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UNDERWATER, IT WAS DARK. IT was murky. It was so murky that Renna couldn't see anything but John B's pale feet kicking through the current. She followed them down to the boat, watching as the male opened the drawer and pulled out a black duffle bag. He waved it in front of her with wide, gleaming eyes before beginning his ascent. She once again followed behind him.
When they were about to break the surface, he stopped. Renna looked up, following his strong glance, to see another boat floating along the water's edge beside their own. She looked down at her timer, coming to the realisation that she only had enough ticks for one breath. She knew there were police above them, but she needed air. She desperately needed air.
Just as she began to see black specks of nothing pricking at her eyes, she kicked up towards the surface where the fresh, evening air was awaiting her. However, before she could break it, John B reached out and held her wrist, pulling her back down, away from the officers' sight. He shook his head with frustration, but she didn't see it. She didn't see anything.
John B found that his friend had fainted from the lack of oxygen, which he noticed once registering her tightly shut eyes. He looked up to see the other boat driving away, so he dragged her up to the surface with the bag dangling from the fingertips of his other hand. He was panicking. He had air left but she didn't. She'd taken the empty one.
When they got to the surface, the other Pogues were already looking down. Atticus, JJ, Pope and Kiara all watched as the duo broke the surface, letting out thankful breaths upon seeing their friends alive. As John B carelessly threw the black bag onto the boat, which JJ caught before holding it up with a shout of accomplishment, Atticus' eyes widened. He noticed the way John B had to hold the girl up. He noticed how her head lolled back on her right shoulder. He noticed how she had no sign of life left in her at all. He noticed the way his heart stopped.
JJ's happy attitude instantly diminished when the boy's frantic shouts filled the air. "Renna? Renna!" Atticus reached down into the water and pulled her into the boat with the help of John B and Pope, JJ dropping the bag on the ground to help John B up whilst the other two boys and Kiara laid the pale girl down.
They took the girl's tank off first whilst JJ helped John B with his, the two not taking their eyes off the lifeless girl as they fiddled with the clips on the empty tank. Atticus dropped to his knees beside her head and brushed her drenched hair away from her face, the lone strands sticking to her colourless forehead as Pope analysed her from afar. He held his wet palms against both of her cold cheeks whilst shouting her name, wishing on everything he had that she would just say his name back.
"Renna! Baby, can you hear me?" His heart was beating a million miles an hour.
"Is she breathing?" Pope asked as he dropped to his knees on the other side of the girl.
