Ice Angels

Ice Angels

Prologue

David glided along the ice, going through his performance, most times finishing it flawlessly. David was the best ice skater in Middlesboro, and could pull off almost any and everything thrown at him.
David’s mother Cornelia a carpenter and a painter, hated the sport ice skating. “That’s just another way for little girls and boys to shake there hips! Besides it shouldn’t even be called a sport!” She would say, but couldn’t help but to smile when she would see David smiling away doing what he loved.
There was a big skating competition coming up, but there was no way that Cornelia world let him compete. Although David was a full head taller than her and had feet twice the size of hers, he followed her orders hurt at the heart and crushed. David had looked forward to this for months but wasn’t about to disobey his mother.
David was always feeling tied down. “You’re on a pretty short leash!” a friend had once told him, and that sure wasn’t a lie. David had made up his mind, he had decided that the prize money would help out with the farm and he would also get to do what he loved. He would figure out a way to get there.
So, that night David slowly crawled out of bed onto the cold, rickety floor and headed toward the door. David had made up his mind days in advance and prepared ahead of time as well. He grabbed a back pack from out and under his bed and headed for his skates at the door. As he reached down to grab them he noticed that instead of grabbing at his skates he was grabbing a pair of his farming boots. “Where’s my skates?!” David demanded in a whisper. He had seen his mother packing something to her room earlier. He guessed that she was also prepared for a battle. Well David wasn’t about to give up that easy. He crept into his mother’s room and saw the skates… but were they were was going to be a problem. She had her arms wrapped right around them and wasn’t losing her grip either. David smacked himself on the forehead and let out a big, loud sigh. In shock he cupped his hand over his mouth. Cornelia rolled over and started to randomly rambling off words; David could have sworn he heard her curse a couple of times. He grabbed the skates and literally ran out of the house. He felt so lucky, but he hoped his luck would continue along his long journey.
Ch.1
The Journey
David wasn’t getting very far very fast. “If I keep up at this rate it’s going to take me forever to get to the competition.” David’s hopes and dreams were quickly collapsing right in front of his face. He had fears that he would never make it in time.
David sat at the trunk of an apple tree thinking of all the bad things that could happen. All of a sudden David felt like crying. He wondered what he was thinking when he decided to leave. “I must have been half way delirious when I made that decision,” David thought. It wasn’t very funny but it brought a smile to his face.
A young girl walked by David, she backed up and took a good look at him. “Are you a skater?!” She asked with great excitement.
David looked at her in the most awkward way.
“Uh,” David really didn’t know what to say. “Yeah,”
“How cool is that?!” She exclaimed. “I wish I had someone to teach me how,” Her eyes shifted to David as she said that.
David was never a good teacher. He had problems in the past teaching a friend just how to roller skate. He feared that this would be a feet he couldn’t meet. But before he had time think he blurted out, “I can,”
“So what is your name?” David asked as they walked to the skating rink.
“Me?” She sounded surprised. “Claire, you?” David hesitated to say. Finally he blurted out.
“David,” Before he new it they were already there.
“Here we are!” Claire said, sounding so excited. As they walked up to door the security guard stopped them.
“I’m terribly sorry, but I am under specific orders not to let anyone on the ice today.” A security guard explained.
From the look on Claire’s face she was not happy, and didn’t plan to give up without a fight.
“Ok,” Clair said, to David’s surprise. He figured he would have to drag her away. David was glad he didn’t, for he was very shy.
When the security guard wasn’t looking, Claire snuck beside the building and signaled for David to follow. David did as she commanded; He really didn’t know what else to say.
When David arrived, Claire had already begun climbing the large oak tree that lead up to the rink’s window. “Come on!” Claire demanded in a whisper.
From the looks of things this was not the first time that she had done this. She seemed to really know her way around once they got inside.
“You do this a lot?” David ask out of breath, bent over with his hands on his knees.
“No.” Claire explained. “My first time actually,” She winked at David, as if saying “Nice question you hic!” Even if she wasn’t saying it she was defiantly thinking it.
The coldness made little chill-bumps appear on David’s arms.
The skate rental room was locked so they had to use skates that there was only one of, which had been carelessly thrown in a cardboard box. David had his own, but feeling sorry seeing Claire’s one black skate and the other cream; he let her use his. The skates were almost all too little for David. When he finally found some that fit the blades were all bent, but they would have to do.
Claire’s legs wobbled as she stepped on the ice. David just knew she was going to fall. When he saw her about fall, he come up behind her and caught her before she hit the ground. Claire looked up at David and smiled. He couldn’t help but to smile back.
Claire was a very fast learner. She was skating backwards within minutes. She glided slowly with shaky legs, but he could remember a time when he was the same way; so said nothing.
Before David knew it, it was already eight o’clock in the morning.
“Lets see,” David said aloud.
“What?” Claire asked, as she slowly glided over to where David was sitting.
“If I left about four…,” he explained. Claire could not figure out what he was talking about. “than my mom is probably just getting up.”
Back at the rink the skating was going great. David had never seen anyone catch on as quickly as Claire had. He was so proud that he could make someone as happy as he had made her. He was amazed, but he was also distracted. He had somehow let his mind wonder so far off that he had totally and completely forgot about the competition. Even though David wasn’t one to forget about something of this importance, he had let it slip right through his fingers. The presence of Claire made him happy and made him forget about everything that bothered him.
Ch. 2

