It was getting really hard to concentrate. Her back had been resting on the bottom for quiet some time. She dare not open her eyes because she couldn't stand the thought of no one looking at her as she lay on the bottom of the pool, swaying ever so slightly in the tiny current created by the swimming children above her.
What she really wanted was for him to notice her. They had bumped into one another in the store, at school, walking down main street, but no experience ever yielded more than a simply "hello" or an empty "how are you." She knew he was kind an genuine, but he hadn't noticed her yet. Yes, he knew she existed, but he hadn't seen the fire within her.
Her lungs were beginning to burn, the muscles were constricting, she heard little pops in her ears. The shaking of her body let her know she was at her limit. The body could only last so long with recycled air - it eventually needed new breath. It wasn't going to get it. At least until he noticed her.
He was up there, with his friends. She had felt his eyes upon her as she entered the pool, walking as she sauntered into the water.
He'd better hurry up. It wouldn't be long before she passed out, allowing her body to go into autopilot, taking a breath instinctively, underneath the surface.
At which point, her fire would be extinguished.
You have the ability to use only a few paragraphs, yet create a whole world of emotion with them.
ReplyDeleteI was holding my breath (I guess, along with her) as I read this.
Excellent.
ieyu, ilys