A sickening crack pierced the silence of a winter day as the ice below a little girl started to break. She was barely keeping her footing as the ice shifted, but her gazed was locked on her brother's eyes. The two had gone ice-skating and it had been fun at first but then everything changed.

The boy, Jackson Overland, had taken off his skates so he could keep his footing better. He looked at his sister, his mind racing to think of a way to get her back to solid ground. He was afraid but he pushed that feeling aside, knowing that it wouldn't help him rescue her. Besides, he didn't want to let her get scared either so he forced a little smile onto his face. "It's ok, it's ok," he said, holding his hands out to let her know everything was going to be alright.

"Jack," said his sister, Emma, "I'm scared." She looked down to the ice below her as even more cracks spider-webbed across it and it was easy to tell that she was barely holding back tears.

"I know, I know," Jack said, "but you're gonna be alright." I just don't know how, but I'm gonna find a way, he thought as he tried to step forward, but the ice cracked below him too. He made his smile a little wider, making sure to betray no trace of the uncertainty he was feeling and told her, "You're not gonna fall in." And then, finally, an idea came to him. "We're gonna have a little fun instead," he said. The idea was a long shot and fear started creeping into his head but he had to do something and this was the only thing he could think of.

"No, we're not!" Emma cried, fear freezing her in place.

"Would I trick you?" Jack asked, working hard to keep his own fear out of his voice.

"Yes! You always play tricks!" she accused as he edged forward toward her, the ice cracking more and more.

"Well, alright," he said with a chuckle, though the situation was anything but funny, "well, not- not this time. I promise. I promise." I'm not going to let anything happen to you, he thought, but the words he spoke to her sounded so much more confident than the words that he was telling himself in his head. "You're gonna be... You're gonna be fine. You have to believe in me," he said, hoping to keep her mind on him instead of the danger of the situation. He looked around, trying to find anything that might help him and that's when he saw the branch. It was long and shaped sort of like a hook at the end. He'd be able to catch onto her with that and pull her to safety. But first he had to reach it. Could he? Could he really save her? He couldn't let her die, not like this, but would this really work? The fear inside him grew even stronger but he tried to ignore it. "You want to play a game?" he asked. "We're gonna play hopscotch. Like we play everyday." He took a step toward the branch. "It's as easy as one..." He shifted his weight and the ice cracked more. Fear flashed into Emma's eyes and through Jack's heart but he couldn't let her know that he was scared too. He pretended to lose his balance for a moment, laughing and hoping to keep her fear at bay too. She giggled a little and he stepped again, saying, "Two..." He knew he was getting toward firmer, safer ground because the ice cracked less and as he said, "Three," he leapt over to where the branch was laying. He picked it up and crouched down, looking at her. He'd gotten himself to safety, but would he be able to do the same for her? What if I can't? the panicked thought rushed through his head. What if I can't save her? What if she... He tried to ignore the thoughts but they were starting to overwhelm him as he looked as his little sister, helpless and afraid, a thin sheet of ice being the only thing separating her from a very cold death. "Now it's your turn," he said, reaching the branch toward her. "One..." Please, please let this work, he pleaded, trying to keep tears from his eyes.

Emma tried to take a step but her skates were slipping and her weight shifting was putting even more pressure on the ice. Every crack made the fear in Jack's mind grow more powerful. It wasn't going to work. He wasn't going to save her. He was going to fail. He shook his head a little bit, trying to get rid of the fear but it didn't work. He couldn't just give up though.

"That's it, that's it...Two..." He just needed her a little bit closer, just a little bit. It could work. But what if it didn't?

She could barely stand up and she gasped a little. He reached the branch out a little farther. Three, he thought. All he had to say was 'three' and everything would be ok. But he was frozen in place. Her eyes locked onto his and he realized he was just as scared as she was. Three! he thought, but he was paralyzed with fear and couldn't say it out loud. The sound of cracking ice grew louder and louder but he couldn't moved.

"Jack!" Emma cried, terrified.

I have to move, I have to do something, he thought frantically, but it was like a dark curtain had fallen over his mind, rendering him unable to make a move. I have to - I can't - I -.

Only seconds had passed but the fear wasn't letting Jack go, and he remained motionless for a second too long.

The ice gave way below her, the cracking sound and her scream piercing the cold air as with a splash, the freezing lake water claimed her.

"EMMA!" Jack shouted, adrenaline rushing through his veins and blocking out the fear. He leapt forward and dove into the water, the cold quickly stealing all of the warmth from his body as he forced his eyes open. Everything was a ghostly blue and the water was murky. He couldn't see her. He couldn't see her anywhere. He broke through the surface of the water, taking a deep gasping breath before plunging downward again, forcing himself to dive deeper. His arms and legs flailed in every direction, his fingers outstretched as he prayed to find her so that he could pull her back up. But as his fingers went numb and his own vision began to darken, he knew the horrible truth.

He rose to the surface again, dragging himself out of the water and onto the ice where he lay, shivering, overcome by fear and pain and anger at himself. It was his fault. He'd let his fear get the better of him. He didn't save her. She trusted him and he didn't save her because he was too scared.

It was his fault, and now she was gone.