None mine, but I think I did a decent job with this. Kinda pretty, you know?
Bubbles
Laughing, Danny kicked his way to the surface, pulling Evelyn's hand behind his own.
The bubbles from his open mouth flowed to the surface, some exploding upon contact with the
crisp morning air. Others floated placidly on the glassy waves, bobbing like seagulls, up and
down. Up and down.
As his own head shattered the barrier between the below and the above, Danny laughed
again. This time, though, the sound rang out, clear and sharp. The salty air seemed to record it,
playing it back again and again with each passing gust.
Danny shivered. A hundred thousand goose bumps had blossomed onto his skin, sending
tremors through his bones. Reaching over, he pulled Evelyn's body to his own, hugging her and
absorbing her warmth, sinking back down so that only their heads showed above the water.
They kicked; legs entwined and perfectly lined up so that not a single kick landed on human
skin. Their breath, though from two separate beings, floated in a mist over his head. One
breath-from one person. The thought appeared in his head like a cloud, taking shape and then
drifting in the wind, forming new silhouettes and gradually wafting out of view. He leaned in for
a kiss, mouth seeking the love his eyes could plainly see.
And suddenly it was all gone, everything that mattered. He was pulled under, his open
mouth filling with the salty poison that was his world. He was spinning, kicking in vain. Trying
to hold on, though he knew it was fruitless. He called for help, a cloud creeping into his vision,
masking the already murky surroundings. From his position he could see Evelyn's feet, kicking
softly, staying afloat. Her face, distorted by the rough surface water, was staring at him, a look
of serene grief covering it. She had accepted it. So could he.
His kicking slowed, and he allowed the force to pull him further into the darkness. As
she faded, Danny was able to see Evelyn mouth something, and he knew what she was saying.
"I love you, too, Evelyn! I love you…" But all that came from his desperately seeking
mouth was a stream of bubbled, cascading to the surface. He watched with a detached feeling of
interest, as the bubbles grew smaller and weaker, until they tapered off into nothing. And all
went black.
**************************************************************
"Danny! Come on, Danny. Look at me, dammit! Just talk to me." Salty drips of water
landed on his face, and his tongue darted out to catch them, to taste the ocean once again.
Opening his eyes, he saw Rafe's face swimming above him. It looked like Evelyn's, and Danny
knew that the thin layer of water was separating them, too. He wanted nothing more that to
reach up and touch Rafe, to tell him it was okay. Evelyn accepted it; Rafe should, too. But Rafe
was smiling; he seemed to think Danny was getting better. "Hey, Danny. I'm gonna tell you
something, and it's a secret." He paused. "You're going to be a daddy, Danny. A daddy! You're
going to have a baby!" The water was closing in again, and Danny was going down, this time to
stay. He knew what Rafe had said; he understood. So that's what she was telling me. He
smiled, and a few precious bubbles escaped his mouth again. These he had to conserve, for he
only had a few.
" You are, Rafe." It was a blessing, his permission to Rafe. He saw the desperation in
Rafe's eyes, even as he sunk lower.
"Don't go, Danny." Rafe cried, lending his own tears to the ocean's infinite power. He
was kicking weakly, staying afloat by someone else's will. But Danny didn't worry, as he
spiraled away. Evelyn would help him. He could see her face now, too, adjacent to Rafe's. So
she's the one keeping him up. Good. They were both peering down at him, watching him fade
away, both mouthing something to him.
"I love you…" The last stream of bubbles fought their way from his body, and he
watched them trail listlessly upwards, taking their time, to the world that he loved.
Please tell me what you thought of it. Did it match your vision of his love and death? I'm kind of proud of it, so I wondered if anyone else liked it at all.
Bubbles
Laughing, Danny kicked his way to the surface, pulling Evelyn's hand behind his own.
The bubbles from his open mouth flowed to the surface, some exploding upon contact with the
crisp morning air. Others floated placidly on the glassy waves, bobbing like seagulls, up and
down. Up and down.
As his own head shattered the barrier between the below and the above, Danny laughed
again. This time, though, the sound rang out, clear and sharp. The salty air seemed to record it,
playing it back again and again with each passing gust.
Danny shivered. A hundred thousand goose bumps had blossomed onto his skin, sending
tremors through his bones. Reaching over, he pulled Evelyn's body to his own, hugging her and
absorbing her warmth, sinking back down so that only their heads showed above the water.
They kicked; legs entwined and perfectly lined up so that not a single kick landed on human
skin. Their breath, though from two separate beings, floated in a mist over his head. One
breath-from one person. The thought appeared in his head like a cloud, taking shape and then
drifting in the wind, forming new silhouettes and gradually wafting out of view. He leaned in for
a kiss, mouth seeking the love his eyes could plainly see.
And suddenly it was all gone, everything that mattered. He was pulled under, his open
mouth filling with the salty poison that was his world. He was spinning, kicking in vain. Trying
to hold on, though he knew it was fruitless. He called for help, a cloud creeping into his vision,
masking the already murky surroundings. From his position he could see Evelyn's feet, kicking
softly, staying afloat. Her face, distorted by the rough surface water, was staring at him, a look
of serene grief covering it. She had accepted it. So could he.
His kicking slowed, and he allowed the force to pull him further into the darkness. As
she faded, Danny was able to see Evelyn mouth something, and he knew what she was saying.
"I love you, too, Evelyn! I love you…" But all that came from his desperately seeking
mouth was a stream of bubbled, cascading to the surface. He watched with a detached feeling of
interest, as the bubbles grew smaller and weaker, until they tapered off into nothing. And all
went black.
**************************************************************
"Danny! Come on, Danny. Look at me, dammit! Just talk to me." Salty drips of water
landed on his face, and his tongue darted out to catch them, to taste the ocean once again.
Opening his eyes, he saw Rafe's face swimming above him. It looked like Evelyn's, and Danny
knew that the thin layer of water was separating them, too. He wanted nothing more that to
reach up and touch Rafe, to tell him it was okay. Evelyn accepted it; Rafe should, too. But Rafe
was smiling; he seemed to think Danny was getting better. "Hey, Danny. I'm gonna tell you
something, and it's a secret." He paused. "You're going to be a daddy, Danny. A daddy! You're
going to have a baby!" The water was closing in again, and Danny was going down, this time to
stay. He knew what Rafe had said; he understood. So that's what she was telling me. He
smiled, and a few precious bubbles escaped his mouth again. These he had to conserve, for he
only had a few.
" You are, Rafe." It was a blessing, his permission to Rafe. He saw the desperation in
Rafe's eyes, even as he sunk lower.
"Don't go, Danny." Rafe cried, lending his own tears to the ocean's infinite power. He
was kicking weakly, staying afloat by someone else's will. But Danny didn't worry, as he
spiraled away. Evelyn would help him. He could see her face now, too, adjacent to Rafe's. So
she's the one keeping him up. Good. They were both peering down at him, watching him fade
away, both mouthing something to him.
"I love you…" The last stream of bubbles fought their way from his body, and he
watched them trail listlessly upwards, taking their time, to the world that he loved.
Please tell me what you thought of it. Did it match your vision of his love and death? I'm kind of proud of it, so I wondered if anyone else liked it at all.