Chapter 8

"We call a child's mind "small" simply by habit; perhaps it is larger than ours is, for it can take in almost anything without effort."– Christopher Morley

Aspen – 2 years ago

It wasn't the shock of the ice cold water but of the deep extending darkness that disorientated Caroline. The blackness enclosed her completely, inky tendrils hungering to reach inside and extinguish her body's meagre spark. The silence smothered logical thought so she decided to float for a while, regroup until she was able to better plan. Irrationally her morbid musings got her thinking about the colour of her casket. Would it be open or closed? Likely closed; she'd watched enough TV to know those who drowned looked pretty bad. If Cassidy picked black, Caroline would kill her. Come back as a ghost and find a way to physically kill her. Or at least she'd make her own dead body move at the funeral, flip open the lid, or do something equally risqué. Imagining the look on her sister's face, she grinned at the potential of otherworldly pranks.

Something slimy brushed her arm.

Kicking backwards in blind panic, she propelled herself away from the unknown object until she found herself under a beam of light. Puzzled by its presence, she looked up and suddenly realised how far away the surface seemed.

The surface!

Reality interjected; Caroline actually remembering where she was. That awareness led to recognition of a burning pain – lungs desperately screaming for air. She kicked again but this time upwards, beginning a laborious fight with the darkness determined not to let her go. Halfway up, valuable seconds were spent shirking off her jacket, Caroline thanking her foul mood for leaving it unbuttoned when she'd set out on her trek. Shoes followed, fashionably untied laces making it a synch to cast them off as well. Finally, almost ready to give up her sluggish ascent, she broke the surface.

Desperately inhaling a lungful of air, she tried to latch onto a piece of ice, but tipping vertically under her weight it sent her plunging down again. This time the darkness appeared lighter in places as if her eyes could now discern its various shades. The silence was hushed, soothing rather than overwhelming, as though having studied its prey the water changed its tactics. Instead of invading, it seduced, caressing Caroline with gentle lukewarm fingers.

That snapped her out of her reverie.

Taking note of her surroundings, she reviewed the situation.

Middle of winter? Check.

Ice? She glanced up just to make sure. Check.

No jacket and shoes? Check.

Lukewarm?!

Habit prompted her to reach out a hand to test the water – she'd had colder showers. They'd read about warm currents in geography class but this was absurd. Feeling the burn of her lungs, she struggled to the surface once again. Inhaling, she ignored the ice this time, sinking back down, curiosity propelling her further out to the centre of the lake. Maybe it was just this spot and she'd gotten lucky, maybe --

It wasn't until she resurfaced some way out that she admitted that it hadn't been a fluke. The water wasn't chilly, and now that she truly thought on it, the air was pretty warm as well. She puzzled over how strange this was. Wait till she told --

Cassidy.

Suddenly remembering her sister's frantic cries she hurriedly swam back towards the ice.

"Are you crazy?! What the hell are you doing?!" Cassidy re-surfaced with a yell, stunned to find herself deliberately tipped into the water.

Caroline's unrepentant grin only added to her anger and worry.

"Wha…are you trying to kill us both? We've got to get out of here! Hang on." Spinning round whilst treading water, Cassidy made a futile grab for the ice.

The edge crumbled in her hands.

"Why?" Caroline's ridiculous question spun her round to confront her sister.

"Why? Oh my god, you've been in the water way too long! David's told me stories before. He said hypothermia…and you aren't thinking…and now I'm not thinking…because I can't even…" Cassidy began to hyperventilate in panic.

"Cass. Cass, look at me. Come on!" Getting no reaction, Caroline forcefully ran her hand along the surface of the water, a resultant spray of droplets showering Cassidy's face.

Spluttering in indignation, Cassidy shouted, "Caro, I swear…"

Caroline continued to grin. "How cold are you right now?"

"How cold? Freezing! Do you know the temperature of this lake in winter? Because that guidebook I picked up…" Cassidy tailed off at the sight of her sister's widening smirk. "What? What the hell's so funny? Caro, honestly, if you don't stop…"

"Caaasssiidddyyy." Caroline drawled her name ever so slowly, the exact way that irritated Cassidy to no end. "How. Cold. Are. You. Right. Now?" Each word was punctuated by playful swipes, each one soaking Cassidy a little more.

