Under the Ice

The frozen lake cracked beneath his feet, and in a heartbeat, his world tilted into chaos. He felt the icy claws of terror wrap around him as his body plunged into the black water, the cold slicing through him like a thousand needles. He gasped, but no air came, only a suffocating chill that swallowed his scream.

Everything moved in slow motion as he struggled against the water’s pull, its dark weight pressing down on him. The lake’s surface closed above, sealing him beneath a frozen ceiling, and all he could see were distorted shadows of bare trees and a dim winter sky. He flailed, desperate to find a foothold, something to push against, but the ice was jagged, scraping his arms and tearing his jacket as he clawed at it.