The picture had shown up to Barry Pritchett's office on a Tuesday morning. It was in a manila envelope and written on the front was his name and the office's address. Barry didn't recognize the handwriting. When he asked Susan who'd dropped it off, she said that it was there when she'd opened up the building. Then she said that his appointment for two-thirty would be about five minutes late.

To be fair, Barry didn't know if there was a picture inside the manila envelope, he only suspected that it was. The contents didn't feel like paper, there wasn't much sway when he held the envelope. It also felt somewhat sturdy, much like a photograph. Barry turned it over in his hands, and for whatever reason, he ran his fingers along the print, as though doing so would link it to whoever sent it. He flipped it over, bent the metal brackets upward, moved the flap, and removed the photograph.

He recognizes everything in the photograph because his brain has refused to forget the image. He remembers every single little detail. How on that afternoon twenty years ago, the entire world seemed to be engulfed in an icy shade of blue. How the trees across the frozen lake had been leafless for what felt like an eternity. How just enough of the snow had melted to show some of the rocks and ground underneath. How the tall grass looked like a strange field of wheat. How the frozen lake cracked when little Jill Parker stepped onto it. There are nights when Barry Pritchett would wake in the middle of the night, and his aging joints would crack, and for whatever reason it sounded like the ice from that afternoon.

"It's a dare Jill, you have to do it," said Aaron Stevens.

There was a certain chill to Aaron's voice that Barry had found funny at the time. Looking back he remembered laughing at a lot of what Aaron Stevens had said, but he couldn't remember why, because Aaron never said anything funny. Jill Parker cautiously turned to look at them, her cheeks a rose red, and stained with what looked like tears.

"But," her voice was so soft, like that of a cartoon mouse. "But what if the ice cracks and I fall in?"

Aaron scoffed. "That only happens in the cartoons and the movies. Don't be a chicken. You have to do the dare." He lets the silence settle into her bones. "You have to do the dare."

A whimper escaped Jill's lips, and it seemed to hang over their heads as she walked over the frozen lake. It cracked, and it cracked, as she whimpered and whimpered. Barry remembered the lump that built in his throat, the words that beckoned for Jill to turn around that burned at the tip of his tongue. But he didn't say anything, not a single word. Then the ice gave way, and Jill Parker vanished in the blink of an eye. She didn't even have time to scream.

They swore not to say a word. Their story was that they hadn't seen Jill Parker at all and that she probably wandered onto the frozen lake by herself. Paula Parker, Jill's mother, had insisted that her daughter would never go onto the frozen lake by herself, and Barry thought that she was probably right. Search parties looked for Jill, for what felt like an eternity. Barry remembered seeing Paula walking through the snow, day in and day out looking for Jill.

"She's going to freeze to death," his dad would say, in a tone that was all too sad. "Poor woman is going to freeze to death."

The body of Jill Parker was never found. Barry and Aaron stuck to their stories until Barry moved away. Far, far, away. From Maine to California far.

So, where did this picture come from? How was it even a thing? The picture was shot as though it had been taken from either himself or Aaron, the positioning was perfect. But, neither of them had a camera, that's something that Barry is sure of. He blinks his eyes for the first time since seeing the photograph, and his veins run cold with the same icy chill from that afternoon. His mouth becomes Styrofoam dry, his throat as coarse as sandpaper. His mind tries to deny what he's seeing, but it's impossible to do so. He knows that the girl in the picture is Jill Parker. He recognizes the pink beanie and the pink jacket that was a bit too big for her. He can hear the cracking from the frozen lake.

"Barry. You're two-thirty is here,"

He doesn't hear Susan through his phone, not the first time or the second time. The lights click off in his office, and he's plunged into what feels like an eternal darkness. He can't see a thing around him, all he can see is the photograph of Jill before she died. Somewhere in the distance, he can hear the opening and the closing of his office door. Then comes the cracking. The footsteps over the ice, and they get louder and louder, approaching his desk. Barry can feel the cold that swallows his office whole, can feel the gooseflesh as it consumes his skin. He can see the silhouette of Jill Parker standing on the other side of his desk. He can't make out a single feature, but he knows that it's her, he's sure of it. Hasn't been more sure of anything in his life.

