What Labels Cause

What Trembles Cause

Thunder crashes to the ground, the currents choppy and fast. I wake up startled. My boat moved, It breaks the wooden paddle boat in two before I see the boulder. The current takes me under trapping me, I sucked in water. Prying my eyes open I can't see anything. I struggle against the movement to push up and get air. The rush of water is too hard, I've never learned what to do in case of this emergency, I fling into the boulder my ribs crack and the sound deafens me. I open my mouth in pure agony. Water comes in, filling my lungs. I struggle to push away from t2he boulder, feeling the life leave me. I attempt to follow the current, not successful. There's divots in the boulder. Holding on with what strength I have left I start pulling myself up. I lift my hand up, feeling the rain pour down. Adrenaline kicks in, fearing death I lunged my fatigued arms and legs up pushing my head out of the water just enough to get oxygen. Sputtering I gasp like a fish my eyelids feel heavy, a gust of wind smacks my head into the boulder. I cry out in pain.

"Help me!" I scream. No one can hear me.

I suck in oxygen before a surge of water takes me under. I fight my way around the current pushing myself on the rocks. My skin ripping open. I stick my hand up feeling the now heavier rain. I have to get out before the lightening strikes the water. I grip on to something pulling myself out, tears stream uncontrollably at the pain. I keep climbing out until I'm fully on the flat boulder. I gasp and can't get enough air. I choke and cry, I need to calm down.

"Help!" I scream as loud as possible. Looking around I only see water and cliff walls. Way beyond where I normally go. Admitting defeat I lay down and suck in more air, closing my eyes I feel thick hot stuff streaming down my face. I close them tighter, trying to will this night away.

_____________

I open my eyes, it looks to be early morning, the sun just rising. My head feels like someone smashed it with a sledge hammer.

"Jesus!" I cry out, miserable. How the hell am I supposed to get back! Crying won't help jack shit, I need to stop being a blubbering baby. Pushing up on my elbows I gasp in pain. My eyes shoot down to my bloody, scraped up arms. I pain I'm my ribs are unbearable, my clothes are torn, adorned with blood. Elsa always told me I need Jesus and need to go to church and pray, that it would save my now life and eternal life. Well maybe I should've listened to her.

I hear distant voices.

"Hello?!" I scream as loud as I can. Possibly early morning kyakers or whatever those people do.

The voices get louder, and I hear a faint hello.

"HELP ME!!!" I scream loud again. This time the voices are clear.

"Are you okay?!" A middle age couple shout in unison. They're kayaking, the current is fighting it but they seem to know what they're doing.

"OH MY!" The woman cries, almost reaching me. When they get next to the boulder the woman reaches for me but her husband holds her back.

"Hey there, pretty lady everything's going to be fine. What's your name?" He says in a soft, calm voice. His eyes tell otherwise.

"I-I'm Mercedes. C-a-an you take me home please?" Shivers and exhaustion mixed with fear hit me hard. I gasp again for air and feel light headed.

"Can you move? Drag yourself at all?" He examines me with his eyes, but for some reason it makes me feel safe like he's a doctor.

I shake my head.

"Okay I'm going to come on the boulder and put you in the kayak with my wife, Cathy, I'm Richard, and I'm going to make sure you get home safely, but you need to stay awake, your body is shutting down again. Your eyes need to be kept open, okay?" I nod my head. He climbs on the boulder and picks me up, I scream in pain.

"Cathy get the blankets out, her injuries are internal too." His voiced had a hint of fear in it. Cathy reaches quickly into the compartment in front of her and gets them out. How are we all supposed to fit? He lowers me down to her welcoming arms, with me whimpering in pain. I suck in a sharp breath, having a hard time keeping my eyes open.

"Focus honey, we're going to et you home, where do you live Mercedes?" I mumble my address and she nods. My eyes focus on the beautiful scenery, my vision blurs and my ears ring.

"Cathy! Cathy! Keep her awake!" Richard yells at her frantically.

"Are w-we almost home?" I rest my eyes. She lightly taps my cheek.

"Yes." I look up in her soft green eyes, I see sorrow and fear.

"I shouldn't have taken a nap. They should love me. I'm not worth anything." I don't even know what I'm saying, just everything I guess. Hatred and anger fill me. Why didn't she come after me? She's my mother. Nick was my friend. Why didn't he? Where was Elsa? Where's my family. They gave up on me too young.

I don't stop rambling until were in a car, I'm numb and all I hear is ringing, my eyes blind. I'm freezing. My eyes close and I can't hear them anymore, all of my worries and feeling disappear as the blackness takes over.