat.
All she could see are trees and woods, with no trail and path. Spread through the soil like blankets. It was dark. As an automatic response, Rapunzel fished through her pockets and snatched her phone. Opened the flashlight as she searches for anything.
She was lost. But she was only meters away from the beach house as she could remember. Rapunzel could at least run through out the woods and into the clearing in no time.
Rapunzel is scared... terrified.
"This is i-impossible." She panted. "H-Hello? Hello!"
Her phone has no signal, for Pete's sake. She's running out of luck. Rapunzel began to moved decidedly, finding her way out in an unfamiliar environment. Her ears were in alert, hearing for anything or something that passes her way.
She was horrified to death.
Run.
Someone whispered. It traveled and swayed together with the wind. Her hair flowed as her head gaped to look for that certain person.
Listen to me child. Run.
Rapunzel covered her ears attentively.
"Anybody there?! Who are you?!"
It was low, craggy and bass. Like an old man reading ancient story to his grandchildren. There is a tint of warning in his voice. Tint of worry and urgency.
Run away from danger. Hide yourself and you must listen to me. I'll be here to guide you, child. Now. Run. Before they come.
Rapunzel's eyes trembled and widen. She didn't want to hear the voice in her ears but she listened to it. Listened to everything he just said. She can feel the intimacy of it—the situation she's in.
Without denial, Rapunzel trudged through and followed the voice. Her feet stepped weakly and trembling, it might be a major response of fear in her body.
Who's coming? What? To imprison her? To hurt her?
Rapunzel have no idea.
The leaves brushed and moved shakily as the wind blew harshly. The swift slap of the wind hushed onto her back. A low raspy deep breathing can now be heard—audible but not too loud.
Rapunzel, with the most foolish idea in her mind, gazed back at the surroundings.
Her eyes widen in fear. Her body snapped in a click—
And the blonde scoffed away with an immensely beating heart. With no one to call out and ask for help. With no one around. Just a voice in her head.
At the far corner of the forest, with the towering trees and woods, its eyes beamed in golden bright color. It inhaled narrowly and grunts. The dark sand flowed concisely like water in a river. With curves and waves.
It was a nightmare... and Pitch sent it to hunt her. Hunt Rapunzel.
****
Author's Note:
Another chapter! I guess I'll have to change the schedule a bit. I'll be updating two chapters, every Sunday and Wednesday. Or, Saturday and Tuesday. Depends. XD Thank youuuuu.
Enjoy reading!
Lots of love :)