Rising Tides

5

Water flooded her nose. Her lungs were on fire! She couldn't breathe! Every breath inward resulted in more water filling her mouth and nose. The sea was freezing cold. The waves tossed her around like a child tossing a toy boat in a bathtub. She fought her way to the surface and gasped for air, only to be met with pounding rain and ferocious biting winds. She could barely see! Her eyes burned from the salt water and the wind and rain stung her cheeks and blew her hair all around her.

Another brutal wave crashed into her, shoving her underwater again. She panicked and thrashed around wildly, kicking her arms and legs as hard as she could, but they were aching with exhaustion. She didn't know how much longer she could keep doing this. Her kicks were growing slower and weaker by the minute. She pushed to the surface again and tried to scream, but her throat was raw and in agony and she coughed up water instead. She wished she hadn't gone after that ribbon. She wished she had listened to her mother.

I'm going to die! She thought in terror. I'm going to die.

She could feel her body growing weaker and sluggish. Her body hurt, her lungs hurt, everything hurt. No. She didn't want to fight anymore. She wanted to sleep. She was so sleepy. Another strong wave plunged her down into the raging sea. She was too tired to fight back. She felt her body slam into hard coral and rocks and her head exploded in agony. Before she could pass out, she felt something circle her waist from behind her. Glancing back, she saw a blurry, shapeless, humanlike figure. A long silver thing that looked like a fish tail swished around behind it. Despite her blurred, darkening vision, she could see the creature's brilliant blue irises, then nothing as her world went dark.

Sarah bolted upright on her bed with a loud scream, panting and shaking and soaked with sweat. Her eyes streamed with tears, her teeth chattered, and her lungs burned. She gripped at her chest with a trembling hand, sobbing. A groan was heard from beside her and a lamp turned on, soft golden light lighting up the room.

"Mmm. Sarah? What is it?" Sam asked, her voice thick with sleep. Squinting up at Sarah from her bed, her eyes widened. "Oh, honey. Nightmares again? C'mere." She sat up and beckoned at Sarah with her hands to come to her.

Trembling, she had no energy to resist or to pretend to be ok. Not this time. She shakily got out of her bed and walked over to Sam's bed, crawling into it next to the other girl. Sam lifted her sheet, draping it around Sarah's body and wrapping her up, then wrapping her arms around her and pulling her into a hug.

"There there. It's ok. You're safe." She cooed, gently rubbing Sarah's back and rocking her. "Let it all out. It's ok. I'm here."

Sam's two younger brothers used to have nightmares a lot, and Sam was usually the first one to comfort them before her parents woke up. Her gentleness and soothing voice were like a balm to Sarah's anxious, terrified soul.

Sarah cried and cried. It felt so real. Her dreams always felt so real. She rubbed at her aching chest, the scar on the back of her head leftover from when she fractured her skull on the sharp rocks throbbed. "I'm  sorry!" She sobbed into Sam's shoulder. "I'm sorry I woke you. I'm sorry."

"Shhh, honey no. You don't need to be sorry about anything. It's not your fault. It's alright." Sam murmured into her hair, uncaring that her shirt was getting wet from tears, snot, and sweat. "Traumatic experiences aren't something you can just forget. Especially near death experiences. Don't be too hard on yourself for needing help, ok hon? If you need to talk or a shoulder to cry on, I'm here."

"Thank you." Sarah breathed into her shoulder, calming down a little. Sam began to hum softly under her breath. She had a sweet singing voice.

"If you're really that scared, just tell Danni you're sick or something. I'm sure she'll understand." Sam suggested.

Today was the day of the beach party, and Sarah's nerves were on edge. But she didn't want to to disappoint Danni or look like a coward in front of her friends. She shook her head. "No. I told her I would go and I will. I don't want to disappoint her."

Sarah could feel Sam's concerned eyes boring into the top of her head, so she pulled away and went into the bathroom to get some tissue; avoiding the mirror at all costs. She didn't even want to know what she looked like right now.

"Alright, but I'll be keeping an eagle eye on you the whole time to make sure you're ok." Sam said. She could be quite the mother hen. With Danni's recklessness and energy and flare, and Sarah's trauma and shyness and emotional problems, Sam took over as the role of mediator and mother hen. Her naturally calm, quiet, caring demeanor kept them both in check. At times like these, Sarah couldn't be more greatful to have her as a friend.

"Ok, mom." Sarah said fondly, padding back towards the bed and climbing back in next to Sam, who hugged her and started humming again, and soon they both fell asleep.