Three days had past since David had left home, not once had he thought of his mother or how she was fairing. At the end of the third day, David had an odd dream. He dreamed he was walking down an isle with a tuxedo on. He walked up to what seemed to be an alter and stood. As he turned around he saw a beautiful women walking down the isle he had walked down moments before. As she walked up beside David and prepared to remove her vale, he awoke from his peaceful dream.
He sat up from where he had been sleeping and looked around for Claire. She was no where to be found. “Claire!” He yelled, hoping for some kind of response.
“Over here,” She yelled.
“What on Earth are you doing?” David asks, with a wondering mind.
“I’m working on my jumps; I woke up early so I could get a head start. I wanted to get one down-pat before you woke up.” She said, sitting down on the ice like she was disappointed. “But as you can see that didn’t work.”
“I thought your jumps looked great!” David explained. He was lien through clenched teeth, but he wanted to make her feel good about herself. “Yeah, you had great balance and… stuff.” A smile appeared on her face.
“You… really think so? Honest now,”
“Yes they were great! Keep up the good work,” David was really that impressed. He was lying at first but now he thought she was pretty good. Her balance was a little off, but she was defiantly improving. (David thought she was doing great for a three day time span anyway.)
As David watched her skate he thought, “She would do great in the competition!” That’s when it made him think of it. “The competition,” He screamed. Claire could hear him loud and clear on the other side of the rink. She stopped skating and looked at her watch. She skated over to him.
“It starts in an hour.” Claire explained.
“Well, never make it in time.”
Ch. 3

