Into The Water

Chapter Five: Daddy Dearest

The water is cold. Mizuki curses the wetness as she stands in the shallow end of the pool, alternately hugging herself against the cold and trying to think of a dry, warm place. It's been three minutes since she entered the pool, and between the constant fear currently taking a hold of every fiber in her being and a rainstorm of dark thoughts raging through her mind, she's freezing her ass off.

Mizuki is deadly still—until she hears a loud splash.

She squeals as the water leaves her dripping wet and utterly miserable. Rei is splashing and shouting and having such an awful time that he wished he could swim properly. A laugh that goes a little wild escapes her. "Not again!" Mizuki cries.

Jeez Marie. She can't believe she agreed to this. It's too freaking late to second-guess herself now. Isn't it? She freezes for an arrested second. Hell, no, it isn't!

"I want out, out, out!" She's weeping bitterly by now, and Rei feels so dejected and guilty. She always ends up weeping hysterically every time Rei gets too close with his failed attempts at learning to swim, and every time, a hand seems to squeeze his heart until fresh painful guilt fills his chest.

Haruka leads her to the edge. She clings to him, pressing her tear-wet face against his as her arms threaten to choke him. Her hair, tied up in a messy bun, is damp as she shivers from head to toe. Gou comes running with a big towel and Makoto wraps Mizuki tight in it.

"As snug as a bug in a rug," he says, with a calm, patient expression on his face. It's so typical of him. He's always a steadying force for them all. She'd come to look up to him as the big brother she always wanted—her spoiled little brother should be Makoto's pupil when it comes to learning manners.

"I'll get her inside and warm her up before she chatters away her teeth." He turns to Mizuki. "What do you say to that?" She looks up at him with troubled hazel eyes and her teeth biting the towel, then nods.

"I'll do it," Haruka offers, walking toward Mizuki. Makoto catches Haruka's clear blue eyes and understands in a heartbeat; Rei is in dire need of a helping hand. Mizuki isn't the only one struggling, after all.

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Mizuki is sitting on a bench in the boys' locker room, glumly slipping on her socks and uwabaki indoor shoes. She's juddering slightly, but at least her tears dried up. Haruka arrives with a bottle of milk coffee and hands it over. "The vending machine is out of plain milk."

She accepts the beverage and drinks it, gulping it down as fast she can, until finally, halfway through, she lowers it, coughing.

"You want to talk about what happened?" he asks after a moment of staring, filled with silence.

"I don't feel like it," Mizuki answers, deflated. She takes another sip, savoring the rich, creamy drink. "I'm sorry. Maybe I'm not cut out to swim after all. I'm just getting in the way of practice."

"It's fine. Forget about it," Haruka replies quickly. The two of them fall silent again. She toys with her half empty milk bottle, unsure how to start what will surely be an awkward conversation.

"What do you dream about?" she asks. His gaze meets hers and she stares at him, probably looking like an idiot. He raises an eyebrow, seeming to ponder his answer. When he doesn't know what to say, his gaze cuts away from hers, and she feels oddly defeated.

"I have nightmares."

"Everyone has nightmares," Haruka says.

He's right. Everyone has nightmares, but night after night? And why were they always the same? The same, except along with each new episode rolled in an additional piece of the story, but they always end with her drowning.