The Moment I Had to Choose
The boy pushed open the rusted gate.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
“Stay seated!” I shouted to the kids.
Then I slammed the brakes, hit the hazard lights, and ran.
The cold hit me like a wall the moment I stepped outside. My lungs burned as I sprinted.
“Stop!” I yelled.
But he didn’t stop.
He stepped onto the ice.
And then—
Crack.
The sound split the air like thunder.
The ice gave way beneath him.
He disappeared.
