Into The Water

Chapter One: Anything But Water!

Mizuki Watanabe dreamed of the dolphin again. It was always the same dream, one so vivid that when she awoke she was tangled in her sheets, disoriented and filled with annoyance.

She's currently looking out over the wave-scarred ocean. The new semester's opening assembly at school was a drag. Around her, fellow students pass by and above, a bird streaks across the slowly deepening sky.

The tide is coming in, carrying seashells and driftwood tumbling to the shore. She can't identify with the bottle-nose dolphin in her dreams.

"The water is too cold," Mizuki says aloud, feeling the urge to break the silence. "It's always too cold." She wrinkles her nose when a fresh wave of water reaches her feet, pulling back in time. With a ragged sigh, the fear from her dream resurfaces.

Unlike that dolphin, I'm the most miserable when I'm in the water, Mizuki thinks, her heart filling with dread. It's been eight years since she developed a phobia for water; strong waves or deep waters, swimming pools, bathtubs and the like. Just thinking of entering the water brings shivers up her spine.

Eight years spans a good half of her life, considering she only lived for sixteen.

After she'd been diagnosed with aquaphobia, her parents invested large sums in therapy, but it had little to no effect. She's content dedicating her life avoiding water altogether. "Then, why? Why do I feel like I'm missing out? Is it even possible for me to swim without a shred of fear, like that dolphin in my dream?"

Suddenly, her large hazel eyes are focused on something in the water. Mizuki arches on tiptoe at the water's edge, peering into the ocean. Then she sees it clearly. A large dark object floating at the surface not more than fifty feet out.

It's not a shark.

She squints.

It could be just trash.

Intrigued by the shadowy object bobbing on the waves, she lets out a gasp; it's a person! A boy—and he looks to be unconscious. Her breath catches in her throat as her eyes wildly scan the beach.

"Help!" she cries out. "Anyone, please!"

No such luck.

"Oh, fudge nuggets!" she swears under her breath, taking off her shoes, and coils her long light brown hair in a twist at the top of her head, then walks into the ocean. Her confidence melts like snow before the sun as the water rushes over her feet, and reluctantly, she shrinks back. A wave carries the body closer and Mizuki's stomach clenches at the sight.

I can just wait till he washes up, she silently prays, then changes her mind. What am I thinking? It'll be too late! I have to act now.

She's breaking into a cold sweat at the thought of hauling him in, and that means stepping into the water. She looks over the surface of the water, then begins wading towards the boy. The water, now reaching above her knees, is something horrible, threatening to rise and envelop her. She can feel an edge of panic trying to take over, but the anger building inside her rises to the surface, and before she knows it Mizuki jumps in, shattering the water into a milky cloud of tiny bubbles.

A wave of dizziness overcomes her, and for a few seconds it looks like she will drown, as shallow as the water is. Nevertheless, the attempted rescue is a success and she drags the boy ashore. For a long minute she drops there in the sand and chokes, sucking in air that burns her throat.

Mizuki shakes heavy tangles of hair out of her face and shivers; it really is too cold for a swim in the ocean. Struggling to fight her sudden dizziness, she focuses on the task at hand, immediately performing CPR and heart massage on the unconscious male.