Drowning

My sister wanted to go skating on the lake. That was fine, we had done it a million times before. 

My mother smiled and told us to be careful when we asked, my sister was ecstatic; she hadn't been to the lake for a year as she had been sick the last time it froze over. 

I grinned and reassured my mother that we would as my sister grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door, skates in hand. 

It took us five minutes to reach the lake, another five to strap our skates on and then we were on the ice, my sister grinning hugely. 

I laughed and spun around her making her giggle and call me a show off. To retaliate she skated away from me towards the middle of the lake. 

That's when it happened. 

I heard the ice shudder and creak as she neared the middle of the lake and I shouted at her to stop. She slid to a halt and saw the ice cracking underneath her, she panicked. 

She turned back to me with fear in her crystal eyes and I immediately began to remove my socks and skates as she pleaded for me to get her off the lake. 

My feet touched the cold ice and I winced but carefully made my way towards her, wincing at every crack the ice made. 

I had to save her. No one else knew of the peril we were in, the  lake should have been frozen solid by now. 

I slowly slid towards her, offering reassurances. My feet slipped and I gasped and only just righted myself, she let out a son and I forced a smile onto my face,

"It's going to be okay, you're not gonna fall in."

Chapter 2

Her scared eyes met mine and I made my smile stay in place as I inched towards her, ice cracking warningly under my bare feet. 

I was inches away from her now, I reached out towards her and whispered,

"I need you to work with me, I can't get any closer. I need you to be really brave and take three big steps, okay?"

She nodded and swallowed before moving her foot slowly, the ice cracked and she gasped,

"It's okay, it's okay. Just two more steps."

She weakly took another step and another crack shuddered the lake, my fingers were inches from her now and she then took one more step...

My hands locked around her and I swung, throwing her away from the center of the lake as gently as I could. The momentum carried me backwards but I didn't care, my sister was safe. 

She landed almost on the edge of the lake and looked up, grinning toothily. 

I opened my mouth to speak but my breath left me in a rush as the ice cracked underneath me and I was flung backwards. 

Chapter 3

My head hit the water first, the splash muffled as water filled my ears, then my eyes and nose. 

I wanted to cough, but knew if I did then I would lose the little air I had. I kicked and pushed at the water desperately but nothing happened, as if some invisible force as dragging me down. 

My head began to feel fuzzy and my throat and lungs burned for air, I felt my lids turn heavy and let them slid closed as my efforts to reach the surface proved futile. 

As my world blackened a single thought crossed my mind,

'So this is what drowning feels like'

~~~~~~~~~~<>~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up, and sincerely wished I hadn't. 

Light burned into my closed eyelids and erupted a fiery pain in my head. I groped wildly at it in an attempt to sooth the pain but my efforts were halted by a weight on my lower arm. 

A sweet voice reached me and I paused,

"There, there. It's okay, little one. You are safe."

The voice was unfamiliar and yet calming and the light was shuddered at the same time as her words halted me. 

I relaxed and my arms fell back to my side as I was sucked into a deep sleep. 

Chapter 4

I woke slowly, a soothing calm cover my mind like a blanket and I would have been quite happy to stay right where I was if the same voice from before hasn't reached me,

"Are you awake?"

I felt the urge to respond and made an effort to open my eyes. After a few tries they slid open slowly and I was met by the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. 

She looked like she was my age, soft golden hair fell over her shoulders in waves and her crystal blue eyes held kindness and concern. She smiled when she saw I was awake and the whole room seemed to light up,

"Welcome back!"

I smiled stiffly and moved to sit up, expecting to feel sore and tired. I was slightly surprised when I felt nothing, as if I was just getting up on any ordinary day to go exploring with my sister. 

My sister!

I shot up and the girl gasped,

"Easy there. What's the matter, huh?"

I turned my cobalt eyes on her and grabbed her shoulders, 

"My sister! Where is my sister?"

She smiled,

"She's fine. You saved her."

I let out a gasp of air and flopped back on the bed, feeling suddenly drained. 

My eyes tracked the swirling patterns on the roof and a question came to mind. 

I turned to the girl who was watching me as she hummed quietly,

"Where am I?"

She tilted her head slightly and smiled,

"In the Lifestream, silly."

I felt my throat go dry and fell back on the bed again as years came to my eyes and I closed them. A single line tracked down my face and a son wracked my body. 

I had saved my sister but had failed to save myself.