The snow was falling, the the wind was howling, and their mom said “I think it’s about time I go and pick us up some dinner.” Both Jake and Ryan agreed and even their dog, Benny, barked as if he agreed too. It would take her about an hour or so due to there being nothing around as they are in the middle of the woods in a cabin their grandpa grew up in. Before she left, she told them the most important rule: don’t go near the pond for any reason, as that is where their grandpa almost drowned when he was a little boy, and where she says he remains now.

Both Jake and Ryan thought this was stupid. The mom headed off to pick up the food and now Ryan and Jake had an hour to kill. After about 5 minutes, the darkness started to set in as the sun was going down, so Jake had the idea to start a fire, as there was no electricity and it was getting cold. But, Ryan was not all for that idea thinking of the possibility of the cabin being burnt down. Another 5 minutes went by and it got even darker, so Ryan gave into the idea. The fire lit up the main room while everything else stayed dark.

It was a big cabin, but an old one; they were so bored trying to think of anything to do as their stomachs rumbled. Jake then got an idea. He said, “We should go play in the snow outside.”

Ryan really did not like this, thinking about all of the possible bad outcomes and was not willing to give in. Jake, even more bored, then grabbed a lantern and started to walk around and look to see where their dog has gone. The whistles of the wind got louder, and Ryan was starting to get frightened being all by himself, but thought to himself, there is nothing to be worried about. He sat on the couch and started to read a book he had started earlier on the ride there. He was later on interrupted by what he thought was something crunching the snow. The windows were old and didn’t do much. He whispered loudly, hoping it would reach his brother, but it was masked by the heavy winds. The crunching got a little louder, as if it was coming toward the cabin, then, bang, a snowball hit the window.

Ryan started to panic and ran under the blankets on the couch not knowing at the time what or who it was. He was shaking, wondering were Jake could have gone and what was outside, then it hit him, Jake was outside. He got out from under the blankets opened the door and started to yell at his brother.

Jake came down from upstairs with Benny on a leash being held in one of his hands and said, “What are you doing? Close that door.” Ryan was in shock and did not move, how could he be in the house? The door still wide open, Jake said again, “Close the–” He was cut off by a huge gust of wind that came through the open door putting out the fire, blowing a cup on the floor, shattering it, and startling Benny, causing him to run right out of the door.

Jake chasing after him through the door and around the house trying to grab ahold of the leash, Jake yelling for him to stop as he is running straight for the frozen pond, not thinking about anything but getting back his dog and runs right onto the pond not knowing it as it has a layer of snow over it along with the dog. The dog runs over the pond making to the other side into the woods, but when Jake got around forty feet out his leg falls through the pond into the freezing water then his whole body. He had his head facing towards the bottom of the pond not knowing it and swimming downwards. Panicking, he turns around and starts to swim in the opposite direction trying to find the hole he made when he fell in.

He feels something go right past his ear than suddenly something grabs his leg and pulls him up onto the ice. Jake, still being so out of it, on his hands and knees gasping for air not realizing what had just happened. His brother then comes running over and takes him back to the house. As soon as they get back, Jake lays across the couch still catching his breath, Ryan wanting to know what happened asks. Jake was confused. “You pulled me out of the water.”

Ryan exclaims, “I was at the house until Benny came back but you didn’t, then I went out looking for you and saw you on the ice.”