The Reason To Swim (A Free! Iwatobi Swim Club fanfiction)

Chapter 7- Deserted Island Survival!

   

    "I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." –Maya Angelou

    Oh my god...they need help! I take a running start, but then stop myself and sprint back to the tent. "Guys!" I scream at the tent rip the door open.  Their eyes flash open and they turn to me.

    "What is it?" Haruka quietly asks while rubbing his eyes, but he then sees me and my worried look as I search the ground for my goggles. "What's going on?" He seriously asks.

    "Rei's drowning!"

    "What?!" Nagisa sits up, eyes wide.

    "We have to go help them! Makoto is already out there!" I find my goggles and tear my jacket off, leaving me in my swimsuit.

    "Makoto? He went by himself?" Haruka says with another serious tone. He gets up and runs out to go see as I put my goggles on and Nagisa and I follow.

    "Right there!" I point to where I last saw them but something didn't look right...Makoto is having trouble as well! "Oh my god!"

    Haruka rips off his shirt and is in his swimsuit currently sprinting for the ocean. "Go get Amakata-sensei!" I'm already following, so that's now Nagisa's task.

    "You can't go alone!" Nagisa yells while running behind us. Of course he was going to follow.

    We run through the first waves with some difficulty since they kick up so high, and we trip several times trying to go right through them. But the instant the water is deep enough I break out into a sprint faster than I've ever swam before. As I breathe I can see Haruka just barley ahead of me. It takes some time, but Makoto and Rei are within reach.

    "Makoto!" Haruka yells and grabs his arms, lifting him from sinking into the water.

    "Rei!" I take his right arm and hold him up. "Rei, kick! Just keep kicking! Haruka!?" I turn and see that he was getting farther away. I squint to get a better picture of the two, then gasp when it's clear. Is Makoto... unconscious?! What happened?! I suddenly feel a large wave from behind push us all. Rei holds on to my arm like it's...well, right now it really is his lifeline.

    "Rei-chan! Ama-chan!" Nagisa yells nearby.

    "Nagisa!"

    He eventually gets here and takes Rei's other arm. "Where's Haru-chan!?" He screams while Rei coughs.

    I look around and see them not to far away, but Haruka is having trouble keeping Makoto afloat since he's unconscious. "My god, he's having trouble!" I shriek.

    Nagisa follows my gaze for a second and sees the situation. "Go!"

    "What?!"

    "We'll be fine!" Rei shouts.

    "Just go! Now!" I obey and sprint towards Haruka and Makoto.

    I then swim with my head up to keep them in sight. "Haruka!" I yell just before a wave kicks up and fills my mouth with bitter water. I spit it out as Haruka turns in my direction. I swim to them and help Haruka keep Makoto up. The sight of him actually unconscious upclose sends shockwaves of fear all throughout me. I've never experienced fear like this - to this extent. "Is he okay?!"

    "I don't know, we need to get to land!" he says loudly.

    "It's too far! We should--" A wave passes over our heads. "We should go to Sukishima! Nagisa! Rei!" I shout at the top of my lungs. It's difficult to even hear who I'm talking to right next to me. "Nagisa!!"