Sink Or Swim

Lynne Lo

(The Point Of View will always be the title)

I sat at the table, waiting. It was Saturday morning. It was a particularly humid day because of the heavy rain last night.

"So?" I said quietly to my dad.

We were waiting for my brother to come down, and we both knew that he takes a long time. We lost mom when I was eight. Now our family is just wandering without her.

"What?" Dad replied, in a daze. "Make me coffee."

I sighed. That was typical of my dad to be this lazy. Ever since mom-

"Make it!" He ordered again. 

I sighed louder. He really didn't know. He forgot it was my birthday. I stood up, yawning, and then I grabbed a cup and poured some Starbucks in. I made sure to put in the right amount of milk and sugar, mixed and then I handed it to him.

He sipped it. "Thank you, my eldest daughter."

I sat back down. "You're welcome."

Then, Clyde came bounding down the stairs. His hair was all over the place, and his shirt was inside out. "What's for breakfast?"

No one answered him. 

Clyde sat down at the able next to me. "Uh, okay then," Clyde paused. "I guess I should make my own breakfast?" He started to get up, but I stopped him.

"Make some for me too." I said flatly, not giving room for argument. Clyde, however, being who is, still decided to argue.

"Why should I?" He jut his hip to the side, showing his little-kid sass. 

"What day is it today?" I asked innocently, leading him into the answer I wanted.

"Uh, Saturday? I don't really remember," Clyde said. He's unbelievable.

"It's my birthday!" I exclaimed, smacking his head gently.

His eyes widened. "Oh, yeah! Right."

"Happy birthday.." My dad said sheepishly.

"Thanks." I sighed for the third time this morning.

:P

The birthday party was about to start. My best friend was about to come over and I still wasn't ready. Slipping on some leggings and a 'ITS MY BIRTHDAY' shirt that my dad bought for the occasion.

I walked downstairs.

"Dad?" I called. "Hello?"

"Mmm?" He mumbled back.

"You wanted to talk to me?" I said. I looked at the clock nervously. My friends would be coming soon, and my dad usually goes on for hours about random stuff about life.

"Mm, yeah! Sit down." he cracked his knuckles.

I sat down. "Yeah?"

He cleared his throat. He rubbed his chin. He ran his hands through his hair. He stretched.

"What were you gonna tell me?" I snapped. Either he was preparing for a extremely long lecture or just delaying me from going to see my presents.

"Your mother.." he paused.

I sat up. My dad usually goes on about how I have to take charge of the family because she's gone and all that but I could tell this wasn't it.

"Your mother..." he started again.

"Mm..." I hinted for him to continue. I had no clue of what he was about to say. Did he know something I didn't?

"I can't explain it properly. Follow me." He ordered. "Come on!"

I rolled my eyes. Couldn't he just tell me? Why did we have to go somewhere else?

He lead me outside, into our yard. He went through the gates and up the ladder to our pool.

"Get in." He pointed to the pool. 

"What?" I asked. I knew that my dad would make me do random stuff to 'make me braver' or 'give me a better life' but asking me to go inside a freezing pool was a bit too much.

"Get in," He repeated again, as if I didn't hear the first time.

"No!" I took a few steps backward. 

"If this is the one time you have to listen to me, it's now." His voice was firm and straight. His face had no emotion.

"Okay, I'll change into my swimsuit now," I said, turning around. I planned to delay as much as possible until my friends came, because by then my dad couldn't make me go into the pool.

"There's no point," Dad said angrily. "You're a mermaid!"

I chuckled. I used to pretend I was a mermaid. It was fun, but I got over it. Mermaids are not real, no matter how many fake videos you watch. 

"Just change," He gave in. He huffed impatiently. "Hurry up!"

"Be back soon!" I sang. I grinned. I leisurely walked up the stairs and into my room. I slowly got out my swimming suit and changed. I waited for about five minutes. Why were my friends taking so long to come? I eventually got bored. Besides, dad's talk won't take too long, right? I just won't my hair wet, and it'll be fine.

I ran back to the pool. I took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm here!"

"Get in the pool." He sighed.

"Shouldn't we call Clyde too?" I stalled. Maybe Dad had a fever. He was usually so right-minded, so smart! And now... I have no idea what got into him. "Shouldn't I get Clyde?" I said again, because the first time didn't get through.

"No, no. Just you." He pointed to the water. "Start getting in."

I walked to the ladder. I dipped my foot in. I shivered. I made my way in slowly. Once the water reached my belly, I started screaming. I lost my balance. It was so cold! I was hanging on to the ladder with only one hand.

I turned back to my dad. He was observing my actions carefully. He took a few steps forward to get closer to me. Before I could react, he pushed me into the water. I fell into the arctic water with a splash.

My back hit the bottom of the pool roughly. I tried swimming up to the surface, but I couldn't move my legs. I tried shouting for help but only bubbles came out of my mouth. Panic set in. I tried using my arms instead of my legs, but that didn't work either. It was then when I realized that I couldn't move at all.

:|

"-Up. Lynne, wake up. Wake up. LYNNE!" Dad shouted into my ear. He was in the pool with me. He had his regular clothes on.

"Huh?" I asked. My throat was dry. "What happened? Where are the others? How much time passed?"

"It's gonna be over soon. I promise. Just hold on." He reassured me. He wore uneasiness on his face. He also looked guilty for some reason. I knew that my dad was often impatient, but not like this. 

"D-Dad. What's going on?" I tried moving my head but my entire body seemed to have lost the ability.

"Daddy." I said slowly. "What happened to me? Why are you in the water?"

Everything hit me at once. The push, the cold water, the drowning. 

"Dad! You pushed me in! I drowned because of you! What the heck is going on here!?" I tried to shove him away from me.

Daddy looked at me, pitying me. He seemed to think about something. He looked directly into my eyes. "Lynne, I'm sorry. Look down."

"What? AAAAAAAAAAH!"

:]

Thanks for reading the first chapter.

edited on Nov 15, 2015

edited again on March 12, 2017