Save Me

The Pier

-Lex

I tied on a bright green swim suit top and bottoms, choosing a bikini again. Eyeing my self in the mirror, I smiled. My mom had good taste. I decided to leave my hair down, letting it fall in its natural curls that came to the middle of my back. My hair was so long, but I loved it. It was one part of my body I was proud of. I pulled on a pair of short jean shorts over my bottoms and then a simple tank top over my bikini top.

I'd woke up this morning to find a note that said Martin had gone to a meeting and my mom had got called into work. It also said that she'd taken the kids to Martin's mother's, which meant I had the day to do whatever. Beside the note was thirty dollars for food or 'whatever', as the note said. I'd then decided that I'd go to the beach again. I tucked the money in my beach bag along with my sketch book and writing utensils. I left a note saying where I was, then making sure I had a towel, I headed towards the door. I sat and drew for a long time before the heat began to get to me.

It was getting significantly warmer, signaling summer was soon here. Finally, I closed my sketch book, placing all my things back down in my beach bag. Getting to my feet, I peeled off my tank top. Rolling it up and tossing it in the bag. I was going to do the same with my shorts but I soon decided against it, afraid I'd run into someone from school. I popped my hearing aides out and put them in their case before tucking them safely in the bottom of the bag. Things became muffled and fuzzy without them but I could still hear a few nosies.

I knew I wouldn't be able to pick out words if someone were to talk to me but I could still hear the slap of the waves and ever so faintly, the call of the seagulls. The hearing aides helped with things in closed proximity, like a conversation on the phone or face to face. Without them however, I could still pick out background noises, like the ocean, a car horn, etc. I looked around nervously, self consciousness of my body.

Luckily, the beach was pretty vacant. There were only a few people and they were all further down the beach. Good. I liked the quiet and the space. It allowed me to think. I walked to the waters edge where the sand turned a soft, wet texture. The waves lapped playfully against the shore, water kissed my feet and the moist sand squished between my toes. I breathed the fresh sea air deeply as I walked along. Without my hearing aides I could now completely tune out the world and just relax. The buzz of everyday life had disappeared and it was simply. . . quiet. Quiet was good, it was something I could understand and something that understood me. I walked a while like that, soaking in the quiet. . . and the sun. I came across a large pier. You know, the kind that you see in the movies that you can walk under? Or, if you're up on it you are really high and can see out across the ocean. Well, this was it! It looked older, like no one used it anymore. . . or maintained it for that matter.

So what do I do? Yup, you guessed it, I go out on it. I walked out the rickety pier to the very end where the fisherman would typically be. I plopped down on the old wood, praying it wouldn't give out under me. I'd been sitting there for quite sometime when I felt a tap on my shoulder. My heart leaped into my throat and I jumped, pitching myself in the opposite direction of the stranger.

Unfortunately, the opposite direction was toward the ocean. I felt myself falling and a screamed ripped from my throat. A strange feeling of déjà vu crept over me as I thought back to when I almost fell off the roof at school. There's no way I'd be that lucky a second time. No one would catch me. The last thing I had time to think was one single name. Ryker.

Then the water hit me like a wall. It engulfed me, filling my mouth and nose. My throat burned and my eyes stung. I clawed for the surface but I must have got turned around some how because I couldn't tell which way was up. I kicked furiously but to no avail. My lungs felt as if they were going to burst. I felt the darkness creeping in and then, when I thought I couldn't hold my breath for a second longer, I felt a arm wrap around my waist. It dragged me up and up until my head broke the surface. I gasped loudly and gulped in huge breaths of air. My throat burned and my eyes did too. I felt myself sinking again and I began to kick desperately. I was a poor swimmer and my mother said it was because of my inner ear problems, something about balance or whatever. I never really paid much attention to it until now, until I was drowning. An arm wrapped around my waist tightly yet again. It was overly warm and I felt tingles go down my spine, what's wrong with me! I was pulled back against a hard chest, holding me afloat.