David was in shock. He knew it was impossible to get threw a three day journey in 1 day. David’s hopes had been minimized from excitement and happiness, to dread and fear. He looked up at Claire. She had the most worried look on her face, even though she was too young to compete; she was concerned that David might be late.
“Come on David!” Claire encouraged. “If we go now…”
“No, we can’t get there, it’s a three day trip Claire!” David interrupted.
“But David, were already half way there! From this rink to the competition rink it’s only 30 minutes!” Claire was so happy, her smile reached her ears. David had forgot, he had traveled much before he had even met Claire.
“Your right,” David said noticing that before he had snapped at Claire. “And I’m sorry if I upset you before.” David felt like he had had a helping hand from an angel.
David got up from were he was setting and quickly packed up what little he had with him. He grabbed Claire’s hand, quickly stopped and smiled at her and then continued running out of the rink.
As David and Claire continued toward the rink, he noticed that on the road there was a break in the guard rail. He walked over to were the break was… he was devastated at what he found. A car coming too fast around the curve had slide into the valley below. About a thirty foot embankment… on its top.
“No, I can’t. I simply can’t.” David thought to himself.
Sounding sad once again, Clair spoke. “David we have to help them… this is the road with the least traffic in the town. If we don’t help them… than…” She didn’t finish… but David understood.
David wanted to be selfish so bad. He wished he had never seen what he had just saw, but he had… and that wasn’t going to change. His decision was unsure, but final… he slid down the steep hill on his backside. He followed along aside the trail the car had made on its way down, gently and safely reaching the bottom of the embankment. He examined the car, and the passengers inside. The car only had two doors… which meant it would be hard to get to anyone inside the car. A young man, with blonde hair, and a muscular build was on the right… the driver. A petite young lady on the left… and in the back… a small brunette, baby girl… about two… crying. David shuttered at the site, blood ran from almost every corner of the small car. Both the driver and front seat passenger was unconscious, but that little girl starred David up and down, with big, round, tears in her misty, blue, eyes.
There was a small opening were the window had broken out, were most people saw a mess… David saw an opportunity. He started with the driver; his body was mangled, deep gashes and wounds everywhere. He pulled at his shoulders, trying to straiten the body enough to were he could remove it from the car. He knew if his back was broke, than David may be doing something worse… but paramedics would take too long… it would be too late.
The hole was small and had no intentions of getting any bigger, but David was determined. The cries of that little, brunette, bundle in the backseat, drove David and pushed him to help them. About the time David got to the boys waist, he had run into several problems. Gas was leaking from the car, it was a strong breath, taking, smell. But if that wasn’t bad enough, the boys legs were stuck inside the car. He couldn’t figure out how he was still restrained in the car when David had already removed his seatbelt. David tried to get a closer look by simply looking in, but it was dark and David was already beginning to tire. As he had begun to get frustrated he noticed that a whole in the boys pants had gotten caught on the break peddle. As David reached in he made sure he safely cleared the jagged edges of glass left from the window, but as he got farther in he lost thought of what he was doing. He had almost reached the peddle when he felt a sharp pain in his arm, he looked down as a piece of glistening, glass punctured his tan, rugged, skin. As he continued he felt another in his side as he leaned a little ways into the window. But when one finally slashed him across the forehead he had had it. That was it, not only was he tired but now he was hurt. He had previously tried to be gentle, but that clearly wasn’t working. He jerked the pants leg as hard as he could, and wasn’t satisfied until he felt the body give, at the sound of a rip. He finished pulling the body out, and laid it near were Clair was now standing. At the sound of David’s scream, she came to help.
“Are you ok?!” She looked into David’s eyes as he looked into hers. She knew he wasn’t… but the look one his face said he wasn’t giving in.
Next David would try for the passenger. He had gotten lucky when the whole was large enough to slip the young man through, but this time… he wasn’t as fortunate. Her window was mutilated… now only scrap metal and shards of glass. He noticed he had developed an audience at the road side as well, but that didn’t seem to bother him now. This time, he himself slid inside the window. Remains of the glass pierced his stomach and back fiercely. Through the many nicks and cuts he got from living on the farm, he had never felt pain like this.
Even though it seemed the pain would never end, only a few seconds later he reached her. He swiftly unbuckled her seat belt and headed back out of the car with her. He climbed out of the car, dragging her along with him. He gently laid her beside the other, as he received applause from the crowd. He could now here distant sirens, coming in their direction, but didn’t waste any time going back for the baby.
He had not the slightest clue, as to how he was going to get her out. The seats were crumbled and the back windows were mangled to nearly nothing. She sat with her chocolate, brown, teddy bear, sobbing and weeping, as David wiggled further into the car. As he reached her, she began to cry again… scared to death of the enormous, muscular, young, man. He released her from her car seat, and held his hand under her head to support her, and to keep her from falling. She weighed very little, but squirmed around in David’s arms making everything harder on him. Since only a little over half of David’s body was inside the car, he climbed out first, and then brought out the little girl. He reached her over to Clair, and motioned for her to get to the road, the paramedics had already arrived and the rescue squad was pulling up. Just as Clair reached the top of the hill, David noticed that the little girl had forgotten her bear in the car. She must have dropped it on her way out. David rushed back over to the car, and spotted the small raggedy, bear, still in the back seat proportion of the car. He reached back in and swiftly scooped the bear up in his large, cut up, hand. As he began to dash away from the car… hot, red, flames arose from the engine, and met with the gasoline in only seconds. David was caught right in the middle of the explosion…