Glisten: A Glisten Creek Novel

Ch.1 HALLUCINATIONS

2 months later

May 15th

Chapter 1

Hallucinations

~Cordelia~

Today was the first day in a long time that I'd gotten more than an hour of sleep without pills. Ever since my 15th birthday spent with tears and depression in a hospital nothing had been the same. I stopped talking to all of my friends. Never went out on the weekends, my grades went down, and I spent every other second in my room, music blaring to drown out my thoughts. There are no more days left till summer and I don't have to worry about anything. I will let the panic and anger come over me and devour me until there's nothing left. But ever since Genevieve died- I call everybody by their names now because I don't know their true labels any more- I have been to a shrink, a doctor, the nuthouse, and the hospital 3 times for attempted suicide, but every time I try I don't die. I can't die. What would've killed a normal person won't kill me. The shrink was to no avail, the doctor couldn't help me, but maybe I did belong in the nuthouse. I've been seeing things, things that I hadn't before. They drive my mind to the extent and make my entire body ache. My body has totally shut down and sometimes I never come out of my room. I hoped they were just symptoms and hallucinations from all the medicine I take, but lately they've seemed like more.

The community center my family owns has been shooting up in popularity and I haven't been in weeks. Some days I wish I could just let the whole "Cordelia Descants" thing go, but I know I can't forget any of it, I probably never will. Today is different. I am going to go out to LCC and forget about everything, just for a day. Today is a new day. The center is only 3 blocks away so I'm just going to walk. My dad and I used to walk there every day when I was younger. I hardly ever go anymore.

I knew I was there when I saw a bright blue sign with a blue wave on it, "LAKESHORE COMMUNITY CENTER" It read in blue-green letters. I had helped design the sign. There is a weight room, workout room, dance room, gym, day-care and playground, racquet-ball room, tennis courts outside, several locker rooms, and 2 pools; 1 pool indoor and 1 outdoor. The outdoor pool is only open in the summer time though.

I walk to the back entrance and slide my employee card through the scanner to unlock the door. I used to come every day after school and either help my parents or work on my own. My favorite was taking care of the little kids in the daycare center or anything in the pools. The back hall is empty except for Saera who is carrying a box of tennis supplies out to the courts. All I can see behind the box is her short brown bob of hair and deep green eyes popping over the top. "Cori?" she says with a look of confusion. "Hey Saera," I say with a tone of annoyance. Wherever I go people either give me pity or confused looks. I can't take it anymore, but I know she is only 11 so she hardly knows why I'm annoyed. "Need some help?" I ask. "Nah, I'm good..." she replies, "Cori, are you alright- well obviously not- but I mean are you... better?" she asks hesitantly. I smile an apologetic smile; she always has been able to read me like an open book. She is very shy and knows how everybody around her feels. "Thanks Saera, I'm... I'm okay. I told myself this would be the day I would give myself to smile. We both know there won't be another one." "Okay I understand," she says and some part of me believes that maybe she does understand.

I walk further down the hall to the pool room. I am instantly hit with the smell of chlorine and sense of dizziness the second I open the door. All I see is blue, blue waves on the walls, blue water, blue and white tile covering the floor. There is a large rectangular window on one of the walls where the parents watch their kids. It reminds me of a time Genevieve came to one of my swim meets in 6th grade and she watched from that same window. I was always very into swimming, it was my favorite past time, I wanted to be a free diver when I grew up. I gave up that dream when I refused to touch water after the accident. It's hard to get a career in swimming when you refuse to swim in it. I scream even when I take showers.

Few people are actually in the pool, but it is a Sunday and that's usually how it is on Sundays. Gabby is on life guard duty, Gabby is almost a year older than me and has been my friend for years. We haven't talked in months though. My 3 best friends were Gabby, Kara, and Piper. Hardly any of them have talked to me since after the accident. They tried to help but I shut them all out, I shut everyone out. They just didn't understand. I know they still want to help but I won't let anyone help.

Gabby waves me over. I walk slowly towards the lifeguard chair. The room is still spinning and I don't want to take any chances. Gabby has dark-tan skin, long curly black hair tied in a pony tail, and dark brown eyes. She was always one of the prettier girls in Medina Falls High. Gabby, Piper, Kara, and I have been friends since 3rd grade. They always helped out here at Lakeshore Community Center with me now they have full- time jobs. Piper has long bright red dyed hair, hazel eyes, light tan skin and works in the dance room. Kara has short caramel brown hair, light blue eyes, and soft complexion like a realistic doll with silky golden skin and works in the snack shack and with the old people. "Uh... Hey Cori..." she says with sadness and hope. "Hey Gabby, how's it been?" I ask in monotone. "Well... I mean if you really want to know... Kara's going out with Zach, Piper has a crush on AJ, and I think Ethan is finally going to ask me out!!!" Then she launches into a story about Medina Falls drama. I'm only half- listening by then. All I can think about is the rhythmic up and down of the water against the pool wall. I can't tear my eyes away from the elfin waves. "Cori? Cori! Are you even listening? I said Logan broke up with Paris and he was talking about you with Zeke, Zeke told Kara." I couldn't really care less about Logan anymore even though I'd had a crush on him since 4th grade; I have bigger fish to fry, but it still is nice to not be totally invisible even when you don't even know which month it is. "Yah I'm listening... sorry." I say distantly. I don't even look at her when I say it I'm still watching the small mysterious waves. "Ummm... Gabby? Do you notice anything weird about the water?" I ask. She looks away from me and towards the strange H2O. All the water in the pool blackens and I don't feel like I'm in the community center anymore. I see a boy struggling in the water and he can't get out of the black abyss. Soon I start to gasp for breath. I no longer have a grasp on reality. 'Not again!' I groan to myself. I feel the chill of the freezing water against my skin. The icy touch sends me into a shock and I feel water invading my lungs. My throat is burning from lack of oxygen and salt water drowning my lungs. I sink to my knees and I see the boys deep brown eyes staring at me with confusion, surprise, and a plea for help. That's when I realize he is drowning in the murky black. "Oh my Gosh! Gabby he's drowning!" I croak. She looks confused, but I can only faintly see her. The black has covered me to the brim by now. I'm slowly sinking. "Help!" I try to yell but no words come out. My words are blocked by darkness. "Cori... no one's drowning. No one is here except us, are you feeling alright Cori?" Then I see no one is drowning in the clear blue water that my vision has come back in to. I no longer see the boy with light tan skin, brown eyes, and chocolate brown hair or the black water. Everything is back to normal except for the burning sensation I still felt, the chill on my goose bumped skin, and the dizziness I had felt ever since I walked in the pool room. I'm still on my knees though. "Cori! What is going on? Nobody is here. Are you okay? What's wrong?" Gabby questions me with concern. "Nothing, I'm fine. Just a little... traumatized that's all. You know what; I think I'm going to leave now. I don't feel too well," I say reassuringly.

I quickly walk out of the pool room and the pain and agony somewhat subsides. I can at least breathe again. Once I'm on dry ground I run as fast as I can to escape to the doors. I need fresh air. Nothing could possibly explain what just happened in there. It could have been a hallucination, but that didn't explain why my throat felt like it was scraped with sand paper. Ive had them like that before but never so strong. I start walking back home, but I can't get the image out of my mind. What if it was really happening? What if he was just a strong hallucination? What if? What if? What if?