Drown or Dream

A large tank of water with no escape is a powerful thing. Where simplicity reigns. Where a human does not. Contained, confined, condemned. As the sun ascended over Salt Lake City one summer morning, a lone man hopped out of a van filled with rope and handcuffs, checked his surroundings, then hurried towards the back entrance of the swimming pool.
     Passing by the front entrance was a woman in her mid-twenties named Vivian Mikmora, out for a morning jog. She had been meaning to get into shape over the summer, but it was now already into August and this was her first time out trekking across the neighbourhood. Regardless, she was proud to finally have tossed on the running shoes. The energetic music in her earbuds was loud, but not loud enough to block out the blaring noise coming from the swimming pool. Waves of people poured out of the exits, flooding the sidewalk like a virus infecting the bloodstream. Vivian yanked out her earbuds and gazed at the accumulating crowd amidst the terrible wail of the fire alarm.
     "Is there a fire?"
     "Who pulled the alarm?"
     "Has anyone seen my son? Where's Daniel?"
     "Jacob! Jacob, where are you?!"
     Caught in the coil of confusion, Vivian weaved towards the edge of the crowd, pushing through people who were pulling out their phones to make calls or record the event. Vivian couldn't tell what her proximity to the road was, but she caught a glimpse of a white van pulling out of the employee parking and what she thought was two boys pressed up against the window. She looked back at the two women with frenzied faces who were calling out for their sons. A light illuminated in Vivian's head the same moment her heart froze over.
     The first words that came to her were, "I need a car!"
     Whipping around, Vivian darted to the edge of the crowd and threw up her hand to stop a blue SUV heading towards her. She wasn't completely aware of what she was getting herself into, but in that moment it didn't matter. Once the car came to a stop, Vivian ripped open the passenger side door, lowered her head and said, "Sir, this is an emergency, I need your car!"
     "What the hell are you talking about?" a middle-aged man replied.
     "I think I just witnessed a kidnapping," Vivian said, her mind racing, her dark eyes aflame with panic. She crammed her earbuds into her pocket and stared desperately at the man.
     "What are you, a cop?" the man said.
     Vivian combed two frustrated hands through her dark hair and exhaled through her nose. "I mean, being a detective would be pretty cool," Vivian said. Then she shook her head. "Forget that! Can you at least drive me? There's a white van up ahead. Please!"
     Not even waiting for an answer, Vivian plunked herself down into the passenger seat and pointed straight ahead through the windshield. The SUV jerked forward, in pursuit of the van, which was soon merging onto the highway.
     "Keep up with it!" Vivian said.
     "Why don't you just leave this for the cops to deal with?"
     Vivian was concentrating hard at the traffic up ahead. "Because I need to know if I'm right first. I'm pretty sure I saw those boys in that van, but—look! Up there! Get into the left lane!"
    "What's got you so invested with these kids?" the driver asked, changing lanes. "Do you know them?"
     Vivian hesitated for a moment. "My cousin..."
     "Your cousin's in that van?!"
     "No, no," Vivian said. "My cousin . . . died when he was young. It was a . . . terrible accident." She turned to look out the window. "So now I feel like I can't sit around and do nothing if other young kids are at risk, y'know? Especially if I witnessed them being taken."
     Silence lingered around the SUV for a few moments.
     Just shy of ten minutes later, the white van had taken an exit into the suburbs. Vivian and the driver, who she recently learned was named Hugh, followed behind at a reasonable distance. The road bathing in sunlight was lined with identical houses, each with identical lawns. Further along, the white van pulled into the driveway of one of the houses. Hugh brought the SUV to a stop along the curb on the opposite side of the street. Vivian peered past Hugh to catch a glimpse of the van.
     "I knew it!" Vivian said. "I knew I was right!"
     Out of the white van came a man with his hand firmly around the forearms of two young boys. They headed around the side of the house and disappeared.
     "So call the cops already," Hugh said.
     "Gimme your phone!"
     "Where's yours?"
     "I just have my watch."
     "I better get this back." Hugh handed her his phone.
     After three taps, Vivian held the phone to her ear and stepped out of the SUV.
     "9-1-1, what is your emergency?"
     "Hi, I just witnessed a kidnapping," Vivian said. She squinted towards the house number, then turned to look for a street sign. "1783 17th Avenue. White van parked out front. A man just took two young boys around the back."
     After the operator told her to remain where she was, Vivian ended the call and tossed the phone through the SUV's window to Hugh.
     "Good luck," Hugh said, then drove off.
     "You gotta be kidding me!" Vivian said. "What a dick."
     As she stood on the sidewalk waiting, Vivian grew restless. Her arms crossed, she started bouncing on the balls of her feet, occasionally shooting glances both ways down the street.
     When there were no blue and red lights after a few moments, Vivian said, "Screw it!" and darted across the street. The boys' lives could be in jeopardy. Pulse pounding, Vivian went around the side of the house, shuffling past a mouldy wooden ladder. The backyard was surprisingly well-kept.
     He probably keeps the yard nice just as a façade.
     Vivian tried the back door, which was unlocked. Slowly sneaking inside, she glanced around for any sign of movement, craning her neck for any subtle sound. Noticing a door that led down to the basement was slightly ajar, Vivian hurried over and shot a glance down into the depths.
     Stepping down ever so carefully, Vivian found herself not in the basement, but a sub-level kitchen. The lights were off, but the glow of natural light coming from up the stairs gave enough to soak in the surroundings.
     "What did you say your name was?" a man's voice said.
     Vivian froze, her back pressed up against the dark wall.
     There was a brief pause before a child's voice whimpered, "D-Daniel."