Well howdy-doo. Here's another chapter and I hope you like it! We're reaching the point if I want to continue or not... dun dun duuuun!
Hope you guys have an amazing day and thanks for taking the time to read ^_^
-Cass
Bella Swan—14 Years Old
I roll onto my side not quite sure what is going on but I immediately throw up. I wipe my chin and look around the cave only to see something swim deeper into the water and away from me. I feel my stomach roll and I throw up more water, my focus from the thing swimming away broken. I cough when I'm finished and get some water to swish around and rinse the taste from my tongue. I sit up fully, my head pounding and my throat sore. I reach a hand up to rub my head and it's shaking. I manage to move so that I am leaning against the wall of the cave, my head tucked between my knees.
I want to get back to the cabin, but I'm not sure if I can make the swim. I give myself a few more minutes before I slip back into the water, pushing down the fear that bubbles up when the water covers more and more of my body. I cling to the rock ledge, my breathing hard until I force myself to let go and push away from the rock. I wouldn't have to dive very far to get to the entrance and after that, it was a short swim to the lake. I could do this.
Taking a deep breath, I dip my head underwater but almost immediately I lose my nerve and come back above water, my breaths fast and shallow. As a compromise with myself, I decide to just swim above water towards the entrance until I can't anymore and then I'll dive down. Gathering my courage and flashlight, I head towards the entrance.
I flick my flashlight off as I get nearer because the sun from outside is enough for me to see. Swallowing against the lump in my throat, I dive underwater and quickly make my way to the outside. I come up outside of the cave and gasp for air, even though I had much longer dives than that before. I blink rapidly against the bright sun and raise a hand to shield my eyes.
Even though I feel completely drained and like something major has just happened, everything outside of the cave is the same. The cabin is in the same place, the lake is undisturbed, and all is relatively quiet. Heaving a sigh, I opt to get out of the water and walk around the lake to the cabin rather than swimming.
Pulling myself out is harder than I had originally thought it would be and my legs shake under my weight for a moment before holding me steady. I trudge along the shore, grateful that my stuff isn't too far away and that the cabin is located almost on the lake's edge. I grab my things and make my way towards the house, my feet dragging as I find myself exhausted. I open the door to the cabin and walk in, not seeing mom anywhere and not willing to explain my lack of energy I head straight towards my room, calling out that I would be taking a nap. A cheery, "okay dear, did you have a good swim?" follows me into my room and instead of responding I shut my door, peel my suit off, throw on a large t-shirt and underwear, and fall into bed.
I shut my eyes, against my headache and the light coming from my window and try to remember what happened. I remember going through the hole in the rocks thinking that there might be another pocket of air. There wasn't any and I turned back, but by the time I tried swimming back through the hole, I was almost completely out of air and I began to panic. I groan at myself and roll onto my stomach. I got caught in the rocks because I began to panic and couldn't take the time to free myself. I remember beginning to lose consciousness and inhaling water. What I couldn't remember was getting to the ledge. I should have drowned being caught on the rocks, or at the very least, have woken up floating in the water, not on the ledge.
That's when I remember seeing movement before I lost consciousness and then again after I had been throwing up. Something or someone had saved me…again. I sigh and pull the blankets around me, my eyes getting heavy. The funny thing about whatever saved me is that I remember seeing its eyes. They were yellow, just like Alice's had been. I chuckle to myself and blame the delusion of my imaginary friend saving me on the fact that I had breathed in so much water. Alice couldn't have saved me because she wasn't real.
I didn't have nightmares that night. Instead, I dreamt about large mansions and playing hide and seek with a family of seven. All with cold skin and warm golden eyes.
