Hey all! How is everyone enjoying summer so far? I sure have enjoyed my first week free of classes. HURRAY! Sorry this chapter took so long getting out to you guys but it has been so nice out this week I couldn't help but go and fool around rather than write. FORGIVE ME! Hehe.

Oh and thanks to all you wonderful reviewers! I couldn't believe it when Juliana said I had gotten over 200! WOW! Speaking of Juliana I am once again compelled to say how great she is. It is because of her quick editing skills that this chapter comes to you today!

Anyway I hope you enjoy this next chapter. Though I will warn you I was terribly evil with the cliff hanger at the end!

Chapter 24: A Vision's Truth

Brielle became aware of her surroundings slowly. Sound, the first sense to return, assaulted her from all sides; the shrilling of songbirds outside the window accompanied the groaning of the bed beneath her as she shifted her weight. Odd, what was she doing in bed? Her eyes fluttered open at the thought as she raised a hand to press against the ache pounding just behind her right temple.

The sun streaming through her bedroom window highlighted the dark canopy hanging over the bed. She frowned up at the drapery through the web of her fingers. What happened? The last thing she remembered was finding her brother and Erik roughed up in the parlor.

When the mattress next to her buckled under someone's weight Brielle jerked to the side, startled. Strong but gentle hands pressed against her shoulders, keeping her from sitting up. She fought against the restraint until her brother's soothing voice reached her over the pressure beating inside her skull.

"Easy there, everything is fine. Don't sit up just yet."

Disorientated, Brielle turned her head towards the sound of his voice. Conner sat perched on the edge of the bed, the sunlight behind him setting his hair aflame about his face. His vivid emerald eyes were darkened with concern, despite the easy smile upon his face.

Slowly she became aware of the shadow hovering just over Conner's shoulder. Erik stood there tensely with his hands gripped behind his back, his full attention directed upon her face. "Are you alright Brielle?" he asked in a short, clipped tone as his jaw clenched after every word.

"What is the matter? You are both acting like someone has died," she stated, becoming concerned with the seriousness of their behavior.

Making a hasty shushing motion, Conner leaned in close. "Shh, don't mention dying! I don't think he can handle it."

"Wait a moment, you don't remember what happened?" Erik suddenly interjected, a spark of alarm sharpening his eyes as he shot a glare at Conner's back. "You said she would be perfectly fine!"

Turning upon the bed, Conner waved off Erik's anxious exclamation. "Who is the old woman now, eh? You worry worse than a mother hen!"

"I absolutely do not!"

"You do!"

Rolling her eyes, Brielle heaved a great sigh and slapped her hands against the bed linens, instantly distracting the men from their growing argument. "Excuse me, I believe I asked what is going on!"

Beginning to pace about the room, Erik jumped on the answer before Conner could even open his mouth. "You were fine and then you began to babble about God knows what before fainting dead away." Turning on his heel he threw his hands into the air, his actions indicating more than distress; the man was very nearly distraught.

Brielle felt the blood begin to drain from her face at the description of her actions. She hurriedly turned her eyes to her brother and reached out to grip his hand. "What did I say, Conner?"

The green-eyed man was quiet for a moment as he sent Erik a careful look. Then turning his attention back to his sister he sighed. "You said that it was dark and cold but that there was a light coming from above. You saw someone leaning down over the light. It also seemed like you couldn't breathe." He paused there and squeezed her hand. "Have you been having nightmares then?"

"Yes, all week," she replied, slowly sitting up, anger and frustration choking the breath from her lungs. "But I don't know what any of it means! Why do I see these things if I can't understand them!" she demanded desperately, gripping the bed linens tightly in her fists.

Sensing where her thoughts were heading, Conner leaned forward and took her chin in his hand, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Bri, don't start that now."

Jerking away from her brother's grip Brielle pulled her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms about her legs. "Something bad is going to happen, Conner. And I cannot do anything about it."

"This isn't your fault, Bri! You are not responsible for saving everyone. You are not to blame if something happens, you don't cause these things."

"No, but isn't doing nothing to stop a tragedy nearly just as bad as causing it?" she shouted, wishing desperately that she had something to throw. Maybe if she broke something it would make her feel better.

Having stood by silently observing this odd exchange, Erik suddenly couldn't hold his tongue any longer. "What in the hell are you two talking about! I demand an explanation at once!" he bellowed at an uncharacteristically deafening level. The siblings stopped talking instantly and gaped at Erik as he stood, practically shaking with some unidentified emotion.

