My Hidden Tale

Chapter 2

The water was cool, it was surrounding me, protecting me. But also killing me. I couldn't gasp for air because there was none around. Everything was in slow motion. First I realise that there were bubbles floating to the too after passing my eyes. They were coming out of my mouth. Then I realised that I could see them clearly. Which was strange because I want wearing any goggles. And the then I realised I had no air. I was about to die. I started gagging and accidentally breathed. It felt normal. Or maybe I was just abnormal.

I saw my necklace floating I front of me. The necklace I had ever since I was a child. It had a shell on it and to each side were pearls. I never took it off. And now it was glowing. It was probably a hallucination. Judging I was underwater and I probably couldn't see properly. I was having fun to be honest. And that was because I was breathing. Then I reminded myself that I couldn't stay underwater forever. I was thinking of attempting to swim back up to that water but I realised it was no use because I knew I couldn't swim. And secondly I saw a body diving into the water swimming rapidly to me. He was the life guard. Coming to save me. I relaxed and enjoyed the time in the water.

As he picked me up I saw a wave of sparkles on my legs. I put one second of thought into it but then just forgot about it. It was probably just the light reflecting off the water. It couldn't be that important. But then again I was breathing underwater. What if I'm some kind of see monster? What if I'm- a hard surface broke my daydream. I found myself sitting on the pool side. Everyone was crowding around me and asking if I was okay. Then in the distance I saw the two boys who had ran onto me getting scolded by the teacher. I felt sorry for them. Yeah they did do something wrong and I could've ended up dead... But I found out something new about myself. That I could breathe underwater...

Then came my dad running up to me as fast as his skinny legs could take him. He was pushing my wheelchair as he went so he looked like a doctor in an emergency situation. He sat down next to me and shook me as he started speaking to me. I was expecting him to say "Charlotte! Are you okay?" But instead he says "What did you see? Tell me WHAT DID YOU SEE!?!" I was so confused. Didn't he want to see if I was okay? Didn't he see that I could've died?

So ignoring the fact that my dad had just shouted at me for no reason, I calmly answered. "I saw everything clearly underwater, as I was taken out of the water I saw sparkles on my legs and finally..." I looked at my dad. He was holding his breath obviously hoping I wouldn't say more nonsense. But I had to say it. I wanted my dad to know. He was everything I depended on ever since I was young.

"I could... Breathe underwater..." My dad stared at me then he should've whisked me straight to the hospital but instead he places me on my wheelchair and starts giving me a lecture while he takes me to the car. I'm so shocked. I mean yeah, I would be shocked if I heard from my own child's mouth that they could breathe underwater. It's just like saying that they could fly. Talking about flying, I actually felt like I was flying right now and that was because of the speed my dad was pushing me through the carpark.

Dad was repeating the same words over again. While he was pushing the wheelchair. While he put me into the car. And while he was driving. The same words over and over. The words: "Charlotte! You are never, ever going to school again. It's not safe and it's not a place you should be. Especially those Wednesday's... I knew it wasn't safe!" I was getting bored but then my dad said something that caught my attention.

He said, "Maybe I should've sent you to that other school. The one that I got recommended by your mum before she went back to the-" he stopped talking straight away and turned a bright shade of red. I knew he was about to give something away. So I asked him "Before my mum went back to where?" My dad hesitated at then he kind of stiffened up and stuttered, "Before... Before... Uhhh... Your mum... Went back to the clouds!" I gave him a look showing that I didn't believe him. The he explained it further.

"You know as in she died so she went to heaven which is in the clouds?" I nodded. But I still had that confused/suspicious look on my face. This was weird. My dad never spoke of my mums death. He says that we should forget about the bad past. But there he was, talking about my mum. And then I asked him a question which I hoped would get some more information out of him. "But what do you mean by going back to the clouds?" It's not like she used to live there you know...

My dads shoulders had relaxed now and was taking this conversation like it wasn't even that important. Obviously he had an answer for that question too. Yep I was right. My dad answers, "Well I used to always call your mum an angel. And that she was sent down from heaven. So do you get it yet? She went back to the clouds? Yeah? No?" I slowly nodded my head. It was either my dad was an expert at lying or what he said was completely true. I don't know what to believe so I just decide to go along with the story.