The P.U.L.L || #Wattys2017

Chapter 1: Drowned

"Fix up the pipes son." Mrs. Russel ordered, taking one long look at her son, Joshua, as she grabbed her shopping basket. " I'll just buy something in the market. Oh, and by the way, please don't do any nasty things while I'm away. I'll be heading out now." She tried to say as cheerfully as she could but Joshua couldn't help but feel the anxiousness in her mom's voice as she headed out.

Joshua Russel is your typical teenager; brown hair, brown eyes, average face, average built, in fact, he doesn't stand out at all due to his physique. The only things that are not typical of him are the peculiar and strange disasters that have been happening to him ever since he was seven years of age. Come to think of it, ever since that day, I've been harassed a couple of times by something unknown. Why did that unmanned automobile try to hit me when I was seven? Joshua thought, doing his daily meditation on the fact that he's being targeted by something unknown. Well, these accidents have been occurring more frequently ever since then. After some time, I found that my friends began to decrease until they all left me behind, thinking that I'm a cursed person. What is wrong with me?

Rumors began spreading like wildfire during that first incident and Joshua thought that he won't be able to survive his elementary school years. But now that it's all bridge under the water and he finally survived his middle school years, he chose to attend a different school to escape from his past, to start school again with a clean slate. 

What is it, more than a decade now? those nasty things are such a torment...Well, at least I'm still alive, Joshua thought as he skimmed on his notes. He has been busy trying to study psychology as well as some books on how to be friendly and make friends. Tomorrow's the first day of school and I hope nothing happens, no, I won't let anything happen! I can't repeat the same mistakes over and over again. The fact that I'm a teenager already and am still alive proves that I've grown. I should be able to handle everything on my first day, even though something happens...Phew.

Wait?! I shouldn't jinx it! Joshua exclaimed in his mind, slapping both hands on his cheeks.

With that thought, Joshua closed his notes and began wandering around the house, to check if there's something unusual. One thing he didn't bother checking were the drawers of their kitchen though, since he still remembered the recent traumatic event where he had been attacked by flying knives and saucers. He also didn't bother checking the bathroom since he remembered the horrible event where his face has been swallowed by the toilet bowl for some unknown reasons. Trying to erase everything from his mind, he finally came to his room and checked if there were something unusual.

My room, checked!

The Living Room...

Nothing is unusual so far, well, I'll just skim through my notes again. He thought as he opened his notes once again.

...drip drip drip...

As he was reading, he suddenly realized that he kept on hearing a steady drip sound. It took him a few seconds before he finally concluded on what it was. The leaking pipes! gotta fix it before mom comes back! Joshua thought as he immediately went towards their leaking pipes in the bathroom while thinking about his mom's reaction if he wasn't able to fix it on time. Mom would probably think that the leaking pipes are another nasty thing.

Having that thought in his mind, Joshua quickly checked the leaking pipes and grabbed the necessary tools needed for repairing it from their drawers. 

Is it just me or the floor's getting colder. He thought, feeling a sudden coldness on his feet! Oh man! the leakage is getting worse! 

As his mind raced on how to fix it, their house suddenly began to get filled with water! He didn't even feel the water rising from his feet upwards. In the blink of an eye, everything in the house was soaked with water. Judging from the fact that he didn't see the leaking pipes explode, he concluded that the leaking pipes have nothing to do with it. It was purely an accident of some sort.

Another nasty thing!

Oh great! Another one added on my list. Mom's gonna get angry with this nasty thing. This might be the worst one yet, ranking top on my list. Or worse...

This might be my last one!

What do I do? I should have studied how to breathe underwater or something. This might be it. He thought.

Joshua tried to calm himself down while pondering on how to get out of the mess. Panic and adrenaline surged in him without him realizing it. Everything began happening in slow motion as he tried assessing the situation.

That's when his gaze landed on the door leading outside their house. Like a light bulb clicking on, he got an idea. It was a hopeless idea but it was a lead, that's why Joshua hung on to it as if it was its lifeline.

No, it was his only lifeline.

The door! Why did I think of it just now!

He swam towards the door and he tried opening it, confident that it would swing open since its hinges are inwards. But to his disappointment, it won't budge an inch! The color drained from Joshua's face because of three things after that. For one; he was running out of energy and air so it was typical for his face to lose color, two; his confidence was lost since the door won't budge open; and three, his only lifeline was lost, making him think of the worst-case scenario-which is death.

How could I explain this to mom? Joshua thought as tears welled up in his eyes (it was there even though it wasn't evident because of the water). Well, maybe I won't be able to tell her, I'd probably be dead by the time she arrives.

Now that all hope was lost, his panic and adrenaline surge transformed into utter despair.

The clock ticked, one minute,  two minutes, and the water haven't subsided yet! Joshua struggled around, trying to hold his breath while his lung began to feel like it's going to burst.

Little by little, his consciousness began drifting away, making him think of the good times he spent with his parents. He tried to recall everything as much as possible before everything ends. Now that I think about it, when was the last time I told my mom I love her? He asked himself, then he put it off his mind since the feeling of regret began to build up inside his hurting chest. 

Just as he was about to faint, he heard an almost indistinct voice calling to him.

"I want you..."

Who are you? What do you want from me? Joshua thought as he lost his consciousness.