Now drenched by both water and fury, Cassidy redoubled her efforts to climb up onto the ice. Her sister was officially stark raving mad; it would serve her right if she left her there to drown. Actually, it would be sweeter to help her out, leaving her to freeze out on the ice. No, even better, Cassidy would rescue her then tell their mother about that expensive vase Caroline broke at Easter. Now that was certain to wipe the smirk off her sister's face.

"Fine, suit yourself," was uttered from behind her. "I'll just continue my lovely swim while you go on huffing and puffing over there. If you need me, you know where I'll be." The words were followed by an ominous splash.

"Caro?" Turning round, Cassidy was met by the still expanse of water. "Caro, this isn't funny. Caro?" Hesitant, she vacillated between safety and danger, weighing up which choice was smarter. Coming to a predictable conclusion, she sighed that birth tasked her with keeping her sister out of trouble.

The minute she dove under again, she spotted the horizontal sliver of light that twinkled in the distance. The fact that its source didn't seem to originate from the surface prompted Caroline to have a closer look. Propelling herself forward, Cassidy was temporarily forgotten. The closer she got the more the light appeared to gently shimmer, ripples running along its length. All of a sudden, it began to slowly open, like a dormant eye coming awake at last.

She strained to see but the light was so entirely blinding that she couldn't distinguish what it revealed. All she was sure of was that, whatever this was, she wanted to be part of it. Suddenly, she was roughly yanked back, her sister's gaze encountering her own. Motioning with her hand, Cassidy indicated they should resurface. As if sensing her reluctance to do so, Cassidy's tugging became more insistent, Caroline eventually giving in.

"What. Is that?" Cassidy gasped out, inhaling deeply between words.

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like this."

"Caro, we shouldn't be here. I don't know how we can…" She indicated the water as if unsure of what to say. "…and why it feels…but I am sure there's an explanation…and Mum will be so mad if we --"

Caroline wavered at the mention of Miranda's anger, her hand unconsciously clutching the pendant in her jeans. As soon as she did so, a tremor rippled across the surface of the lake. Both girls looked at each other, then down; the strange light now openly visible from the surface.

Caroline looked up at Cassidy. "I have to go. I don't know why, but I have to go. I have to see." Her voice came out as a plea. Cassidy hesitated, bit her lip and nodded.

Together both girls dived.

As soon as her sight adjusted, Cassidy saw such pristine white that it hurt her eyes. She couldn't see where one thing ended, another began; for all blurred together under the colour's dominance. Only by concentrating intently on one spot did she eventually make out bushes, benches, and a fountain. Some sort of park, she thought – covered in snow so heavy that it was impossible to believe a time existed when it didn't fall.

The silence hit her next, the stillness so absolute, she fancied you could hear each snowflake touch the rest as it joined them in covering a surface.

She saw her last, for she was almost as immersed in snow as her surroundings. But in the white there were hints of brown – a visitor rather than a long term occupant – despite whatever desires snow had of claiming her. The brown was sparse for her dress was immaculately white; the woman's face almost as equally as pale, paler than any human's had a right to be. For a terrifying split second Cassidy was sure that the woman was dead. Almost immediately she saw the snowflakes gently flutter, disturbed by the drawing of a breath. Cassidy felt an answering exhale of relief. Having forgotten she was under water, this action emptied the only air in her lungs, forcing her to kick to the surface once more.

Pausing to greedily inhale some air, she instantly returned back to the light. In her absence, Caroline had swum much closer, one hand reaching for the white, eager to join its occupant. Instinctively Cassidy kicked harder, grabbing her sister's t-shirt as she reached her. Whilst temporarily halting her progress, it served to make Caroline struggle all the more, appearing not fully conscious of her actions.

Suddenly feeling an icy shiver, Cassidy finally grasped the meaning of the phrase "someone walking over my grave". The woman's eyes flew open, pinning them as objects under a microscope. At first glance, Cassidy's initial fears eased, noting the woman's eyes were burnished mahogany. Her mother adored the colour brown, often commenting on its kindness and warmth (something Cassidy always considered rather odd, and yet had never mentioned out loud).

But this brown didn't feel warm; instead its sharpness stripped her, peeled away the layers of skin to what lay underneath. She wanted to hide, grab Caroline and run – escape to where those eyes couldn't see them any longer. Her arm was sharply yanked as Caroline fought her, straining to become one with the white that now spilled over, slowly reaching for them both.

