"I don't have a suitcase," she sighed.

He moved back to her closet door, revealing a large, navy blue rolling suitcase that he had somehow managed to hide. She shook her head at herself. She had just been paying more attention to him than her surroundings. Lifting it up, he placed it on top of her bed, pushing the forgotten baseball bat off the bed. "Crisis averted," he declared. "Now, pack! Pack like your very life depends on it!" he shouted in a playfully angry tone. When she flinched back a little automatically, he lowered his voice, expression regretful. "Sorry. I didn't mean it in a bad way. I'm just very impatient and I didn't receive the welcome I was expecting."

She straightened, moving to the foot of her bed, but making sure to keep a distance of five feet from him. "Anything I should know before I start packing?" she asked, resigned.

"Well, first I suggest you put on a winter coat, and a sweater if you have it. I also suggest that you pack all your winter-weather clothes. You can always get new, warmer-weather outfits later. But for now, I don't want you to die of frostbite. So pack for a very cold winter. Also, you will never return to this place, so make sure you take anything of great importance."

She froze at the last of his words. She desperately wanted to shout at him and scream that he was wrong, but something told her that she shouldn't push him anymore for now. "You seem pretty sure about that," she settled with muttering.

He looked at her side-long, still standing by the bed. "Yes. I'm absolutely certain. I have no more need to have this place secured for you."

She blinked, staring at him. "Uh...what?"

He shook his head. "You, packing, now," he grumbled.

Nodding her head, she fell quiet. She moved about her room, packing as he had suggested. It took her awhile, digging through all her things to find her winter clothes. It was late August now, the new school year having just started. She was a junior, even if she had only been going to school for a week now. She had no idea what would happen with her school, but for now she was more focused on her grandmother. Her hands shook a little, clutching a shirt she had been folding, at the worry that coursed through her. Jack better not be lying about Nana, she thought darkly. If so...

She finished with all her clothes and moved to her valuables. She placed her cell phone into the pocket of her jeans, surprised that Jack made no argument to her keeping it on her person. She put her phone charger in one of the front pockets of the suitcase. Moving over to her dresser, she paused, staring at the two photos she had.

One was of her father, who she remembered very little about, the only photo she had left of him. He was standing inside a room she could only very distantly recall as being his study. He was leaning against a large bookcase, holding a book and glancing up slyly at the camera, his shaggy blonde hair almost in his eyes. He had a warm smile, a happy light in his hazel eyes. He was wearing one of those large, tacky-looking sweaters. He had on black sweat pants, along with a pair of thick woolen brown socks. He looked nothing like the college professor he had been. She smiled fleetingly, lifting it up from the dresser and running her fingertips over it gently.

"He was a very good man," the voice broke into her bubble of bitter-sweet reminiscence.

She lowered her hand, turning her head to look at Jack. He was watching her, a quiet expression on his face. "I'm glad to hear you say so. I can't really remember much about him. I was very young when I lost him." She didn't feel like arguing with him over how he supposedly knew her father and that he was dead.

She turned her attention back to the top of the dresser. The only other photo was of herself when she was three or four. She was standing on top of a hill, holding out two fingers in a V, grinning widely. She been wearing a red summer dress, shoulder-length brown hair tossed in the wind. At her bare feet was a wide-brimmed white sunhat. 

Sitting down next to her was a boy, about the same age as her. He had bright green eyes, dark brown hair, and slightly sun-tanned skin. He wore a black shirt with race car-style flames all over it. His jeans were scuffed, with holes in them. He too was barefoot, though his white tennis shoes were evident in the photo, looking as if they had been kicked off his feet. He had his free hand up, waving and smiling at the camera.

She had always wondered who the boy in the photo was, but she had been much too young to remember him. They were the only two photos left, the only ones that her father had sent to her grandmother-her last living relative. Her dad died when she was five. Her mom died in childbirth. Her dad was an only child, as was her mother. Her maternal grandparents died in a car accident shortly after her dad and mom started dating. Her dad had sent these photos to her grandmother.

She grabbed both photos and moved back to her bed. Taking out a few of the shirts, she wrapped the photos up in them. Satisfied that they would be a little more protected from breaking, she closed up the suitcase. Lifting her head up, she glanced around the room. Her eyes fell upon her bookcase. On the middle shelf, she had a small jewelry box. Moving over to it, she opened the lid. She had a few rings, earring sets, necklaces, and bracelets that she had collected or gained over the years. But there was only two that really mattered to her. Both had been gifts from her father, and though she did not always wear them, she was careful to keep track of them.

