their parents’ thrones, and Elsa pretended he was alive. “Hi, I’m Olaf,” she said in a funny voice, “and I like warm hugs.”
Anna jumped out of the throne and threw herself at the snowman, almost knocking off his head. “I love you, Olaf!”
Anna wouldn’t let Olaf out of her sight, so Elsa pushed him around the room as Anna hung on, using him as her skating partner. Next Anna wanted to jump snow mounds. Elsa complied, making more and more snow so Anna could leap from one pile to the next.
“Hang on!” Elsa told her.
“Catch me!” Anna squealed with delight as she pounced from pile to pile in her green nightgown, jumping faster and faster. Elsa struggled to make snow quicker than Anna could jump. “Again!” Anna shouted.
“Wait!” Elsa created the snow piles faster, but she was only one ahead of Anna now. “Slow down!” she cried, but Anna didn’t listen. Elsa backed up to give herself more room and felt herself slip and fall. By the time she looked up, Anna was already in midair with nothing beneath her feet. “Anna!” Elsa panicked, shooting the snow into the air as fast as possible.
The stream of magic collided with Anna, hitting her in the face.
Anna tumbled down the nearest snow pile. She wasn’t moving.
Elsa rushed to her side. “Anna!” she cried, taking her little sister into her arms, but Anna wouldn’t wake up. A streak of white hair slowly wove itself through her red locks.
Fear bubbled up inside Elsa, her breath caught in her throat, and her whole body began to tremble. “Mama! Papa!” she cried at the top of her lungs. The ice around the sisters began to crack and grow, covering the entire floor and crawling up the walls. It thickened and rumbled, knocking over Olaf, who broke into pieces. “You’re okay, Anna,” Elsa cried, cradling her in her arms. “I’ve got you.”
When their parents ran into the room, they saw Elsa sitting with Anna’s motionless body. Mama looked so frightened Elsa’s terror grew, causing the ice to spread further.
“Elsa, what have you done?” Papa shouted. “This is getting out of hand.”
“It was an accident. I’m sorry, Anna,” Elsa said, her voice trembling as Mama took Anna from her.
“She’s ice cold,” Mama said quietly, fear seeping into her voice.
“I know where we have to go,” Papa said, moving quickly and motioning for Elsa and Mama to follow.
“Is Anna going to be okay? Mama? Will she be okay?” Elsa whispered. She had never been more frightened. But no one answered her. Elsa choked back sobs.
This was why her parents told her to be careful when using her gift. Look what had happened to Anna. If that was what her powers could do, she didn’t want them anymore.
Why did her magic have to ruin everything? Why couldn’t she be normal like everyone else? Anger pulsed inside her, and she felt her heart beat faster. Snow started to swirl around her fingertips, and she couldn’t stop it.
No! She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down.
“Elsa!” her mother called.
Elsa followed her mother into the library and watched her lock the door behind her. Mama wrapped Anna in a blue blanket and held her tight while Papa pulled books off the shelf, searching for something. No one spoke. If anything happened to her sister, Elsa would never forgive herself.
“This is it,” Papa said, holding up a red book. It looked rather old, and Elsa didn’t understand the writing when he opened it in front of them. The book was full of symbols. There was a picture of a troll standing over a body with a blue spirit seeping out of the person’s head.
“Yes, this is the one,” Mama agreed as a map fell out of the book and fluttered to the floor.
Elsa noticed the map was of Arendelle, with markings that pointed to a place in the mountains.
Papa touched Anna’s forehead. “She’s still so cold.”
“We have to go to them,” Mama said. “We can’t wait.”
“We can take the horses,” Papa said. “Elsa, come with us. Quietly, now.”
“Mama, will Anna be okay?” Elsa asked again.
“Hush now,” Mama said, and Elsa did as she was told. “We have to get to the stables unseen.”
The castle was eerily silent, as if every part of it were shunning Elsa for her mistake. Elsa didn’t ask questions. She followed her parents into the stables and watched Papa saddle up their horses. He helped Mama onto one and placed Anna in her arms. Then he motioned for