The Last Star

Chapter 28

                 Chapter 28

   I was plummeting deeper and deeper into the murky water. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't see. So this is what drowning feels like, I thought numbly.

    I kicked my legs, trying to fight my way back to the surface. I refused to drown. I could not drown.

   "Olivia," a feathery voice floated up from beneath my feet.

  Huh? Was I hallucinating?

   I kicked larder and puddle with my arms, giving a very lame attempt at doggy paddling.

   "No Olivia, down here," the voice rippled up through the water.

 And then, I knew. The voice didn't mean me any harm. I was supposed to it. I was supposed to go to it.

   I let my legs and arms fall limp, allowing my dead weight to sink me downwards to the sandy bottom of the lake.

     "Good," the voice purred. "Now keep coming. I need your help."

    What do you need my help for? I thought. Because speaking wouldn't do anything but give me a mouth full of water.

    Shockingly the voice responded inside my head. I need you to protect the star and cup.

   How? I mean the star was already stuck inside me. Unless I die it's going nowhere.

   Exactly, don't die. If you have to protect those, you have to protect yourself too. She sounded so convincing that I couldn't avoid taking her serious.Now don't panic.

    Why would I panic? I was all so confusing.

   The voice didn't answer, but I figured out why as fingers wrapped around my ankles and yanked me down. Despite what the voice said, I panicked and clawed at the water, frantically trying to get away, but it was useless. I tried to scream, but water flooded my lungs. If I didn't get away I was a goner. If I didn't get away I would end up a prisoner in the underworld, at least until I went insane and they killed me.

    I needed to get away...

      Shaking...huh...someone...shaking...my shoulder. My eyelids shut open disoriented and groggy, I jerked away from whoever was touching me.

    "Jeez, Olivia," Ryan said with his hands held up in front of him in an I-mean-you-no-harm kind of way. "Settle down."

    I did a quick scan of my surroundings and realized I was still in the back seat of the GTO, which was now parked in Lucas's garage. Nobody else was in the car; it was just Ryan and I.

     "Where is everyone?" I asked, rubbing my sleepy eyes.

   "They're already inside," he gave a nod in the direction of the garage door, "Getting things set up."

      Yawning, I stretched out my arms. "So why are we sitting out here?"

      "Because you fell asleep and I couldn't get you to wake up." he paused, looking as though he was considering something. "Were you having a nightmare?"

        A nightmare? That was putting it mildly. "Why do you ask?"

    "Because you were getting all squirmy and making these moaning noises."