Keep Beating

Prologue

(A/N: Yo, looks like you're about to start this story here. I am super thankful that you even clicked on this story, really thank you so much. Before you start reading this though, if you go to the final author's note on this, you will find the link to the second draft which at least I believe is way better than this draft right here. Or you can just insert this link here: https://www.wattpad.com/story/102298039-in-sickness-and-in-love-keep-beating-remake into the URL bar. This second draft offers not only a more in depth experience from Charlotte, but also adds Keyon's point of view! Pop over there and give it a read, I would really appreciate it if you do, and as always, stay awesome! :) )

Prologue

(POV: Charlotte)

When I was 8 years old, I started learning how to do flip turns in swimming. My coach was a real stickler for the perfect flip turn, and he had us practice the whole practice everyday for a week.

We all hated him for it, thinking it was some way to torture us. Even other coaches questioned him. When we asked him why he was so stubborn about it, he said it was because the flipturn is the most important part, it will judge how the race will end. If you do a poor flip turn, then you won't be able to come out strong. After a couple of years, it made sense.

So I practiced my flip turn. I was determined to make it perfect. Eventually I powered off the walls every time.

Oh shit, well you're probably wondering why this is even relevant, aren't you? I mean what's a flip turn got to do with why I am stuck in a hospital.

Oh dear, now you're really confused, so I guess I will start from the beginning. My name is Charlotte Watson, and I am the star swimmer on my swim team, or I was. 2 months ago I got in a car wreck with my parents, and they didn't make it. Along with that, I got hit really hard in the chest, and took a significant amount of damage to my heart. I've been waiting for a new one since then, but that's kind of hard you know.

Jeez, now you'll probably think this is some story about some whiny depressed chick in the hospital, lame. Yeah sure, it sucks, but this is not going to be another Twilight. There won't be any pretty sparkling vampires and hotter than hell werewolves in this story. This is real.

Though I am not sure if it will have a happy ending.

Now where was I at? Oh yeah, the meaning of the flip turn.

I think the flip turn had to do something with the turning point he mentioned. I always thought that if I perfected my flip turn, I would make it first every time. That if I hit a great turning point, my life would be simple and good.

But after all those years of practice, all those years of flipping at the wall and kicking off of it with such force that it propelled me through the water to the finish line, I barely managed to hit the turning point, and I barely managed to make it out alive.

I think why we struggle to get back to the finish line after a bad flip turn, is because we look back on how poorly we did, and we can't think ahead.

Swimming is like life, it can be simple and carefree, but when you land a bad turn, you think back on it and you go slower, your form weakens. Things change for the worse.

So doesn't that mean if you go through a bad turning point in your life, you just have to power through it, and everything will seem okay?

Everyone tells me to do so. They cheer me on as I splash in the water, trying to stay afloat. They urge me forward.

But I've blocked all these voices out it seems. I want to get faster, I really do. But I fucked it up with my turn, with my turning point, and now I lie here.

In a bright room on a white bed and white sheets. The doctors have let me decorate my room, but it remains unfinished.

I've lost my muse. It left with my heart and my family.

I long for someone who can bring it back, someone who can help me.

Like that boy, back when I was really little. When I was four, and I first started learning how to swim, I was always the slowest. I had a lot of trouble keeping up with the others. But this really nice boy, he was 13, he swam next to me and when I started splashing he helped me through the water.

But I'm older now, I don't have someone by my side to bring me back when I am drowning.

I'm sorry Coach Brendan, I hit a bad turn.

And it may be my undoing.

A/N: Yeah sorry, I know it's a little short, but I couldn't think of much for the prologue. But it is a prologue so it doesn't have ot be too long. The whole story will not be in first person POV either, while I do like it, I can't make it work for this story, so it will only be here in the prologue.

So here it is, the prologue to the new story I am writing. I don't want to make this story too long, so far I am estimating it to be between 5-10 chapters, so not a very long one, but sweet. I've had this story idea for about 5 months and have finally started writing it. I really love the idea, and I hope you guys love it to. I've been in a very romancy mood lately so this story will really fill my romance needs. Hope you enjoy.