The ice began to crack. Zola screamed. Wila screamed, too, unsure if she should run for help or stay to help her sister. Zola screamed again. Wila grabbed a branch and flopped onto her stomach. She inched out onto the ice praying the ice would hold. She stretched out as far as her arm would go but the branch wasn't long enough.
The ice cracked again, louder this time and Zola screamed. Wila looked up as Zola shot down through the hole in the ice. “No!” She inched further onto the ice, ignoring the frozen chill settling into her body. She ignored her chattering teeth and the icy rawness of her exposed face.
The ice cracked once more. Very close to Wila. She stopped and remained still. Willing the ice to stop cracking but the sun above was leaving puddles on the surface. Wila inched forward again, moving faster. She didn't have time to be so cautious anymore. Zola's head bobbed up to the surface. She looked blue. She was too cold to scream but her eyes glazed with fear.
The ice cracked right beneath Wila. She didn't have time to scream before plunging into the icy depths. The shock stole her breath. She struggled to grasp the slick ice. She turned to see where Zola was but couldn't see her head bobbing in the water anymore. “Zola!” Her scream drifted into the emptiness.
The ice cracked every time Wila grabbed hold. It was no longer solid. There was no way to crawl across it anymore. They were out in the middle of the pond. So far to swim and claw their way across the chunks of ice. And Zola. Where was Zola?
The ice cracked one last time. The sun melted the ice chunks around Wila, yet the icy water remained cold. She knew there wasn't much time. She'd have to dive down, but would she be able to make it back up. She couldn't think of that now. She dove down, grabbed Zola and pushed off the bottom as hard as her legs would allow. She shot out of the surface, clasping Zola's limp body tightly. Blocking out all else, she swam one armed toward the shore. She didn't hear the screams or see the people running out of the woods. She only saw the shore and felt the weight of her sister's life.
Strong hands lifted her and Zola easily out of the water. They were both wrapped in many warm blankets and laid down next to a roaring fire. When did this all get here? Wila thought.
“You're safe now Wila.” A familiar voice said close to her ear. “And you saved Zola. She'll be alright.”
Wila could only manage a weak smile before succumbing to the sleepiness.
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