Lead Me Out of the Dark

Drowning, Definitely Drowning

DECK'S POV

                “I can’t believe this. I can’t believe this.” Linda kept murmuring over and over. I couldn’t help but agree. I felt like shit. It was just when I’d seen her, her hair completely askew, her eyes bloodshot, I’d seen my mom. I’d remembered all those nights when she had come home, telling me she’d just lost track of the time. Sometimes I’d be home alone for weeks. I couldn’t let Skye be like my mom. I just had been so fucking hurt when I thought she’d gone back on her promise.  

                “Someone’s pulled up at your front yard,” I mused silently. I’d been staring dejectedly out the window for twelve minutes, and I only just realized that someone was outside. Linda squinted, trying to see who it was without her reading glasses on. All of a sudden the coffee mug she’d been holding crashed to the ground.

                “No. No, it can’t be,” Linda gasped. She had grown so white that it scared the Hell out of me. I’d never felt anything but safe here, because Linda was strong. She was tough and she never would let us get hurt.

                “What!? Who is it!?” I questioned frantically. Panic raced through my veins. I couldn’t handle any more emergencies today. I was just about ready to pass out. I literally hadn’t slept for two days. I’d stayed up all night, searching for her in the woods once I found her truck by the cliff. I felt like I was hung over, dead, and choking all at the same time. It was a disgusting feeling.

                “That’s… that’s Skye’s mother,” Linda said. I looked back outside, and there was a hooded figure making their way across the lawn. I ripped the door open and took off. Luckily, she hadn’t heard me coming. I gripped her by the waist and began pulling her backwards towards the house. She let out a small gasp. I allowed her to turn just enough to see that it was me, and not some random kidnapper. Then I tightened my arms around her and continued yanking her into Linda’s house. I could see the woman inside of the car. She had Skye’s blond hair, but she was tiny, a frail woman. She was much skinner and her skin was ashen. Her eyes were so red that it made me wince. She was holding a phone to her ear, her hands shaking violently. Skye’s phone began buzzing in her pocket, and she seemed to come to life. She started struggling then.

                “Mom! Mom, I’m right here!” She tried to scream, but her voice was weak from crying for so long. Her voice cracked. Her mother dropped the phone and began sobbing. She drove away slowly.

                “NO! Stop! Mom, please!” She sobbed brokenly. She reached out one arm as if she could stop her mother. Her mother’s van was no out of sight. Skye stopped fighting. She went limp in my arms, crying so loudly that it hurt. I brought her back into the house, carrying Skye all the way back into our room. I placed her on my bed, intending to sit with her, but she’d rocketed out of my arms. She flew to her own bed, collapsing against the wall and crying.

                “Skye-” I tried, but she screamed at me. I winced. That hurt so much more than I was willing to admit. This girl had the power to lodge glass shards into my heart, and she didn’t even know. She didn’t even know.