Nightmares

I suppose it shouldn't have bothered me, but it always did bother me and still does. My nightmare from last night lingered ominously above my head like a storm getting ready to hit. Which of course means that, at that moment, the nightmare occupied every part of my conscious mind. Today was my first day going deep-sea scuba diving and, in my dream, my last.

"Whats gotten into you?" Jeremy, my boyfriend of two years, asked.

"It's nothing," I responded. "Just another stupid nightmare that found its way into my thoughts," I mumbled with a hint of sass and grumpiness.

I began to artfully decorate my plate, arranging my food into different shapes. I sat, glaring at the delicious looking plate of uneaten food sitting on the table in front of me. If only my stomach would let me eat you, I thought, staring longingly at the food. I looked up to find Jeremy's adorable, worried gaze melting into my eyes. I smiled because I couldn't help but smile. He was gifted with that. He could make you smile at a funeral if he tried. That was my Jeremy.

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I thought of this morning as my feet, hidden in fins, dipped into the glorious, aquamarine water. I trembled violently, not with cold, but with an overwhelming fear. Jeremy must've felt it because he gripped my hand and smiled.

"I love you," he said and, with that, he leapt into the unknown waters below us.

I took one last breath without the regulator in my mouth, put it in, and I followed.

It was absolutely, heartstoppingly beautiful. Everywhere I looked, there were fish of every size, shape, and color. For a moment, I forgot to breathe. However, I was reminded when a giant sea turtle swam by me, nudging me with its fin as it passed. I almost gasped (thank god I didn't), the turtle was magnificent. I got so caught in a trance from the turtle's beauty that I didn't notice when Jeremy disappeared from my side. I spun around to look for Jeremy, but all I could see was the serene ocean, and it's marine life. There was nobody there. I was alone.

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The first thing you're supposed to do in this scenario is remain calm. The first thing I did was panic. I had to find him, that much was obvious. But where do I look? Once I looked beneath me, I discovered that I wouldn't have to go far. There he was, sprawled out on a cliff-like ledge above a dark abyss. I could tell he was bleeding from the red leaking from him and his wetsuit was torn, revealing several gashes, but he was there.

I swam for a short period of time that felt like hours until I had him within reach. When I arrived, one thing was obvious. Something was very wrong and we had to get away quick. I tried to remain calm, but my heart was throbbing, and I began to get dizzy. My worst fear was becoming a reality, I was losing the one I loved most. I soon found out that I was beginning to lose oxygen. I tried to slow my breathing, but the idea that I could die only made my breathing worse.

Something salty stung my eyes and exhaustion shook me. Wave after wave, soreness splashed over me like the waves of the ocean. I was so close. Just keep swimming, I told myself. I reached an open hand towards the top of the water and paddled as hard as I could. There was only a couple more feet to go and then we'd be okay. Everything would be okay. But I soon learned that nothing is ever that simple.

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Something clamped it's teeth into the flesh of my ankle and yanked me down. I couldn't help but scream and out went my only source of oxygen. Desperately, I took every last ounce of my strength and pushed Jeremy with all my might up to the surface of the water. The last thing I saw were the red eyes of a strange creature before deep layers of darkness engulfed my body.

~The End~