❝everything that drowned me, taught me how to swim❞
{written by two enthusiastic writers who met on the internet}
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Two girls-Alina and Mabel-once best friends are now in rival friend groups at Aquarine High. Both have gone through traumatic experie...
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The waves crashed against the jagged cliffs below her, the sound booming in her ears. A sharp wind blasted against Alina's frail, shivering body.
Why am I here?
The sun had vanished into the ocean depth of the horizon and the sky had begun to darken into an inky color of navy blue. A few gleaming stars peppered the nighttime sky.
It was peaceful despite the storm that was rolling in. No one was out and the only sounds were the placid waters of the endless sea below her. A lovely tranquil atmosphere indeed. Mother and Father would worry though. She had been out since after supper, which was about two hours ago. Luckily, they trusted Alina to take care of herself.
"No talking to strangers, okay sweetie?" Her mother had warned Alina before she left the house two hours ago.
Alina sighed, nodding. "I know, Mom. I'm old enough." She had given her a cheeky eight-year-old smile and you could see the gaps of Alina's teeth that she had recently lost when she grinned.
She took a deep breath, sucking in the frisk air of Mother Nature. Alina loved the ocean, always had. It was peaceful up above, but it was dangerous underneath the calm waves. Everyone of Aquarine knew that you should be careful when taking in the view. Many had fallen to their death here, the water pulling them farther down until they drowned and their bodies would float back up to the top, but this time not breathing.
It frightened all kids in the town. Alina had tried to ignore the fact that people had died here. She could've died many times by being so ignorant and close to the cliff's edge. Luckily, she didn't and she was grateful for it. Mr. Pickney, Alina's neighbor that lived just across from her mansion of a house, had been one of the ocean's victims. He had slipped on one of the breaking rocks of the cliff's top and had plummeted straight down to his death.
He was only sixty-seven...
That was when Alina was five.
She missed Mr. Pickney. He was always so sweet to her and would invite her over when her parents were on business trips and she was stuck with the boring old maids. They would always play chess together outside in his garden and his dalmatian, Ol' Charlie, would always lick Alina's face with loveable kisses.
Alina wondered where Ol' Charlie was now. He had been sent back to the animal shelter after Mr. Pickney drowned and she had never heard anything about that cute dog since.
Boom! The echoes of the dangerous waves slamming into the cliff jolted Alina back to reality. She shivered, hugging herself tightly. The temperatures were dropping tremendously and she couldn't guess how freezing the water was. It was in the middle of fall--early October to be exact, but it felt like winter.
Goosebumps trickled up her arms, the sharp winds threatening to blow her off the margin. It was oddly windy today and Alina had forgotten to bring a coat. Although it was freezing, her surroundings were peaceful.
