Chilled

School had concluded for the day, leaving students with assignments that they were instructed to complete at home. Danielle had stopped by Hailey's parents house to help Hailey with her assignment as the two friends had agreed upon. She was upstairs in Hailey's room seated at the desk in front of her, enthusiastically reciting the details of her math assignment. Hailey had chosen to lie down on her bed only for Danielle to make a quick Goldilocks joke. To which Hailey retorted that at least she wasn't Beauty dating the Beast. "Well hopefully his Belle can help him turn into a handsome prince some day. If not, there are plenty of fish in the sea." Danielle laughed. Hailey shook her head before both girls intently focused on the task at hand once again. Time had passed and the two girls were thirty minutes into their assignment. Thankfully it was going swimmingly. Each equation they completed brought them closer and closer to the completion of their math assignment. It was fifteen til five but night couldn't come soon enough for a very tired Hailey, who had been yawning the entire time.

"And that's how I got the answer to number seventeen. Did you get that answer too or do I need to explain it to you again?" Danielle inquired. After a moment of silence she made out the sound of Hailey's delicate breathing. She turned her swivel office chair around to look at her and there was no doubt about it. In the middle of working on their assignment, Hailey had drifted off into a deep slumber. Danielle placed her pencil beside her papers on the desk and sighed. "It figures. I'm working hard and you're fast asleep. No wonder your grades are starting to slip." She lifted her left hand from the armrest of the chair and ran her fingers through her shoulder length brunette hair a few times. She was aware the completion of their assignment was at hand, but she could clearly discern that her friend was exhausted. "Since you're sleeping so soundly, I'll just let you rest for now. Sweet dreams Sleeping Beauty." She said smiling. She only hoped that this meant her friend wouldn't have her recurring nightmare again. Danielle turned back around and continued to work on her assignment.

Meanwhile Hailey had begun to dream, and she found herself standing in front of the same frozen pond again. Her sky blue irises carefully scanned her surroundings but there wasn't a soul in sight. There were only a few trees near the pond and the concrete trail behind her. Although the thing that caught her eye the most was the sign that read danger thin ice, no ice skating allowed. The pond was large enough to skate on but the ice was dangerously thin. She slowly inhaled and held her breath for a moment before slowly exhaling. She still felt shaky from the previous nightmares she had, but she still managed to turn her back to the pond. With the pond now behind her Hailey felt a little relieved as her uneasiness started to melt away. Slowly she began to walk away from the pond one small step at a time and she had managed to take five steps away from the pond. She was beginning to believe that she could prevent her nightmare, when she suddenly heard a voice behind her. "Wait! Please don't leave." He pleaded.

She instantly froze in her tracks afraid to look behind her. "I shouldn't be here and neither should you. It's dangerous. Go home now." She commanded.

"I can't. I need your help. Will you please help me?"He inquired.

She hesitates for a moment before finally turning to face the boy. She had no clue who he was or how he had gotten there. All she knew was that he was a red haired boy, who looked to be no older than twelve asking for help. "Alight, I'll help you. Come on." She beckons.

The boy shakes his head and slowly starts backing up toward the pond. "You don't get it. I need you to come here. Come to the pond."He states.

Hailey's eyes widened with fear and worry. "Wait, stop! Stay away from that pond kid! It's not safe!" She warned.

The boy continued to back up and stopped once he was standing near the middle of the pond. "You have to come here, or you can't help me. Please, come to Wood Hospital Pond."He pleads. As the boy stands there in silence the ice beneath his feet starts to violently crack. Hailey is struck with the same heartstopping fear that she felt in her previous nightmares as she watches the ice break.

"No! Hold on kid! Just hold on!" she exclaimed and swiftly began to run toward the boy. Time seemed to slow down as the ice gave out and the boy fell into the icy water. By the time Hailey reached him she managed to grab onto his right coat arm. "I've got you so don't give up kid! I promise I'll get you out of here! Just hold on! No matter what, keep holding on!" She exclaimed. She struggled with all of her might to pull the sinking boy from the water but she could feel him starting to slip from her grasp. "No, this can't be happening. Grab onto me kid!"She said desperately.

The boy only gazed into her eyes as if he was unafraid. "The day after tomorrow, go to the police station. The phone will ring but no one will be on the line. That's your signal. Quickly go to Wood Hospital Pond before it's too late. Remember you have to go save..."His voice trailed off as he slipped from her grasp.

Before her very eyes the boy had sunk beneath the icy water. "No, you can't die, kid! My dream isn't supposed to end like this! It was supposed to be me instead!" Her eyes began to overflow with tears as she frantically searched the water trying to locate the boy.

