The Dreamers

Chapter 6

Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait but school has been trying to drown me with assignments! 

The beach was just as I had remembered it. Kids made sandcastles, frantically running to and fro to get water into their moats. The parents sat under umbrellas seemingly asleep, but in reality keeping a close eye on their children. I smiled as one mother pulled seaweed out of her child’s hand just before he ate it.

We all helped set up the umbrella and towels, before Janae sat down and waved us off to play. Mark was reading a book.

“We’ll be here if you need anything,” he said.

Luke ran off to a skate park nearby and Clara dragged me off to the edge of the beach.

“Clara, I honestly can’t swim, really,” I tried.

“Nonsense, we’re just walking across the edge for now. Come on, I’m right here,” she said more gently.

So I took a step into the water and shivered as the ice cold water embraced my feet. I could feel the pull of the water, wanting me to go further out even though I wanted to get out of the icy cold water.

“Don’t worry, you’ll get used to the cold. We can go in slowly if you want.”

I smiled appreciatively and took another step. My body soon adjusted to the water and when it wasn’t so icy cold I could actually enjoy it. I laughed as I let my toes squish in the soft sand and she laughed alongside me. It was fun. I hadn’t let myself laugh so freely in such a long time; I had nearly forgotten how good it felt.

I wasn’t depressed, but then again, there wasn’t much to laugh about. I knew nothing about my real family other than that they had died when I was 6. I think I have dreams about them but I can’t remember what they looked like, which just makes me even more sad. My laughs had never been so carefree since I was little and too young to understand the pain of being alone, even with people around.

But I could forget about all that when I was here. The gentle waves lapped at my legs, washing away my worries. We were having fun and I had become so brave that we’d waded further out, so that the water reached my bum. It was fun being in the water and I was even about to suggest going deeper.

That was until something grabbed me and pulled me under.

For a moment I was completely disorientated as water rushed into my open mouth and the sounds from the outside world became muffled. Something had grabbed me, its claws digging into my ankles and pulling me down, further and further. I gasped for air but all I got was water. My lungs were burning and screaming for air.

Why have you been called? We do not want another leader! We do not want a girl! What is so special about you?

I could hear a voice in my head but all I could feel was the pressure building up in my chest.

My eyes stung from the salty water and my arms were flailing around trying to make the thing let me go. I couldn’t understand what it was saying, all I wanted was for it to let go. To let me go back to the oxygen I had never appreciated so much in my life. The thing was strong though, and it sharp claws were making me bleed.

I was panicking. What was happening? I could feel my vision going black at the edges and I felt as if I was losing my grip on my consciousness. I could feel it escaping me and the blackness was starting to envelop me in its cold, dark embrace.

I tried to fight against the blackness creeping into my vision but I couldn’t breathe

A fizz of light shot through the water and the thing let go. Someone began dragging me up.

But it was too late.

I was losing the battle.

The blackness was swallowing me.

And before long, I gave in.