"Brielle tell me, are you ill? Is something wrong with you?" he asked, his voice quieting, his expression stricken.

Brielle slowly raised her chin from her knees, shock over Erik's odd behavior pulling her mouth open. She had never seen him so out of sorts before - his dark hair hung disheveled about his face, as if he had spent a great deal of time running his fingers through it, and even his clothing was in disarray. By now she had thought she was used to his odd mood swings, but this was something new. "No I am not ill Erik. I didn't mean to upset you." It isn't fear is it? It couldn't be…he isn't afraid of anything.

"I am not upset!"

A slow smile edged across her face at his fervid denial. Despite the stress of the situation, despite his obvious worry, she couldn't help but grin up at him. His unkempt state was simply too cute not to. "Alright, you aren't worried then."

He suddenly stopped pacing at her words, swinging his head around to glare furiously at her. "You can bet I am worried! Normal people don't just faint in the middle of the day for no reason. Now you will both tell me what is going on or so help me I'll throttle the both of you!"

Conner stood when Erik took a threatening step towards the bed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I won't have you taking that tone with Bri," he stately firmly, his brows drawing down into a frown. "She has enough to worry about without you adding to her cares."

"Come now Conner, you know he is just worried, so stop being so confrontational."

Relaxing slightly, the redhead turned back to his sister, a wry smile curling up one corner of his mouth. "That I know for sure, but what I cannot figure out is what exactly you are going to tell him."

Brielle's smile faltered as she flicked a glance Erik's way. The man stood tensed at the foot of the bed, every muscle in his body poised as he waited for her to speak. He didn't appear to be in the proper mood to hear the truth. But then again, what man is ever prepared to hear that the normal appearing woman he has been associating with for the past two months is actually a crazy fortune teller?

Slowly swinging her legs over the edge of the bed Brielle stood, unable to remain stationary any longer. Conner moved to assist her, but she waved him off. It had been years since she had told anyone outside the family her secret. John had not even known until after they were married. And now that the prospect of telling Erik loomed before her the anxiety began to grow, squeezing the air from her lungs.

Wringing her hands, Brielle shifted her weight off her injured foot as she stared intently at the floorboards, avoiding Erik's burning glare. "Well I suppose I do owe you an explanation of my actions," she began, just barely preventing herself from biting her lip.

"You are damn right you do!" came the furious response.

Brielle hesitated at that, a frown tightening her mouth. I know he was worried about me but he sure is not making the situation any easier. She took a deep breath to quell the panic burning up the back of her throat before continuing. "I am sorry if I don't make much sense, but you are making me very nervous. I don't like talking about all of this very often. People tend to treat me differently after they hear that I…well…that I…"

The words had positively frozen somewhere between her brain and her mouth. Brielle found herself working her lips like a netted fish as she struggled to finish her sentence. Telling the truth was proving harder than she had ever imagined. What would he say after she finished informing him that she often dreamed about disasters before they happened? Would it change their friendship? Would he think her mad? I don't think I could stand it if he doesn't take this well.

Erik slowly unwound his arms from across his chest as he watched her nerves become increasingly more apparent. The severe pull of his mouth softened as she continued to stumble. With a sigh Erik dropped his hands to his sides. "It was not my intention to make you nervous. You know that sometimes things just fall out of my mouth before I can stop them."

A smile eased the tension in her jaw as she glanced over at him. The gentleness in his tone did much to help her nerves, but her heart still refused to stop racing.

Understanding his sister's hesitation, Conner stepped forward and placed a hand upon her shoulder. "What Bri is trying to tell you is that she has a wee bit of fairy blood within her," he stated with a straight face even as his sister turned and punched him in the chest.

"What is this nonsense you are shoveling? Here I am trying to explain this as scientifically as possible and there you go talking about fairies!"

"You break my heart Bri! What honest Irishwoman can sniff at the mention of a fairy or two? You are lucky that the little people haven't come and put a hex on you!"

Raising a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, Brielle silently shook her head. "Erik, what I was trying to tell you is that sometimes I am able to guess what will happen before it does." Happy with her explanation, Brielle let out a pent-up breath and glanced Erik's way. She was slightly discouraged by the blank expression clouding his eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

"Bri, has the second sight," Conner interjected helpfully. "She can see something happen before it does."

