Johnny stepped out into the cold winter night. The moon glistened on the snow making it sparkle beneath his feet. His faithful watcher, Nanna, padded along behind him. Even she knew it was much too late for the boy to be wandering off alone.
He did not know where he was going or why. A voice had called to him, wakened him in his sleep and he had gotten dressed and put his coat on. The snow was ankle deep and still coming down by the time he reached the woods behind his house. Nanna whimpered, trying to persuade the boy to return home to his safe, warm, bed. But he paid no attention to the reluctant hound and continued on. Johnny and Nanna had gone about fifty feet into the woods when he caught a glimpse of a beautiful being. Promises of candy and toys were on the wind. A whisper of beautiful things, promised only if the boy would follow.
The boy commanded Nanna to stay put and continued to follow the being. Nanna took off, running at top speed back the house as the boy scampered toward the being’s faint voice.
Time seemed to have stopped in the woods. No birds chirped, or rustled at the boy’s loud disturbance. No wolves howled in the distance. Even the trees seemed still in the wind. It was as if the world was holding its breath. The boy wandered, aimlessly following the being’s voice until he reached the lake. The beautiful being now looked eerie and ominous with his hand outstretched to the boy. His promises of happiness were thick in the air.
The boy took a step onto the ice, and then hesitated.
He could hear other voices calling to him. Familiar ones. He now had to make a choice. The voices belonged to his mother and father. They were calling for him to come back. He turned to obey them when the being reminded him of how he was punished and forced to do chores and eat his vegetables. The being promised that the boy could do whatever he wanted if he crossed the lake.
The boy took another step towards the being.
He heard Nanna barking, another step.
He heard loud sounds off in the distance, very shrill. Another step.
Soon the boy was only a short distance from the being. He heard a small faint whisper. The boy turned to see Nanna at the edge of the lake. When he turned to face the being he felt an awful sensation in his stomach and had a frightful vision of fire and darkness. He turned to run from the being and had almost reached the shore when the ice gave way beneath his feet. He could see the being laughing as he slid under the water.
When he looked up, ice replaced the gap where he had fallen through. Nanna dug fruitlessly above the boy. She could not reach him. Through the ice he could see his mother. She was holding him. Crying. He pounded on the ice.
Was he dreaming? Why couldn’t he wake up? He could feel his chest tighten as his body used up the last of his oxygen. He looked at the ice again. His father was stroking his head, crying. Would he ever wake up?
He felt his chest heave and he sucked in a mouthful of frigid water. Then, everything went black.