𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑳𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 (EDITING)

𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘻𝘦𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴

Amy still hadn't talked to us since that night... Jo and I talked about it a little more before we went to bed. She's still incredibly bitter which is understandable, I just hope that she can come to terms with what happened and forgive our younger sister...

After breakfast, Meg, Jo, and I went to town to run errands and buy the glue for my needles. Meg bought the glue for me with her rag money to which I told her I was eternally grateful. Jo and I parted from Meg as we walked to Laurie's house and as Meg went home.

"I can't imagine any of you quarreling. " Laurie said in disbelief as I sat on the floor with Jo and glued my needles back together. 

"You don't have to imagine it. We've been at odds for days now even though Eliza forgave Amy. Even Beth acts grieved and wistful all the time. " Jo responded, Laurie still looked baffled as he looked between us, his eyes lingering on mine for a moment longer before looking away.

I shrugged as I continued to glue the pieces of wood together. The glue dried but I felt like it wasn't sturdy enough, so I pulled out two of my mother's old ribbons, coated the broken area in glue, and wrapped the ribbons around the knitting needles. They covered up the cracks and seams nicely.

"But it always looks so idyllic, when I look down and see you through the parlor window in the evenings. It's like the window is a frame, and you're all part of a perfect picture. " Laurie said as he stood up and walked to the window. 

"You must cherish your illusions if they make you happy. " Jo said sarcastically.

"No family in the entire world is perfect, Laurie. Though I would say that we come close to it. " I added with a smile.

He smirked at me and asked us, "Well, what would make you two happy? " 

Jo and I looked at each other, we were thinking the same thing and I winked at her for the go-ahead. "Skating. With you. You said we should if the lake froze properly, and this is probably the last ice we shall have. " 

Laurie wore a guilty look on his face as he said, "I also said we'd take Amy. " 

My eyebrows raised and Jo exclaimed, "What?! "

"I'm sorry. It was before she burnt your book and broke your needles. " He explained while eyeing the both of us.

I sighed, placed my needles in my bag, and stood up while holding my hand out to Jo. "She is our sister. " 

Jo looked between Laurie, my hand, and I, and then she reluctantly took it.

I ran back to the house to retrieve our ice skates and invite Amy while Jo stayed with Laurie. Amy and I had resolved our quarreling a day or so ago and she delighted as she walked with me to the pond. 

With Jo being as impatient as she was, she ran up to us, grabbed her ice skates, and ran back to Laurie before we even reached the general area of the pond. They were on the ice and were talking between themselves while Amy and I strapped on our ice skates. Jo and Laurie had hockey sticks in their hands as they laughed and skated around while I found a safe place to place my bag. 

"Hurry up, Eliza! " Jo yelled to me while skating with him, I smiled as I noticed he was wearing his scarf and mittens that I knitted him...

I heard Laurie talk to Jo and say something about "-Middle of the pond-" and, "It's time for hockey! " I giggled and began to skate toward them as Amy called out to me, "Eliza, will you help me put my skates on? " 

I skated back towards her and aided her with the straps while Jo yelled to Amy, "If you're old enough to force your way in when you're not wanted, you're old enough to fasten them yourself. " 

Amy huffed, "Don't worry, she'll come around..." I said as Amy nodded and I fastened the last strap, "There, all done! "  We linked arms as we slowly skated to Jo and Laurie, they kept going farther and farther from us. "Jo! Laurie! Wait for us! " I yelled to them as Amy and I struggled to skate faster. 

"No, you two slowpokes need to move quicker! " Jo yelled back to us.

We sighed as we continued to skate towards them, Amy huffed and yelled to her older sister. "You won't shut me out like this. We're supposed to be trying to be good people, and you, Jo March-"

I frantically interrupted while looking down at our feet, "Amy, I hear cracking... " 

She ignored me and continued, "You aren't going to get anywhere when you ignore someone who's trying to set a virtuous example-"

(TW: DROWNING, CUTS, AND BLOOD)

Amy was cut off by a loud crack in the ice and our screams as we fell into the pond. We thrashed our arms around in the frozen water to get to the surface but I stopped when I realized something...

The hole in the ice that we fell into was very small, so much so that both of us couldn't be above water at the same time because there wasn't any room. Neither of us would be able to get out if we both were trying to stay above water...

Amy must go first.

With my new goal in mind, I started to swim upward but remained under Amy. I repeatedly pushed her up so she could keep her head above the water. I could hear muffled yells as I continued to push her upward but she kept sinking. An idea popped into my head and I sunk farther down to take off her ice skates. Because she didn't know what I was doing and was trying to stay afloat by kicking, she cut my arms with the skate blades, but I managed to break her feet free of the heavy skates. 

Laurie and Jo were calling our names.

"Eliza hasn't come up yet! Is that blood in the water?" 

I could see Amy grabbing onto a hockey stick and Laurie yelled. "I know what she's doing, Eliza's trying to keep Amy afloat because there's not enough room! Jo, go find a branch! "

Once she had both hands on the hockey stick and she was able to stay afloat on her own, I felt a sharp cramp in my left leg. I screamed under the water and felt the effects of the cold water on my body, the tips of my fingers and toes were going numb, and I was losing energy quickly. I froze as I felt pain all over my body, my lungs burned as I inhaled the freezing water, and my cuts stung as they bled out. My vision blurred and my eyes squinted as I continued to sink further down...

Seconds later I saw a figure lying down on the ice and Amy's hands were now on a stick. 

"Eliza stopped pushing! " Amy cried while still trying to stay afloat, Laurie and Jo pulled Amy out of the water.

Laurie then stuck the hockey stick in the water in an attempt for me to grab it, I tried to reach for it but my body wouldn't move. Jo came back and their eyes darted around while looking in the dark water.

I heard muffled yelling as Jo's eyes found me, "I see her, Laurie! She's not moving! " Jo extended her arm towards me, but I was already a few feet underwater and sinking further down. 

Laurie began to take off his coat, scarf, and skates."She's drowning! You will have to pull her out while I push her up to you. " 

"Laurie! Wait- " Jo yelled, but with those words, he swung his legs over the ice and fell into the water.

Everything was in slow motion, bubbles from my mouth floated upward as Laurie was swimming as fast as he could while I continued to sink farther into the darkness. He was getting closer and closer as he painfully swam towards me in the freezing water. My arm was still extended but could no longer move, we were now mere inches apart, his fingertips grazing mine.

Everything was cold. Everything was quiet. Then, everything went black...