Worry creased Brielle's brow as she waited for Erik's reaction. He hadn't immediately dismissed the idea - that was a good sign. But he wouldn't meet her eye and the heat had returned to his frown - that was bad.

"I am not in the mood for foolishness," he began with a growl. "If you don't feel the need to tell me what is going on, then just say so! Don't fabricate stories that are…"

"Unfortunately, Conner is telling the truth," Brielle affirmed slowly. "Obviously he was kidding about the fairy blood, but the rest is true. Since I was very young I have been able to predict certain events before they happen." Looking down at her clenched fists, Brielle purposely relaxed her grip.

Erik was quiet for a beat, his lips pursing in thought. "You are serious?"

"Yes."

At her quick answer the masked man withdrew further into his own thoughts. Brielle watched with a terrible fascination as his face shut down, becoming as smooth and hard to read as a weathered tombstone. A grave sense of dread rolled about in the bottom of her stomach. In a way, his silence was worse than open ridicule.

As the quiet stretched out, Brielle could almost taste the tension thrumming through the air. When Erik finally raised his head to look her in the eye she was sure her heart would burst clean out of her chest. How had she come to invest so much feeling in this one man? Why did so much seem to rely upon what he said now? Please, Please…

"Is that why you were at the Opera that night?" he asked with great hesitation, almost as if he were afraid to hear the answer. "You knew the chandelier would fall…that is why you came, isn't it?"

"I didn't specifically know about the chandelier, but I knew something terrible was going to happen. I had been having dreams all that week about the Opera house and a fire. Thinking back now it seems so obvious to me, but at the time I couldn't put two and two together. That is how it begins…I have dreams. Sometimes though, it happens during the day, like today. Those are always worse…I get headaches and this time I fainted." Brielle eased her injured foot up until her weight was concentrated upon the ball rather than the heel. Was it her imagination or was that guilt flickering across his face? What did he have to be guilty about?

Erik nodded, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth as he once again turned his gaze to the floor. "Aria, kept telling me you were a family of fortune tellers but I thought she was jesting," he said, a slight smile pulling up the corners of his mouth as he scratched thoughtfully at his chin.

"You are taking this news extremely well." Brielle stated suspiciously. She had come to realize Erik was a man of great passion; this quiet acquiescence on his part was disquieting. She had expected some sort of explosion. It can't really be that easy.

"In my lifetime I have come to realize that not everything is as it seems," he said with a shrug.

Brielle frowned at the ambiguous statement. "Because of working behind the scenes at the Opera?"

The secrecy, which was so much a part of his persona, flared up and darkened his expression momentarily. "I suppose you could say that. Besides I haven't the right to judge anyone. If you say something is true then it must be. I would have thought that by now you would be able to trust me enough not to worry."

Unsure of how to proceed, Brielle began to spin her wedding ring furiously about her ring finger. All the pent-up anxiety thankfully began to dissipate, despite her lingering doubt. She couldn't have asked for a calmer reaction to her confession; it was actually a little disconcerting that he was being so understanding. But Brielle was smart enough to not look a gift horse in the mouth. Since he was offering understanding, she would accept it without question.

"In the future I will have to remember that," Brielle murmured with a slight chuckle. "But for now I suppose…"

The distant echo of a knock upon the door interrupted her mid-sentence. Brielle turned her gaze away from Erik to momentarily glance out her bedroom door. Without another word she released her wedding ring and began to hobble quickly across the room. By the time she had reached the door she was fuming.

"By God if it is those impossible policemen again I will take a hot iron to their backsides," she huffed, absolutely livid with the thought of Le Clarke's return. The headache pounding a beat in her skull added to the stress of the morning allotted no room for patience or understanding. She was out for blood.

As she staggered through the doorway and into the hall Conner called after her. "Hey, what policemen are you talking about!"

Ignoring her brother Brielle continued on, picking up her skirts to quicken her steps. She could hear both men quickly follow upon her heels, their heavier footsteps drowning out her own lighter tread. Passing the mahogany umbrella holder as she limped into the front hallway, Brielle paused and snatched a silver handled cane from its selection. Holding the cane in a white-knuckled grip, she brandished it with deadly intent as she reached out to open the door.

Conner's staying hand upon her shoulder stopped her from opening the door and cracking the unexpected visitor over the head. "Come now Bri, is that any way to welcome a guest at the door? Please allow me to handle the situation. Especially if it happens to be the police a-calling."

