Shadow Moses [Fransykes]

Chapter 22

The water was cold. My soaked clothes stuck to me like glue and shivers ran along my skin like someone slid a pack of ice down my spine. I did my best to contain my shaking, even when it meant biting on my lip so hard it bled.

The room flooded within minutes, and as my feet lost touch with the floor, it seemed as if I was suddenly lost in the middle of an ocean. I focused on my shaky breathing, focused on keeping my calm as I trusted my instincts to keep my head above the surface until there was nowhere to go but beneath.

I kept my eyes fixed on the roof window. The ceiling stood low, we were on the third floor, basically in the attic - that fact gave me comfort. Perhaps Chris haven't thought ahead of me and took care of it, so maybe I could be quick enough to open the window. 

Water reached my chin and I counted. One. Two. Three. And then I breathed in one last time before I went under.

Cold sensation flowed over my face and I closed my eyes, resisting the urge to take the breath that would kill me. Though the water was clear, probably drinkable, my eyes burned when I opened them - likely from the cold. I didn't have time to acknowledge the discomfort as I reached for the plug on the window.

My clothes floated around me, making me feel tiny in them yet heavy in the water. My hair lazily followed the sharp movements of my head as I tried to figure where to pull to get salvation.

For a second I allowed my mind to wander, question what it would feel like to willingly dive into the water, to do it for relief. Hopefully, I could find out soon.

I pulled on the plug again. The rusty metal stood still, blocking the thick layer of glass from moving out of its frame. I pulled again. My hands ached.

I wanted to breathe to keep myself calm, but my hair, smoothly floating before my eyes reminded me of my situation on time so I ditched my calm. I pulled again, and again... until my sore fingertips slipped from the sharp plug and I floated away from the window.

Kellin got my hand before I could slip away too far. While my thoughts became led by desperation his bluish-green eyes were full of anger. I watched him, my lungs burning as my brain longed for oxygen. I swear if he could, he would've probably chuckled.

When he reached for the window, with as much force and speed the water allowed him to have, he punched the glass. The blunt clang coming from the window was so muffled out by the water it was barely audible. Though the glass didn't even crack, Kellin didn't give up.

He punched the glass again and again until it finally shattered. The crack in the window spread without a sound, fast - like it was spreading across an ice layer of a frozen lake, and the next time Kellin punched the glass, his fist went through.

A stream of water ran out in an explosion, leaving me dizzy for a second. It wasn't enough for us to be able to catch some air and the next time Kellin reached for the window he threw one hand out grabbing onto whatever he could catch as he pulled himself out.

I grabbed the cracks. A sting flashed through my palm like a flow of electricity and a dense drop of blood dropped from my ripped skin into the water, diffusing into a pink spiral before my eyes. Exhaustion pulled itself into my muscles as my rapid heartbeat resounded through my head. I was at the very edge of acting on my reflexes and taking that breath when Kellin grabbed my hand pulling me out.

I gasped for air as soon as my head broke out to the surface. My body seemed even heavier now when I was left to the mercy of gravity and my limbs fell flabby. I collapsed onto the cold red tiles of the roof next to Kellin.

We both panted for a couple minutes, not one word exchanged between us as we hungrily swallowed the air like each new breath could be our last.

"I swear," the raven haired boy breathed out, "if your idiocy doesn't, I'm gonna kill you one day."