Helplessly, her gaze drew to the eyes once more. A shiver coursed through her, for the first time that night the cold truly stinging as it should. For that stare was almost blank – held nothing bar coldness; examining them the way she'd seen Teresa's snake eye the rodent in its cage, right before it had lunged, swallowing the mouse in one gulp.

The cold was worse now; icy water lapping at her skin, its unyielding grasp pulling her to the light below. She tried to swim but Caroline dragged her down, providing a counterbalance she couldn't overcome. Her muscles attempted to increase their workload, her body responding to her brain's urge. She couldn't feel her hands, water chilling them completely numb. That numbness, combined with the lack of oxygen, made black spots dance across her vision. Ever more futile, she sustained her fight, determined to save them both, from what she didn't know.

Caroline huddled herself under the blanket, the doctor having finished examining her. She could tell by his frown that what he'd found made no sense. Reviewing the chart as if he expected it to tell a different story, he eventually simply shook his head and walked away.

Jumping down from her bed, she climbed up onto Cassidy's. Her sister was still unconscious, her lips tinged with a faint blue. Reverently stroking Cassidy's cheek, Caroline heard the faint plop as each fat tear hit the bedding where she sat. Whatever had take place down in that lake, she'd never meant for it to end like this. All she remembered were those piercing eyes, offering her things she'd never known she wanted, but had apparently so longed to have. She'd been close to something so momentous and yet the instant her sister's arm went slack, she'd turned just for a second, observing in alarm the closed eyes and pallor of her skin. The minute she'd reached for Cassidy with both arms, she'd felt the connection snap, plunging the water into darkness. Seconds later, shapes dove from the surface, hands reaching for them both.

Now at the local hospital, she'd been the subject of many examinations, questions and puzzled frowns. The news that their mother was on the way made Caroline wince, doctors chalking up her grimace to residual shock. The truth was, Caroline was well aware of what was coming; this scenario her own groundhog day. Her mother would start with anger (using that quiet voice), move onto disappointment, all of it ending in that hooded blank expression.

But tonight was bad, much worse than usual – Cass getting hurt, her mother still furious over the family dinner. What if she wasn't forgiven? What if she was sent away?

Then she'd never see any of them again.

Climbing out of her sister's bed, she allowed the blanket to hit the floor. She would run away, leave first, before they made her. Moving to the door, she peeked out at the empty corridor, tiptoeing until she could hear the nurse's station round the corner.

The sound of her mother's low pitched voice stopped her in her tracks. "Then you had better check again…"

"Mrs Priestly, there are no other tests…"

"Please bore someone else with details of your incompetence. You tell me my daughters were in the water for fifteen minutes in this sub-zero temperature, and the worst of it is mild shock? Enlighten me – did you cut your degree out from a cereal packet?"

Hearing the insult, Caroline couldn't help her mouth's upward twitch. Her mother really was something else when all of that was not aimed squarely at you.

"Mrs Priestly…"

"Enough. I want to see my girls immediately and then I want to speak to the director of the board, in person. The experience of the staff here is clearly so deplorable I've a mind to have the entire place shut down. I doubt your idea of administering help is quite the same as any of your patients', it's a wonder no-one's sued you." The threat continued to linger even as the clicking footsteps signalled her departure.

Realising the only escape route led back to her room, Caroline made the choice to face her mother's wrath head on. Each clack of the heels was a sound of impending doom, desperation making Caroline sweat. Reaching into the pocket of her pants, she clutched again at the pendant transferred there. The shape that met her hand was chilly, far cooler than it should've been, having rested next to Caroline's skin. But unlike that day so many years ago, it seemed to pulse in sympathy, infusing her with courage. The clicking was just a foot away now, Caroline inhaling and exhaling rapidly, trying to prepare for the confrontation. Her mother rounded the corner, her gaze landing on her daughter.

Caught mid-inhale, the young girl stilled and held her breath.

For the second time in Caroline's short life, Miranda Priestly shocked her daughter. In place of anger shone fear; a substitute for disappointment – relief; and overriding it all, blazed a profound love.

Her mother crumpled under an invisible weight; Caroline instantly wrapped in a warm, fragrant embrace. "Oh God, Caroline, I could've lost you both tonight. I am sorry, so sorry…so stupid…" The force of her mother's sobs shook both their bodies.

Stunned, Caroline felt a trickle of tears, relief at this unforeseen escape. The pendant lost its chill, yet again becoming just a piece of glass; Caroline vowing that the minute she got back, she would return it to its rightful place, never to take it once again.