000 Disclaimer, I own nothing at all and aren't making a profit from this 000 This was written for the drown Malcolm month its...weird. lol See what you think :) 000
His first memory was of being in the water, splashing around with his father with Maddie floating nearby in one of those inflatable baby seats for swimming pools, securely held by his mother.
"Come on, son. Just like you practised against the wall only now you're moving your arms as well. Just like I showed you."
All he remembers next is managing a couple of strokes before going under then his father's strong hands getting swift hold of him. He remembers being held in his father's arms. "That was brilliant, shall we try again?" Warmth. Love. Pride. But then his mother told them it was time to go, and the only other thing he remembers of the trip, as his father carried him out the pool, is sheer relief he wasn't made to try again.
His second memory is of the same swimming pool, only Maddie is older and his father is teaching her to swim just like he taught him. The pool is busier this time round, crowded with people using the cool temperatures of the pool as a defence against the blisteringly hot weather outside. He's swimming where he can, now much surer of his movements, gliding through the water with practised ease but taking care not to swim out further than he can stand. Treading water is the one thing he's never quite accomplished and the loss of the tiled pool floor from beneath his feet when he attempts to stand always causes his heart to skip a beat.
He remembers from the right a large man suddenly swimming into his path, he moved aside to avoid him and when he finally attempted to stand he realised with a sickening jolt the floor was gone. Heart pounding he panicked; his natural and, till that point, squashed distrust of the water suddenly rearing its ugly head. Before he could even think to motivate his tired muscles into movement he's gone under, unnoticed in the mass of people enjoying their Sunday swim. He remembers the cold water of the pool rushing into his open mouth, his lungs burning and his heart pounding in his chest. The desperate need to breathe overrode any sense of rational thought. Darkness closing in around the edges of his vision he made one last ditch attempt to break the surface. He has a faint memory of strong hands grabbing hold of him just as he past out. He doesn't remember anything else after that.
His next memory is of standing on the poolside, shivering in his swim shorts and pleading with his father not to make him get in, wanting more than anything to run and never come back.
"Malcolm, you can do this, stop being so silly."
"I can't!"
"Malcolm Reed stop this silly behaviour right now! You're making a scene!"
"Don't make me, please don't make me."
He doesn't remember visiting the pool again after that.
000 Please review :) 000