Disclaimer (do I really need to do this?): Not mine! Or Liz's! Plot's Liz's, though...and everything else not by Deb...
CHAPTER 1, PART 2 – ALL WASHED OUT
For the first second of her descent, Max thought she was flying. The next few second felt like she was bungee jumping; she hoped that she would continue to hurtle down towards the water until the end of her rope was reached, and then her body would be flung back up towards the top. But after she had fallen about a third of the way down, realization swept over Max like a sandstorm in the desert. She was going to die.
There seemed to be no escape from this one. Max was going to be washed out, literally, and then surface of the water was gaining fast. Max cursed at her self for all the things she had done, and all the things she should have done. Life flashed before her eyes, as did the gleam from sun hitting the reservoir. She closed her eyes tightly, took the biggest breath of air she possible could, and waited for the water to come to her.
Blue learnt over the railing to watch. Kronch joined him just in time to see Max limp body hit the water. There was an almighty splash, a few ripples in the water then nothing. It looked like nobody had interfered with the peace at all.
Under the surface, Max slowly opened her eyes. Everything was murky and blurred. So this is what heaven looks like, was her first thought. But after her eyes started to adjust, she realised it was water. Water? I'm still alive! She smirked. Blue has defiantly underestimated me again. But just wait until I get out of here. I'm going to let him have it.
Max found a couple of flaws with that plan. Firstly, she was desperately in need of some oxygen, so she needed to get to the surface as quickly as possible. But as she kicked through the water, and tried to push her way up, she discovered problem number two. She was being pulled down by the reservoirs current (which Max believed must have been Blue's doing), and it was so strong that she couldn't reach the surface!
Max groaned and said a few swear words in her head. Her face was tinting blue because of the lack of oxygen in her lungs. Max was also quite exhausted. She forced her arms through the water, but it was as effective as swatting a fly away on a hot summer afternoon.
But Max wasn't going to give up. She swung her arms through the water again, and kicked hard with her legs. Come on, you're almost there! Just a few more-
-------ooOoo---------
'ARGGH!' Max opened her eyes suddenly and darted them around her. Then she let out a sigh when she realized where she was. She was at Ben and Eleanor's house in the Australian country town of Mindawarra, lying in the "sleep-out"; a bed set up on the back veranda. Everything seemed normal, Max realized, except for one thing.
Max patted her wet pillow and wet hair. No wonder her dream had been so life-like. She opened her eyes a little and adjusted them to the light, before she carefully scanned around looking for the culprit.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed some blonde hair, stuck out like the back of an echidna. The owner of the hair was looking over her, holding a now nearly empty glass in his hand. Max narrowed her eyes, just as a drop of water fell from her fringe.
Linden.