BRAVE

Strangely they didn't hear any splashing sound to indicate that the body had fallen into the lake and they didn't exactly see the body enter the lake as anything beyond halfway down the cliff was clouded and covered by gray fog. This was one of the strange phenomena in Lucky Springs. If the body of a human being was thrown into the lake, there would be nothing but dead silence but if an animal or plant was thrown into the lake, a loud splashing sound would be heard.

Many villagers believed that this happened because the grim reaper of the gateway to the afterlife which was the lake accepted only humans. If anyone fell into the lake dead or alive, it was a lost cause to try save them as the person's body would disintegrate into dust and the soul would be taken to be placed in a new body in the afterlife. They believed that before the body reached the lake, it would disintegrate into dust, but there was no evidence to prove it as it was only a belief. If only they knew how this information was passed down, who passed such information down and how true it was.

Lily instructed Daisy to feed Eclipse with nothing but cow's milk. Daisy thanked the assistant midwife and the two male attendants before going home. Once Daisy reached her small shack, she walked over to the rickety chair in the corner and sat on it, holding the sleeping Eclipse in her arms.

Daisy's mind wandered to all the good times and memories she spent and shared with her daughter. Tears started falling from her eyes.

"Ahhh Rose, I'll miss you dearly. I never expected that you would leave this world before me. I always thought that you would be the one to throw my body into the great lake and not the other way around. But it seems that the Lord loves you more than I do. Rest in Peace my daughter. I promise to take good care of Eclipse and raise her to be a decent woman.

9 years later...

The belle and luck of lucky springs had grown into beautiful 9 year-old girls. They were both very eye catching and beautiful although Eclipse would win against Raine anytime and anyday.

Raine asked her mother if she could play outside, which she consented to. She went out, picked colorful stones and formed 10 big circles with them. She started hopping through the circles while giggling not noticing the huge wild dog approaching her. Eclipse who lived 3 shacks away from Raine, heard the feint sound of a child giggling. Being an only child with just her grandma and no friends, she got bored from time to time. She wandered around until she found the source of laughter.

She saw a girl around her age with long burgundy hair, sky blue eyes, milky white skin and pink lips hopping through circles. She looked very delicate. She approached the girl wanting to play with her and stopped when she saw a huge dog behind her. She turned to run away but stopped when she looked around and saw that no one was around. She thought that the dog will eat the girl up if she didn't help. She had to face her fears. She picked up 3 heavy stones and 2 sticks and turned to the girl and yelled, "Look behind you...". Raine turned back to see a big dog looking at her and salivating like she was its next meal. She screamed and ran over to Eclipse. The dog pursued her, hot on her trail. She got to Eclipse before the dog. Raine's mother who heard her daughter screaming came rushing out of her shack to see a wild dog targeting Raine and another girl. Her heart started beating erratically out of fear.

Eclipse waited for the perfect time to strike. When the dog came closer to her, she raised one of the huge stones and slammed it on the dog's head. The stone shattered to smithereens with the force Eclipse used. The dog whined in pain and shook it's head. The dog was unrelenting. It went back for a second try and received a harder blow than the first time. Again the stone shattered and Eclipse quickly used the third stone on it's head and poked its eyes with the sticks. The dog whined louder, blood dripped from its head, ears and eyes. It turned around and fled into the forest.

Raine's mother was astonished at the girl's bravery. She ran over and hugged the girls tightly.