Falling For You ✰༄ ѕσkkα

Water || Contagious

Sokka's mouth is agape, howling winds whistling into my ears as the weather has chosen now to begin its approaching violence. "I never would have thought Aang was under that much pressure. Or even that you have a prophecy of sorts!" he raises his voice to compete against the harsh crashing of waves.
We stumble further onto the deck as we dangerously sway from the force of the ocean. I yank up my net, the rope rubbing against my palms, a fiery sensation building from the friction.
"Learning new things every day," I respond, my tone slightly strained due to the effort of pulling against the current. The water has taken any grip between my boots and the wood paneling, making me unbalanced on the slippery surface.

Another wave slams against the ship, tossing us onto our backs. I groan at the blooming pain setting into my shoulders. The man rushes out from the cabin, grappling with the thick netting gliding on the deck. I claw at the nearest knot, yanking it towards my chest to help any way I can. Raindrops lash at my face, the cold liquid biting into my exposed skin. The sun has completely retreated behind the charcoal clouds by now.
The fisherman rushes to the mast, attempting to lower the sail. Sokka and I take up the other rope, holding on for our lives as the waves swell to heights far above our heads. "I'm too young to die!" he yells.
"I'm not, but I still don't want to!" responds the old man. 
"Me neither!"

Lightning tears across the dark sky, casting immense light followed with a spine splitting crack of thunder. The sails have begun to tear, the fabric loosely flapping in the wind. We drop over another crest which makes me stumble into Sokka's body behind me, fracturing his secure hold to the line. We exclaim in horror as we slide further towards the boat's edge. I clasp onto Sokka's wrist, occupying my other hand with the coarse rope. Another flash of lightning appears and strikes the mast. It creaks loudly as it falls towards what appears to be a large white creature. I rub my face against my shoulder to move the blinding strands of hair away from my vision.

"Aang! Help!" I cry out.
He glances at us after cutting the wooden pole in half. As the ship levels out we're able to stand, half tripping our way to the young Avatar. Appa hovers a small distance from the deck, watching us intently.
"Okay, I need you to tie the rope around yourselves so we can toss you onto Appa's back!"
The fisherman reels his head back in shock. "Are you crazy?"
"Just do it!" I snap, fed up with his constant dismissal of Aang's abilities.
We all fumble with the slick strings, tying knots the best we can. The eldest of us has his own loop to himself, Sokka and I sharing due to the tangled mess generated from the heavy rain preventing proper communication. I tug on the material, nervous about the practicality of the situation. Aang takes the loose end before leaping into the sky.

I clamp my hands onto any fabric of Sokka's tunic, bracing myself for the whiplash that's inevitable with the stunt we're attempting. I feel my waist being tugged by the rope, my feet leaving the deck with a harsh force. Sokka cradles my upper back into his chest, instinctively all three of us let out a scream of both fear and surprise. We tumble in a heap onto Appa's saddle with our limbs strewn about, the rain soaking us even more if that's possible. We get out of our man-made knot and share a satisfactory smile, Sokka and I continuing to relish in the combined warmth our drenched bodies can provide.
Katara is stiffly watching the ocean, her eyes open in an alarmed state. I hesitantly turn, witnessing the fisherman's boat being hauled above us by wave that refuses to quit growing.

I let out an ear-piercing shriek, clutching onto Sokka's body as his vice-like hold cinches tighter around me. The rushing water only gets stronger, beating against my eardrums, gradually increasing in volume. I cover my face with the Water Tribe tunic, Appa's body rumbling with panic as his cries only mean we didn't make it.
We're instantaneously submerged below the surface. Any air I had managed to hold has been freed. Large bubbles explode from my mouth and nose before I squeeze my eyes shut in response to the liquid coming in contact with my face. I instinctively inhale a deep breath, further cementing my demise of drowning as I downed a huge mouthful of seawater. Sokka's steady grip slackens, as so does mine. I feel myself gently bobbing under the frantic current, everything encroaching a numb plane of existence.
And then it's gone.