Beyond the Deep Water

Strange

Camille closes her eyes as the water runs down the drain, letting the heat caress her body. She takes in a deep breath as the fog spreads all over the room. Her mind can't stop working around the wall blicking her memories. All the answers are behind the thick barrier that she can't push down. Sadness spreads in her soul as her throat tightens with frustration. She takes another deep breath as she hugs herself. There in the loneliest moment, In the darkness behind her closed eyes, her senses begin to wake up. A strange notion of someone watching close by alerts her body as the silence grows deep. Someone is watching.

The abrupt realization brings back images of that night, and her fears take over. The evilness in Steve's eyes, the coldness of his laughter, and the menacing force. The anxiety of being alone becomes uncontrollable as the face of a monster takes form. "I told you I would send you back," a frivolous voice echoes within the water, forcing her to snap her eyes open. Her heart slams against her chest as she gasps like she's been underwater for a long time. Hanging from the curtain, Camille searches the room, but she's alone. The mirror is foggy, the lights are bright, the water sounds louder as she scans everything.

She takes a step back to lean on the wall, trying to suppress the need to cry out loud. Camille begins to pray; why does she feel so lost? Like a stranger in her own house, in her world. "Come back..." a gaunt whisper makes her heart contract painfully. She gasps for air as the voice hovers in the depths of her mind. "Come..." it repeats with desperation. Opening her eyes again, she pulls back as she notices a shadow dashing around her from the corner of her eye. Immediately jumping back to her feet, frightened to the core, her heart drops to her feet, and chills run down her naked body.

"Mom!" She shouts desperately. Hopping out of the shower, she makes a run to her room. Her heart pounds loudly as her eyes scan the room. "Mom!" She calls again. Camille falls to her knees, shaking with fear and confusion. The familiar tone in the disembodied voice, its loneliness, and grief, the desperation it stirs up in her soul are what scares her the most.

Glancing at the alarm clock beside her bed, 4:30 pm. Camille smiles at the memory when she overslept and missed half day of school. Adam stood in front of her awkwardly, waiting for her to open the gift. It was the clock. Again, the thought of seeing him terrifies. How can she remember almost everything but not the months she was gone? Will Adam believe it? Will he forgive her for tormenting him for so long? She can't begin to imagine what Adam has suffered on her behalf, but this thought gives her the strength to face him again. Camille inhales deeply as she stands in front of her closet. The smell of home feels foreign to her senses, which is the most confusing feeling she has. Looking at herself in the mirror, Camille notices the long sparkly gown hanging in the corner. A beautiful dress that doesn't belong to be hiding in a corner, it has life on its own. A gentle glow surrounds it as the sunlight caresses it. White with a hint of blue, it almost looks like the sky when it's clear. Looking at it, Camille can't help but wonder where she has been that required her to wear something so out of this world. "Out of this world..." she murmurs under her breath as she grabs a simple t-shirt and pair of jeans.

"Did she really forget?" Jordan asks with concern. Camelia has quietly been looking at Camille; there's a delicate glow in her mystic eyes. The energy surrounding her feels strangely familiar but unknown at the same time. It's like her daughter doesn't belong in this world anymore.

"I don't think she forgot, but something did happen," Camelia admits with guilt. Camille hides behind the wall to let their voices calm her soul. Camelia glances outside the window somewhere beyond the sunset, somewhere where the forgotten part of her daughter's memories are. Someone is waiting for her time to be up.

"It's okay, my boy. I'm sure this is just temporary. Your sister is strong and can bear with it for a little while longer." Camelia smiles with hidden sorrow as she notices the shadow of a tall man secretly watching from a corner. Camelia sighs to suppress her tears.

"Mom..." Jordan is interrupted by a sudden whistle. A sound that makes Camille's heart back against the wall. Camelia and Jordan notice her anticipation, nerves, and guilt. There's a deep feeling of culpability as she realizes that Adam is a few feet away from her. That the only thing blocking her is a door that can easily be opened.

Her knees begin to shake as she reaches for the wall, watching Jordan grin widely with excitement; Camile knows that Adam needs to see her. She's the only one that can set his heart at peace, but deep down, something is making her hesitate to take a step forward."Does he know?" She whispers. Jordan shakes his head as Adam whistles again.

"Go on, open the door!" Jordan glances at the door. He has seen Adam suffer since she disappeared. Seeing him beat himself down for not being reliable to be there when she needed him the most. Jordan is willing to push Camille out of the house for Adam's sake, to let him see the light again. Camille looks ahead as her hand grips on the doorknob.

"Wait!" Camille pleads with a sudden urge to run away. Hiding behind the door, she shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath in. "Please..." she pleads. Looking at the desperation growing in her eyes, Jordan smiles tenderly; for a moment, he feels older and mature to ease his sister's worries.

"Don't run away," Jordan says, letting her hide for a bit longer. He makes his way to Adam as Camille takes in a deep breath.

"Take your time, honey. He will wait for you no matter what," Camelia leans on the doorway, Camille keeps her eyes close, but something catches her attention. Camelia is not talking about Adam. She has always been a very mysterious woman, she never speaks clearly, but there's always a hint that she knows more.

"I feel this emptiness in my chest, a whole that makes me want to cry, mom," Camille turns to meet her mother's tender gaze. "I can't even understand if I'm happy or sad, but why am I sad? Why do I feel guilty?" Camille watches as Jordan explains everything to Adam, looking at his expression change from confusion to shock. Her heart flusters as he turns to the house. Adam runs his hands through his hair; he looks taller, his hair has grown longer, but there's also a touch of maturity in his face. He takes a deep breath to calm his heart, but the thought of seeing her again rises up his lost energy. Camille takes on a deep breath and bravely pushes her feet forward.

"There's no reason for you to feel guilty. Remember that whatever took you away for months, whatever made you return, you are here for a reason. You need to figure it out, and running away is not going to help you." Camelia says as she watches her daughter take one cautious step forward.

"Is now or never," she says out loud, taking a quick look at her mother. Camelia smiles and nods, encouraging her daughter to move on to finish up what she has come for. Camille sucks in the lump in her throat, taking one step outside, the breeze of August fan through her hair. The setting sun glows brightly, but all she can see are his beautiful honey eyes that gaze at her like she's the greatest thing in the world. His face brightens up as she becomes a clear image and not part of his imagination; his heart fills up with a bittersweet sentiment because he can see that the girl standing in front of him is not the same girl he saw that night she disappeared.

Still, he holds on tight to his courage to push a brave smile for her as her heart pounds out of her chest with every step she takes. It feels pleasant in a way she missed; her lungs spread as she breathes in deeply as she stands face to face with someone she used to love.

"Hi." Her voice is a timid and gentle sound that fills his heart with hope.