Poolside Romance [Watty Awards 2011] COMPLETE

Crushed by Balloons

...Someday my wish is for him to hold me in his arms, in a sea of deep blue, together at last, together as two

-Can't Buy Me Love

(Please note: Well, the story starts with a dream, this obviously can’t happen in real life. You’ll find out why)

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CHAPTER 1

UPDATED: 19.6.2011

I was running with all my strength to escape the lone shadow (apart from mine) which seemed to be following me.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Beads of sweat formed on one side of my forehead and fell noisily on to the concrete floor one by one. It seemed to me that I was being cornered and I was scared out of my wits and couldn’t think straight.

Standing in front of me hands waving in the air, eyes narrowed in concentration and with an evil grin was a giant, intimidating, red, scary… balloon!

It was going to roll over me and squash me up. It was going to flatten me like a tortilla. I was going to look like a rather flat ginger bread man after this, but with an expression of shock plastered on my face. Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.

I wiped my brow with the extremely sweaty back of my palm. ‘We-we can s-sort this out Mr. Balloon. I-I’m sure we can. I could… I could give you an extra refill of carbon dioxide- free of cost! Or even nitrogen i-if you wish! We can sort this out.’ I say, trying to negotiate with the evil eyes staring into mine.

‘Muahahaha! You will die under my red, round bum; you will fall to my stubby, wobbly knees. I will squish you and I will squash you! Muahahaha!!’

‘P-pl-please! I will d-do anything for you! Anything!’I pleaded, already on my knees, before he even willed me to.

But he wouldn’t listen to my humble requests, he laughed shrilly and the glass of the windows in the deserted shops surrounding us cracked slowly and finally burst. The balloon, as though thoroughly entertained, laughed louder than ever and started rolling towards me. I brought my hands together and prayed to the air gods to save me, to make the balloon burst and empty it of any air. It all depended on them now. The balloon rolled and rolled and it was about a foot away and I shrieked in terror-

‘Wake up, waaaakkeee up! Millie Myrtle, will you just wake up already?’ I felt a small, firm hand on my shoulder shaking me violently and a voice in my ear screaming loud enough to make my eardrums explode.

I slowly open my eyes and see a face no more than an inch or two above mine. ‘Whoa!’ I shout defensively and sit up, my forehead bumping onto theirs.

‘Ouch’ both of us groan, rubbing our foreheads with our palms.

‘So much for waking you up’ the person in front of me complained.

‘Well, you should know better than to stick your face in front of mine like that. You scared me’ I defend myself.

‘Well you were wriggling about and your face had a look of terror on it. What were you dreaming about, bubblegum?’

‘Shut up Liz’ I laugh tensely in a rather embarrassed manner, trying to change the topic and slowly stand up to survey the room, vacant excepting the two of us. ‘Where’s everyone else?’

‘They’re already by the pool. Basically, you’re late, so I’d suggest you fucking get out of here if you don’t want to be roasted alive by one of our coaches...’ Liz ordered one hand on her hip and the other frantically making strict gestures.