Elena
The ice splits. I fall through.
Cold water closes over my head. The shock steals my breath. My lungs burn. My arms flail. The current pulls at my legs, dragging me down.
Then — a hand. Strong. Warm. Ray’s hand closes around my wrist. He pulls me up.
I break the surface. Gasping. Coughing. Water streams from my hair.
“Hold on,” Ray says. He drags me onto the ice. The frozen river groans beneath us but holds.
We crawl to the bank. The snow is deep. My wet nightgown clings to my skin. The cold is a thousand knives.
“We need shelter,” Ray says. His teeth chatter. “Now.”
He leads me through the forest. The trees are dark. The wind howls.
Then — a cabin. Small. Dark. Smoke rising from the chimney.
“Whose cabin is that?” I ask.
“I do not know. But we have no choice.”
We approach
