I felt like I was falling through the air. My limbs were heavy with exertion as I attempted to stop myself from hurdling so quickly, but upon realizing that fighting against the pressure was only hurting and not helping, I let go. Immediately the darkness that had been pressing in on me pushed further against my body, making my breath disappear, yet there was no more pain.
Was this what it felt like to die? A dead weight practically strapping in you place and your breath stolen from you? It was odd though. As soon as I'd tried to breathe and failed, the pain seared red hot in my chest, but then the next moments were as if I were numb.
I could hear ringing in my ears, and I recognized the faint noise as voices somewhere far off. They sounded desperate and angry. I couldn't make sense of it. How could someone be so upset right now? Everything in me felt like air, as if I were now floating, my body at perfect ease.
The angry voices sounded louder now though. Suddenly, a bright light broke through the darkness, tearing me out of it with a painful punch to my abdomen. I spluttered, my body heaving upwards of it's own accord as everything swept into my vision. Water choked out from my mouth, my mind vaguely noting that someone was harshly coaxing more out of me by hitting my back.
When I felt as if I could barely breathe anymore I fell back against some hard surface, but all too soon I began to choke again, my body lifting back up to get rid of the unwanted water in my throat. My throat burned and ached and my head pounded as I moved my hand up to my cheek in an attempt to support my weak upper body. It was then that I noticed my lack of clothing.
Being naked, especially in the presence of others, was not something I was keen on doing in the slightest, but under the circumstances, I felt as if I didn't even care. I fell backwards again, my arm not being enough to support my unstable weight, but this time I didn't fall right to the hard surface beneath me. My head landed on something considerably softer: a lap.
I looked upwards, and I wasn't sure who I expected to see. Part of me expected to see Harry, though his promise to leave me alone still rang in my ears, and another part of me assumed that Finn had shown up and found me drowning, something that was strikingly vivid in my mind right now. I didn't, however, expect Louis Tomlinson to be sat above me, a sheepish smile on my face. "Hi, Alice," he said, waving slightly.
A hoarse shriek escaped my lips as I hurriedly moved away from him, only to come crashing back down in his already waiting arms. "Careful," he warned, his voice low. "You're not exactly very strong at the moment."
"I'm not very clothed either," I snapped. Louis tilted his head to the side, his eyes shamelessly trailing over my body once before I smacked him on the arm. His gaze snapped back to mine and he grinned sheepishly again. "I didn't even really notice," he admitted before standing up and swiftly heading into the hallway. I heard him rummaging around for a moment before returning with a thick white robe. I hastily shoved my arms through it, wrapping the material tightly around my bare body.
"You didn't notice?" I hissed when I had covered up.
Louis shrugged, leaning against the wall as I shakily stood, my strength slowly easing it's way back to me. "It's not like I was paying attention to your body when you were drowning," he said as if it was obvious. "How do you feel?"
How did I feel? I wasn't sure.
My body was sore, and I knew that from was when I slipped and fell. I also knew that bruises would have surely formed along my pale skin by now, but I disregarded that thought as my mind ventured to something more important. Louis had just saved my life. He had saved me.
I voiced my sudden realization aloud and Louis merely smirked. "Sure did, babe," he answered. "Now you owe me one."
"You pervert," I gasped, surprised.
