It was December the 14th. Barry and iris were 16, still at high school. Barry was sitting on a small couch, sipping a cup of warm coffee at home. Joe was standing up leaning against the dining table whilst drinking eggnog. Iris was taking a shower upstairs. It was quiet. Only the radio was playing quietly in the background. "Barry I thought I told you to buy me some milk from the shop." Said joe, thinking of a possible excuse Barry could make up that time. "I did." answered Barry looking very confused. Barry took another sip of coffee. "No you didn't. You didn't get the right type of milk anyway. What have you gotta say to that?" Replied Joe, getting annoyed.
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't know you wanted a specific type of milk. Then again I should've known due to how much you expect me to do stuff these days." Exclaimed Barry. Joe raised his eyebrows and said, "Bartholomew Henry Allen, if you ever talk to me like that you'll be grounded for a year!".
"It's true though." Muttered Barry under his breath. Barry thought joe didn't hear but he was wrong. "Barry go to your room! I'm not letting you talk to me like that. You've done enough already".
"No" Barry simply answered.
"Now!" said joe sharply.
"I'm so fed up of you treating me like crap! I do everything for you! And you barely even pay me back! I can't cope with this anymore! I'm done." Cried Barry. He got up, speed walked towards the door. "Barry!" Shouts Joe. But its too late. Barrys already gone.
Joe still stands there, five minutes later. "Damn" he moans and wipes the sweat of his forehead. "What should I do? Shall I go after him or leave him to think?" Thinks joe. There is a footstep noice that gets louder and closer by the minute. Iris comes down the stairs, all dressed. She walks towards the front door. "Where do you think your going? I'm not gonna loose another kid am I?" Asked joe. "You really think I didn't hear that? Im going after Barry of course. He'll come back to me. I know it." Replied Iris. Before joe could stop her, she left the house.
Barry stands alone in a street. All the shops are still lit up, the sky is dark. He slowly starts walking, picking up his pace. Barry gives up with going through the pain. The pain of waking up to another argument with joe and being controlled every single day. Without knowing where he's going, he just carries on walking.
Trying not to think about how much pain Barry could be feeling, iris runs. She must find her Barry and return him home. She walks down an empty street called Highland Avenue where all the houses lights are switched on looking nice and cosy. All of a sudden, she stops. She turns her head to the left. She could see a huge Forrest. The dark silhouettes of trees stand skinny and tall. "Why do I feel like he's down there.." wondered iris out loud. Of she goes, scrambling down into the mysterious Forrest. Her pace quickens as she enters.
Joe watched the clock. Not knowing when his children are going to arrive back home. Not knowing what to do, he phones up the CCPD. His new boss Captain Singh, who is really young and just got his job, answers the phone and Joe explains everything that's happened. "Yes a search party would be great thank you. Phone me if you find them. Bye." Joe ends the phone call. More stressed then ever, he picks up his jacket and goes looking for his children himself.
Leaning against an ageing tree, Barry stares ahead. From the view, you can see a frozen lake that's lit up by the moon. A small shack is just awkwardly there. Trees surround the frozen lake. It looks so beautiful. Barry set off towards the lake. As soon as he arrived there, he heard something. SNAP. Barry span around to find iris standing where he just was a few moments ago. She desperately ran towards him. Her arms instantly went round his neck and hugged him. "Thank god your okay! I've been so worried!" Cried iris in tears. "I'm sorry...I uhh.." was the only thing Barry could say. "I know it hard for you. You'll get through it." Reassured iris, finally letting go of Barrys neck. Barry looked across the moonlit frozen lake. "It's so beautiful" said iris, noticing Barry looking. "Yep... what's in there?" He said pointing towards the small shack. They walk across the solid ground towards the shack. Inside, were two pairs of ice skates. "Perfect" Barry thought. "Shall we?" He asked, hinting to go ice skating with her. "Is..is it safe?" squeaked Iris. "Of course" chuckled Barry. "I don't know how to ice skate" she confessed, her cheeks glowing pink. "I'll show you" said Barry whilst feeling deeply in love with the girl he's standing next to.
The police car speeds across Washington Street. Getting more nervous by the minute, Joe eagerly searches for his children. The search party haven't found anything at all either. It was like they disappeared of the face of the Earth. He starts to drive down a place called Highland Avenue. As he drives down the avenue, he sees skinny but tall trees on his left. Feeling that something is suspicious in the Forrest, he parks up his car and heads out into the Forrest.
Back in the Forrest, Barry was teaching iris how to ice skate. "Come on! Don't just hold onto me!"laughed Barry while iris was holding his waist like she was gonna fall and die. "Just push, push and glide. It's as simple as that!"
"No it isn't Barry! I can't do this!" Cried iris. "Yes you can! I believe that you can do it! Don't let me down now, your doing really well." Said Barry. As she heard him say that, Iris slowly gets up, trying to get her balance back. She squeezes Barry's hand tightly. Together they slowly skate across the moonlit lake. Iris gets more confident as she skates and soon she lets go of his hand. They skate, making patterns on the ice getting quicker each minute. Iris spins around professionally which amazes Barry. They separate for a bit but then they glide towards each other and grab hold if each other. Iris's arms instantly go round his neck again. Barry's hands instantly go round her waist. They stare into each others eyes for what feels like an internity. But something in the corner of Barry's eye moves. He turns his head to find joe's figure standing on the frozen ground. It was very unusual. Barry new he had to face joe again. "Come on iris."he said, directing her back across the lake. When they arrived at the end of the frozen lake, joe's expression on his face was unexplainable.