Twenty Six
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Lily! Veihriine! Aren't you swimming? The water is freezing cold but extremely refreshing," Pavei called them.
"I don't even know how to swim. Can you?" Lily turned to Veihriine.
"Yeah! We always used to come down here in groups as kids and try every style of swimming. Shark style, Dead-man style, Butterfly style, Mermaid style... we did it all. But it's been a while since I last swam. Years actually."
"Can you still swim?"
"Of course! I could teach you. Did you bring a change of clothes?"
"I did."
"Let's finish this salad and go play in the water. Even my mother knows how to swim. Mom, are you swimming with us?" Veihriine turned to her mother with a teasing smile.
"Oh, No!" exclaimed Che Dune, laughing. "Not me. You go and play. I'll finish the salad."
The girls quickly finished chopping the vegetables, changed into shorts and T-shirt and ran towards the water. Daniel who was fishing with Pub Khozii watched from a distance.
"Hey! The two of you. Lily! Veihriine. Don't go into the deep. The currents are strong and Lily can't swim."
"Yeah. We're just playing at the edge!" returned Veihriine.
Daniel stood and watched a moment as Pavei joined them and began splashing waters at the girls.
"I'll go over, Puh Khozii," he said and left his fishing hook with his uncle. He went and sat down on the blanket beside Che Dune.
As the water playfully tugged at Lily, Daniel observed her with a silent vigilance, following her every move.
"Look at your Mocha. He's so concerned about you that he's even left his fishing," snickered Veihriine as she led Lily by the hand into the water and then called out at him, laughing. "Daniel! Don't you worry so much. She'll be fine."
Daniel smiled in response but he didn't move. He sat there like a rock and indulged in a conversation with his aunt. Meanwhile Pavei was trying his best teasing and tempting Lily, who was still standing cautiously only knee-deep by the edge, to move into the water.
"Watch me, Lily," he said and swam to a boulder. He climbed up on it, his drenched skin sparkling under the sun. He took his position, rubbed his palms and dived into the water liked a falcon. Lily's eyes stayed transfixed on the water as she tried to follow where he went. A few seconds later, he emerged in the middle of the water.
"Whoo!" He hooted and a flock of birds fluttered out of the trees, while his voice echoed in the silence and trailed off downstream, following the river.
"Feels great in here!" He tempted her with a wide grin as he stroked about in the water, diving in and emerging with repeating hooting.
"Alright, alright! Enough with you showing off," Lily huffed as she took a step at a time, clutching Veihriine's hand. The rocks were slippery with moss, threatening to send her plummeting into the water without warning, that they had Lily squeaking and shouting at almost every wobbly step she took.
"Gosh, I'm so scared that I might sprain my ankles."
"I got you. I got you," reassured Veihriine.
When she was waist-deep into the river and her feet struggled to touch the riverbed, she lost her balance and fell sideways into the river, screaming. The water bounced her light body up and down. Veihriine swiftly pulled her back up, supporting her until she regained her footing. Daniel shot to his feet, his brows furrowing in concern. However, he settled back next to Che Dune after he saw Lily laugh and Pavei come to be by her side.
He resumed his conversation with Che Dune, but kept his eyes on Lily. The water was refreshing, and the sun warm and gentle overhead. Everything seemed well and perfect, but then, an unexpected wave of anxiety suddenly engulfed Lily. It came over her like a sudden storm, stealing her breath and replacing it with a suffocating tightness in her chest. For a moment, the world seemed to blur around her. The gentle ripples of the river became chaotic swirls, and the laughter of her friends faded into the background, drowned out by the roaring panic inside her mind. She felt as if an invisible force had wrapped its fingers around her throat, making it difficult to breathe, to think, to comprehend the safety of her surroundings.
"What's wrong, Lily?" asked Veihriine, noticing the sudden stiffness of her body and the tightening grip on her wrist.
Lily met her eyes but failed to speak a word. Her heart pounded in her chest, its beats echoing in her ears like a drum, each thud a reminder of her racing pulse. Her hands trembled, making the world sway in and out of focus as she clutched at her chest, desperately trying to regain control over her body.
"What's wrong?" Pavei came closer, looking bewildered.
The cold rush of the river against her skin felt foreign and distant, as if her body was there but her mind had been swept away by the current of anxiety. It was Daniel who sprang into action. One moment he was sunbathing nearby, and the next, he was wading through the water. He reached Lily in seconds, his strong arms encircling her. She went into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Let's get you out of here," he said softly, his voice filled with reassurance.
He guided her gently to the riverbank, then picked her up and carried her out of the water. She trembled in his arms, and she trembled still as he sat her down on the blanket beside Che Dune.
"It's okay. Just take slow, deep breaths," Daniel said, kneeling beside her.
Every breath was a struggle, each inhalation sharp and shallow. It felt like the air around her had thickened, making it difficult to draw in the oxygen her body desperately craved. And when he saw tears springing into her eyes, he moved next to her and put at arm around her shoulders for her to lean against him.
"Slowly, Lily. Slow breaths. Nothing will happen. Nothing will happen. It's only for a moment." He planted a kiss on her head.
Pavei rushed over with a water bottle. Lily sipped the water, her trembling gradually subsiding as she stayed in the comfort of Daniel's embrace. The panic attack had come out of nowhere, like a sudden storm on a clear day. When she finally regained her composure, she noticed that every one else had gathered around her in concern and she instantly felt sorry, embarrassed even.
"What happened?" Che Dune asked confusedly. "Did you fall into the water?"
"No. I panicked a little."
"Are you feeling better now?" Puh Khozii asked.
"Yeah. You don't have to worry. Happens sometimes," she managed a weak smile, and Daniel pulled her closer to him, giving a soft squeeze on her arm to tell her it was alright.
Che Dune instinctively murmured a prayer, seeking protection from any malevolent river spirits that might have cast their eyes upon her. No one went back to the water after that. Instead, they decided to grill Puh Khozii's freshly caught fishes and have lunch. After a much-needed rest, they gathered their belongings and hiked back to their truck. By the time they arrived home, the sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of twilight.
"Pretty exhausting, huh?" Daniel said as they stepped inside the house.
"Yeah. I need a good massage." Groaned Lily, and threw herself down on the couch.
Daniel chuckled. "But you had fun, I hope."
"I had. But I think I also ruined it for everyone."
"Of course, not," Daniel sighed, sitting down next to her on the couch, "you didn't ruin anything. We all have our moments and that's okay. We're all glad nothing worse happened. Don't think about it."
Lily nodded and with a touch of melancholy, she said. "It was such a nice place. Mummy and Papa would have loved it too."
"Yeah," Daniel agreed softly, his voice carrying the weight of shared memories, "they would have." He reached for her hand and tenderly kissed it.
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So, I've been writing this and the previous chapter for two weeks. They were supposed to be a chapter but it grew too long 😄 Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed them.
Much love, Hermyne
PS: Your comments and feedback would help me craft an even better story, so don't hesitate to leave comments! ❣️
And I tried asking an Ai tool to generate a picture of Lily and Daniel. This is the result 😁