“What if I don’t jump far enough?” Melanie asked, peering down at the water with sudden uncertainty.
“Then you’ll land in shallow water instead of deep water,” Rosalie said dismissively. “Either way, you’ll be fine. Trust me.”
Trust me.The words sent a chill down Leah’s spine that had nothing to do with the morning air.
How many times had their mother said those exact words before doing something spectacularly ill-advised?
“Rosalie,” she said carefully, “perhaps we should start with smaller jumps? Work our way up to the big rock?”
“Nonsense. The big rock is the whole point.” Rosalie moved behind Melanie, her hands on their youngest sister’s shoulders. “Besides, Melanie’s not afraid, are you, Mel?”
“Of course not!” Melanie declared though her voice was a bit higher than usual. “I’m not afraid of anything!”
That’s exactly the problem.
“Good girl.” Rosalie stepped back, giving Melanie room to run. “Now remember—confidence is key. Don’t think, just jump.”
‘Don’t think.’That could be the Rothburn family motto,Leah reflected sourly.
Melanie backed up to the far edge of the rock, her small face set in determined lines. She looked so young standing there in her white nightgown, her dark hair streaming behind her like a banner.
She looks like an angel,Leah thought with sudden, inexplicable dread.She looks like…
“Wait!” The word burst from her lips before she could stop it. “Melanie, wait!”
But Melanie was already running, her bare feet slapping against the wet stone as she built up speed. For a moment, she looked like she might actually make it—her form was decent, her trajectory promising.
Then her foot hit a patch of moss-slick stone, and everything went wrong.
“Melanie!”
Leah’s scream echoed across the water as their youngest sister windmilled her arms frantically, trying to regain her balance. For one horrible moment, she teetered on the edge of the rock, her eyes wide with terror.
Then she fell.
Not into the deep water where she might have had a chance but sideways, toward the cluster of smaller rocks that jutted up like teeth from the lake’s surface.
The splash was smaller than it should have been.
More ominous.
“Melanie!” Rosalie was already diving, her form perfect even in panic. She hit the water and disappeared beneath the surface, leaving Leah alone on the rocks with her heart hammering against her ribs.
She’s hurt. Oh God, she’s hurt, and it’s all our fault.
Seconds stretched like hours before Rosalie’s head broke the surface, Melanie’s limp form clutched against her chest.
“She’s unconscious!” Rosalie gasped, treading water with obvious difficulty. “I can’t—the rocks are too slippery—I can’t get her out!”
Papa. We need Papa.
But Papa was probably still in his study with his morning correspondence, too far away to hear them scream. By the time anyone found them…
“Leah!” Rosalie’s voice was edged with panic now. “I need help! I can’t hold her up much longer!”
Think. Think, you stupid girl.
Leah looked around frantically, assessing their options. The shore was too far away, the rocks too treacherous to navigate quickly while carrying an unconscious child.
