Cursed To Hold My Breath

Sunken Ship

I only managed to look up once, seeing Haley floating on her back and humming to herself as Todd watched her in a daze. Lillie, however remained in the shallow end with Levi. Neither of them seemed to notice except for Alex.

Then it came to me, it would happen tonight, I had almost forgotten. "No...I...have to go." I chocked out, struggling to stand.

"Wait." Alex moved to face me. "What's wrong, are you ok?" He asked, his eyes searching mine.

"It's not safe..." I shook my head, pushing past him as I stood on wobbly legs, which didn't seem to work, and I stumbled forward.

Alex failed to grab my arm as I fell into the pool on top of Haley which caught her off guard, giving her no chance of catching a breath.

It was only then that I realized I hadn't taken a breath either, as both me and Haley were submerged in the deep end. I had lost complete control of my body at that point as I lunged for Haley's waist and dragged her down.

I screamed at myself to let her go, but my body refused to cooperate as my grip on her tightened. I felt her struggle in my grasp, fighting me to get to the surface for a breath of air, and if I could I'd willingly release her, except I couldn't.

Despite my own lungs burning for oxygen, my body didn't seem to tire. It was like some unknown force controlling me, and it horrified me at what I was doing. Haley managed to loosen my arms around her enough to kick me in the stomach so that I'd let her go, and it worked.

The air was knocked out of me as she floated away from me. I didn't move, I couldn't, whatever energy I had left was now drained from my body. Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours. Why hadn't anybody realized something had happened? It was dark, and the pool lights weren't on so they wouldn't be able to see anything in the water except for the moonlight pouring in.

Then fear gripped my heart as I forced my eyes open to try and find Haley in the water. Then I found her, the same chilling image in my dream, she floated motionless in front of me, her brown hair flowing around her. I reached for her, but something held me back.

I felt so cold, and the need for oxygen was unbearable. I looked up though the surface of the water, seeing that same bright light, which was probably the full moon, just like in my dream, and nobody was there either. I silently pleaded for somebody, anybody to come, I didn't care about myself either, I just didn't want Haley to die.

I was weightless, floating motionlessly and staring up through the surface of the water. A sense of peace came over me, the kind that most would feel before they died, and I accepted it. I accepted defeat, it would all be over, no more pain, no more suffering.

Except something changed, I was being pulled, deeper and deeper, the water getting colder as I sank. This wasn't like my dream, and panic washed over me. I couldn't see Haley anymore, I was surrounded by chilling darkness, and I just waited for the end to come, but it never did. How long would I have to suffer? How long until it's over?

The chlorine stung my eyes, but I didn't close them, because there was still a flicker of hope as I remained staring up at the moon, praying for somebody to come, yet nobody did. I lost track of time, I didn't know how long I've been in here with Haley, and I felt a dreaded feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I knew she had to be gone.

Was I already dead? Was it already too late for me? But no, my heart was still beating, yet I could feel it, beating slower, and slower...darkness was closing in, the light was only getting brighter...

Then I felt a disturbance near me as somebody broke through the surface. I felt an arm wrap around my waist and one around my legs, the coldness leaving me as the arms felt warm against my skin, and was brought higher, higher, until I broke through the surface.