"Fine, do as you please. But it will be over my dead body that they walk through that door," she growled, before stepping back to allow Conner access to the door.

"My Lord," Conner exclaimed with a laugh. "You are sure in a mood today! Erik, I don't know how you have stood her company for so long!" he shouted over his shoulder to where Erik lingered in the hallway.

"It was a trial, I assure you," came the amused reply.

Nudging Brielle further out of the way with one foot, Conner bit his lip against the mirth shaking his body. "I knew there was a reason I liked you," he laughed, as he reached out and pulled the door open. One glance at the fashionably dressed man on the stoop and Conner's smile instantly disappeared.

Andrew fastidiously plucked a stray bit of lint off his sleeve as he glanced up at Conner. Though the young lord's expression remained polite, an edge of dislike sharpened the black pools of his eyes. "Good morning Conner, how wonderful it is to see you aga…"

Without a word, Conner slid his hand from the door handle and slapped it against the back of the door, slamming it in Andrew's face. Smile back in place, the redhead turned on his heel to address the room. "Is anyone hungry now? I know I sure could go for a nice plate of bacon and eggs."

"Conner!" Brielle exclaimed, horrified at her brother's actions. "What has gotten into you! You can't simply close the door in a man's face!"

A sliver of meanness cut into his normally easy smile. "If there were a man on the porch I would agree with you." A snort of agreement came from where Erik stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

Brielle looked at the ceiling to pray for patience before shooting both men a glare cold enough to kill off a wheat field in the dead of summer. She raised the cane in her hand and gave Conner a good whack on the backside. With a yelp the redhead scooted away from her, only to rally near where Erik leaned against the wall. Both men now wore identical rebellious scowls.

"Don't let that foppish bastard into the house Bri! You know what I think of the English and him in particular. At least when you married English, John didn't turn out to be an ass."

"Sweet Mary! This is his house, Conner! And I will not take part in your rudeness! I can't simply turn him away!"

Stirring himself, Erik opened his mouth to support Conner's crusade. "Sure you can. Just turn the lock and be rid of his unwanted presence."

Sighing, Brielle shook her head. "I had hoped, given my injury and the other stresses of the morning that you two would be more supportive. But I suppose that is too much to ask for!"

Brandishing her weapon, Brielle raised her snowy eyebrows at them. "Now if you two can't behave, then please remove yourselves from this part of the house."

Both men stood fuming in silence for several seconds before Conner turned on his heel and stormed off down the hallway. Now alone with Erik in the front hall Brielle set the cane against the wall. "Are you also angry with me for being the only polite person in this household?" she demanded, raising her chin in challenge as she glared over at him.

"No," he began, as he pushed off from the wall and dropped his arms to his sides. "But I cannot understand why you persist in fawning over Lord Donovan. It is mystifying, really."

"Please Erik, why can't you understand? He makes me nervous enough on his own, but without your support it makes the situation ten times worse."

"Perhaps you simply ask for too much," he replied coolly, all worry and compassion from earlier in the day completely dissipated. Before Brielle could open her mouth to argue further, Erik turned and disappeared down the hall. She turned and put her hand upon the doorknob just as the sound of the back door slamming reached her ears.

Disappointment settled deep within her belly as she pulled the door open with a forced smile. "Hello Andrew. Do come in."

Removing his hat as he stepped through the door Andrew's gaze momentarily flickered about the front hall. "Was it my imagination or has your dear brother returned from England to visit for awhile?"

"Yes, he has returned," Brielle said as she relieved Andrew of his hat and coat, hanging the items upon a hook by the door.

"It must be difficult for him to find the time in his schedule to come and visit often. Does he plan to stay long?" he asked politely as he followed Brielle down the hall and into the library.

"Actually I haven't the faintest idea how long he will be staying." Brielle said with a laugh. When Andrew didn't join in with her laughter, she self-consciously cleared her throat.

"Hmm, it will be a pity if he must leave soon. I hate for you to be alone here."

Taking a seat near the window, Brielle was momentarily distracted from the conversation by the sight of Erik splitting firewood across the yard. Apparently he had chosen physical labor to work through his brooding mood. Turning her eyes back to the man sitting across from her she smiled.

"Oh, but I am not alone. You know that Erik is still here."

A flicker of dismayed surprise passed over Andrews features as he pulled his gloves from his hands one at a time. He twisted the leather slowly as his eyes narrowed in thought. "Oh, he is? Where is my mind? I must have forgotten."

