She Couldn't Swim

sometimes we make killer friends

Pain was searing her lungs as she gulped sick salty liquid. Her tongue danced behind her lips in prayer, amidst her screeches and desperate pleas for help.

***

It looked like she was enjoying the world and its offerings. Everyone was oblivious to her sufferings. I swam out to join her in what looked like to be tremendous fun splashing about. I thought I’d follow her lead and mirror her sounds of excitement thinking it would make the icy waters more enjoyable. She had felt an instant bond with me, she told me so before, because other girls she tried to befriend where 'pretentious' but I wasn't, I was real. She let me in. 

 

We splashed water in each other’s faces, so cold my fingers buzzed out I couldn’t feel them anymore. But I was having fun and so was she.  I heard her laugh. I made her laugh. It wasn’t until then I had suddenly realised that they were not cries of joy! She wasn’t splashing water in my face, she was trying to get my attention. She was trying to breathe. Panic took over me. All of a sudden this magnificent force powered me. I had to save her. After all, she’s been nothing but nice to me. I tried to get closer, but she fought. The water was really heavy now. I gathered all my strength and felt the icy hold of the water against me. The bitter wind didn’t help either. I pulled my arms out to her but the current grew. My muscles stung every time I moved against it. I could only think that what she was going through was worse.  Again I reach out. I caught her! Finally!

 

I wrapped around her waist and boosted her into the air. Her struggling weighed me down. I sank below. Hold breath …1 ….2 ….3 ….4 …5 …6 I needed air. I lowered her as I broke the surface of the water to catch a breath, her eyes were wide her eyes were wild. Afraid of the water she couldn’t let go, she wanted to be higher, further away from the sea.  My head was in perfect place to use as a buoy and so she did. Her hand grappled my head and I was down.  In shock, I could barely see, just blue, leg, blue, skin, blue, arm, and bubbles. I clenched my body and tightened my jaw hoping air wouldn’t escape me. It did nothing, my breath left me in plumes replaced with what might as well have been acid forcing its way down my throat. I was struggling and so was she. I went up, she went down. She came up, and pushed me back down. She was stronger than me after her short break from death. She coughed and coughed making room, filing her lungs with the glorious, majestic goodness of air, of life! She roared with success. I roared in anguish.

 

After failing to re-surface, there was a moment of calm. I noticed bold streaks of light piercing into the dim, reflecting onto my skin, my captor’s legs. I had to get away from her. Exhausted I let myself go. Sometimes it can be so beautiful when you don’t reject what lies within. I had forgotten the pain. I was numb. My mind was basking in the ambience of my surroundings. My body immediately oppose. I jolted up, climbing the nothingness, swimming up. I broke the surface. Trying to breathe, only to find her still trying to do the same thing.

 

She was clueless, dumbstruck, maybe still in shock? I tried to get closer to hoist her up again and hoped she didn’t push me under, hoped that she could reach some level of calm. She did not stop, she moved about trying to tread what now felt like churning cement. It was all too dramatic, all she succeeded in was pushing me away. Her arms and legs; awry and unpredictable she punched and kicked me away.  She splashed making it hard to see, trying, keeping herself afloat.  More muffled cries. STOP! I yelled. JUST HOLD ON. Our hands slipt away from one another. She still struggled and used me to push herself up. I couldn’t go down again. STO…LAY BACK! IM HOLDING! She wasn’t listening. NO! JUST. HELP. She responded I AM! I said. HALP she yelled some more. I’M RIGHT HERE! I yelled as I managed to swim round behind her. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and tried to lean her back so I could be her board and swim her back to shore. She deterred with all her strength and turned to face me with one hand on my head, the other on my shoulder. I was under. Again.

 

Why! Every attempt had failed. I tried to come up for air but she grew stronger with each of her breaths. Water imploded my ears as I kept fighting for the bold light above and the air that my body longed for. My body wrangled as I tried to swim against the steady grip of her hands. I realised she wasn’t struggling any more, she was calm. Another hard push against my scuffle. What was she doing! I can’t breathe! A wave of desperation swept over me. My body was weaker than ever. Her gaze fixated on my meek self. Thank you for helping me she whispered as she gave one last push.

 

I was gone no more fighting, no more struggle, I was faint. The surface distanced, it grew darker, quieter, blurred. Smouldering rods speared through my lungs, my feet cemented and my arms left to float above me. One last breath as I accepted my fate. The flames poured in. My eyes burned. My muscles tensed. Stunned. It was over. 

***

After the incident they said I was only out of it for a week or so. Once I was back at home I had heard stories of her almost drowning in that same area recently and someone and managed to saved her. Not me. I couldn’t save her. She didn't let me? I thought. I couldn’t understand how she held me there and how easily she could just swim away. I'm in good company now, my family surrounded me and of course not without their overbearing care. Brilliant flowers filled my room with a particular vase of yellow tulips that caught my eye enclosed in one of the tulips there was a note... 

“Thank you for helping me but you shouldn’t have tried because it didn't work, maybe one day we can be friends again” x x x x signed...  her.

 

What?! So deeply flawed. Psycho killer b***h.

 

 

Author's Note

what did you like most about it?

I KNOW I KNOW terrible expression, cant usually stick to one tense. my syntax could be better and my spelling is bleh.

but what do you think of the actual scenario? does it drag on too much? Does it fizzle out? can you undertand the frustrations in the end?

also just tips on how I can improve my writing skills in general like all the things i mentioned above being terrible and all.