AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There’s no time to rest. The others are still out there, still struggling against the darkness that lurks beneath the water’s surface.
Diving back under, I squint through the murky depths and swim towards the dark shadows. My hands find Honey’s large bicep and I have to use all my strength to drag him to the surface. When we break through, he immediately starts coughing and spluttering, but he seems with it enough to get himself out so I dive again looking for Bones. He’s the only one left.
I can’t see him, can’t feel him, and panic sieges my lungs. A bubble of precious air escapes between my lips and I push myself down deeper. The water is colder now, and the darkness is almost suffocating. I scan every inch of the water, my heart pounding with fear.
How deep does this pool go? It seems unfathomable. I’m yet to reach the bottom and my lungs are burning, urging me to turn back and head to the surface.
Just when I think all hope is lost, I see a faint glimmer of light. I swim towards it, and as I get closer, I realise it’s Bones. His eyes are closed and his body is limp. I grab him and kick towards the surface, my limbs heavy with fatigue. I thought bodies were supposed to be weightless in water? Bones feels like the heaviest load I’ve ever carried.
As we break the surface, a surge of relief washes over me.
I can barely keep my head above water, but I manage to drag Bones towards the pool’s edge. We’re in the deep end still because I don’t have the strength to get us to the shallow end, but then strong arms are there lifting both of us out of the water.
When we finally reach safety, I collapse beside him, gasping for air.
After a few minutes which feel like mere seconds after spending an eternity trapped underwater, I blink my eyes open and find five concerned gazes staring down at me.
I take a deep breath and sit up, shaking my head to clear it. They all look relieved, but they also look like they’re in shock. I can’t blame them. I’m pretty sure I’m in shock too.
“What happened?” Honey asks, his voice hoarse.
I open my mouth to answer him, but all that comes out is a cough. My lungs still feel like they’re full of water. Night hands me a bottle of water and I gratefully take a sip, clearing my throat. I’ve no idea where he got it from, but I’m glad for it.
“We made it out,” I say finally, looking around at them all.
There’s a moment of silent relief, and then a chorus of voices starts talking at once, all of them asking questions that I can’t answer.
“We all made it out…except…what happened to Snow?” I ask when I realise I don’t see him amongst the others crowding around me.
“He tried to drown you,” Ghost says in a quiet voice.
“What?”
“I don’t know what happened, but I pulled you both from the pool and when he tried to push you back in, I knocked him out. I didn’t know how else to stop him.”
“Oh.” I mean, what do I even say to that? Fucker tried to drown meagain?“Where is he?”
Ghost points to the shallow end of the pool, where sure enough, Snow is laid out on the tiles.
“Is he okay?” I whisper.
Suddenly I’m shaking and my ears are ringing and black spots are dancing before my vision.
“Red? You okay there?” Night asks, but he sounds so impossibly far away.
I try to nod, but my head feels too heavy to move. Instead, I slump back against the wall and close my eyes, trying to slow my breathing and steady my heartbeat.
“Just give her some space,” Honey says, his voice closer this time. “She needs a minute.”
I hear footsteps moving away and then returning, and then a hand touches my shoulder. I flinch away instinctively, but the hand stays there, warm and steady.
“It’s just me, pet,” Ghost says softly. “You’re safe now. We’re all safe, thanks to you. You did so well.”
I open my eyes to see his face hovering over mine, his dark eyes searching for any sign of panic or pain. I force a weak smile and reach up to touch his cheek, feeling the rough scratch of stubble beneath my fingers. He’s usually so smooth, so soft skinned and baby-faced. I’ve not seen this side of him before.
“I know,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “I just need a minute.”
He nods and goes to move back, to give me some space, but I reach out and grab his fingers.