"Did you have any reason to believe he would not be here?" she asked concerned.

Looking up at her with a sudden smile, the black eyed man shook his head reassuringly. "Of course not. I simply wasn't thinking."

Relieved that Andrew hadn't actually meant anything by his statement, Brielle leaned back in her chair. For a moment, the fear that Erik was planning on leaving without telling her had crept up her spine. But thankfully her apprehension swiftly settled back to acceptable levels. What a silly thought. He wouldn't leave…

Tapping a finger against the leather upholstery of her chair, Brielle once again glanced out the window. "How is your business in Paris, Andrew? I trust it is going well."

Brielle had fully intended to listen for Andrew's answer but she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from the man out in the yard. At some point during the short time she had been conversing with Andrew, Erik had removed his jacket and hung it on the fence post.

She took a breath as she watched the axe blade come up and flash in the cool air. The blade came down swiftly efficiently snapping a piece of wood in half; she could almost feel the reverberation of the blow though she couldn't hear it. Even from her vantage point, the sweat soaking through Erik's white cotton shirt and misting his forehead was apparent. Biting her lip, Brielle turned her head from the window and from the sight of the working man outside.

Andrew, having not noticed her inattention, continued to highlight the details of his progress in Paris; apparently business was going well. "One thing I have learned in France is to keep a close eye on all levels of business. If you look away for one moment you can be sure someone is slacking off. However, I was surprised to find…"

Despite her best efforts, Brielle's mind and eyes wandered back to the window. There was something soothing about having Erik in sight, the smooth rise and fall of the axe flowed together with an almost dream-like quality. For some reason, her normal anxiety around Andrew was not present today.

Brielle sat up straighter when she saw Aria run across the yard toward Erik, without a coat, as usual. Winter had yet to fully give up its hold; the pond still lay smooth with ice and though the snow had melted leaving behind icy mud, the air still carried an arctic bite to it. Pursing her lips, Brielle frowned. That girl is bound and determined to get herself sick.

Clearing her throat, Brielle quickly stood, glad for the excuse to escape Andrew's endless conversation. "Forgive me, but I just noticed Aria outside without her jacket. It is still chilly enough for her to catch a cold. I'll just run out and make sure she puts something warm on. Stay here if you like, I'll return shortly."

Likewise standing, Andrew smoothed a hand over the lapels of his well-cut jacket. "I will accompany you then."

She was just able to hide the annoyance before it flooded her expression. "Alright then…"

With a sigh, Brielle turned and limped to the door. As she passed through the front hallway she pulled her own cloak over her shoulders and settled her shaded spectacles on her nose. Taking Aria's coat from its hook, she draped it over her arm and stepped into a pair of oversized galoshes. I can't wait until summer when the mud will be all dried up.

Picking up her skirts, Brielle headed out the door without waiting to see if Andrew followed. She slowly made her way through the mud, her boots sucking into the gunk with every step. Aria looked up then and spotted her mother heading toward the woodpile. The child pointed and said something to Erik. The man shouldered the axe and turned to follow Aria's gaze; a frown immediately darkened his face as he studied the approaching pair. Wiping a hand over his forehead, Erik set the axe down and folded his arms across his chest.

Brielle froze in mid-limp as she followed his movements. The sweat which had misted his skin caused his shirt to cling in exactly all the right places. Blood rushed into Brielle's cheeks as she found herself staring opening at the smooth planes and valleys of his upper torso. God, you could wash clothes on that stomach! she thought, nudging her glasses down her nose for a better look.

Distantly she felt Andrew take hold of her elbow and ask her a question. Shaking her head clear, she tore her eyes away from Erik and turned her attention to the man at her side. "What?"

"Are you stuck? Shall I assist you?"

"Oh, no thank you," she said with a smile, pulling away from his grip and quickly sloshing through the muck once more.

Raising her hand to further shade her eyes, Brielle approached Erik and her daughter with skirts held high. "Aria, you know better than to play outside without a coat on."

The child smiled up at her mother with one of her butter-wouldn't-melt grins. When the white-haired woman didn't seem moved by Aria's tactics, the little girl nodded and stepped forward to allow her mother to put her jacket on. Buttoning the child up tight, Brielle finally smiled.

"There now. That is better isn't it? You can play all you like now," she said, sending the child off with a pat on the head. Now that Erik was no longer going to entertain her with the wood cutting, Aria ran off to chase after a squirrel near the pond.

