Flooded Waters

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎

The tapping of her shoes against the concrete sidewalk echoed her surroundings. A slight wind brushed Alina's pink cheeks. It was a peaceful Saturday and the weather was perfect, a kind of weather where half of the people stayed inside and the others were out. Alina was one of them out by the shore.

She froze, her eyes widening and her heartbeat quickening. What did she just say? Did she just say that she was by the shore? Swallowing hard, Alina turned her head to the side and to her dismay, she was standing right near the cliffs. The drop was covered by a fence and the ocean below them crashed up against the rock. The sound of the swooshing and sloshing of the waves brought her back to that night.

A scream escaped her lips as her limp body slammed against the still waters up above and diving straight through the penetrating sound of waves colliding against her weak body. The cold sloshing of the water bit her skin and the shock made it hard to breathe.

"Miss?" A welcoming voice sucked Alina out of her trance. She stared at the woman, who looked like a mother, looking concerned at Alina. Her throat squeezed shut as she remembered that she was by the ocean. She grasped her throat, wheezing.

Her heartbeat quickened as the woman screamed. People had started to gather around Alina and it made it even worse. Sweat drizzled down her face and her hands had become clammy. Everything around her became dizzy and the sounds of worried people overwhelmed her.

She tried to take deep breaths, knowing it was just another one of her panic attacks, but she couldn't. Her whole body trembled as she sank to her knees on the ground. A pair of hands grabbed Alina's shoulders, shaking her.

Everything was so blurry and foggy in Alina's vision, she could barely make out the face of the man. Tears drizzled down her cheeks and her lungs screamed for a deep breath.

"Sweetie?" He shook the shoulders of her limp body. The only thing she could hear, other than his muffled voice, was her heartbeat thumping loudly in her ears. "Are you okay?"

Another pair of hands grasped at her t-shirt, trying to steady her shaking. "Call an ambulance!" Alina felt like she was going to throw up.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around her body, the warmth enveloping her. She gazed up to see a blonde was hugging her. She felt a little bit calmer, trying to take a steady breath.

"I'm calling an ambulance," one said, but the girl who hugged her whipped her head around.

"You don't need to call an ambulance," she stated, squeezing Alina tighter. "She's just having a panic attack. You guys can go, I know how to deal with her attacks."

Her voice seemed familiar, a mix of honey and sugar if it was a voice. The name was at the tip of Alina's tongue.

It was Mabel.

Still sobbing and shaking, Alina managed to croak out, "M-mabel?"

Mabel stared at her, smiling silently. "I'm here Alina. I'm here."

Alina felt safe again, hugging her back. Mabel was here. Why? She didn't know, but it didn't matter. Her ex best friend still seemed to care for her. People around them had started to leave, the crowd diminishing by the minute.

When her sobs had begun to morph into hiccups, she could finally take a deep breath. Mabel hadn't let go of her since she hugged her back. It had been around five minutes. Alina sniffed, wiping away the snot and spit covering her mouth. Disgusting.

She pulled away, staring into Mabel's worried eyes. "You came," Alina whispered, smiling softly.

Mabel nodded sorrowfully. "Even if our friendship is wounded, it doesn't mean that I shouldn't help you."