Pulling out the first necklace, she laid it out on the shelf next to the box. It was a very light blue aquamarine stone cut into a teardrop shape, about the size of her entire thumb. At the very top and bottom of the front of the stone, tiny diamonds had been placed in a way that resembled how frost crept along windows. The back of the stone was completely encased in the frost-like diamonds, acting as a case to hold the stone in, which was all attached to a silver chain.

The second necklace was shaped like a snowflake. The very center was a brilliant side-ways square cut aquamarine stone, brighter than the other necklace, encased inside a silver flower-like shape. Two small diamonds each made up the petals of the flower. In between each flower petal were the longer, snowflake part of the necklace. At the end of each, all six, was an oval aquamarine, the same color as the larger one in the middle. It too was on a silver chain.

She couldn't remember much of her father, but she did remember his nickname for her. Snowflake. She smiled again at the thought. She had no real idea why her father would have given her the name, except perhaps for her love of all things winter, most especially the snow. But, whatever his reason, Nana had adopted the tradition and called her the same at times.

She stared at the two necklaces for a few seconds before beginning to put the snowflake one on. A finger on her shoulder made her pause.

"Let me help you," Jack murmured. She felt a shaft of protectiveness shoot through her at first. She didn't really want a stranger touching what was precious to her. But she saw no real reason to deny him. Sighing, she nodded her thanks. She moved her hand back behind her head, lifting up her hair to give him better access to her neck and leaning her head forward slightly. His fingertips as they brushed along her skin were a little chilly, making her shiver. Once he had secured the first necklace, he reached over her shoulder and grabbed the second, placing it on her as well.

She felt him step back and lowered her hair back down. She turned to face him, glancing down as she did. The snowflake's chain was an inch shorter than the frost droplet. They both rest on top of her dark purple sweater she had pulled on over her shirt, against her breasts. Her gaze rose to meet his.

He was staring at her necklaces, an unreadable expression on his face. After a few silent, awkward seconds, he flashed a faint smile. "They look good on you." His tone was oddly quiet and subdue. She blinked, a little startled at how normal of a response he had given.

"Thank you," she whispered sincerely.

He lifted his gaze slightly, staring directly into her eyes. "You're so beautiful, Nisha. You take my breath away. If I could only stare at you for the rest of eternity, I would be content."

She blushed crimson, unable to think of a response to his serious words. Instead she changed the subject. "I-I'm done packing."

He nodded, his face brightening into the cheerful, excited expression that seemed to be normal for him. "Right. Put on one of your sweaters and your heaviest winter coat, gloves, and scarf." It took her a few minutes, leaving her bedroom and moving into the small living room of her apartment, to do so. She came back, bundled up in a crimson coat, black scarf, and gloves. He looked her over, making sure that her things met his approval.

Finally he smiled. He grabbed hold on her suitcase and handed it out to her. After a second, she took it, resting it against her left side. He stared at her hard for another heartbeat. "Alright, Nisha. This is the fun but tricky part. I'm going to wrap you in my arms and you are going to have to hold on tightly to your suitcase. Don't let it go, do you understand?"

She blinked, a little confused. "I don't really like the idea of you holding me. Why is this required?"

He grinned. "Trust me, you'll be very grateful to me for doing so. You'll see why in just a second. And whether you like it or not, it's going to happen. So, just remember, hold on tight." Saying this, he stepped forward, moving around behind her. His arms came around her middle, pressing her much closer than she wanted to be against him. Like this, it was evident he was taller than her, by about half a foot or so. She herself was five' five', so he couldn't be much more than six feet. The top of her head was just below his jaw. "Ready on three," he said quickly.

"One..."

She gulped, moving the suitcase in front of her, feeling insanely nervous for some reason.

"Two..."

She gripped the handle of the suitcase with both hands, curling her fingers tightly.

"Three..." his voice said softly.

Her eyes widened and she let out a squeak of terror at what happened next.

The temperature in the room dropped to the extremes, easily into the negatives. She was too afraid to look behind her but she could feel the nails of the hands Jack had around her length into claws, poking against her heavy coat. She glanced down and saw the frost coming out from his feet once again, though at a much faster rate than before. The wind picked up until it was a raging blizzard all around them. All she could see was white and she could barely feel anything as the cold seeped into her bones. She let out a tiny sob of terror and panic.

