Chapter 17
"Seth!" I screamed over roaring crashing waves as I hung onto my rock. The cold water cut into my body and just as I could catch my breath another wave would come and take it away,"Seth! Where are you!?"
As I search through the inky black waters I had only a moment to register a giant wave that had to be over 20 ft tall that was about to come crashing down on me. Without a second thought I dove down into the waters But this time instead of coming up for air I was swept away by a strong current. I tried to swim against it I tried to come up for air but it didn't matter what I wanted it was where the water wanted to take me that determined everything. My lungs were on fire because I frantically kick and swim only to have my head collide hard into a rock or the cliffside. I didn't need to see to know I had definitely cracked something back there. The shock of the impact stunned me before darkness slowly overtook me.
Just as the world was about to go completely black I felt a strong hand grab my arm and pull me up for air.
"Breathe!" a voice, wild with anxiety, ordered, and I felt a cruel stab of pain in my ribs. Black icy water filled my lungs still as I tried to cough up as much water as I could as the strong arm guided me hopefully to land. As I let the mysterious stranger guide me another way of came and smacked us back into the cliffside. The rock smacked into my back again, right between my shoulder blades, and another volley of water choked its way out of my lungs.
I was dying for air. And my body had given it everything we could. The stranger who was still guiding and holding on to me had a better grasp on the situation. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman or even an angel sent from God. All I knew was they were the only thing keeping me above the water.
My head whirled again, black spots covered everything…
"Just breathe!" The stranger shouted still pulling me as I floated on my back. The sound of the crashing waves faded into the black and became a quiet,
even whoosh that sounded like it was coming from the inside of my ears…
"Haley?" The stranger asked, her voice was tense, but not as wild as before. "Can you hear me?"
The contents of my head swished and rolled sickeningly, like they'd joined the rough water. But relieved I felt sand on my back as a stranger pulled me to shore. Only then could I vomit up all of the sea water I had choked down.
After I had completely empty my stomach of everything I looked over to a woman with blonde hair who was giving mouth to mouth resuscitation to Seth. Weakly I crawled over them,"Seth, is he---"
Before I can even finish my sentence Seth rolled over to vomit up his own seawater. I was shaking from cold so badly my teeth were chattering. A thousand sharp, icy beads were striking my face and arms, making the cold worse.
A quiet whooshing stayed inside my ears me a moment to realize it wasn't the waves—it was air moving in and out of my lungs. Each breath burned—As if I had set them on fire with gasoline. But at least I was breathing.
I tried to stand up but my legs were too weak. All I could do was fall back and stare up to the night sky. I had to consciously think about breathing. My head was still rolling. "T-t-thank y-y-ou".
Our savior came and knelt down next to me. My eyes had a hard time focusing on her face. I had no problems focusing on her eyes I had never seen such a pure light blue in my entire life. They were beautiful against pale as moonlight skin. "You're welcome, I've already called for help. They should be here soon".
"C-coolant".
Her voice was as sweet as honey and soft as spring rain. My eyes also settled on a one-of-a-kind, handmade and hand engraved necklace with intricate enamel handwork and a pearl in the center that hung from a solid gold chain.
Maybe she was an angel?
The woman smiled before saying, "Hang tight".
I blinked and she was gone.
Where did she...
"HALEY!"
Noah.
"N-Noah", I tried to scream but it barely came out as a croak. Just as I was about to open my mouth again a terrible flash of a explosion seared the air and earth in a way that left a devoid of life down to the microbes. I could feel the destruction and heat that radiated from the hotel up above. The sound of the explosion was as if it were the anguished cry of God. I watched barely conscious as half of the hotel fell into the sea.
My mind couldn't take anymore and I blacked out.
