Love You, My Kidnapper

Chapter 8: Lost and Found

Chapter 8 Lost and Found

Where am I? I thought as I gained consciousness. Twirling around, I searched for Bryon.  Desperately, I opened my mouth to try to scream his name, but my breath escaped in the form of bubbles. Choking, I remembered plunging into the ocean. I must have been knocked out, probably only for a few seconds.

Lungs burning, I began my ascent towards the surface. The harder I kicked towards the surface, the further the distance seemed to grow, until I thought my lungs would bust from the lack of oxygen. With the thoughts of me not being able to make it, my head popped through the barrier of the water. Quickly, I inhaled a deep breath, and coughed up the excess of ocean water. Trying to keep myself afloat, I assessed my surroundings. Squinting through the brightness, I spotted an island. With my adrenaline kicking in, I paddled through the coldness towards my haven.

The water became colder and colder as I swam. My breath was coming out in big puffs of air. I could feel that my energy was fading, and that the adrenaline rush that had come so quickly was now disappearing at a similar rate. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my right leg, and cried out as my muscles suddenly seized up. Grabbing my leg, I desperately tried to stretch out the cramp while staying afloat, but the water was becoming so cold that it was sapping out all of the strength I had.

“Is this the end?”

My final few attempts to make it to shore were accompanied by thoughts of Bryon. I would never be able to see his smile again, or feel his arms around. I wished that I had been able to tell him that I loved him before this.

My eyelids were becoming heavy, and I was slowly preparing myself for death. The last of my breath escaped from my lips as my head slowly became submerged under the water. The silence that surrounded me was peaceful, and I was ready for the eternal sleep.

Suddenly, two arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me above the water. My eyes jerked open and I frantically tried to blink the stars out of my eyes. My mouth opened and I tried to form a question, but my lungs didn’t seem to be working properly, so I just lay limp and allowed my saviour to tow me to shore.

When we finally reached land, I felt the warmth leave me as I was laid down on the sand. As my vision was still not completely restored, I only noticed when a shadow loomed over me. Immediately, I felt something push down on my chest with force that nearly crushed my chest. I wanted to call out for the figure to stop, but my lungs were still not working for some reason. Suddenly, a big gush of water came out of my mouth and I gasped as the air flowed into my lungs. I was about to form my question when a pair of lips descended on my mouth. The sudden action was so unexpected that I voluntarily opened my mouth and warm air flowed into my throat.

The figure finally moved back, and I was able to open my eyes. To my delight, I saw Bryon staring down on me with a face that reflected my own joy. My mouth, now once again able to create coherent sounds formed the beautiful words of his name.

“Bryon,” I whispered in joy.

Suddenly, the fuzzy image cleared up, and I was met by the worried face of Zaydn.

“Collette, are you alright? It’s me, Zaydn.” He spoke the words with a tone of urgency.

“Thank goodness you’re alright,” he continued, “I’ve been looking all over for you and Bryon, but I’ve only found you so far.”

“Bryon!?!” I cried out in alarm, “Where’s Bryon!?”

I sat up quickly, turning my head back and forth, and finally meeting Zaydn’s concerned eyes.

“Ok, on second thought, maybe you’re not that alright…” he said worriedly.

Looking around once again, I saw rows of abandoned stone cottages. The grass covered ground was spotted with deep chasms. There seemed to be no inhabitants on this island.