Elements Of Harmony

4. A Turn of Events ࿔*:･ﾟ

The lake was calm again,
the surface a mirror of the clear sky above,
but the group of teens felt anything but serene.
They clung to each other, their breaths ragged
and hearts pounding as they bobbed in the water,
the aftermath of their sudden plunge
leaving them shaken.

"Allison, are you okay?" Mathias asked,
his voice filled with concern as he held her close,
her small frame shivering against him.

"I—I'm fine," she whispered,
though her voice was tight, and she looked pale.
"I just—can we go back?
I really want to go back now."

Her words seemed to cut through the lingering shock in the group.
Emma nodded, her own heart still racing.
"Yeah, let's get out of here."

Julio, who had been keeping a watchful eye on everyone, turned and waved to his uncle who drove
the boat back for them.
"Hey! You kids okay?!" The uncle shouted,
"We're ready to get back on! Can you pull us in?"
Julio responded,
He gave a thumbs-up and carefully maneuvered closer.

One by one, the teens grabbed onto the ladder, hoisting themselves out of the water.
Emma felt the weight of exhaustion hit her
as soon as her feet touched the solid deck.
The adrenaline that had kept her going was fading fast, leaving her limbs heavy and her mind foggy.

"Everyone okay?" Mila asked,
her voice trembling as she looked around at her friends.
Trying to sound upbeat, but her eyes betrayed her anxiety.

"We're fine," Julio assured her,
though his own face looked tense.
"Just need to catch our breath."

"Sorry about that turn guys.. I had to.
There was a buoy in the way!" Julio's uncle stated.
"It's okay unco, we're safe now." Julio replied.

Mathias helped Allison up onto the deck,
his arm still around her shoulders.
She was visibly shaken, her eyes wide and distant.
"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again,
his voice soft, leaning closer so only she could hear.

She nodded, as she wrapped a towel around herself, her lower lip quivered.
"I just want to see Angel.
I need to be with him right now."

Mathias' heart ached for her.
He didn't know much about her pet bunny,
but he could tell it meant the world to her.
"We'll get you back to him soon," he promised,
his voice gentle. "You're safe now."

Emma watched the exchange,
noticing how careful Mathias was with Allison.
There was a tenderness there she hadn't seen in him before.
She glanced over at Mila,
who was wringing out her long hair and muttering something about how she was never going to get
the lake smell out of her favorite bikini.

"Quite the adventure, huh?" Emma said,
forcing a smile as she leaned closer to Mila.

Mila looked at her, a rueful grin tugging at her lips. "Yeah, if by 'adventure' you mean nearly drowning. But hey, it'll make for a fabulous story!!"

Emma laughed, the sound a little shaky but genuine.
"I guess you're right.
Maybe not the best first day on the lake though."

Mila shrugged, her gaze softening.
"Could've been worse.
At least we all made it out alive."

Julio, who had been speaking with his uncle,
turned back to the group.
"We're heading back to the dock. Everyone just relax."

As the boat turned and began its slow journey back, the teens found places to sit or lean against the railing. Tava plopped down next to Julio,
letting out a long sigh.