song of the sea: book one

Chapter Eleven: Lost at Sea

   It seemed like a life time since I was pushed over board, yet I still had the sensation of falling.

   Or maybe that was just because that was because I was so afraid of the water after what had happened in the girl's bathroom toilet, or the time, a few weeks later, at camp.

   A flashback not only flooded my brain, but also my ears.

   The water's sound brought back memories that I have almost been able to ignore, but now...

   It seemed too real to be a dream, but and was reliving my nightmare.

   When I was swimming in a pool at summer camp, I was too afraid to go near the pool, and because of the toilet situation, I never learned how to swim. 

   So one of the other campers, a girl named Ruby, dragged me across the field, pushed me into the deep end, and watched, knowing that I couldn't swim.

   I was about six years old at the time, and she was nine. The moment I hit the water, my instincts kicked in.

   I sank a little, then pushed myself to reach my face up past the surface, but I didn't know quite how to do that.

   The only thing that I did do was get the attention by my arms flailing, trying to keep myself afloat. I could hear myself screaming, but no one came to my rescue.

   I could feel myself sinking down, down, down. The pressure built up in my burning lungs. The air I was holding was turning toxic. If I kept holding it in, I felt like I was about to pass out.

   But what the memory of her shoving my head in the toilet filled my head just a few weeks prior, filled my thoughts as my vision started to be like the Milky Way galaxy.

   Full of stars.

   But this time, the water did not go into my lungs. I was on the verge of blacking out, until I noticed a pair of arms grab a hold of mine, and was pulled up to safety.

   It was Mitchel.

   He had saved my life. Again.

   I was brought back to reality with a smile now on my face. Just the thought of Mitchel made my heart long to be with him again.

   My smile faded as the thought turned for the worst.

   What if he finds someone else?

   Tears started to form in my eyes. I wiped at them, but then noticed that I had make up on. Ah, who cared. It's not like anyone would see it.

   But that's when I saw a small boat floating in the near distance. Hope filled my soul and screamed at the top of my lungs," Help! Over here! I'm over here! Please help me!"

   There was no response. And as the boat just floated there, I now knew why.

   It was a life raft. And it was empty.

   My heart sank, and the feeling of anger and disappointment grew like a wildfire through me.

   "Ah!", I screeched, as something touched my leg.

   Paranoid, I looked all around me, but saw and felt nothing.

   That is until I felt my left side burn. Almost like I was cut.

   And then it happened again.

   And again.

  "What the f-", I started to say, until I was suddenly dragged under the water.

      The water burned my eyes as I was going under.

      The weight of the world was now replaced by the weight of the thought of survive or die.

   And dying was not an option for me. No, I will not be a happy meal for the thing that was attacking me.

   And in that very moment, I saw it's face.

   It was a shark.

   A great white was charging at me with a dead look in its pitch black eyes. I panicked as I screamed bubbles out of my mouth.

   No, I need to save my breath. As I stop screaming, my lungs start to feel empty. I had to reach the surface. Kicking as hard as I could at the shark's nose, it let me go in a rush, shaking its head as blood came from it's face.

   Uh, oh. I was in big trouble now.

   Blood meant more sharks. And more sharks meant I was doomed.

   Well, not if I could reach the life raft first.

   Pushing myself through the pain, I ignored the pain in my side and with each stroke I swam up and up, breaking the water's surface.

   I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with new air, and maybe be my last if I don't get to the life raft in time.

   Panting, crying, and everything else in between, I was almost there.

   There was just a few more strokes to do and I would be there.

   But I didn't. As I grabbed onto the rubbery material, I was dragged down again. I felt like a bobber being tugged under, and I forced myself over the water.

   This had to stop. I couldn't die in the water again. Not ever again.

   And won't it shall never happen.

   Bravery came over me and I let my senses take over and it paid off.

   The choker that I was wearing was now wrapped around my knuckles. And they had spikes on them.

   Take that sharks!

   As I broke the barrier of the water again, I hit my face on something wooden.

   "Ow! What was that?"

   It was too dark now to see properly, but I could still feel.

   I felt like it was a small boat. Score. That's exactly what I need right at this very moment. My life literally depends on it.

   As the unsettling texture of the shark's skin, turning form smooth, then rough, was all around me. And that's when it happened.

   The one thing that I dislike most about being in water more, is being bitten by a shark.

   And I was being attacked by school of them.

   Bite after bite, was taken, and I fought just as hard as they did.

   Forcing myself to stay awake and not die from the pain itself, I was getting double vision. The next event that played out happened in slow motion. Getting ready for impact from the shark that I hurt first, the Great White opened its enormous mouth of blade like teeth on teeth, I freaked the freak out as I reached my arms out to punch it.

   But this time, I didn't hit its nose.

   They went straight into its mouth.