Submerged

Justin Caldwell
Jul 26, 2017 · 1 min read

She swam out a little further than was necessary, but she didn’t care. It was her intention to enjoy her first summer as a teenager.

The smaller kids were kept under the watchful eyes of the adults. She no longer required such supervision.

Bobbing peacefully in the water, she was taken by surprise as the wave washed over her,forcing her under.

“I’m okay,” she thought, looking toward the light-flecked surface above her. “I’m a competitive swimmer after all.”

She kicked upward, but her body didn’t respond like she thought it would. Kicking harder, she expelled the air in her lungs, barely breaching the water, gasping and gulping for air before being dragged back under.

Her hair floated above her like pieces of wet string as she descended further into the darkness below. She struggled to push herself back above the surface, but her arms and legs wouldn’t respond.

Realizing the grim truth, she evacuated her lungs and allowed the coldness surrounding her to rush in.

The paramedics would have to return her to her parents.

Written by

Husband, father, writer. Some days in that order.

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