By Fiona

It was the heaviest fall of snow in the twin's memory. Everywhere was white and silent. Lough Domhain had frozen over and was like a sheet of glass. Grandad declared that it was almost as cold at the winter of '68, the year that three people drowned when the ice on Lough Domhain cracked under their feet! It was Saturday morning and Ciarán was very excited about his forthcoming soccer match. The Ballybridge Rovers were playing Camlin United.

Due to the bad weather conditions, the match was being played in the indoor complex, which was built the previous year after a five-year annual fund-raiser. Last year they were selling doughnuts so you can guess John Carroll contributed lots to the event!

Ciarán was very excited because he had trained hard and earned a place on the A-team panel. Suddenly the phone rang. It was John from the Power Plant. He couldn't make it to the match as one of the workers became ill and he had to cover for him. This meant they would all be travelling in Grandad's 1980 Volkswagon Beetle, which needed a service.

Everyone grabbed their hats, coats, and scarves and buttoned up well. Mum told Grandad to take it easy on the road. Ciarán, Caitríona, Shauna and even Oisín helped to push the car out the gate and after a while it started. Ciarán said "Let it rip!" and they all headed down the road at 10 miles per hour, all singing along to a tape from 'Westlife'. At the turn onto Pebble Lane the car broke down!

By Oisín

Ciarán and Catríona were very upset while Shauna and Oisín enjoyed playing in the snow and weren't too bothered. Teresa decided they would have to walk in order to make the match, at all. They made it just in time for the end of the first half. It was narrowly down to 3-3 and both teams were conscious of their defence. Caitríona, who was watching eagerly, had calculated exactly how to make a score and passed the information on to Ciarán. The second half began and Ciarán was put on as a full forward.

By Anthony

Both teams were slow to make a move but when Ciarán got the ball he kicked it straight into the goals. There was a cry of 'Let it rip' when the final whistle blew. The Black 'n' Whites had won and John had just arrived in time for the celebrations. On the way home they stopped at Fitzgilberts to buy goodies. When they came home Oisín was so tired Mum put him straight to bed.

Shauna went to the kitchen and finished her Fruit Pastilles while Grandad Joe was telling a story about the year '68 - (he always tells that story when it snows!) - when three children skating on Lough Domhain fell beneath the ice and were killed. When Mum returned from putting Oisín to bed, she prepared the dinner with a greedy Bart at her feet.

Then she asked Shauna to bring out the basin of scraps to the worm bin. While she was out she noticed the Aces beside Bubblegum and she asked what they were doing today. They told her they were going to skate on Lough Domhain.

By Alan

She asked could she go. They said but asked her to tell Ciarán and Caitríona to meet them there. She didn't though, and went back into the house. She asked her mother could she go to Cliona's house and was out the door before her mother had even time to answer. As she was leaving she managed to grab her skates unnoticed and off she went to Lough Domhain, leaving the twins behind her in the living room watching the latest video release - Tarzan.

When she arrived at the lake, she saw the leader of the Aces(J.J.) beginning to skate. Shauna watched Jailbird Judy in amazement behind the oak tree wondering whether to follow, when suddenly J.J. fell beneath the ice.

Back at home Teresa rang Cliona's mum and found out Shauna wasn't there at all. Caitríona noticed that her skates were missing. They knew she could only have gone to one place - Lough Domhain. John and Teresa got into the van and went there straight away.

By Paul

When they arrived John helped J.J. out of the water - while Teresa brought Shauna back to the van. John spoke harshly to the 'Aces' and rang each of their parents on his mobile phone to come and collect them at the lake. As they walked in the door of the house, Grandad Joe wheezed, "Now you'll believe me. I told you it was dangerous!"

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