The endless white was all around her, making her blind and deaf. It was so thick, swirling, surrounding her; she couldn't make out any sounds.

She faintly felt claws digging into her coat and a voice that somehow echoed and cut through the deafening silence of the blizzard. "Hold on tight, Nisha. Try not to panic too badly, alright? I'll be with you the entire time, holding you."

The voice faded away and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, feeling almost nauseous. Her sense of direction and place was completely off-kilter. In fact, she couldn't tell if she was moving or not. All she knew was cold, wind, ice, and snow. Her world narrowed down to the very little feeling she could feel in her fingers, holding onto something...she couldn't really remember.

Her mind began to slow from the sheer cold as her body temperature dropped to dangerous levels. She let out a quiet breath that was instantly swallowed up by the blizzard as her consciousness gave out.

O O O

When next she woke up, she was warm again. She let out a sigh of relief, basking in the warmth.

A gasp nearby made her slowly open her eyes. She was met with a very familiar pair of grey eyes, exactly like hers. The eyes were framed by shoulder-length blonde-grey hair, behind a pair of thick square-cut glasses. "Nisha!" Nana exclaimed in happy relief, leaning down over her and taking her into a surprisingly strong hug. "Oh, Snowflake, you had me worried. You were so cold...I was terrified..." her voice trailed off as she turned her head.

Nisha heard the sound of a door opening. "I'm glad that she's finally woken up," a vaguely familiar voice began. "Dinner should be ready soon."

Nisha tried to sit up, feeling incredibly stiff. "D-dinner?" she repeated in surprise. "H-how...long h-have I been sleeping?"

Nana pushed her back down. "No, Nisha, you should keep resting for now. You've been sleeping for the past two days," she told her. "I was getting so scared. I don't know what I'll do if I loose you too, sweetie."

Nisha shook her head. "I'm just glad you're alright. I was so worried. The man took you away, didn't he? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Nisha gripped her arm tightly.

Her grandmother stared down at her for several silent seconds. Her head slowly turned away, looking toward the voice from before. Despite herself, Nisha's still weary brain couldn't quite place how she knew it. She tried to move to look at the visitor, but her body was still too stiff to really do what she wanted. "I...I'm perfectly fine, Snowflake. Don't you worry your pretty little head. Nothing bad has happened to me."

She let out another sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good. I was ready to kill the man if it had."

Nana's lips lifted into a quick grin. "Quite a sight that would be, I believe. Now, Nisha, I'm going to sit back down. My knees are aching too much for me to keep standing. I'm sorry, darling."

Nisha shook her head as her grandmother moved away, out of her reach. "It's alright. Honestly, I think I may go back to sleep for a little bit. My mind is still so...hazy...I can't really...concentrate..." Her eyes closed heavily as sleep slammed into her as hard as a bullet.

O O O

Her lashes fluttered open. The first thing she became aware of was a cold presence close by. The next, as her eyes opened fully, was a pair of bright blue eyes. After a few more heartbeats, her gaze focused a little more and she was able to recognize a little grin attached to those blue eyes. She let out a soft huff of breath, half-captivated by the blue that seemed to fill her world.

She blinked, her mind coming fully awake. "W-what?" she asked, her voice harsh with dryness and disuse.

"Awake again, I see. That's good. Also, very timely. I just came in with a plate of soup and here you are, waking up to my arrival. Oh, I always knew we were connected on a deeper level."

The grin, the cheerful, happy voice, the blue eyes..."J-Jack?" she whispered uncertainly.

The grin shifted into a warm smile at the sound of it's name. "Yes indeed, hjarta mítt." His voice dipped into a serious, relieved tone. "I'm truly thankful that you made it. I was..." he shook his head, grimacing. "Unfortunately you'll have to get a new winter coat. Your other one was ruined. But that shouldn't be too much trouble. Now, do you think you can eat without help?"

She blinked, slowly taking in his words. "W-where am I? How did I get here? W-where's Nana?" she asked, panicking.

He sighed. "I get the feeling you won't move on until I answer. Okay, how about this. While you eat, I'll answer your questions and let you know what's going on, alright? You can't back out midway through. You have to make sure you eat all of your food, okay? Is it a deal?"

She blinked rapidly a few times, digesting his words. After a second she nodded. "Fair enough. But..." she blushed slightly, hating the weakness of her body. "C-can you please h-help me up?"

