Anarchy on Earth

~21~

The time to take counsel of your fears is before you make an important battle decision. That's the time to listen to every fear you can imagine! When you have collected all the facts and fears and made your decision, turn off all your fears and go ahead!

-George Patton

Water.

Water wanted to fill my lungs.

Water wanted to end my life

Water pulled me deeper, deeper into the abyss. It swarmed all around me, pressing to my skull.

Knock knock... Anyone home? No?

It would have been too easy to give up. I drifted down, and down. My legs were caught on a piece of jagged metal. I had tried to struggle before, but the jagged edge had simply driven deep into my calf. I just let myself be pulled down into the river.

Kinda stupid come to think of it... survived through all of this so far. Why die now? 

Exactly. Thanks me.

I immediately began kicking. I tried to ignore the ripping pain coursing through my calf. The pain traveled to my ankle, and then it was gone. I yelled out in the water, which sounded more like a desperate blurb than a cry out. I swam desperately for an ever approaching surface. My lungs felt as if they were about to implode. 

So close...

Even closer...

Even closer...er?

I broke the surface with a gasp, and I sucked down breath like a maniac, while simultaneously throwing up water. It was a brilliant gasp, BLAH combo. I looked around at my surroundings. The boat was gone, what was left of it was slowly sinking into the water, the bow just poking out of the water. The scene from Titanic sprang to mind. 

"Oh Jack, I'll never let go."

I laughed to myself, which slowly turned into a strangled croak. I was alone, floating in the middle of the Union River, looking at some housing district that I had never seen before. Blood was pooling around me, as I continued to bleed from my leg. The tiniest thought of going back into the water, and simply breathing in lurked at the back of my mind, as there was a splash, and TK broke the surface, gasping, and coughing violently.

"Jack!" He sputtered, looking at me, bewildered. "You're bleeding... like, a lot."

"Thanks." I said, tiredly. Suddenly, my head snapped up. "Did you see Miranda or Griffin?"

"I saw Griffin swimming towards what was the left of the boat. Maybe it was to get Miranda."

Jordan broke the surface, grinning.

"Why the hell do you look so happy?" I asked, grimacing.

"I found Dabini's spleen. Wanna see?"

I dove back into the water after Griffin. I swam downwards quickly, following the hulking mass of the sunken yacht, until I saw the outline of Griffin's red T-shirt. I swam farther on, as my breath slowly winded down. He was pulling Miranda out of a bent part of the boat. She was writhing, probably trying to hold on to her breath. Griffin didn't look too good either.

Dammit, he's gonna kill me. I thought to myself, as I swam to Miranda. 

I grabbed her head, and kissed her. Well, not really kissed, more like, here, have some air so you don't die and stuff. 

She shoved me away, eye's wide, and water punched me in the face. I shrugged, and we swam to the surface. I broke first, with a very unpleasant look on my face. Griffin broke next, with a giant grin on his face.

"Nice one." He said.

I wiped at my now bleeding nose, and watched as Miranda came up, and hit me again.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" She yelled.

"The feeling is mutual princess." I said, turning to swim to shore. My leg ached as we swam, and the 100 feet seemed more like 100 miles. We finally reached to shore, seeing that some of our stuff had washed up along with us. I picked up my sword, and someone's wet backpack. There was also a knife, and a metal pipe. I opened the backpack, and threw aside the  ruined MRE's. I fished out 2 cans of bully beef, and a bottle of water. My stomach growled heavily.

"We're not done with this!" Miranda said, walking up behind me. "You have some nerve coming down there- and holy mother of god your leg is completely screwed beyond comprehension."

I looked down at my left leg. The jeans were ripped open, and a long deep cut ran from the base of my knee, to my ankle. It gushed blood, and I was suddenly feeling pretty dizzy. I stumbled backwards, and TK caught me before I fell. It wasn't very reassuring though, for all of us had just almost drowned, and we weren't as you might say, the strongest people in the world. TK buckled underneath me, and we both kind of slumped to the ground. My head hit the sand, and I was looking at that residential district,

"We need to get there." I croaked. "And right now, too. Nightfall is coming, and we'll be stranger bait."

Griffin pulled TK and I up, and we were off, slowly making our way up a beachhead to make it to this small town. TK kept saying this reminded him of Operation Overlord. I had little idea of what he was talking about besides June 12 1944, and the Normandy Invasion of WWII. I limped along heavily, using my sword as a crutch for my left leg. I was still woozy, and I needed to find some first aid help soon, or I'd be down for the count with a blood infection.

"Guys..." Jordan said, pointing Dabio's spleen at a sign

I looked at the sign, and grinned. Griffin fell on the ground, murmuring something about how god had pulled through, and stuff like that. Never had been a real religious person. Maybe I should have been though. Because on September 20 2018, I had never been more happy for a sign that said...

WELCOME TO THE HIGH LIVING DISTRICT

WE PUT THE SNOB IN SNOBBY!