Doughter of the Elements

Neil

I am standing behind Max. He is sitting by my bedside where I lay unmoving, my body connected to wires and tubes. I stand behind him like a ghost. He is talking about how sorry he is and how he would fix this and it doesn't make sense at first.

Then I remember. The crossbow, the searing pain shooting up my body. Max's strong arms grabbing me before I hit the ground.

"Max" I say. My voice doesn't sound like my own. It sounds distant and alone. Max doesn't hear me. I wonder how I am and what's wrong with me. LOoking at the monitor, I see my heart rate is much too slow.

"Will I live?" I ask.

"Well, that is up to you" and there is that voice again.

"Who exactly are you?" I snarl. "We have watched over you for a while now. Observing. You do not quite understand yet, but lets just say we are doing an experiment with you mind."

"My mind? What do you want with my mind?" I ask.

"That arrow tip was dipped in poison" the voice says.

"So I will die"

"As I said, that is up to you."

"We'll what's that supposed to mean?" I ask, frustrated.

"It means that it is up to you"

"Oh, well, thank you for clarifying"

I'm sure that if the voice was standing beside me, she would have rolled her eyes.

"What happened to me?" I ask after a moment. "In the room with the water. I heard Max's voice and now I'm here. But I blacked out. Am I-"

"Dead? Well that is still up to you"

I clench my fists.

"Would you stop saying that! You keep repeating yourself yet you won't tell me what it means!"

"It means that it is up to you weather you will survive or not. If you have the strength, the skills and the ambition, then yes, yes you may survive. But if you show cowardice or hesitate, then you will surely die"

I look back to Max who is now standing up and turning to leave the room.

"Do you know what to do?" The voice asks on my head. "It is not easy"

I nod my head. "I'm ready"

Max walks right through me and the world spins out of focus.

I am underwater again and my head is throbbing. My eyes sting and my lungs are on fire. I feel trapped and defeated. I need air...

"It is up to you weather you will survive or not"

I understand what I must do but am not sure if I can or not.

I need to try.

I open my mouth and breath out the little air I have left. Two air bubbles escape my lips and I feel faint. Concentrating, I bind the two bubbles together to make one. Then I expand it.

I imagine trees that produce oxygen, the wind blowing on a cool summer day and I remember what it's like to breathe.

The bubble grows larger and larger until it is big enough for me to fit in.

I try to concentrate as hard as I can, softening the bubble and allowing myself to slip through and into the pocket of air.

Two breaths. That's all I get.

I collapse onto the bottom of the air bubble and fight the temptation to inhale deeply.

Basically, I formed an underwater bubble that I am now standing in. But all it can withstand are two breaths. I let in some oxygen, just enough to clear my mind, then roll the bubble forward.