He recognizes the beanie, and how it made the top of her head look like a cone. The stupid jacket that was too big for her. He tries to scream but he can't, it's so cold that he can't even move. He has no choice but to watch in frozen terror as the silhouette of Jill reaches out and grabs his forearm. Her touch is so cold, and it burns like fire more than anything else. It crawls up his body, slowly at first, and then it gains speed. It ripples throughout his body, and then there's nothing but darkness for Barry Pritchett.

His secretary, Susan, would find him fifteen minutes later. Frozen from head to toe, with a look of sheer terror etched across his face. He's still holding the photograph. Most of his friends and distant family would learn that he died of a heart attack at thirty-five, a bizarre death for someone his age with his health.

Because...how would one explain a man freezing to death in the middle of California during the summer?

A girl walks a cross a frozen lake in hopes of finding something or someone...

She knows of the sacred veil that covers the lake. Her shadow-mother has told her it’s story for all of her 16 winters.

Her name is Kaelin and her Shadow-Mother, Raelin was all she ever knew her first 7 winters of life. By the age of 7 she was told in depth of the mysterious veil of the lake and that someday when she was ready all the knowledge of the kingdom would come to her. She was special, she was told. She never felt special before. But maybe today is the day.

Something was off today. Was it her time? Or should she be extra careful like Raelin had warned?

End

The snow swept across the frozen lake as the girl stood and stared at the trees across on the other side. There was something about these winter days that mad her think about her younger days and the ball she had lost one winter day so many years ago. She knew she had to find that ball because it held magical properties, and these magical properties were needed today because her mother was dying. This ball was the only way to save her.

When she was younger a wizard had appeared to her and cast a magical spell upon the small rubber ball she was playing with. He had told her that it was going to serve her well some day, but just as soon as he cast the magic upon the ball he threw it across the lake and into the trees. She had asked him why he threw the ball and he had told her that it was necessary to earn those things that are important to her and then disappeared.

Now as she stared out across the frozen water she remembered her fear of walking on the ice. When she was younger she had fallen through a patch of ice on this lake and fallen in to the freezing water. She had barely survived that day, but on this day she knew she had to face her fears and took her first step and heard the creaking that reminded her of the day so long ago.

No crack appeared below her feat so she took another step. With every step she took her nerves began to settle, and every step became easier. Soon she began to skip across the ice without a care in the world. Her mind had moved from the ice to glowing light that shown in the distant trees. She knew her ball was in reach and she would be able to save her mother, and then it happened. The one thing she feared, the ice began to split and she was soon going to be fighting for her life.

Picking up the pace and not worrying about skipping or the light anymore she started to run at a full sprint. She began to slip and slide and the ice began to crack open in front of her. She began to dodge the cracks but they were taking her back in a circle to where she started. Before she knew it she was surrounded by cracks with no where to go. She dropped to her knees and began to cry, and then she heard a familiar voice. It was her mother, “don’t cry my dear. You have done the best you could”. The girl looked up from her hands she had cradled her face into and said “What about you mom? I came all this way and overcame my fears to save you, but I can’t it’s too hard.”

The wind calmed and then she heard it, the familiar sound from her childhood. The ball came bouncing across the ice and stopped at where she was kneeling. She picked it up and smiled as she looked up and said “I have it…I have it. Now I can save you.” She held the ball in the air and then she heard her father’s voice, “Wake up Marly. We have to go now.” she felt a slight nudge and then the world faded away to a hospital room.

“We have to go now.” He said to her. Her father had tears in his eyes as he knelt down and held her tight. “Your mother has passed.” Looking around Marly felt in her pocket and realized the rubber ball was there. She smiled and whispered to herself “I love you mom."

