"Drowning is not the worst part.
Lacking the courage to breathe is."
No one saw her struggle.
No one saw her scars.
No one saw her bleeding.
No one saw her tears.
No one saw her depression.
They never realized the deep waters she swam.
If...
THERE is something enticing about demons. They lure you with their immense power, electrify you and freeze you immobile on the spot unable to move as you watch them slowly, almost lazily devour you.
Because that is what they do, and they have all the time in the world. Slowly, they take over your mind, your heart and lastly, your soul until there is nothing left except to drown.
Drown in your own demons as you are too weak to fight them, too weak to distance yourself from the horrendous hold they have on you.
Instead of pulling away from them, you feel them draw you closer and swallow you whole, because maybe, just maybe it would be easier just giving up than finding the courage to breathe.
___________
"BREATHE!"
"Come on breathe, Eve!" He persistently kept giving her limp body CPR, feverishly trying to get the water pumped out of her delicate body.
"You!" He pointed to a girl who was lingering close by, the horror visibly portrayed on her face. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked down at the flaccid body before her, only interrupted by the continuous pressure movement the man performed on the non-breathing chest.
"Get over here and breathe air into her lungs when I tell you to," he barked out the order with so much force she could not do anything but comply. Dropping to her knees, she took her position by the lifeless girl on the edge of the basin, her own body haunted by a tremor ever so slightly, reminding her of the terrifying situation she was in.
"Now!" He ushered her and she lifted the girl, Eve's head, squeezing the nose, as she breathed in her mouth making Eve's chest heave sparsely upwards in response, only to fall back lifeless again and the man continued his counting pushes to her chest.
"Now, and with more air this time!" He spoke up again and the girl did as she was told. Soon, they fell into a rhythm, their only focus being on getting Eve to breathe again.
"Breathe, Eve. Just breathe!" The man gritted out through his teeth, sweat prickling on his forehead, but he never took the moment to wipe them away.
"Don't give up!" He hissed at the girl when she let out a panicky sob. Her hands shook tremendously as she bent down again to breathe air into the poor girl on the wet concrete floor.
"Come on, Eve!" He pleaded, his voice becoming strained as his usual impenetrable eyes and inscrutable countenance were now cracking, crumbling with every thrust at her chest cavity in desperation to get her heart pumping again.
Then, the breathless hoarse intake of air, while coughing out the before trapped water in her lungs, filled out like a sweet gratifying melody in the silent swimming center only interrupted by the slow slushes of water against the sides.
"Easy, easy. Just breathe, small breaths. You're gonna be okay!" He breathed out with relief, cupping her face and back, steadying her as she frantically looked around trying to grasp onto a new life supply of air.
"You're okay, Eve. You're okay," he soothed and her eyes found his, bewildered for a minute until they became focussed realizing her situation.
With a hard push, she shoved him away from her.
"No, I'm not okay! Get away from me!" She cried, her hand trying to obscure the view of him while the other was desperately holding on to her throat as if it would help ease the searing of pain that came with every intake of air.
She was definitely not okay.
__________
A/N: That was intense, but these situations are. There is nothing easy about life and death situations. There is just the instinct to survive. People tackle situations like these very differently.
Are you the person who stands idly by, frozen and unable to move as you watch the scene before you? Or are you the type, whose instinct is to just run, run away from the heart wrenching situation? Or are you the person whose solely instinct is to help to the best of your ability?
There is no right or wrong answer in this - It's a defense mechanism. In none of those situations will the person actually feel able to breathe, not before it is all over and the shock settles in, grasping so tightly around your throat, you claw at anything and everything just to be able to breathe.
Have you ever met with such encounter? How did it make you feel?
Not pleasant I take it. It never is.
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