The Exception

Chapter 33

"Open​ ​your​ ​eyes,​ ​Selena.​ ​I​ ​want​ ​to​ ​show​ ​you​ ​something​ ​I​ ​know​ ​you'll​ ​enjoy." His​ fake ​innocent​ ​voice​ ​was​ ​enough​ ​to​ ​make​ ​anyone​ ​cringe.​ ​

Though, I​ ​shook​ ​my​ ​head,​ ​hoping​ ​that​ ​I​ ​could​ ​shake​ ​off​ ​the​ ​strange​ ​feeling​ ​I​ ​was​ ​beginning​ ​to feel​ ​all​ ​around​ ​me. 

Unfortunately,​ ​my​ ​body​ ​began​ ​to​ ​betray​ ​me​ ​as​ ​I​ ​felt​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​beginning​ ​to twitch.​ ​I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​shut,​ ​but​ ​it​ ​was​ ​almost​ ​as​ ​if​ ​they​ ​were​ ​slowly being​ ​forced​ ​open​ ​against​ ​my​ ​will. 

"No..."​ ​I​ ​muttered​ ​softly​ ​before​ ​my​ ​eyes​ ​finally​ ​opened​ ​just​ ​enough​ ​for​ ​me​ ​to​ ​feel​ ​my​ ​heart​ ​tighten​ ​in​ ​my​ ​chest.

I​ ​wanted​ ​to​ ​look​ ​away,​ to forget what was happening but there was no escape. ​It​ ​was​ ​all​ ​around​ ​me.​ ​In that moment, I suddenly​ ​started​ ​to​ ​feel​ ​the atmosphere​ ​become​ ​thick,​ ​cold,​ ​and​ ​wet.

​​As I began to panic, the​ ​atmosphere​ ​momentarily​ ​suffocated my cries as the thick air filled into my lungs. ​Quickly, I shut​ ​my​ ​mouth​ ​and​ ​tried​ ​to​ ​close​ ​my​ ​eyes,​ ​but I​ ​couldn't.​ ​My​ ​body,​ ​softly​ ​suspended​ ​in​ ​the​ ​thickening​ ​air​, ​was​ ​no​ ​longer​ ​able to​ ​move.

I​ ​was​ ​drowning.​ ​And​ ​I​ ​don't​ ​mean​ ​figuratively.​ ​I​ ​was​ ​quite​ ​literally​ ​engulfed​ ​in my​ ​worst​ ​fear.​ ​

Having​ ​been​ ​forced​ ​to​ ​look​ ​at​ ​my​ ​surroundings,​ ​I​ ​found​ ​myself underwater​ ​in​ ​freezing​ ​cold​ ​water,​ ​much​ ​like​ ​that​ ​night​ ​I​ ​almost​ ​drowned. Any​ ​attempts​ ​to​ ​scream​ ​out​ ​only​ ​seemed​ ​to​ ​exhaust​ ​me​ ​and​ ​muffle​ ​my​ ​cries for​ ​help.

In​ ​my​ ​mind,​ ​I​ ​attempted​ ​to​ ​cry​ ​out​ ​to​ ​Jake,​ ​but​ ​to​ ​no​ ​avail.​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​my​ ​cries
wouldn't​ ​reach​ ​him​ ​here. 

"Well,​ ​that's​ ​interesting...​ ​I​ ​would​ ​have​ ​expected​ ​you​ ​to​ ​cry​ ​out​ ​to​ ​your​ ​mate. Regardless,​ ​Jake​ ​can't​ ​help​ ​you​ ​here.​ ​He​ ​cannot​ ​protect​ ​you.​ ​You​ ​are drowning.​ ​And​ ​you​ ​will​ ​die​ ​here."

You. Are. Drowning.

My mind echoed softly as my survival instincts fought my whole sense of logic and reasoning.

I​ ​knew​ ​what​ ​he​ ​was​ ​trying​ ​to​ ​do.​ ​Aaron​ ​wanted​ ​me​ ​to​ ​freak​ ​out.​ ​He​ ​wanted​ ​me to​ ​scream,​ ​protest,​ ​and​ ​lose​ ​control​ ​of​ ​myself.​ ​If​ ​I​ ​reacted​ ​wrongly,​ ​he​ ​would surely​ ​know​ ​how​ ​badly​ ​this​ ​fear​ ​could​ ​potentially​ ​cripple​ ​me​ ​if​ ​I​ ​let​ ​it.