Wind bit into Xenia's face with every step she took across the ice. Night was approaching, and the dismal, faded glow that had barely illuminated her way through the storm was disappearing with every passing minute. She loathed superstition, but through the blur of the storm it truly felt as though the goddess had swallowed up the sun. She shuddered.

'I have to keep moving,' she thought, and trudged forward. Despite her wounded shoulder, she threw her left arm up over her face to shield her eyes from the stinging snow. In her right she dragged the sled that carried what was left of Serral.

Part of her wished that the ice would make its way past her skin and numb her to the bone. She could barely stand the ache of the cold—even her teeth felt it. Every tear that dripped down her face froze before it could move past her cheeks. She was sure that anyone looking across the lake would think her a vengeful ghost. Perhaps she was one.

‘Vengeance, huh?’ Her laugh came out like a dry whistle. Not even she knew what she'd do once she reached Astana—if she reached him at all.

A girl walks Across a frozen lake

Searching for something Or someone unknown

She wanders Slides in circles across

The frozen water Where she is soon lost

Where to go She doesn’t know

And then she finds a crack A sliver in the ice

It catches her gaze And slowly reels her in

Go over or around She doesn’t know

Curiosity takes her And she dips a foot in

Yet then she is sucked in And pulled down

Down down down Into the cold

Into the frigid, freezing cold

——- Idk what this is. I know it doesn’t flow the best or make much sense, I kinda just tired to feel the prompt. As always, thanks for reading. I’m trying to write more often and consistently in the new year.

NOT A STORY OR POME SORRY

Merry Christmas 🎄 🎁 Hope everyone had happy safe holiday I know I did and honestly I’m exhausted it’s just been a long day a good day but long now I have a whole week where I can focus more on my writing so I will have Revenge Part 2 posted either at the end of this month or the beginning of January until then happy writing and reading

A winters morning is the most unlikely time to be out in the afternoon. With news of a blizzard hitting, most were inside sipping coffee, sighing from the comfortable warmth, and giving hardly a thought that anyone would be crazy enough to go outdoors.

They were wrong.

For out there in the cold wind of the north, far across the frozen lake, shivering under her red winter coat and white stocking hat, was a young girl. Her name was not important, for no one knew it. Nor was her age, for no one could say. Although many tried to guess, she never denied nor confirmed these assumptions. She was a stranger, nothing more or less.

The girl steadily marched onward, tucking her hands in her pockets and looking down at the ice. It was a marvel she did not slip several times, for the ice was smooth and hard as glass. But she kept moving, sliding her feet across the ice, eyes turned to her feet as she frowned.

He should be here. He usually came about this time.

For years she had waited for a perfect storm, the time that ice would be frozen enough to cross. Every day, she longed for the blizzard, the storm that would aid her to the end

For out of summer she was taken, and out of winter she will return.

She blew on her hands to warm them. Although the cold was a welcoming feeling, pain of frostbite was not. Her hair blew into her face, sprinkled with snow. Her jacket did little against the wailing wind, and her boots were not made for the slick ice. Yet the girl pressed on. Hoping, waiting for a sign of her—

The ice cracked, she froze.

Icy veins ran through the solid waters, spreading from the area her foot had been placed. Her heart skipped, and the pleasant feeling of fear sent a rush to her head. The girl smiled, and took another step. The lake continued crack and creak under her feet, deep blue waters rushing below. Promising a watery grave. The wind and storm raged around her, trying everything in their power to make the girl in the red coat turn around

‘_Run child, leave.’ _They whispered softly in her ear.

But it was not the voice she wanted to hear. For the sound of the waters carried another one, one ringing from the cracks and shattering of the ice. A haunting voice she had missed.

“Come to me..find me below” __ __ Soon she stopped, in the middle of the lake. Surrounded by splitting ice, standing over the deep blue of a lake, the girl stopped.

And the storm gave up.

Silence was a haunting sound, one that took her breath away. But it was not the only thing..

