𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬

27 | Broken Memories

I shut my eyes tightly as we began to reach said body of water, feeling our toboggan slow down right before it slid further out into the expanse. A scraping noise was heard as the metal part of our contraption skidded onto the hard surface, an uncanny silence reaching us as we held our breaths collectively.

We stopped a few seconds after.

One eyelid opened slowly to access the damage and I almost passed away when the sight greeted me, seeing how we stopped right in the middle of the lake like sitting ducks.

Connie didn't sound all that concerned as he spoke. "Get up slowly and—"

An ominous crack was heard, followed by multiple slits of ice forming splinters around the toboggan.

"Is this an 'oh, fuck' situation?" A nervous giggle escaped me.

"Yes..." Connie sharply inhaled. "Oh, fuck."

I glanced over and searched the unicorn's glowing irises, his posture absolutely rigid. He flinched shortly after and grabbed hold of my waist—before I could complain, the ice broke below. The sudden chill shocked my system, though it only lasted a moment as I instinctively heated up. That unfortunately didn't help when the toboggan's reigns caught my hip and made me inhale a mouthful of water in surprise.

I was being dragged down.

Memories of children laughing over a bathtub filled my mind, arms holding me down as I bashed frantically against hard porcelain.

No. No. No.

I was back in that moldy bathroom, a rusty clawfoot tub bruising my skin as bubbles released itself from terrified screaming. It was too dark this time, so horrifyingly deep as the echoes of laughter encircled my body and added unbearable weight.

Please, anything but drowning.

Not something so damn helpless.

Hands swiftly wedged beneath my underarms, anchoring me as a leg kicked the wooden structure away from us. It sunk to the lake's void, while light from above trickled through a hole.

I was frantically clawing at my throat, cursing myself for lack of swimming skills.

'Calm down.' The familiar voice drifted. 'I can't swim when you're resisting.'

Almost instantly my struggling stopped and we broke air with a desperate gasp, the sounds of yelling coming from an unmarked distance. My eyesight was blocked as Connie angled me near the edge, pushing us up with a shove and sprawling over the hard surface. I didn't turn around, breathless as he flopped down beside me none too gracefully.

'You're heavy.'

I was pretty sure he heard the sardonic laughter inside my head.

"I thought the lake swallowed you guys whole!"

A harmonious voice drifted from across the bodied water, and I could only picture Lyric's face full of worry.

"I'm glad it's you two instead of the sled!" A shock of silver hair moved towards us, ignoring the shouts from everyone to not step further. "Spirits, that scared the shit out of me."

I was wondering why the ground underneath me was sinking, until the deep and harsh voice of Ender broke my trance.

"Get off the ice, her body is melting it!"

Connie coughed and stumbled over to grab my jacket in a harsh grip. 'Get up, little spitfire, before your inner fire kills us.'

I was limp, and it was daredevil extravaganza who assisted. Zelda didn't look at all bothered that she was walking on thin ice; instead offering a comforting grin that showed off her pointed canines. We carefully made our way back to the lake's shore, Connie practically collapsing as he did so, kneeling on the bank as a violent cough raked his shivering body.