The Eye of the Ocean

Chapter 1 - Part 1

She was sinking deeper and deeper, the ocean had taken hold of her, squeezing the life from her body and stealing her last breath.

As she listened to the whispering waters, Casey braced herself for the end. She would never see her mother's face again; never smell the floral scent of her perfume, never taste her chocolate brownies. Her father would no longer complain about how long she spent in the shower or how loud the music was. Never again would she see him wink at her across the dinner table, or clutch the dashboard when she hit the brakes too hard. Her younger brother Matt would grow up without her. They would never laugh together again, never argue, and he could no longer steal money from her dresser.

This was it, her final curtain call.

The heavy weight of certainly bore down on Casey as she recollected her fondest memories, waiting to relive them as her life flashed before her eyes. That's what happens, right? Total recall first and then the light.

The light.

She saw it.

She saw the light.

Was it the light?

It was certainly bright and hovering above her. The darkness of the ocean's depths had dissolved and Casey got the uncanny feeling she was close to the surface. She was still alive, still conscious, and would've heaved a sigh of relief if her lungs weren't ready to explode and she wasn't underwater.

This sprouting bud of realization tapped Casey into action. She compelled her legs to kick and fanned her arms against the current. Higher and higher she sailed, inching closer until she broke the surface.

She could breathe, finally she could breathe.

She drew in a desperate gasp of air and waved her arms about, her chest rising and falling. Her throat was clogged and swollen, but she coughed and spluttered and piped out a scream. The echo of it came back to her; at least she thought it was an echo. But how could that be? Her thoughts were vague, wavering, she couldn't think clearly, couldn't see straight.

Her mouth tasted of salt water and her head felt like lead. The ocean was a blur of dull blue, but she could see figures moving. There were people in the water, splashing and gasping and hollering. Casey wondered where they had come from. Perhaps this was a dream, she thought, a nightmare.

Dazed and disoriented, she kept herself afloat, her arms and legs moving mechanically.

In the distance, the sight of a foreign coastline made Casey recoil as her disbelieving eyes struggled to focus. A crippling shiver ran down her spine and despite the cold sea it was fear that had beckoned it. She blinked twice and then closed her eyes tightly. And when she opened them her vision was a little clearer but the unfamiliar coastline was still dead ahead.

Casey could feel her chest pounding; almost hear the thumps in her ears. Fear was getting the best of her, but she had to push it aside, had to stay strong. She cast her mind back to her swimming comps, her coach's clipped voice. The ocean had toyed with her once but now she was in control. Human instinct had started to kick in and survival was the only option.

She started to paddle, gulping in water. Her neck was straining and her aching limbs protested every stroke. But she kept going, so close to shore now. She wanted to feel the sand between her toes. She wanted to feel alive again. Truly alive. But she didn't.

When she finally reached the shore it was without celebration. Her fingers clawed at the salty granules as she crawled on hands and knees. Bile rose in throat and she stopped, coughing, spluttering, vomiting, and then collapsing on her side.