The Bane

Chapter Nine

The lake was breathtaking. The closer we got, the more beautiful it became. The water was a beautiful blue and the lake was massive. Ancient trees with bright green leaves lined the lake. 

We approached the lake to get a drink. As I bent down to take a sip of the cool water, I gasped in shock. I stared into the lake, shaking my head in disbelief. It was me. It was my reflection.

I studied my appearance, desperate to memorize every line of my face. I had an oval face, and a prominent chin. My face was shamefully dirty. Bright purple eyes stared back at me. I had been extremely pale before, but I realized that I was starting to tan. I looked down at my arms to confirm my suspicion. There were a few pale scars on my face, thanks to my many beatings in my cell. Surprisingly, I actually liked them. They were a part of who I was even on the inside.

“You’re so pretty,” Alena smiled at me.

I didn’t think so, but I smiled back in thanks. I stared at my reflection for another minute, before taking a quick drink and turning away. I wanted to continue to stare at it, but I knew we didn’t have time. I was about to walk away, when something occurred to me. I dropped on my knees by the lake and quickly scrubbed my face clean. I grinned. My mother had always taught me to keep my face clean. She would be proud.

“You ready to go?” Athan asked me.

I nodded. “Yup. Let’s go.” I frowned and looked around. “Where’s Cole?”

We both turned in time to see him running back towards the lake. We glanced at each other in alarm and took off running after him.

“Stop Cole!” Athan yelled. The little boy had been climbing up a large rock. He turned around and smiled before slipping and falling into the lake.

“Cole!” I screamed. The place he had fallen into was on the deeper side, and I had a feeling the little boy couldn’t swim. My fear was confirmed when Cole appeared, gasping for air. He flailed around a bit before disappearing under the surface.

Athan reached the lake first, diving in head first. I watched with a sick feeling in my stomach, waiting for them both to reemerge. I watched the water, surprised at how dark it looked. 

“How long can someone breathe under water?” I asked Alena as the seconds ticked by.

She was covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide in horror. “Not very long.”

A minute passed and there was still no sign of them. “I’m going in,” I said determinedly. “Don’t come in after me.”

“You don’t know how to swim!” She argued. “Please don’t leave me. Just wait a little longer. Athan is the best swimmer in the world. Just you watch. They’ll come up.”

She sounded so confident; I desperately wanted to believe her. I nodded my head in agreement, my eyes falling back to the smooth, unmoving water.

Please, I begged, though I wasn’t sure who I was addressing. Please don’t let them die. Please come back Athan!

As another minute passed with no sign of them, Alena slowly sank to her knees. Tears filled her eyes and I knew exactly what she was thinking.

“They’re fine,” I told her. Funny how only a minute she was the one assuring me, and now it was the opposite. I didn’t know if I really believed they were going to be ok, but what else could I say? I did know that me jumping in after them wasn’t going to help. If they did come up, it would be best for Athan not to have to worry about saving me as well.

I watched as a single small bubble rose to the surface and popped. I wasn’t sure why at the time, but Alena stopped crying and stared at the water with hope.