The Mirror in the Woods

~Chapter One~

Many years ago, my best friend, Daniel, and I would go down to the old dock on the lake by my Grandmother's house to play. It was heaven for two eight year olds because it was a place where we could just imagine things...and they would almost come to life.

One day, we were playing capture the dragon. The dragon was really just my Gran Gran's Cocker Spaniel, Dooby. But you know how children are. Very...creative.

We had just let Dooby off his leash when he had seen something across the lake and took off running down the shore.

It was snowing that day. Even the lake had frozen over, but that didn't stop Daniel go after that dog.

"Come on, Al! Let's go see where that dragon is going!" Danny had yelled at me, already going after Dooby. Or should I say, "dragon."

I played along and started sprinting in my puffy jacket and pants. It was a little difficult to run because Gran Gran had dressed us up like Randy from A Christmas Story. I looked like a pink and purple marshmallow. I honestly, to this day, have no idea how we were able to run in those things. It also didn't help that the wind was going against us. It was so strong that as we ran, I saw Daniel's little blue beanie slip off his head to show his curly head of blond curls bouncing all over the place.

Ahead of me, Danny started making silly noises that were, I think, supposed to be what a dragon sounded like. It just sounded like a dying whale to me. I laughed at him and made the same noises.

I had almost caught up to him when I tripped over a tree root that was poking out of the ground. I fell and just rolled...and rolled, until I finally stopped by the edge of the icy lake. I was able to see Danny look back at me with his bright green eyes and snickered. I knew he wouldn't come back for me. He used to always say "You snooze, you lose." He always played unfair. He really wanted to "slay" that dragon all by himself.

I tried getting up, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon. So I just sat there, helpless, and watched him reach the other side of the lake longingly. He was able to catch Dooby. Danny pretended to slice him in half with a sword (which was a long stick he had picked up on the way), making sure that he was clear into view. He yelled in victory and started doing his stupid dance he always did when he won. I giggled.

Dooby started running back towards me. When Danny realized that he was gone, he stopped the stupid dance and started chasing Dooby back. Then, the worse thing in my whole life happened.

The stupid dog had started running toward the middle of the lake, on the ice. And, of course, Daniel just had to follow him out there. I knew he shouldn't have. I just knew. I'm sure he did, too. Gran Gran had told us specifically not to go on the ice. She even had us repeat for us not to go on the ice three more times until she let us out of the house. We knew the lake was dangerous during the winter. Just a few years earlier, a girl was stupid enough to go on it. She fell through a hole in the ice, and was never seen again. We knew, that at any moment, you could step on just one wrong piece of ice, and you could fall through. So we usually stayed away from the lake at this time. But for some reason, this day was different.

When he had gone on the ice, I started getting scared, thinking back to the dead girl. I screamed at him to get off, but he was determined to get that dog. God, I wish weren't kids then. I wish we had a little common sense.

But that's not how it ended.

I heard a crack, and Danny had stopped in his tracks and looked straight at me with frightened eyes. Little splinters had sprung up all around him now, and he was just sitting there. "Run!" I screamed. "Daniel, stop sitting there and run!"

He blinked once then started sprinting towards me. Fifty feet away.

He's not gonna make it.

Forty feet.

He's not going fast enough. I started screaming for Gran.

Thirty feet.

"HURRY!!!"

Twenty feet.

I reached out for him. He was almost there. Just fifteen more feet. Ten, nine, eight...

He was so close now.

I felt his fingertips touch mine...and then he was gone.