For right in front of her, was the one she was looking for. The older man stood calmly on the ice, not bothering with warm clothing. In only a black jacket and pants, his white beard caked with frost. A smile on his face as shown by the crinkle in his eyes. Leaning on the staff in his hands, He spoke gruffly, but was soft.

“Well..lets go home, My daughter.”

The girl grinned, and the ice broke.

For the Daughter of the North Wind had returned. Her spirit above with her father, and her body below with the water..

I watch, but don’t act. I adore her as she brushes past me without a second thought, but I don’t dare speak. Adriana clings to her boyfriend Toby’s arm while he laughs with his friends. Her glazed eyes focus on the front doors. Cars come, then drift off into distant snowy roads as the hope in her eyes dims. Blue lights pulse with the beat of the music, drowning us in this year’s underwater theme. In her red dress, Adriana almost resembles bright coral.

I worm my way around the condensing crowd to the food table. As someone who isn’t big on school dances, the food is one of the few pros I get from forcing myself into a suit. My good friend Saige managed to convince me to come with her, to give it a try. I can see her emerging from the bathroom in her green dress. Her heels clack loudly towards me. I do not rip my gaze from Adriana

“It seems like you’re enjoying yourself there, TJ.” She quips, smirking at my lovestruck eyes.

“Yeah, I am,” I say. I can’t pull my smile down, and I don’t make an effort to. It’s easy to ignore the suffocating feeling of the tie around my neck and my rumbling stomach when Adriana’s around. Even if she doesn’t know my name.

“You should try talking to her. You can’t be a wallflower for the rest of your life.”

“I know, but Toby would sock me in the face before I get the chance. You know how he is with his partners.”

With annoyance, she crosses her arms over her chest. “He’s been ignoring her all night for his football friends. This might be your one and only chance to speak to the love of your life.”

“Saige, would you stop—“

“If you’re going to choose to be a coward, you should at least do something other than stand there and ogle at her. Come to the dance floor with me.” She says.

I finally turn to her. “No, Saige.” I told her firmly. “I’m not doing that. You go ahead and have fun.”

Saige lets out a sigh and rolls her eyes. “Okay, fine.” She canters off toward her group of friends from the swim team and twirls around to the next song. When I return my gaze to Adriana, I see her bending down towards the floor. Her corsage broke off from her wrist, and as she tried to fasten it back onto its strand, four white petals fell. Her boyfriend kept conversing with friends and ignoring his date. He had pulled away from Adriana’s gentle grasp while she continued to struggle with the flower. She eventually decides to attatch it to her the strap of her dress. It’s rests above where her heart beats.

I take a cake pop from the food table, and in that brief moment, Adriana vanishes. In the short time it takes for me to grab a quick snack, a flicker of red slips into the cold night. Snowflakes begin to fall in flurries, and worry clings to my heart.

“Are you okay TJ?” Saige approaches me once more with concern.

“Adriana left.”

“Do you know what happened?”

“No, but I don’t have time to explain.”

I rush off before Saige could yell for me, but just as I cross the threshold between the dance and the outside world, I can hear the signature sound of her heels as she follows in pursuit.

“Adriana!” The wet snow soaks through my shoes and absorbs into the fabric of my socks. Goosebumps prickle my skin like needles coated in frost. “Adriana, where are you?”

Thirty feet ahead of me is a dense forest. To my left is the parking lot. I do not see the bright red of her dress or the golden locks of hair. I do not hear her melodic voice. The wind picks up, carrying the snowflakes with it and deafening and blinding me further. The only think I can make out is an odd hill of white ahead of me. It looks too smooth to be snow.

I step closer and reach to touch it. I flinch back, expecting biting cold, but instead a smooth sensation graces my fingertips.

Petals.

A path of them leads deep into the forest.

“Adriana!”

The only response is the echo.

“Adriana!”

I run as fast as my freezing muscles would carry me. The path ends and I approach a frozen lake. Deep cracks form from its edge towards its center where Adriana stands like arms of death reaching out for her. Tears stream down her cheeks.

