I wrote this I-Don't-Know-How-Many years ago. I wasn't going to post it but after reading sullenxgirl's comments about "no pressure" I thought I might as well post it and see what the response is. I'm undecided whether I will write more or not. If you really like it so far, review and let me know why. Maybe you can convince me to continue it. ;D
Ryan Evans' tale begins in a dark, cold room. His family is desperate, gasping for air—barely keeping their heads above the water. As he reaches out, tries to pull them to safety, they float further away. Stranded in a deep blue ocean, Ryan searches for a lifesaver—anything he can get his hands on. Hanging above him he finds only large shattered pieces of glass and in a final attempt of survival he grabs one. His palms burn as the sharp edge slices his skin. Ignoring the pain, his grip tightens as he begins to pull himself up. Slowly, he pulls his entire body up and wraps it around the glass.
He feels safe for a moment. He closes his eyes and fills his lungs with the sea air. A wave crashes below. Ryan glances down. Pain shoots up through him and it's no longer ignorable.
Letting go with one hand, he examines the wound on the other. Suddenly, he slips. But instead of dropping straight in, he allows himself to slide down the glass. His screams stop short when he hits the water.
Slipping below the surface, Ryan can't help but suck in the water; it only weighs him down. Sinking to the bottom, he hits the floor hard but feels nothing.
The salt water has already begun to heal his wounds and Ryan starts to think: Maybe the water's not so bad.
This is the Evans' household.
As the youngest child—a son of about sixteen—enters the dining room, a fist hits the table for the fifth time that week. It belongs to Mr. Evans.
"Your grades are going down—NOT up! How hard is it to STAY at the top of your class?" Ryan Evans, to which the pound was directed, slumped his shoulders in a dejected fashion. But there was nothing he could say.
If he apologized, Mr. Evans would only continue his rampage. If he made any kind of defense, Mr. Evans would accuse him of lying and intensify the harsh discipline Ryan was bound to receive.