Fallen

Chapter Thirteen

Every sense snapped to attention, the water around my body wrapped me into a bone-chilling embrace. The sensation of the freezing water almost paralyzing me as it dragged me under the surface. Water was always a comfort but this water was different, this water terrified me. The small current I felt pulled at my limbs were not like the lakes at home, this water was in the bay that poured out into the vast, unknown, dark ocean.

The thought of being stranded in the salty body of water forced my feet to kick upward. I only had to kick a few times before my head broke the surface and my lungs took a shuddering breath. Before I could take another, a wave from behind plummeted me forward, my face slamming into the water, salty water burned down my throat.

Behind me, the waves of the ferry pushed me away from it. Looking up at where I jumped, nine rebels with guns shot toward me and I was too close to them as a bullet hit dangerously near my head. The water was dark enough I could swim away without being detected, which was a better option than my head bobbing above water like a big target. I took a deep breath, with the next wave I dove into the water, away from the ferry.

Under the surface, the water was far murkier than what I thought. If on a sunny day it would be clear, but now I could barely see my hand in front of me as I swam. Looking down, a spike of fear bolted from back of my neck all the way down my spine. Water never scared me, it usually calmed me, but seeing the dark depths below, made me feel uneasy. Half of me expected to see red glowing eyes of a sea monster observing me from below.

My head broke the surface when my lungs ached for air. Behind me the ferry continued toward the dock, the rebels stood at the railing, their guns not shooting as they looked for me or Alec and Audrey.

Wait... I looked around me. All there was were waves that gently lifted and lowered me with the current. Fear prickled in me again as my jaw chattered with the cold. Around me was nothing but water, no two bobbing heads. To the left was Staten Island and no heads. On the right, was the city and no heads.

Numbness took hold of my body, but not by the coldness, but the fear of where Alec and Audrey was. "Alec!" I yelled and swam toward the city. "Audrey!" It felt foolish to call for them, but I knew voices carried across water well. Dad and I could easily hold a conversation between the dock and the fishing boat with several yards between us back home. I called again.

No reply.

Panic crept into my mind, it politely stood to the side, ready to go into freak out mode when my confidence crumbled into a heap. I continued to swim toward the city, my teeth chattering. The water was cold but the ocean wind that nipped at my wet face was colder.

I yelled their names again, pausing in my swimming for only a brief second to listen. Swimming was the best option to keep my blood circulating through my body, I did not want to stop swimming for a long period of time. There was no answer to my call. Seriously, they couldn't have drowned so easily. Unless Audrey could not swim, but Alec was a stubborn old cow sometimes and he wouldn't let her die.

"Mel!" The sound of my name shoved panic out the door in my mind.

"Audrey? Alec? Where are you?" I scanned the dark waters. The long rolling wave lifted me and when I crusted it, I spotted two bobbing heads in the water that was in the direction of the city. A smile lit my face up though salty water splashed into my mouth.

The two were only a few yards away. "I see you, I am coming to you!" I swam to them using breaststrokes. Every few strokes I checked to see if I was heading in the correct direction.

Reaching them, I slowed. "You guys okay," I asked. The way Audrey's head bobbed, I knew she was struggling. Her lips had gone blue, no doubt mine had too. I shook my head, "Stupid question. Let's get going." Audrey only nodded, her chin shivering.