Fisting her hands upon her hips as she watched her daughter racing across the yard, Brielle sighed. "I swear if that girl's head weren't attached to her, she would leave it behind."

Normally Erik would have laughed at such a statement, but this time he remained steely and silent. When Brielle glanced his way, she was annoyed to find the man glaring daggers at Andrew. Thankfully Andrew hadn't noticed the masked man's rudeness; he was too busy following Aria with narrowed eyes.

"Is it entirely proper for a young girl to be so wild? Shouldn't she be learning how to become a young lady?"

Before Brielle could open her mouth Erik jumped to answer. "A child should be allowed to do as she pleases for as long as possible. She will have to grow up soon enough. Who are you to try and cut her childhood off?"

The polite smile dropped off Andrew's face as he turned chilling eyes Erik's way. "And who are you to speak to me in such a tone? It wasn't so long ago that the punishment for such insolence was to be hanged."

"You forget where you are sir. This is France. Here we relieve cocky Lords of their heads!"

With a great sigh, Brielle clapped her hands to draw their attention. "Come now gentlemen! We all must strive to be civil. After all…" Pausing in mid sentence she glanced up at her daughter's delighted squealing. Aria had made her way out onto the pond and had just fallen upon her bottom.

"Aria you get off that ice now! You know better than to play on the pond without an adult to hold your hand. You'll crack your skull if you aren't careful. Come off there now!"

Stepping away from the two men, Brielle slowly made her way towards the pond when her daughter ignored her command. The fun of sliding about on the ice was apparently too much for the child's good senses. Behind her she could hear Andrew take another verbal shot at Erik. To his credit the masked man was attempting to control his temper; after all, he hadn't hit the young lord yet.

Her progress toward the pond suddenly halted when one boot became hopelessly mired in the mud. Brielle twisted her head round to call for assistance. "Would you two stop arguing please!" she shouted, pulling hopelessly at her stuck leg. "Erik, can you help me please?"

Eyeing Andrew with intense dislike for several tense moments, Erik finally turned that glare her way. "You shouldn't be out walking upon that foot anyway! You will pull all those stitches out!" he chided furiously.

Brielle wrinkled her nose at Erik as he started toward her, but she did not voice the retort rolling about the back of her throat. Instead she turned and commanded Aria to once more come off the ice. Andrew stood rigid by the wood pile, his dark eyes glittering angrily in the cool sunlight.

As Erik neared her, Brielle smiled sheepishly at him. "I have gotten myself stuck in this blasted mud."

"So it seems," he replied with a raised eyebrow.

"I could get out myself but that would mean that I…" A mysterious wave of panic clogged Brielle's throat, preventing her from finishing her thought. She raised a hand to press against the pounding of her heart as she tried to pinpoint the source of her sudden alarm. Little red flags were waving furiously in the back of her mind. Odd, this only happens right before one of my dreams is about to come tru…

Unbidden her own words came back to flicker through her thoughts. "It is so cold…so dark…a light from above…can't breathe."

She felt her eyes go wide with terror as those words came together into a picture within her head. Erik halted right in front of her, his brows drawing down to frown at her pale face. Gasping, she heard herself murmur hoarsely, "The ice…Aria get off the ice." Painfully gathering a great gulp of air, she screamed those words. "Aria, get off the ice now!"

The utter silence following her panicked words was deafening. Only one sound broke through the buzzing in her ears. A loud popping echoed about the barnyard as Brielle jerked her head about so quickly she was sure it would snap off. She opened her mouth to scream again, but an ominous groaning filled up the quiet before she could.

Time shivered to a halt in those next few moments. Brielle could see the smile on her daughters face slowly drop away as the child looked toward her feet, at the cracks forming there. She raised her hand with great difficultly, reaching out as if to grab the child from the ice and pull her to dry ground.

All too soon, time jerked back into motion. Brielle started when an ear-splitting crack boomed across the yard - shutting her eyes for a moment against the sound, she turned her head to the side. A garbled childish scream pierced the air for barely a second before cutting off too soon.

Brielle's eyes jerked open and scanned the now empty pond before her. Only a large black hole marked where her daughter had been standing moments ago. In that moment the world narrowed and disappeared into the darkness under the ice. Her heart stopped in her chest even as Brielle staggered forwards, both hands fisted before her mouth.

"ARIA!" she shrieked, but only her own echo answered her before being swallowed up by the chasm in the pond's ice.