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."