SOUL SNATCHERS

Chapter 20

"Help! Somebody help! My son is drowning!" The middle-aged woman was hysterical. Beside her, her two daughters were crying and trying to help their mother as they pleaded for assistance. Many people noticed the commotion and started making their way towards the shore. The woman's son was struggling in the restless seawater, gasping for air as he emerged from the surface. He was fifty meters away from the shore, in one of the deepest parts of the area. The middle aged woman was crying and begging everyone to save her son.

Rose could feel fear crawling through her body, making her uncomfortable, as if maggots were wriggling on her skin. Seeing the boy drowning without anyone attempting to help him haunted her conscience. If she didn't do something to save him, he would die within minutes. Time was running out. Besides, she knew how to swim. Swimming had been her sport since grade five. She had even competed in the inter-school competition and placed second. She wanted to save the boy, but the shadows were watching her, their needle-like teeth gnashing in their mouths. She was torn, unsure whether she should sacrifice her own life to save the boy. Terror gripped her body. Then she heard Seth's voice in her head. "Trust your soul, Rose, and trust no one," the voice whispered in her mind.

Without hesitation, she ran towards the shore and dove into the seawater. She swam as fast as she could, knowing that the boy had little time left to survive. She kicked her feet forcefully, propelling herself through the water, while her hands stroked and pulled her body forward. Her body moved gracefully as she gasped for air on the surface of the restless water, stirred by the strong wind.

One of the shadows dove into the water and followed Rose towards the drowning boy. Rose tried to stay focused on reaching the boy and saving him. She was afraid, but she knew she had to do it.

She was nearly twenty meters away from the drowning boy and felt her heart and lungs burning in her chest. She stopped and tried to catch her breath as a flash of lightning illuminated the darkening sky, accompanied by a deafening thunderclap. She saw the boy disappear beneath the angry seawater.

"Rose!"

She heard someone call her name and turned her head toward the shore. She saw Karl jump into the water to swim and help save the boy. Determined, she swam toward the boy again and noticed something moving beneath the water's surface. Suddenly, one of the shadows emerged and pulled the poor boy's soul now, a few meters away from her. Frozen in fear, she watched as the boy extended his arm toward her, pleading for help. Her mind screamed, and her heartbeat raced. She fought against her fear, determined to save the poor child. Her mind reassured her that it wasn't too late to rescue him. The coldness of the water permeated her bones as Rose dove down, reaching for the drowning boy. She held onto the hope that he might still be alive.

The frigid water and strong current made it difficult for her to reach the boy. Then, to her horror, something cold grasped one of her foot, pulling her forcefully beneath the sea. Rose tried to pull her foot free and resurface for air, but the force was relentless. Looking down, she saw the shadow holding her foot, dragging her deeper into the water. Panic consumed her. She then realized that Seth was right-they wanted her dead. She fought to swim and catch her breath, but another figure approached. It wasn't a shadow; it was the lifeless body of the boy.

"No! No! No! You can't die! I will save you!" She cried out to herself in anger and frustration.

She longed to scream, but she knew it would only drain her remaining strength. The boy's lifeless body was carried away by the relentless current, his vacant eyes open wide. Behind the corpse, another shadow appeared, staring at her with its ruddy eyes. Rose tore her gaze away from the creature, which was mere inches from her face. She knew they wanted her dead, her body will be taken from her. The shadows would consume her soul and her body would be possessed by a fallen angel, transforming her into an immortal being. She had to take action. She needed to remain focused. First, she had to free her foot from the grasp of the shadow. She kicked and struggled, trying to release her foot from its grip. But her strength began to wane. Thoughts of Julius and her parents flooded her mind-she loved them so deeply. No, she couldn't die. She had to fight. She would not let them win. Suddenly, she noticed a glowing mark on her wrist-the symbol of her father, Michael, the Archangel. She was protected by his mark. She needed to trust in her own soul. Placing her hand on the shadow's face, she felt it hiss and saw a spark of light that makes the shadow tremble and retreat. Her touch seemed to burn the shadow. She couldn't believe its reaction, but her vision started to darken. If she didn't release her foot from its grip, she would soon join the boy at the bottom of the sea. She was running out of time.

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Karl tried to swim as fast as he could to help Rose save the drowning boy. The strong wind from the storm created large waves that made it challenging to swim. Adding to his burden was his broken wrist, which radiated intense pain with every stroke he made.

"Please, God, help me save them," he thought as he watched his girlfriend struggle to surface for air while the boy remained submerged. He felt a sense of hopelessness as he realized his broken wrist was slowing him down. He loved her deeply and his priority was to save the woman he loved, as well as the boy. Where was that goddamned boy, he wondered. He stopped and tried to float on the water, still more than thirty meters away from Rose.

"Hang on, Rose! Don't you dare give up!" he shouted, his voice hoarse. His head turned when he heard a splash in the water. Someone dove in to help and swam faster than him. A flash of lightning streaked across the dark grey sky, causing his heart to leap in his chest. He was frightened of the lightning, but he had no choice. He needed to save them, especially Rose-the love of his life. Thunder boomed loudly, startling him and causing him to cover his ears. They were not safe in the water. He had to move quickly before the lightning struck the water, or they would all be in grave danger.

He kicked his feet and pushed his body through the water, attempting to swim faster. Shouts and screams from the shore heightened his nervousness, indicating that it might already be too late to save them. No, he wouldn't let that happen. He had to reach Rose and save her first, as the boy may have already drowned.

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Rose struggled to free her foot from the grip of the shadowy hand. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm herself and focus on finding a way to free herself from the creature. Her lungs burned in her chest, desperate for a breath of air. If she didn't get oxygen soon, she would surely die. Bending her upper body, she stretched her hands towards the shadow, gasping for air and feeling weak. They had already reached the bottom of the sea, and the shadow wasted no time seizing the opportunity to kill her. It clutched her body, attempting to drain her soul with its fiery red eyes.

"Don't give up, Rose," a voice rang out in her head. "You are stronger than them. You have to fight!"

Rose shook her head, opening her eyes to find the shadow's face right in front of her. She tried to push it away, but the creature was far too powerful. Though it lacked a physical form, it wrapped around her like a snake constricting its prey.

"You are more powerful than them. You were born to fight!" the voice urged.

Rose noticed her body glow amidst the dark abyss. Allowing the energy to flow through her, she released it in an electric surge that caused the shadow to shriek in pain and convulse, releasing its grip on her. The creature transformed into a fiery red and vanished from the seafloor.

Rose felt incredibly weak and couldn't move her body to reach the surface. She knew she wouldn't make it back up to the surface. If this happened, she would never see her family again. Her vision began to darken, and her body became numb. But in her fading sight, she glimpsed a strong hand grabbing her shoulders and pulling her out of the water. Everything around her dissolved into darkness.