1.love.2.war.3.Revenge.4.betrayal5.

Helen heard a cry for help. As she neared the river, the cry grew louder. A small crowd gathered at the iced edge. Looking out, she could see a child had broken through the ice into the freezing water. People had their phones out calling 911 or taking video, but no one seem inclined to actually help the little girl. As she cried out again for help, Helen did not think twice. She wrapped a dead vine around her waist and went out onto the thin ice. It broke. The freezing water seeped into her very bones. That did not matter. She was going to get to that child. People on the shore seemed more inclined to help now. Two bigger men held the vine as Helen broke at the ice with her raw red fingers. The child seemed to rally as she got closer. She seemed more willing to hold on, and then, without warning, under the water she went. Helen did not even think about it, under the water she went too, swimming as fast as her arms and legs would let her. She felt hair and grabbed it. Kicking with all of her might she broke the surface of the water. "I have her." She yelled, and that was all it took for her to feel herself being pulled in. As they were pulling her she was pulling the little girl's head up out of the water. Helen looked at the child's lips. They were blue and her face looked lifeless. As they pulled her onto land, Helen rolled the girl on her back and breathed into her mouth. She was just getting ready to press on the child's chest when the girl made a gurgle and spit out water from her lungs. The child made a small cry and then a louder one. Helen looked at her, but something was not right. She looked like a cloud was around her. She looked harder and blinked to clear her vision. Why was everything so fuzzy?

Helen shook her head one more time, before passing out.

Helen woke up to the sound of her mother's voice. "Come now my sweet girl. Wake up." "Mom, what happened?" Helen asked, even though her mouth felt like cotton.

"You did, Helen. You went into the river to save a little girl. They said you drug her out, breathed into her mouth and then passed out." Ester answered gently.

It came back to Helen then. "Is she ok? No one did anything. They just watched and took video."

"Her name is Lidia, and she is going to be fine thanks to you." Ester assured Helen as she patted her cold hand.

"I was so scared for her. She was so alone and so afraid. I just could not stand and watch." Helen said softly.

Helen's mother sighed deeply, "I know, but you could have been killed. Your father would have had a heart attack if he were still alive and had seen you do something so dangerous. How many times in the past has he told you the current can take you before you can help?"

"I know; that is why I tied a vine around my waist. It seemed sturdy enough to hold and it did." Helen's voice shook with exhaustion.

"Helen, I know you think I am overreacting, but you need to remember that you are my baby. I thought I had lost you when I saw you on the news." Ester said her voice raw with emotion.

"Wait, what? You saw me on the news?" Helen asked.

"Yes, the news. You had just gone under to grab her when they started airing it live from the news chopper. You were on the screen long enough for me to see it was you and then you were gone. I thought that would be the last image I had of you." Her mother sniffed.

"I'm sorry mom. I did not realize you had seen it. I can understand now how upset you would be seeing that." Helen whispered.