My ability to speak eludes me, for even in her moments of utter despair, she still looks so beautiful. I stare at her despaired eyes, blue like sapphires. As the ice falls from beneath her, that sadness turns to fear.

“TJ!” Saige huffs from behind me. “TJ, what the hell?!”

“Adriana fell through the ice!”

“What?!”

I gesture to the gaping hole in the frozen lake. Saige’s eyes widen. “Don’t just stand there! Do something!”

My joints are solid stone. My tongue and throat are dry, and with each swallow, the irritation worsens. The lake slowly brings down Ellie’s body to the deep like a mother putting a baby to bed in its crib. Before I could answer her, Saige runs towards it, ties up her brown hair, and dives in. I remain tense, but with trust in Saige. The seconds are slow, and when they don’t emerge from the water, I yell for the nearest adult and have them call the police.

Many ambulances arrive. Both Saige and Adriana are motionless on the gurneys.

I watch, but don’t act. I cry for them as the paremdics brush past me without a second thought, but I don’t dare speak.

Once upon a time a girl steps onto a frozen lake. She walks tentatively on the ice as it cracks and creaks she looks down at the icy reflections of frozen plant’s and fish and the haunting human faces. The erriness of the mist on the icey lake as she walks lost in the void of her skin consciousness. She is lost in a dream deep thought.

Location: classifed

Vid Testimony, Ryan Persons, female, Android, manufacturer location OldeEarth, manufacturer date: redacted, model: Merck/Johnson, model type: redacted, current address: redacted, Haworthia Flats, Enceladus

One beige table, three beige chairs, four beige walls, the incognito filter wiped clean any distinguishing features in the hotel room. Detective Hatchet guided Ryan Persons to a chair. In a shapeless hospital shift, the Android was wide eyed and skittish. Detective Hatchet took the seat to Persons’ left.

Next, Police Chief Two Axes entered the room and sat down at the table across from Persons. A soft hum followed by a flash and holograms of Saturn’s Ring City’s District Attorney Lee Carruthers and Saturn Superior Court Judge John Sunipappeared facing each other at opposite ends of the table.

After giving Persons’ hand a light squeeze, Det. Hatchet gave Police Chief Two Axes a nod. Two Axes nodded in return and turned her attention to Persons. The weight of this murder case hung heavily in the silence. Police Chief Two Axes cleared her throat.

“Judge Sunip and D.A. Carruthers thank you for taking time out of your schedule for this testimony. We have concerns for this witness’ safety and the safety of her family,” Two Axes said.

Sunip’s eyebrows shot up at the word, “Family.” And Carruthers opened her mouth to speak but Two Axes extended a hand and continued talking.

“As a surrogate before the Civil War, Ms. Persons was pregnant with a human child and is currently raising said child. Threats have been made against the life of Persons’ and her child. Despite my assurances that she would be safe in police custody, Persons has decided to disappear with her child on her own. Unfortunately, due to the real possibility of information leaks in the investigation of the homicide of ChiChi and Janey BlueSky from the highest offices on Encedaluswe are reaching out to Saturn for assistance. We will record Person’s testimony and in the event of her death this recorded testimony will be allowed as evidence during the trial per Saturnine Penal Code 8 S 45 SS 3A.

“Based on communication from Police Chief Two Axes, the Ring City District Attorney’s office has offered Ms. Persons immunity in return for this testimony. Though I do urge the witness to have an attorney present for her own protection,” Carruthers said.

“I don’t need more people in on this. I have a good plan. No offense, lady, I’m sure you’re nice but I just don’t trust humans. The less humans know my business the better. I knew I was on thin ice when I lit out of Mars with Gary. I needed him more than loved him but I did have love for him. I did. I may go under still for protecting Gary instead of protecting my own kind. But I just want to drag my baby girl under for my bad decision,” Persons said.

