The numbness encircled me. I felt nothing, heard no one, saw darkness. I was in a separate dimension of time and space where the only thing that mattered, was to succumb to this weariness that pulled me down.
It seemed like I was floating in the water. At first it was calm, but quickly the waves pulled me under. They grabbed onto my legs and dragged me down until I no longer had any breath in my lungs to hold on. So I let go, and the waves have been slowly numbing the pain ever since.
I wandered in this darkness, traveling in endless loops and upside down. I had no fears, no worries, no feelings. I was content with staying like this forever, but I didn't. I never got anything I wanted.
A new wave of light flourished in my mind, seeming to flip a switch that shoved the rest of my body back into motion. The first sensation I felt was something cold and frantic pressing against my lips, forcing air into my lungs. My body didn't respond in the beginning, but as I felt that switch move the rest of my body into gear, my lungs responded to the intake of oxygen. I felt them inflate with the air and suddenly whatever clogged them had no room left to sit, so it came rushing up my throat.
My eyes shot open and I lunged forward, involuntarily expelling the water from my lungs and sputtering it onto my lap. I coughed so hard that my throat burned from the violent hacking, but I did not stop until every last droplet of water had left my body.
Once I was done, I was overcome with a weariness again and I felt my eyes slide closed, my body slumping backwards.
"I've got you, blondie." A voice said in the distant, gently lowering me to the ground.
The sound pulled me from the exhaustion and compelled me to open my eyes again. They fluttered against the bright sunlight that met them, water drops framing the ends of my eyelashes. Before me everything was a blur. Colors mixed and mashed and I couldn't tell left from right, but after blinking a few times the scene came into focus.
I was greeted by Arthur's frenzied face staring down at me. His crystal blue eyes scanned my face and I felt his hand pressed against my cheek. His long, dark hair hung in dripping clumps around his head and his chest heaved with breath.
When I stared at him, he smiled and nervously chuckled, his fingers brushing against my cheek,
"There you are. Thought I lost you for moment."
As my vision cleared more and more, I felt the rest of my senses return as well. I could feel that I was lying on my back on a bed of small rocks, possibly sand. My dress clung to my body, heavy with sea water, and my hair was stuck to my neck. I coughed softly again, checking to make sure I had air in my lungs. I could smell the tang of the ocean and hear the call of seagulls in the sky above. A delicate breeze caused the tall trees to move their shadows around me, making the sunlight flicker.
I tasted a saltiness on my lips as I licked them, a feeling returning to my memory. I brought a hand up to them, trailing a finger along my bottom lip, and looked quizzically up at Arthur.
"Did you... kiss me?"
He was so relived at hearing my voice that I saw his entire body relax as he spoke, shaking his head.
"I was saving your life, you silly girl."
"After you put it in danger in the first place." I smiled, putting my hand down.
Now that I could feel my body parts again, I decided to try and sit up. When I lifted my back from the rocky ground a searing pain shot up my neck, causing me to flinch and groan in discomfort.
"Easy now," Arthur coaxed, putting a hand on my back as I put my own on my head, "You have to take it slow."
When I pulled my hand away from my head I felt another jolt of pain in my elbow. I turned it over and looked at it, surprised to see the skin split open and dripping with blood. I followed the trail of blood down my arm and found my fingers covered in a thicker, darker amount of blood. I put my other hand up to my head and it returned with the same substance. The rest of my arms were coated with bruises and I felt like my whole
body must have looked the same way.
YOU ARE READING
Extra Darling
FantasyI took a breath and quickly wiped a stray tear from my eye, "I'm tired of living in their shadows, waiting for them to finally realize that I still exist. I tell myself to be strong, to ignore the pain that they cause me, but I can't. I love them. I...
