Risky

Lila stood up quickly, hoping that it would all be over. Her little sister was in the middle of the flames! She had to help her.

I put down my scary book. Oh sugar beans! I could never be as brave as her, even if there was someone in the middle of a fire. Whenever something bad happens I always rely on other people to fix the problems for me. I trudge down the nicely cleaned hallway. Everything is perfect in my family’s house. The floors are delightfully shiny, my bed covers are always clean and the food in the cupboard is ordered from tallest to smallest. My parents try their hardest to make me happy, but all I really want is an adventure.

I enter the kitchen, mother is baking cookies, (perfectly) and father is watering the plants (perfectly). Whatever my parents do they HAVE to do it perfectly. I’m guessing mother saw me set foot in the kitchen because she remarked, “Aunt Cara and your Cousin Sam are meeting us at your favorite walk in five, so go get ready!”
 Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing little five year old Sam, but he always gets into mischief somehow.

I hold Sam’s hand firmly so he doesn’t escape. Aunt Cara would kill me if I lost him. “Hazel, can me to the tree? Me climb it.” I think for a moment. Should I let him escape?
“Ok, fine, but only for two minutes until my mum and Aunt Cara catch up to us.”
 I don’t take my eyes off Sam. My gaze softens because I then realize that I actually care so much about that little guy. He’s so excellent at every sport, too bad his mum is so scared of him falling.

“Hey Hazel?” It was Mia, my old friend from school. We used to be next door neighbors, my house is definitely too perfect for her liking. She probably thinks my life needs to be perfect just like my parents. That’s mainly the reason why I stopped playing with her. I turn to face her kind freckled face. Tears spring into my eyes as I dart towards her and wrap my trembling arms around her warm shoulders.
“I’m so sorry,” I say between giant sobs.
She hugs me back, “I’m sorry too,” she whispers.
We are finally friends again. We have a short conversation before heading back to our responsibilities. I feel a smile stretch across my face, from one side to the other. But when I see what is ahead, my smile quickly vanishes. I see nothing.

I literally see nothing, only the branch and no Sam. Where is he? I start to panic, Our parents will surely be back soon and I don’t have the little trouble maker with me. Where would he have gone? I hear footsteps. My mum’s perfect new sneakers. I swivel around. No! No! No! No! It is Aunt Cara and Mum. “Where’s my Sam?” asks aunt Cara worryingly. Should I tell her the truth or should I lie? If I have to tell you honestly, I have never lied in my whole life, (only when necessary of course.) “Umm…Uh… We’re actually umm…”(Light Bulb) “We’re actually playing a real fun game of hide and seek. 8, 9,10, ready or not, here I come!” Aunt Cara looks a bit confused, then shakes her hair like a pop star and keeps on walking. I can’t keep this act up for long. I have to keep checking in bushes and up trees so Aunt Cara doesn’t get suspicious. Eventually we get to my favorite part of the walk. The FROZEN LAKE. In Summer you would take a boring track around the lake, but in the Winter you would have to try and balance while walking on top of a log, over the now hard icy waters. I suddenly freeze. Right there, in the middle of the lake was Sam. He looked petrified. He now had wide eyes and chattering teeth. I am such a terrible babysitter.

“Hold on!” I call “Don’t move!” After this is all over I am going to be in big trouble. Aunt Cara is white in the face. She rushes over and drops down to her knees. She puts her hands together and prays for Sam to be alright. In all my life I have never seen her pray. I gently push Aunt Cara to a log in the clearing. Mum was there too, mouth wide open and tears in her eyes. “I’m going to get Sam back, I promise.” Who am I kidding? How am I of all people going to get him back? I walk around in circles trying to think. I suddenly hear a huge crack!

I stop pacing and hold my breath. Hesitantly I glance over to Sam. Once again there was no Sam. there was only a humongous clear patch of freezing water where Sam had been only a minute ago. Without thinking I rip off my necklace and plunge into the water. Sam was there motionless, floating down, down, down to the bottom of the lake. I swim down and follow Sam’s rhythm. We finally get to the bottom of the now cracked FROZEN LAKE. I can’t do this anymore. I need to go up for air.

I then remember all the good times I had with little Sam, like when he stuffed his mouth full of grapes. It looked like his mouth was going to explode! I need to save him. If I die as well, at least we’ll die together. I wrap my arms around his waist and swim one handed towards the surface. We can make it, we can make it, we can… We made it! I rest my head on the smooth grass above me. The mums rush over and I am smothered with kisses of lipstick all over my forehead. I gasp for breath. I suddenly remember, SAM! I rush over to the little boy. He’s coughing and spluttering. He’s alive! I hug him more than a dozen times.

“Are you okay?” I say, still coughing.
He peers up at my desperate face and he smiles, “I’m fine.”

I am just like Lila now, a hero.