opeChapter One On Thin Ice

The frozen lake cracked beneath his feet. Randy was a hiker in the area and had stepped out on the ice. The frozen lake started cracking under his feet. Suddenly he fell into the ice cold water. He tried to grab onto the hole opening, yet was unsuccessful. His body went under the ice and he swam towards what he thought was the shore. Yet, it wasn't anything but more ice. He shivered from the cold and tread the icy depths. 

He started to give up and could not breathe. The ice was getting colder and colder. He tried to find the hole from which he came from, but was unsuccessful again.

He had decided he was going to die. What was he thinking? You never give up. Why now? He was only 20 years old and had his whole life ahead of him. Was this his time?

He stopped breathing and started to sink to the bottom of the lake. He was just met by a school of fish and more ice. He saw a bright light. He swam towards it. It was a beautiful green light. When he got near it, he could see what was there. It was his Grandmother. However, she died 10 years ago. She smiled and held his hand as they swam.

It seemed like they swam forever. But, she smiled and brought him to a hole. He pulled up on it but couldn't get a grip on it and sank back down. It was no use. He looked on the bottom of the lake for something to pull him up. He found a stick and tried to swim back to the hole again. It was no use. The stick didn't help him get through the hole.

His Grandmother had good intentions, but it was for naught. So, he swam to the bottom of the lake and tried to find something more substantial like a piece of iron. He found a piece of iron and an old rope. He tied the rope to the iron piece and tried to swim back to the hole. But he was having trouble finding the hole again.

Chapter Two Miracles

He tried to catch his breath. He could feel the water filling his lungs. He drastically tried to find the hole. All the ice looked the same and he couldn't crash through it. He beat the ice with his fist as hard as he could. But it was no use. He couldn't find the hole. He knew it had to be there somewhere.

He took a deep breath and hit his fists against the ice. He started to panic. He started falling into the bottom of the lake. This is it. He was going to die.

He closed his eyes and prayed for a miracle. A bright blue light showed through the ice. He could see his Grandfather's face. He took his hand and guided him as they swam. He found the hole. He threw the iron piece with the rope on it across the ice. All it did was just break it into a bigger hole.

He tried to pull on the rope and it was no use. He pulled himself up as far as he could around the hole. He took some very deep breaths and then dove back down into the lake. He had two miracles happen from his

Grandparents trying to save him didn't work. He looked for something more substantial on the bottom of the lake. The water was really cold and he started to shiver again. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't find anything on the bottom to use on the hole. The iron piece held on to the edge of the hole and then the rope fell down into the depths. He needed a heavier piece of metal and a longer rope.

Chapter Three Hope

On the bottom of the lake it was murky. He had trouble seeing anything. He found the hole again and stayed near it so he could find it again. He took a deep breath and pulled on the rope tied to the iron piece. He couldn't get his body to pull the rope enough to be saved. He looked at the bottom of the lake again. There was a long iron pole and a sturdier, longer rope. He tied it to the pole. He went up through the hole and threw the long pole further than the hole. He pulled on the rope. It seemed a lot sturdier than the iron piece. The other rope was old and was unraveling and was useless.

He grabbed the rope and pulled on it. The pole went quickly into the water again. This was a bad plan. He took a deep breath and tried to pull himself up again, but he just got pulled down into the depths again. He stayed in the hole with his head poking out of the hole. He yelled for help. It just echoed around the lake. Could there be someone hiking that could hear his cries and save him? He kept yelling "Help!" for a good hour. He was exhausted. His body was numb. He knew he was getting Hypothermia. He had read about the symptoms. He was starting to feel dizzy. The final step is lack of consciousness. He yelled again. He was dressed in thermal underwear, heavy pants and a turtleneck sweater. Over that was a thermal jacket and he had a knit hat on his head.

He was about to lose consciousness, and saw someone walking on the shore.

"I'm here to help. I have a long rope that we used for mountain climbing.

Hang on, I will throw it to you."

The stranger grabbed the uncoiled rope and tied a sturdy branch to it. He threw it across the hole. Randy grabbed it and the man pulled the rope with all of his might. Randy's body pulled across the ice towards the man and onto the shore.

"Thanks so much. I was starting to lose hope. You are my hero!"