Danielle turned her concerned gaze to Hailey's slumbering form and realized her friend was clearly having a nightmare. So she rushed to her side and began to lightly shake her. "Hailey...Hailey, wake up! You're having a nightmare, wake up!" she said in a soft yell.

When Hailey's gaze finally met with Danielle's dark brown irises. Danielle could see that she was visibly shaken. asked, "Are you okay?"

Hailey sits up on her bed and slightly nods. "Yeah, it's just that-"

"Was it that dream again?" Danielle frowns.

"Yeah it was, but this time it was different. I saw a boy. Instead of me falling into the ice he fell in and…" Her voice faded.

"And what?" Danielle asked concerned.

"I kept trying to pull him out of the water but…" her shaky voice cracked as it trailed off and she became misty-eyed.

Danielle furrowed her brows and pulled Hailey into a warm embrace to soothe her. "It's okay, it was just a dream. There's no need to cry." She spoke softly.

Hailey put her arms around her in return with a soft whine, "But it felt so real."

Danielle gently removed Hailey from her embrace and looked into her eyes. " It's like my mom always says, 'dreams are just your subconscious mind letting you know how you really feel about things.' So you're probably just worried or scared about something and your subconscious mind is trying to let you know. Just figure out what's bothering you and poof no more bad dreams."

"Yeah, I have been worrying a lot since my family moved here. It's probably relocation shock."Hailey softly smiles tucking a few of her golden blonde tresses behind her right ear.

Danielle grins. "You mean homesickness?"

Hailey nods. "Yeah, that's what I meant."

Danielle playfully rolls her eyes. "Then just say it! Oh my goodness, such a nerd!"

Hailey giggles and folds her arms. "Well for your information, hanging with me makes you a nerd too!"

Danielle stuck out her tongue and Hailey returned her mocking gesture before they erupted with laughter. Danielle always knew how to cheer her up and Hailey was grateful for such a wonderful friend. Although Danielle and her family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin two years ago, she and Hailey kept in touch. They have been like sisters since meeting nine years ago and their bond never changed.

*****

The next morning Hailey waved to Danielle as her mother drove away after they finished their assignment and she spent the night. She didn't want to worry Danielle but she just couldn't shake her dream. There had to be something more to the boy from her dream and she was determined to find out what. If what he had said was true then she only had one day left to figure things out. She decided to conduct an online search to discover if Wood Hospital Pond actually existed and to her surprise it did. Now Hailey knew what she had to do come Saturday. She went to the police in an attempt to get help for the boy from her dream but they wouldn't take her seriously. While there the phone rang but when the man answered it no one was there so he hung up.

Meanwhile a woman who was seeking help to find her lost son, overheard Hailey asking the police to help save a boy. The woman asked her if she had seen her son then showed a picture of him. Hailey looks at the picture and immediately recognizes the woman's son as the boy from her dream. Her eyes filled with realization and she quickly nodded. "Yes, he's the boy I saw who needs help. Officer, you have to send help to Wood Hospital Pond right now! Hopefully it's not too late!"

The male police officer quickly stood from his chair. "Come on, no time to waste! We've got a kid to rescue!" The police swiftly leave the station with their sirens blaring. On the way there they radioed dispatch requesting an ambulance and a fire truck. When the two squad cars arrived Jake was struggling to hold onto the ice.

Jake's mom quickly exits the squad car and runs over to the edge of the pond. "Jake! Hold on sweetheart I'm here! You'll be fine! Help will be here soon! Just keep holding on!" She exclaimed. The ambulance and the fire truck arrive shortly after and within minutes Jake is safe. He was wrapped in a warm blanket and lying on a stretcher.

Jake looks at his mom. "How did you know where to find me?" He inquired. His mom tells him that Hailey saw him there. Jake frowns. "But I was here completely alone." He says.

"What?" Jake's mom became confused.

Jake inquired, "It was him wasn't it? James somehow told you where I was. He knew I'd been missing him and that I'd come to our favorite pond falling in."He sadly smiled.

His mother nodded. "Honestly, that makes sense. He always looked out for his younger brother. They were identical twins born only a few minutes apart. Sadly he's no longer with us."She says, getting misty-eyed.

Hailey softly nods. "Yeah he appeared in my dream and told me to find this pond. If you don't mind me asking, what happened to him?"

Jake grabs his mom's hand to comfort her. "He passed away eight months ago from pneumonia in Wood Hospital." Jake said, then points to the hospital and Hailey turns to look at it. She returned her gaze to Jake and his mother. "Thanks miss. Thanks big bro." He smiled gazing at the sky.

It's funny how things can work out in some of the strangest ways. A ghost sought help from a teenage girl and in the end she made a new friend. So as they always say, all's well that ends well.