Persons gave witness to her boyfriend Gary Devlin, security specialist, Seven Circles, and associate Hap Kidd, his brothers John Paul, Zimm, and Bobby Jo Devlin, also employees of floral wholesaler Seven Circles, conducting a terror campaign of physical assaults, witness intimidation, property damage, and theft to discourage collective bargaining from the indie flower farmers on Encedalus. The smell of burnt books seemed to fill the air around Chief Two Axes. Persons had destroyed any suspect clothes.

Persons detailed the night of the BlueSky murders and how Gary Devlin returned to her home reeking of hovercraft fuel and smoke. According to Persons, there had been ash and stains of pale plasma on Gary Devlin’s clothing on that night. She had never seen this before. He ordered her to wash his clothing and burn his shoes. Persons admitted she incinerated the clothes but only brushed off Gary’s suede jacket and work boots.

“For the recording, these items were delivered to Ring City Forensics by Ring City Police officer Marsh FreeGray,” Det. Hatchet said.

Charred muscle and metal scents tightened Police Chief Two Axes’ throat as the image of two bodies burnt holding each other settled in her mind. Reflexively, her eyes sought her former partner’s. The sorrow in his dark grey eyes made her look away.

For hours, Judge Sanip asked Ryan Persons questions concerning communications Persons had overheard between the Devlin brothers, Project Manager Walt Lupo of Seven Circles, and Grace Devereaux, CFO, FlorCorp, the largest rare flower marketeer and retailer. According to Persons, Devereaux wanted to the Devlins to squash the union talk.

Opening the door, Hatchet stepped out holding Ryan Persons’ elbow. Person leaned heavily on Hatchet’s arm leaving the now stuffy room. Two Axes felt some kind of way about that. She spoke to clear her head.

“Thank you for speaking up Ms. Persons,” Police Chief Two Axes said.

“Don’t thank me. I looked the other way like everyone else in the Flats. I knew exactly what they were trying to do and I stayed. I knew Gary hurt people. He hurt me. But I told myself it was Zimm. I told myself if I loved him enough he would do right. I would leave him and go back when Gary made promises I knew he couldn’t keep. If Zimm hadn’t threatened my Lena to keep me quiet I wouldn’t be here. I’m no hero, I’m a mother,” Persons said. “One day I hope I can explain to her what I did and why. Will she forgive me Hatch?”

Murmuring comforting noises, Det. Hatchet turned of the vid stream and escorted the witness out of the suite. Needing to touch her, he gazed the back of his hand against Two Axes’ knuckles as he walked past. She stiffened.

A driving drumbeat pounded the Raised Fist as the house band launched into its first set. Old fashioned drones zipped by carrying pitchers of beer. On big screens the human league futbol game played. A news anchor interrupted the game with a news flash. The crowd groaned

“Breaking News, ECX is live in Alpha City as a series of early morning raids at FlorCorp and several homes. According to reports these arrests are of security personnel and top leadership from the well respected flower merchant Seven Circles, and its parent company FlorCorp. Rod, we can see here suspects being handcuffed.”

Zimm and his brother Bobby Jo shared a worried look. Zimm downed his Bud Light and pushed Roxie off his lap. Heads turned towards him as he strolled for the back door. Bobby Jo bolted for the front door. They both wished they had been carrying real heat as they went their separate ways. Bobby Jo fumbled for his box cutter as he ran for his car.

Zimm didn’t turn around when the sound of police car sirens filtered in above the bar’s din. Roxie wailed his name. A gray hand flashed seizing Zimm’s wrist. Zimm was yanked off his feet and flung against the hood of a police hovercar. He didn’t bother to turn to see Hatchet. The detective clamped on the flexible cuff.

“End of the road, Devlin. I’m arresting you for the murders of ChiChi and Janey BlueSky, arson, killing their dog and anything else I can make stick,” Hatchet snarled.

“Arrest is not a conviction. Remember sometimes the ice breaks halfway across,” Zimm Devlin said with a growing grin.

Det. Benj Hatchet froze pressing Devlin into the hood of the squad hover. A pair of officers managed to break Hatchet’s hold and escorted a now laughing Devlin to transport for booking. Benj sank down onto his knees.