Beneath the Tides

Drowning - 1

Brenna awoke to the familiar sound of her little brother screaming at the television. She grunted out of frustration, this happened every morning and she was sick of it. Brenna winced as the sun seeping through her blinds dilated her pupils. She sat up on the bed, suddenly noticing the cool air teasing her skin, making her yearn to lay back down. She contemplated for a moment, but her determination to be productive triumphed, and she let her feet dangle off. Her toes curled as she touched the cool, hard wood floors. She thumped across the room to grab her favorite hoodie and pulled it over her disheveled hair. She peeked out between the blinds to view the beachfront that she was so fortunate to live on. The chill spring air stung Brenna's sea green eyes as she stared at the horizon over the ocean, trying to find a story. She pulled her thin, black hair into a ponytail. Then, she put on her simple makeup look of lip gloss and mascara, to give her eyes more definition.

Brenna walked down her loud, creaky stairs and entered the living room, which was the source of all the yelling. Her brother, Caden, was sitting in the living room, too close to the TV. His blonde hair was shaggy and messy under his headset. His brown eyes glanced over to Brenna, but he ignored her and turned back to the TV. He was playing a brand new zombie killing game that was just released. Brenna didn't understand what the big deal was about these games. After all, they were all lies. None of those creatures existed, and if you die in real life, there is no starting over. Brenna passed the living room and entered the kitchen where she was met with the smell of fresh coffee, one of her favorite smells. Her mother, dressed in pajamas, was standing over the stove, cooking eggs and potatoes. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a messy bun. She glanced up with the same sea green eyes to meet Brenna's.

"Good morning, sweetie." Brenna's mother said.

"Hey. Is dad already at work?" Brenna asked.

"Yep! What's your plan for the day, are you gonna start writing?" Her mother questioned.

"I'm thinking about starting my interviews today." She answered.

"Okay! Good luck!"

Brenna had a project for school this spring break, for her writing class. She decided to address a rumor that's always been told in Coastville, her small town. She wanted to uncover the truth of where the rumor came from as well as all the different secrets and stories beneath it. The town's folktales of mythological sirens had been told for as long as she could remember. It was always a rumor to her, but some of the towns' elders seemed to have too much faith in the children's bedtime story. She wanted to uncover the truth. Historical or mythical: by Brenna Walker. Writing has always been Brenna's passion. She dreamed of her legacy being set as she read her very own stories to her grandkids before bed. Before she got too ahead of herself she realized she had to actually go interview people in her town and start writing her first official piece.

As the day went on, Brenna uncovered a lot of stories from both people who thought the legends were real, and those who thought it was fake. There was something missing, though. Something seemed off that day, almost as if she had triggered a feeling inside her. As the sun set on the horizon, she was walking home as she felt herself being drawn to the mild waves. Brenna took off her sandals, and before she knew it, she was wading in the water. It felt as if she was in a haze by the sun, perfectly centered over the horizon. It was almost comforting. That is, until she was jerked out of her haze and a hand grabbed her, pulling her under the waves. Then it all went dark.