Chapter 19: Truths Worth Hiding
Susie sank deeper into the water, asleep in her own cocoon. She continued playing dead until she made it at least twelve yards down. By then, her operation began.
Her eyes opened and hands wriggled, easing out of the ropes binding her wrists. In between the loose knot was a broken toothpick, possibly a proxy for Susie's bobby pin.
"…basic skill I mastered at youth was escaping handcuffs…"
She reached for her feet and undid the yielding shackles there as well. It was only a matter of time before her 30 seconds were up, so she raced towards the surface. It was impossible for her to make too much noise when gasping her air upon reaching fresh air.
When she did, however, there was too much darkness around her to really tell where she was. But maybe that was just her concentrating on getting her oxygen back. The fuzz soon cleared out after a couple of wheezes.
Out of nowhere, two bodies landed with a huge splash beside her. She didn't need to look quick to see the sinking faces of two members who had just been shot.
She made it underneath the pier.
She began swimming towards the only wedge of the pier that separated itself from land. Once on land, the panting could begin.
Nobody could believe she survived a bullet to the chest. She herself was exasperated from having to receive the blow towards the water all the way to reach here.
Susie panted as she waited for her energy to recharge. Her hand grasped some gooey red liquid emerging from the Kevlar envelope. Nobody would've guessed the cake's soap-like frosting would've made an indistinguishable substitute for blood.
"The truth is…Calvin…" she uttered alone, once there wasn't a need for panting anymore. The Kevlar envelope emerged from her chest as she reached for it to get in sight. On it was the bullet that nearly missed the bullet proof material.
She pinched the bullet and held it close to her face. It wasn't as sharp as a knife or as painful as fire, yet it could still cause damage. It was harder to believe now than never for her.
"…I was never afraid of death…until I saw you again"
She waited until the rain stopped to peek at the events.
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Shortest chapter yet. But don't worry. What follows is the LONGEST chapter yet (and by long I mean longest to complete).