Steve Harrington Imagines (SSAT)

Undertow

Prompt Request: "I'm just needy tonight." (from an amazing list of prompts from my friend on tumblr!)

Warning: Romantic themes! mentions of drowning

July 1st

The summer heat beamed down on Hawkins like hellfire, showing no mercy for the town's residents. With the irritating buzz of cicadas hidden amongst the trees, you found yourself unable to focus on your book.

A chorus of loud laughter and cheers erupted from the lake as several kids swam after one another, reenacting various scenes from the movie Jaws.

Now and then, your eyes would scan the water for your younger brother just to make sure he was afloat. Your stomach flipped just watching as your fellow graduates threw each other amongst the choppy waves that crashed along the shore.

You could still feel your chest tighten as your lungs nearly gave out on a day just like today. Your cousins had insisted on going out further and further into the water, not wanting to be teased for fearing the depths of the drop off you struggled to keep up but refused to back down.

The shore became more and more distant as you ventured out as you called out to your cousins to slow down. You weren't a strong swimmer, in fact, the only thing on your mind was desperately trying to remember how to tread. Your toes barely grazed the cool sand as you neared the drop off point, your body having a hard time staying above the waves as water pooled into your mouth.

Your heart jumped into your throat as your toes met nothing beneath your step. Sucking in a gasp, water filled your lungs, fear rendering your body useless as you sank beneath the waves.

If it hadn't been for your older cousin Mia taking notice of your fingers thrashing just below the water, you surely would have drowned. It was a frantic escape as they collectively grabbed hold of you and dragged you back to shore, it was a feeling you never wanted to experience again.

You hadn't stepped foot in a pool or dipped your toes in the water at the lake. You opted for showers over baths as the latter brought you everything but relaxation. You feared the endless blue abyss that had almost taken your life, you feared the day you cheated death.

Giving up on your book, you decided to trace shapes into the sand. With knees tucked into your chest, careful not to let anyone see up your dress, you drew out scenes you had read about before rubbing them away with your fingers.

A shrill scream erupted from a child's lungs, screaming about how someone was missing. Your head shot up, still clutching the twig as you counted the heads in the water, fearing the worst. Getting to your feet in an ungraceful scramble, sand-dusted off the back of your sundress as you jogged toward the shore. It felt like miles away even though you were only a few feet back. You brother wasn't among the children, in fact, it was his purple swim trunks that caught your eye as he rolled beneath the waves.

The undertow was strong, almost sucking more swimmers underneath its grasp as their parents pulled them from the water.

"Jeremiah!" You called out hoping that maybe, just maybe, your eyes had been playing tricks on you. "Someone help! Please, my brother is drowning!"

Your words were breathy and frantic as you ran closer to the shore, silently praying to anyone who would listen that your brother was okay. As the waves crept up and kissed your ankles, you jolted backwards. Your body went stiff as your eyelids peeled back.

Brushing past your shoulder in a blur of red, the lifeguard dove into action, dragging your brother from the clutch that the waves had on him.

With shaking limbs you collapsed next to your brother, now receiving CPR as the lifeguard's palms pulsed against his chest.