He nodded, smiling briefly. "Sure thing." He reached out, sliding his arms around her back, supporting her as she slowly lifted herself up. Once she was sitting up, she glanced around the room. She was in a room that looked quite similar to what she had back in her small apartment. In fact, the bedroom was laid out in a way that was almost a little creepily similar to her own. Shaking her head, she decided it was just another thing to chalk up to Jack's stalking. Though, it did make her feel very uneasy that he had known something as intimate and personal as the layout and the general decorations and style of her bedroom.

The room was done in an icy-blue, just as her bedroom was, with white borders on the bottom. Her bed was a full size, with winter-themed coverlets and pillow cases. To the left of the bed, which was in the very center of the room, was a door, as well as one to the right. Five feet away from the right door was a dark chestnut dresser, with her two photos already unpacked and sitting on top of it. On the left side of the room, ten feet away from the door on that side was a matching bookcase, though it was a little wider and taller than the one she had. Sitting on the middle shelf was another jewelry box, though it was much fancier looking than what she had. There weren't a lot of books on the bookcase, but she noticed quite a few were ones she had in her bedroom.

Against the wall directly across from the bed, which held the door to the bedroom itself, was a desk. The desk matched the rest of the furniture, though it was empty of any decorations. There were even a few posters up on the walls of her favorite bands, anime, movies, and TV shows. Just like what she had at home. A few of the posters were different designs, though the same group or show was still being displayed.

"Well," she said sarcastically, "this isn't creepy in the slightest."

He chuckled, grinning a little, though she was surprised to see he looked slightly embarrassed. "I was hoping a more familiar environment would help you...adjust better," he explained.

She gulped, a touch of fear running down her spine. That's right, she reminded herself. He's a stalker, a kidnapper. Who knows what sick, twisted fantasies he has in that strange head of his. He probably wants to hide me away for the rest of my life, like in those movies. No, she couldn't let that happen.

He frowned, seeming to realize how his choice of words had affected her. "I didn't mean it like that, silly. But, whatever. Think what you will for now. C'mon, a deal's a deal. Let's get you started on eating your soup." He leaned forward, shifting from where he had been sitting on the edge of the bed. Resting on a bedside table was a little tray, the type with the legs to either side. On top of the tray was a hearty bowel of still steaming chicken noodle soup and a few small slices of bread. He carefully set the tray over her lap, smiling briefly. "There you go. Now, ask away, as long as you eat up. If you want a drink, I'll pass you a cup of water, just ask."

She nodded. "Thank you. I'll actually take a drink of water now, please." After he had grabbed the cup and let her take a few sips from the straw in it, he placed it back. "Thanks again. Okay, first question. Where's Nana?"

He nodded approvingly. "Just what I'd expect from you, now that you've calmed down a little. Looking out for you grandmother. So admirable..." She glared at him. "Uh, yeah, sorry. Last I checked, she was sitting down and enjoying her own dinner."

After a few more seconds, during which she had another spoonful of soup, she nodded. "Alright. Next question, how did we get here so quickly?"

"We traveled in style, of course. Via my very own blizzard," he laughed at her expression of bemused shock. "Why do you think you've been put on bed rest? You've been recovering from the cold for the past two days. Though, by the looks of it, you'll be just fine. No permanent damage or anything, which is great."

She glanced down at herself in worry. For the first time she noticed that she was wearing different clothes. They were a pair of her warmer pajamas she had packed. A simple black flannel shirt and pants, with red cherries printed all over them. She was relieved to see that she still wore her two necklaces. "Y-you didn't...?"

He shook his head. "Oh, I wish...But no. Nana did the honors of stripping you and dressing you again. Though I did offer to help. She is getting on in years and I thought she might need some help lifting your weight, slight though it might be." He grinned at her outraged gasp. "Worry not for your innocence, lovely maiden. This dark villain has not stolen it...yet."

She swallowed another spoonful, reaching out to hit at his arm. "No, no. Not at all, never!" she growled in anger.

He looked a little hurt. "Come now. My face isn't that horrible to look at. And I promise, my body is all the better."

Her face flushed. "Please stop."

He sighed, his head lowering slightly. "Alright. I'll pause my teasing...for five minutes, I suppose."

She glared again, but choose to change the subject. "So, now that those have been answered, I have another question. Where am I?"

"Why, Nisha, you're in another dimension. Well, another world, I suppose would be a little more accurate." His voice revealed that he couldn't wait to see how she was going to react to his words.