The Frozen Lake

The snowflakes outside my window twirled and danced in the breeze, trying to settle on the window sill, or float down to join the layer of snow covering the ground. I sigh. Cold weather for a cold day. Today, is my little brother's funeral. Because exactly 1 week ago, my little brother, Patrick, was shot in the heart by a cold-blooded killer. And my own fiance, my own beloved Liam, killed him. My sweet, funny, gentle Liam killed my little bro. My little bro who I would have given everything to protect. I shrug on my long black coat and check my makeup in the mirror. I'm ready to go. Or as ready as I'll ever be.

"Natalie, the car has just pulled up. It's time to go." My father stands at the front door, dressed in an impeccable black suit and a wooly black overcoat. "Let's go then," I say quickly, and walk out the door briskly so I don't have to look at my father. If I do, I know I'll burst into tears and I can't ruin my makeup before I even get to the funeral.

I hop into the taxi, ready to take me and my father to the funeral, and put on my seatbelt. A screen separates the back seats from the driver, so I can't see his face. I assume he does this out of respect, which I thank him silently for. My father is just about to hop in the car on the other side, when the taxi takes off and I let out a scream as the car slips down the road, way over the speed limit, and goes in the opposite direction of the funeral.

"What the hell are you doing?" I yell at the top of my lungs as the car speeds down the road. I pound on the screen separating the back from the front and scream at him. "Stop this! Let me go! Why would you want to kidnap me? I need to get out! I need to get to my bro's funeral!" It's this last sentence that causes the taxi driver to take a sharp left and park the car out the front of the lake, now covered in ice.

The screen goes down, and I'm staring at the man who stole my life. I shake with rage and shock. "You.... You dare show your face to me! You dare try and take me away from the only piece of my brother I have left!" I try to jump out of the car, but the doors are locked, and I'm trapped in the car, with the man I used to love. "Nat! You need to listen to me! The person who killed your brother wants you dead too!"

I glare at Liam with tears in my eyes. "So kill me then. Do it. Steal the only person my dad has left away from him. First my mum dies a year ago from a car crash, now you have to kill my little brother! What the hell is wrong with you? I thought we were in love!" I try and ignore the fact that tears are starting to stream down Liam's face. "I didn't kill him. And nothing in the universe could ever compel me to hurt you, because I love you. And we were in love." Liam only just dodges a broken nose as I try and thrust my fist into his face. "Don't you dare say that! It was all a lie! A ploy! To get to my brother and kill him!" "Nat! Just listen! I would never kill your brother! I loved him as a brother too. He was killed by a city gang. And they want you too. They're coming after you Nat, and I need to protect you." "The only person I need protecting from is you!" Liam reaches down to the seat across from him and I wait for the bullet to pierce my skin and kill me. But it never comes. Instead, he throws a newspaper at my seat and leans back against his chair, so I can't see his face. I pick it up and read the first page.

'The notorious City Gang strikes again! The only son of the Kings family, Patrick King, died from a bullet to the heart, with rumours that Patrick King had overheard a drug deal and was about to rat them out to the police. A brave young soul, he was. His funeral is today, at the Reformed theology church in town.'

I blink. "Why would the City Gang want me dead?" I look up at the back of Liam's head. "How would Patrick know about a drug deal? How... How is any of this possible?" Liam turns and looks at me. "We were walking together and he suddenly stopped, and then broke into a run. I ran after him, asking him what was wrong. He stopped, looked at me with wild eyes, and told me that we had just passed the City Gang's drug deal. We needed to get out of there, and go to the police. Just as we were about to take off again, a gunshot came out of nowhere and Patrick collapsed on the footpath. I tried to stop the bleeding, tried to call the ambulance, but it was too late. He had died instantly. I bent over him and cried my heart out. When I looked up again, a gun was lying next to me, and police cars surrounded me. My only guess is that the shooter planted that gun next to me so I would take the blame." Tears are streaming down his face, and I don't know what to do. How to react. What to think. My brother, killed by a city gang, and my fiance, somehow framed for the crime. "But... Why am I involved?" Liam looks me dead in the eye. "Because you're his sister. They always kill all of a witness's family. They'll be after you, and your father next."

I stand on the edge of the lake, snowflakes frosting my coat. My brother is dead, and my life and the life of my father is now on the line. But I have my fiance on my side now. Well, I think we're still engaged. It's kind of a complicated situation at the moment. I wrap my arms around myself and step onto the frozen lake, imagining that me and my brother are little again, and we're skating across the lake, laughing at each other when we fell down. I'm gonna get through this. Me, my father, and Liam. We can do this. Because if I can stand on a frozen sheet of ice without falling, then what's stopping me from foiling the plans of the notorious City Gang? Liam steps into place beside me, and takes my hand. We take another step on the ice. Together.