How do I get myself into these situations? What's worse; my sister was with me. Curse my luck. I stared across the cracking ice pond into the eyes of my sister, full of fear and terror. I turned my eyes away for a second to place my pair of ice skates beside me out of my way. She whimpered.

"It's okay, it's okay," I sooth her, raising my hand in her direction. I noticed she kept looking down at the cracks. "Don't look down, just look at me." She was shaking as the cracks slightly became larger underneath her ice skates as she stayed as still as possible.

"Jackie, I'm scared," she whimpered, looking up at me for a split second before watching the ice once more.

I nodded my head. "I know, I know," I replied, moving a foot forward. However, when I applied a small amount of pressure to the ice, it began cracking. Focusing back on my sister, I continued. "But you're gonna be alright." I gave her a small smile. "You're not gonna fall in." I quickly thought up of something. "Uh, we're gonna have a little fun instead!" I spread my arms to prove a point. Instantly, she was shaking her head.

"No, we're not!" she cried, trying to keep her balance steady.

I gave a small sigh. "I'm not trying to trick you-" she cut me off.

"Yes, you always play tricks!"

"Well, alright, w-well not this time," I told her. "I promise, I promise, you're gonna be..." she gave me a hopeful look with those frightened eyes of hers, and I was more determined to get her out of here safely by tenfold. "You're gonna be fine. You have to believe in me." I almost pleaded to her. She looked at me with hope and faith as she let out a breath.

I suddenly thought of an idea; one that might take her mind off the ice.

With newfound determination, I reached out to her with a questioning look. "You wanna play a game?" After a stare of confusion, I continued. "We're gonna play Hopscotch; like we play every day." Looking over to my right, I saw a long thick stick that hooked at the end; which reminded me a lot of a shepherd's staff. That could come in handy, so I began moving over to it. "It's as easy as; one," I paused as the ice cracked underneath my bare foot, but casting a quick glance over at my sister, I pretended I was losing my balance in the most dramatic way possible, "Whoa!" I smiled when she giggled and laughed at my performance. "Two." Almost there… I made one last jump towards the stick. "Three!" Made it. I crouched down and grabbed the stick and held it out towards her with both hands.

"Now, it's your turn." She suddenly became apprehensive. "One." She put one foot forward and gasped in fright as the ice started to crack.

"That's it, that's it," I encouraged her on. I looked on; hoping to whoever was out there that she'd come out of this unharmed and safe.

"Two." Another foot was put forward and she snapped her head up to me in a look of intense fear. Seeing my opportunity, I quickly brought the stick forward just as I said "Three!" and hooked the end around her waist and practically threw her away onto thicker ice, using my own body weight in the swing which ended with me on my rear around where she stood not a moment ago and her sprawled on the ground on her stomach. We looked up at each other with smiles on our faces. I stood up with a relieved laugh and grin and began forward to my sister with an outstretched hand. However, Fate was not on my side. The ice cracked profusely immediately after I moved and I fell into the freezing water, not having a chance to get air into my lungs, but what was the use? Before I was completely submerged in the pond, I heard my younger sister shout out my name in horror, and then there was… nothing. I couldn't move; I was frozen stiff, and my breath left me from the coldness, so I had no air, no oxygen left in my lungs.

…I guess… this is it… I fulfilled my promise to keep her safe but in return, it cost me my life. I guess… it isn't so bad… at least she is alive. I began to feel numbness creeping through my body; everything around me began to fade into darkness, though not the moon. Oh, not the moon. It shone brightly as the only light source in this dark emptiness… it was quite beautiful really…

As my eyes began to close on their own accord, I faintly noticed a silhouette of a person coming closer before I knew no more.