Alive//z.m. au

Alive ➸ Day #1 "You were right."

The cold breeze lashed across her face, making her shudder in confusion. She couldn't decide if the rising goosebumps were a result of the low temperature in the supposed-to-be hot afternoon or the hysteria of the insanely deep cliff ahead of her.

"What did you just say?"

She gulped.

"Cliff diving."

He repeated.

She slipped her hand into his. The fear of what lay in front of her was sending her into a frenzy.

"But this is deep."

She peeked by managing to stand on her tippy toes and glance at the clear water submerging the bottom, over the edge of the cliff.

"You do realise this is about sixty meters high."

He gave her a sour look.

"Didn't you want to die anyway?"

She kept staring at the water, out of nervousness.

"But you have to give me reasons to live. Not drive me to death."

He gripped her hand tightly in his.

"Nothing bad is going to happen. Okay? Trust me."

"Then why are we here?"

She started to relax a little, making her question why he had this effect on her.

"I think you'll answer me better after we're done with this."

He flashed in her direction a sly smirk as the golden in his eyes stood out in the sun.

"Ready when you are."

He exclaimed hoping she'd decide on it soon. She nodded and swallowed her fears.

And so they did.

They plunged down the sixty five meter high rocky cliff only to be met with water that managed to maintain it's cold temperature even during noon. They left contact with each other soon after the jump.

Her body hit the the surface hard, making her feel she landed stomach-first on a bed of rock rather than water. The impact pained as if it made her insides split into half, causing her to take time to recover.

She let herself drown and not struggle to float for a few seconds but just as she did regain her senses over the pain, she frantically moved her legs, the way she'd been taught while swimming lessons in grade four and came up for air.

The first breath felt like heaven.

She inhaled, hungrily, all that she could as realisation of Zayn's words from earlier hit her.

"You," she desperately tried to vocalise with the water threatening to throttle her. "Were right."

Moving her hands and feet around, trying to stay above water, she looked around looking for Zayn. It was almost a whole minute filled with trepidation that passed before she saw a shade of familiar olive skin with wet matted hair rise from within and meet her terrified gaze.

"You were right."

She repeated as a smiled, unconsciously, played on her thin lips, making her face light up.

Zayn imitated her expressions almost completely relieved at the sight of her.

"I told you. Didn't I?"

The smile managed to increase with every passing second.

"Yes. Yes. You did. And I'm glad you did."

They swam to the shore with content, feeling heavy. It was not only the water that wet them and did so, but the new belief in life that they would carry around with them now.

Taking countless breaths a day doesn't make you feel alive. But cherishing each one as you struggle underneath is what makes you realise you were once moving, breathing and living.

~to be contd