The river flowed through the trees in an icy white. The siblings stared at it frozen in place.

“Is that?” Roskva whispered.

“I think so,” Aneira breathed. Aneira tried to get closer but Roskva held them back. She looked up at her sibling and shook her head.

“We shouldn’t.” She said but Aneira held her hand comfortingly.

“Just don’t fall in and we should be fine.” Aneira said, though they weren’t sure who they were trying to convince. The two crept closer to the edge of the river. Aneira peeked into the ghostly waters first. Inside she could see a forest exactly like the one she stood in now. But everything in it was white and irridescent. Shimmering and beautiful. Through the trees, Aneira could almost see the figure of someone floating.

Roskva looked into the waters fearfully. Whimpering as she saw the ghostly figures of two young adults. One looked to be an older version of her. A faceless but handsome man held her in his arms. On the other side was the older Aneira. Roskva gasped as the pale lady crept up behind her phantom older sibling.

“Watch out!” Roskva screamed, shoving Aneira hard. Aneira shrieked as they fell to the side. Swinging Roskva around the side to avoid her falling in the water.

“What is it?!” Aneira jumped to their feet, their hands went from sheet white to blue tinged as the strange magic filled their arms. Draining whatever color their was in their skin and turning it hypothermia blue and purple.

“In the water!” Roskva cried, pushing herself back away from the river of death. “The river, the pale lady, she’s coming for you!” Aneira looked at their sister in shock. Then back to the water. From it a bubbling ripple surfaced. Then a figure began to rise from the river of death. Clothed all in white. The pale lady.

Roskva screamed and it broke the trance that held Aneira.

“Run!” Aneira commanded. Darting to their sister’s side and yanking her to her feet. Dragging her along the misty forest. The white mist drew in thick around them, despite Aneira’s attempts to wave it away. It soon clouded their vision and the two children became lost.

Aneira’s foot hit an upturned root and they crashed to the ground. Clashing their teeth together so hard they tasted blood. Roskva vanished in the mist.

“Roskva!” Aneira yelled and she could hear her sister scream back. “Don’t move! I’m coming to find you!”

“Hurry! I hear something cracking!” Roskva cried. Aneira stood and listened. The cracking sounded like thunder echoing through the trees. Aneira knew the sound instantly.

“Roskva! Run! Run to my voice! Fast as you can!” Aneira yelled. Instantly they heard the sound of Roskva’s rubber boots running toward them. “Keep running!” Aneira kept yelling as they tried to dispel the icy mist around them.

“Follow the sound of my voice!” Aneira yelled, squeezing their eyes tight and trying to force the mist down. Everything around them felt heavy as Aneira flooded the mist around them with cold.

The droplets of water that made up the mist fused together into large airborne chunks of broken ice that fell suddenly back to the ground. Shattering across the ground. And the ice.

Aneira’s breath was stolen from them as they looked out upon the frozen lake. It’s ice rapidly thawing and shattered among the former mist. But no Roskva.

“Roskva?” Aneira yelled. Their voice cracking in their panic. “ROSKVA!” Aneira’s eyes misted over and a chill crept up their back. Their breath became visible as the cold crept closer. They turned around and saw the pale lady coming through the trees.

“Stay back!” Aneira screeched. “I mean it!” They let the cold fill them and the icy mist clung between their fingers.

“Aneira, it’s okay.” The pale lady spoke, the voice seemed to echo throughout the forest but nonetheless it rang with familiarity.

“M-mom?” Aneira asked, their voice trembling. The pale lady removed their hood and revealed the anxious face of their mother. Aneira looked their mother up and down.

“Where’s Roskva?” Their mother demanded. Aneira turned, her panic redoubled.

“I. I-” Aneira shook and pointed toward the lake. Their mother shook their head in disbelief and charged forward. The lake freezing under their steps. In seconds, the pale lady swooped down and dredged the small figure from the water.

