Escapism

eight:: out

TW: A little bit of blood

I looked at my brother and touched my side.

It wasn't just a small bruise. It was a huge wound, blood gushing out. I saw the blood spiraling out throughout the water. 

I couldn't keep myself afloat, the pain was too much. I tried to wince or make some sort of pain sound but the water prevented me. The water was suffocating. My brother and I started to sink as I saw he had the same wound on his side. Things couldn't get weirder.

I tried to pull him and me back up, but the wound really stung.  My heart beat out of my chest- my heart raced. I tried to move back up, moving my arms to make some sort of progress. But it was no use.

Andrew was doing the same, but the pain needed to be treated quickly. I looked back up and saw the shark heading straight for us.

Shoot.

I pulled Andrew's arm quickly and my side bumped into the glass. The same side where it was wounded.

Ow, ow, ow. I quickly held my side with my arm, supporting it. This cannot be happening.. I felt a swift movement as I saw the shark coming for us again.

I pulled Andrew again to the other side. He seemed slower. Way slower. I looked at his face. Something was off. 

The shark kept slamming its head against us. Each time I I dragged Andrew. We were going in a circle by now.

So many things were happening. The shark, the glass won't break, the wounds, we're sinking, something is wrong with Andrew, and that it seems like our father is trying to kill us.

Each time I dragged Andrew we sunk, and sunk. I started losing energy. The pain increased.

To my horror, I looked at Andrew for a split second catching him closing his eyes.

No. No. Not right now- please.

When the shark pointed its head at us again, I used all my strength and slammed ourselves to the corner. I shook him.

He seemed to be losing consciousness. 

I grabbed his shoulders and shook him faster.  

This is not happening.  

I stared at the shark staring at me. Why wasn't it attacking? That didn't matter- I was sinking every second, and now I had extra weight to carry.

I took Andrew and put his arms around my shoulder, so he was resting his head on my shoulder. The shark kept staring at me- us. It could easily kill us- why isn't it? I had so many questions. But I just had to leave.

Get out of this- tank. I quickly turned around to face father staring at us in the tank. I banged the glass as hard as I could. The pain didn't stop, and Andrew's extra weight did not help. 

We were still sinking, I was struggling to keep afloat.

I kept banging, pouring all my anger. father did nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

That little-

I was just about to mouth a curse when I heard a heavy sound above me. Immediately, I looked up. 

The lid.

The lid!

It was coming off! I could start to see the bright white light, coming into view as one of Dad's "employees" removed the lid. 

Thank the Lord! I looked at Andrew quickly in my arms. His eyes were shut. I saw his huge wound, bleeding through the white "suite."  

Not good. I can't think of anything else now- I have to swim up with a heavy boy, and a huge wound on my side. I helt my side with my palm and started to kick my legs with all my strength.

The shark just stared- like it wasn't  an actual shark. Like.. like a machine.

I quickly turned my attention back and swam up too  the lid, kicking my legs. Andrew was heavy, especially unconscious.

Every time I kicked my legs, I felt blood gushing out. I could see the blood bleeding through my "suite" onto the water. It spiraled in the water and disappeared. Like when you would bleed underwater- in a pool, and the blood would just spiral and evaporate.

Just me? 

I continued to use all my strength until eventually I reached the tip and took a deep breath and started hyperventilating. I hadn't really noticed how long I'd being holding my breath.

Under me, was the shark. Floating motionless.

I threw Andrew gently on the wooden port, and used my strength to get my self up. The cords were still plugged on us, and I could see on father laptop my heartbeat, fast. I was hyperventilating, holding onto my side.

The pain was real. I could really feel it now. It was like a thousand knives pointing at me. 

My head was spining- what just happened?

I breathed in and out dramatically, laying on the wooden port. I looked beside at Andrew, unconscious.

Behind me I heard, hard footsteps. Familiar footsteps.

Father's.