I sat on the edge of the beach, staring out into the waves, thinking how it would feel to plunge in them and let my body sting with its cold, salt water. The wind blew my hair back, making my cheeks pink with wind burn, but I didn’t care. I took rocks that sat beside me and tossed them into the gushing water that teased my feet. I decided a swim would be best for me. I took off my hospital gown, then my gloves and placed them neatly just out of the waters reach. I took a gentle step into the icy water then another, which sent shivers up my legs. Goosebumps covered my skin, but that didn’t stop me.
I was knee deep in water when I finally decided to plunge in. It was like a thousand knives had hit me at the same time, but I didn’t care. I swam out deep until I couldn’t touch the oceans bottom. The back waves swelled over my head like a heartbeat pulsing steadily. I pushed myself along with the waves, letting them guide me along with the tide. I lay on my back, floating gracefully above the water, and closed my eyes. I pictured the accident, the fire, my hands burning, and the smell of smoke filling my lungs, my little brother helplessly unaware.
A piercing cry hit the cold, damp air. The sound of water flailing overcame my thoughts. My eyes shot open and I looked around. A small boy was being dragged out by the waves, and he couldn’t swim. I looked around to see if anyone was there. No mother, no father just me, and the poor boy. I panicked a little, then realized his life, was in my hands. I swam towards him, calling out to him.
“I’m coming! Don’t be scared! I’ll help you!” But his head was indulged by the black, swirling waves. I reached out to him, but when I got a hold of his tiny wrist, he was still flailing around in panic. But I did not let go. I tried dragging him into shore, but his struggles pulled me down with him. My nose and lungs filed with water, my body was screaming for a breath. My head surfaced for only a moment to see a woman running to the water. Then, my ears and eyes filled with water once more. My head bobbed up long enough to hear the woman screaming.
“Get off my child! Get off!” as she splashed in the water in our direction. My head went under once more, I was on the verge of losing consciousness. I lost grip of the small child; I let the waves carry my body away. I had no strength to keep going, until my feet started scraping the mushy sand. One last stroke of hope hit me as I pushed myself to shore. I sputtered out the water that had filled my lungs. In the middle of a coughing fit, a hand came down in my scalp and pulled my hair. They pulled until I was standing facing the woman who had yelled at me earlier.
“What the HELL do you think you were doing pulling my child down like that! You have no business touching my child you little skank!”
“B-but I was trying t-to help h-him!” I choked out in between fits of coughing.
“BY DROWNING MY POOR LITTLE BOY?! HOW IS THAT HELPING?!”
“He was pulling me down…”
“ Don’t give me goddamn excuses, I saw what was going on. I hope you know the police are on their way to take care of you. Trying to molest and drown my goddamn child.”
That is where I lost any consciousness of what was going on.