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

“Aneira! Roskva!” Their father charged through the trees from behind them.

“Viordr!” Their mother called from the ice. Aneira’s dad held their shoulders tightly.

“What happened?” He asked. “What did you do?”

“We didn’t know!” Aneira pleaded. “I couldn’t see her! I! I tried!”

“Viordr,” Their mother glided across the ice without sliding, cradling Roskva in their arms. Aneira felt their heart stop at the blood dripping from her pale face. Her left eye was a crater of blood. Their father’s grip tightened again until it hurt.

“What do we do?” Their father asked, his voice trembling a bit.

“Take Aneira home.” Their mother said quietly.

“What? What about Roskva?” Aneira grabbed their mother’s dress desperately.

“She’ll be okay,” Their mother said, pressing their eldest child to them.

“Gwenyll. A life for a life.” Their dad said quietly. Their mother nodded. Aneira looked between their parents, tears warming their cheeks. “Aneira needs you.”

“And they will always have me.” Their mother said, squeezing Aneira again.

“No.” Their dad said.

“Take them home,” their mother said. Pushing Aneira into their father’s arms.

“What’s going on?” Aneira asked. “What does a life for a life mean? Roskva’s okay, isn’t she?”

“Don’t you do a thing until I get back,” their father said sternly. “Come on, Aneira. We have to be quick.”

“What? Why?” Aneira asked. Their father dragging them by the arm.

“Because! Now do as I say!” Their father snapped. Silencing Aneira into following. Practically running to keep up with their father’s quick steps. Their father navigated the trees and brought them back to the farm house. Colder and darker than Aneira had ever known it.

“I’m sorry.” Aneira said as their father stopped at the fence. “It’s my fault and I-”

“Aneira, not right now.” He ran into the house and left Aneira on the front porch. Wringing their hands painfully. Their breath coming so short it made them dizzy. They paced back and forth on the porch, feeling like they were going to throw up. Numbing thoughts came like knives through her mind.

“Aneira.” Their father reappeared from the front door. “Come inside.” They dragged their feet as new tears came down their cheeks. They sniffled and stopped just inside the door.

“I’m sorry, I-” they started to sob but their father hushed them gently. Dropping to his knee and taking their hands into his.

“Aneira.” He started but paused, looking at every inch of his eldest’s face. “You are so special and,” he paused. Their father’s eyes filled with tears. “And I’m sorry. Both of us, your mother and I, are sorry. I can only hope you’ll forgive us someday.”

“Wh- for what?” Aneira choked, their dad’s sorrow adding to their own. “It’s my fault, I-”

“No! It’s not your fault. We.” Their dad shook his head and squeezed Aneira’s hands. “Aneira. I need you to make me a promise. It’s a big one and it’s an unfair one.”

“Okay” Aneira nodded slowly.

“Keep Roskva safe. Don’t let anything or anyone hurt her, ever. Okay?” Their father said. “She’s not as strong as you, so you gotta be strong for you both. All right? Can you promise me that?”

“I think so.” Aneira said. “But you and mom are coming back, right?”

“I need you not to think so. I need you to know so.” Their dad said sternly. “I need you to promise me.”

“I do! I promise I’ll never always keep Roskva safe! But you and mom will be here too, right?!” Aneira pleaded. “Right!?!?” Their dad brought them into a hug, Aneira clung onto him and refused to let him go. He pried their hands off of his coat.

“Why don’t you get the house warm for Roskva?” He said. “And. I love you, and I always have and always will.”

“Don’t leave!” Aneira grabbed their dad’s hand. But he pulled it free and walked out the front door. Shutting it behind him and leaving Aneira in the dark sitting room. Aneira sank to their knees, collapsing into breathless sobs.

“I’m sorry,” they whispered into the floorboards. “I didn’t mean to. I’m sorry.” They sobbed until their spinning head left them so dizzy they could only curl up in front of the door. Crying until they fell asleep.