Ice Sculptured – 200 Word Flash Fiction

Mary had brushed off her mother’s warning about the shortcut through the woods. Footsteps crunched in the snow behind her. She had been stalked.

He grabbed her by the arm. “Gotcha! I’ll give you a head start, little girl. Ready? GO!”

She bolted from the shabbily dressed man. Rounding the corner of the old mill, its blades dashed through the frigid water in the cold evening air. Then she passed a stand of evergreens. Snow covered needles fell in her wake. She slid down the embankment onto the ice-covered lake. After reaching the middle, she stopped to catch her breath. He closed the gap behind her.

“Gotcha!”

Cold fingers grasped her slender neck. With a loud crack, the icy surface opened up. Mary fell forward. He fell in.

“Help! Please help me!” He cried as he splashed around in the icy water.

She crept on her hands and knees away from him, careful not to break through and then began to sob.

Soon all she heard was the whisper of the wind.

She glanced down and screamed. He stared at her with pleading eyes while clawing at the ice beneath her. Then he slid away trapped inside the frozen tomb.

Have you ever skated on thin ice literally or metaphorically?

The photo prompt is by Lora Mitchell.

For another one of my twisted tales, click here.

You are welcome to leave the link to your flash fiction in my comment section even if you used a different photo.