SOUL DORM

48

Stuck in the middle with you...

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CHAPTER 48:

MERMAID

My muscles felt like they were about to snap. My skin hurt, and my lungs throbbed. Trying to control my breath nearly split my diaphragm. Curse my competitive spirit; what should have been a simple race had turned into a battle for survival. I was on my sixth lap. My sole rival was a stroke behind in the adjacent lane. By the second lap, it was clear the other teams stood no chance against us—they'd stopped swimming and started watching us instead.

Bong and his soul mate Tommy were neck and neck with us. If they led one lap, we'd outswim them on the next. That's why widening the gap was more crucial than ever. Aside from the one in my hand, I had two more arrows to carry. If I could outpace Tommy this lap, it would be up to Mars to beat Bong on the next, and then I'd need to finish ahead of Tommy in the final stretch. I put extra force into my strokes, my screaming muscles accompanied by another loud voice in my head: Come on, Olive! You can do it, Olive! You have to win, Olive!

I zeroed in on the approaching tiles and pushed the last few strokes as if my life depended on it. I was the first to touch the edge. There was no time to celebrate. I sprinted towards Mars, who, along with Bong, was leaning forward in anticipation. Since I reached my partner first, Mars was the first to leap. He was explosive. After I thrust the arrow into the target, I turned back to see only the splashes he had left behind. Bong entered the pool seconds later. We were ahead. We were going to win. My heart felt like it might burst from excitement.

Go, go, go! I cheered for Mars internally. He was performing brilliantly. I watched him glide through the water. Then, suddenly, his movement halted. He wobbled in place. I leaned forward in panic. Just three seconds later, Mars was swimming again, but that brief pause had allowed Bong to catch up. They reached the edge at the same time. As they ran towards the target, I noticed Mars limping slightly. Had he hurt himself with a wrong move in the water?

Bong grabbed the arrow before him and dove back in. Mars was right behind him. I could see from afar how he strained every muscle to close the gap. Nonetheless, Bong was the first out of the water. Mars stumbled once more as he landed.

"Are you okay..." I began to ask.

"Go!" he roared.

That was command enough. I practically flew into the water. The final lap, the last strokes, our last chance... It was win or lose. Just thinking of the victory slipping through my fingers seemed to activate some hidden reserves of strength. I surged forward so powerfully that Tommy was left trailing by three strokes. When I emerged from the water, a tremendous roar hit my ears. Everyone around the pool was watching us, cheering with whistles and applause.

Amidst all the chaos, I could hear Mars shouting my name. I focused on him. I pulled the final arrow from the target and plunged back into the water. Tommy, me, Tommy, me, Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, me, me, me... In a seesaw battle, I touched the tiles just a second before my opponent. Exhausted, I hauled myself up. I lurched forward, feeling my legs about to give out. Mars was shouting, but by then I couldn't hear him anymore. The noise of Tommy's steps thundered in my ears, blending with my heart's pounding.

Right, left, right, left...

In the final stride, the ground slipped from under me. As I was falling, I reached forward. The arrow struck the target when my feet lifted off the ground. Just before I hit the floor, Mars caught me by the waist. We both turned to look at our target. The arrow was securely in place. We had done it. We had won. We... had won! I let out a shrill scream. My arms wrapped around Mars's neck. He gripped my waist tightly and lifted me into the air, spinning around once.