The Accidental Star

THE ABYSS

ANNE

My arms were slicing the water. I didn't dare look back afraid that they might have caught up. I kicked as hard as I could, pushing the water away so I can move forward.

I gasped when I felt something splash behind me. 

They're gaining on me!

I need to swim fast. I thought in panicked as my arms thread the water rapidly.

" Faster Anne! "

Relief shot through my body when I realized it was Chang who came behind me. I did as I was told and swam as my fast as my body can take me.

I didn't stop, not even to catch my breath. I fought against the current and swam. When I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, I paused and gasped for air.

We're almost there. I thought. I craned my neck and saw Chang a few meters behind me expertly cutting through the water as he swam towards my direction.

I plunged into the water a second after and fought the strong current that was pushing me back. I moved my hands forward and swam through the light. I resurfaced when I thought I'd run out of air. And just when I did, I saw it.

I choked back my scream as I stared at a huge fin gliding towards me. I knew I cannot out swim it.

I knew then that I was going to die.

" Anne! " I heard Chang scream.

He couldn't save me. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't swim fast enough to reach me. The shark was just a meter away.

" Anne! "

I closed my eyes in surrender and braced myself for the pain. But it didn't come. Instead, I felt my body turned cold as if a syringe penetrated my skin injecting cold fluids through my veins. 

I didn't realize dying could feel like this.

" Anne, open your eyes. "

Was that Chang? Was I dead? Was he?

" Open your eyes, Anne, please."

It must be him. Was he dead too? Were we in heaven?

I wanted to obey him and open my eyes but they were heavy to lift.

" Anne, " Chang's voice prodded.

I tried to open my mouth to say something but I couldn't. Like my eyes, I couldn't move my mouth. 

" Anne, " the voice said in a gentler tone. " Stay with me. Don't give in to it."

I needed to open my eyes. I thought. I heard the urgency in Chang's voice. 

I must open my eyes.

One. Two. Three.

Mustering all the strength that I have, I finally opened them.

I was expecting blinding lights. But all I could see was darkness. I couldn't see anything. Worse, I couldn't feel anything.

Like a candle in the dark, I saw Chang's beautiful brown eyes peering at me.

" Good girl, " he whispered.

Where were we? Why was it so dark and cold? 

Then a thought occurred to me.

 Was this hell?

" Fight it, Anne, " he told me.

Fight what?

I didn't want to fight anyone. In fact, I didn't want to do anything. I thought as i felt my eyelids grow heavy. I just wanted to close my eyes and sleep. I just wanted to-

" Anne, " I heard Chang's voice again.

But I couldn't fight it. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.

I didn't hear his next words as I let the darkness take me.

Everything went spiraling down and I felt like I was falling. I just kept on falling deeper into the darkness.

For a moment, I heard Chang's voice again. Calling my name repeatedly.

But I ignored him as I continued to fall into the abyss. My head was spinning as I plunged deeper into the darkness. I thought it would never end.

And then I stopped falling.

I didn't know where I landed or if I even landed. But everything around me halted. As if time had suddenly stood still.

A gush of cold wind blew through me and I gasped when I felt it penetrate my skin. The next thing I knew, I was freezing. I curled into a fetal position hugging my knees as tightly hoping it will keep me warm. It didn't. I trembled when another wave of coldness hit me.

" Anne! Anne! "

I heard voices screaming into the void.

They all sounded familiar. I thought wearily as my teeth chattered involuntarily. 

I felt something cold pierce into my belly. I screamed silently as I felt it crawl into my chest. I tried to fight the pain but it was ripping me from the inside. I gasped in agony when I felt it slash through my heart, breaking it into million pieces.

So this was how dying felt like. 

That was my final thought before the coldness took over my body completely.